This topic covers single event effects (SEE) testing of spacecraft electrical, electronic, and electromechanical (EEE) components and assemblies. In orbit, energetic particles interact with spacecraft electronics causing disturbances known as SEEs. These can either be destructive or non-destructive for a particular device, but in all cases have the potential to cause irreversible damage to a spacecraft. The goal of SEE testing is to characterize the SEE susceptibilities of a semiconductor such that its use in a particular radiation environment (i.e. LEO, MEO, GEO, etc.) can be assessed and proper mitigation steps can be taken.
Resources under this topic area are primarily links to testing facilities, SEE testing guidance, and software tools for mapping test data to a component's performance in various space environments.
After testing is complete, a report detailing the test setup, exposed devices, high-level results, and test data logs should be created. This report should also include pictures, oscilloscope screenshots, and facility generated logs/plots when available/permitted.
If the DUT has built-in power saving functionality, ensure this functionality is disabled or the device may automatically toggle the bias of internal hardware during exposure and skew results.
Every facility is different and you will never fully know what to expect before you get there. The facilities often run 24/7 and allow teams to arrive as early as the day before to view their testing location. If this is allowed, take advantage of it. This allows for final tweaks to be made to test plans and for missing equipment (ex. power strips, extension cords, etc.) to be purchased prior to the scheduled beam time.
SEE testing can be hectic and very repetitive. Automate as much of the testing and data capture process as possible. This will reduce the likelihood of mistakes and improve how efficiently you are using facility time.
This website provides information from Radiation Test Solutions (RTS) regarding radiation effects testing. ... They provide a useful introductions to radiation effects, the hazards of the space environment for electronics, and the related testing standards and protocols currently utilized across the industry.
Slide 7 of this NASA presentation includes a comprehensive list of "Key Space Radiation Test Standards". ... Slide 8 includes a table of "Space Radiation Test Guidelines" which references useful guides and best practices related to the TID and SEE testing of EEE parts for spaceflight. This resource also aims to present examples of shortcomings in such test standards resultant from the constant evolution of technology.
This website provides useful links to NASA-furnished radiation effects resources and a list of radiation ... test facilities.
This web-based software tool is a widely-used and NASA-supported SEE rate prediction utility. The tool ... takes inputs related to a spacecrafts anticipated orbit and shielding, simulates the corresponding radiation environment after such shielding, and then computes a device's SEE rates given its SEE cross-sections.
This presentation provides an introduction to planning a heavy-ion SEE testing effort. It provides an ... outline for a test plan, a breakdown of test set and data requirements, various facility and logistical considerations, and configuration management tips.
"SPENVIS is ESA's SPace ENVironment Information System, a WWW interface to models of the space environment ... and its effects; including cosmic rays, natural radiation belts, solar energetic particles, plasmas, gases, and 'micro-particles'." This software tool generates satellite visualizations and then calculates a variety of metrics such as Monte Carlo analysis, geometric coordinates, radiation dose, etc.
This website provides resources related to SEE testing at the Texas A&M University Cyclotron Institute ... REF. The site includes detailed information about the facility's in-air and vacuum setups, the testing/data room, the heavy-ion and proton beams they offer, and the related LET vs. range plots for each beam.
This presentation provides background on space radiation effects on electronics and details regarding ... heavy-ion, LASER, and proton facilities. The slides list both foreign and domestic test facilities and paint a comprehensive picture of SEE testing in practice.
This white paper provides a "Careful COTS" approach to component selection and testing as they both relate ... to radiation effects and smallsat missions. The presented approach is particularly applicable to LEO missions that leverage COTS components.
This provides guidance on which proton SEE tests are appropriate for a given device under test (DUT), ... orbit, semiconductor process, and application. It contains useful tables and conditional statements which make it easy to identify environment-dependent risks and determine when to conduct proton testing on a device.