Radiation-tolerant components

The second type of radiation that engineers must be aware of is single event effects (SEEs), for which the measurement unit is MeV.cm²/mg. This is where microelectronic circuitry is hit by a high-energy particle or gamma ray, causing a functional problem to arise. SEEs include single event latch-ups (SELs) that effectively lead to shorts within IC circuitry. In some cases, this will result in permanent damage, but often cycling the device on and off can alleviate the problem. Another type of SEE is single event upsets (SEUs), which can impact upon the integrity of memory devices, resulting in corruption of the stored data.

EBV has an expansive array of radiation-tolerant devices for space deployment. These include microcontrollers and high-density FPGAs, as well as operational amplifiers and diodes, from a variety of different suppliers. It should be noted that we are the only European distributors to support space-grade FPGAs from all the leading programmable logic vendors - meaning that customers have the broadest scope of possible options to choose from.

For certain avionics and space applications, the custom design of an ASIC can be justified - so that the exact performance parameters and functionality can be achieved. Here EBV can support customers in facilitating such projects, liaising with both the customer and the chosen supplier to make the development of high-reliability devices within the required timeframe.

There are also a number of test houses that we can recommend to customers, in order that the certifications can be obtained. Our experienced engineering team can provide design guidance, so that systems are fully prepared to deal with SEEs and appropriate actions can be taken if a chip is affected by them. For SEEs that only cause a short-term sporadic event, it may just require rebooting of that part of the system. If the function is mission-critical though, having redundancy built into the system will be warranted to safeguard against any permanent damage or to take over while rebooting of the main device is conducted. Advice can be given on what diagnostics and monitoring functionality will be needed to check for radiation-related issues arising. Use of linear energy transfer mechanisms, plus inclusion of error correction algorithms, will also have important roles to play in mitigating SEEs.