RADHARD 2017

Radiation Hardness Assurance

Radiation qualification of COTS Hardware for a specific LEO space application

 

Chiara Tran Thi¹, Torsten Kohne¹, Antonella Sgambati¹, Marco Berg¹
1OHB System AG, Bremen

Abstract

The space environment is a very harsh environment and the electronic devices that shall operate in this environment must perform their functions reliably. The radiation in space can directly affect the operation of electronic devices causing effects such as performance degradation, functional interrupts, transient effects, loss of data or memory integrity and even permanent loss of function as far as permanent damage. Furthermore, the equipment will be stressed mechanically during the launch event, mainly in terms of vibration, shock and extreme thermal cycling.
Therefore, it is imperative that agencies and the industry properly characterize electronic devices before these devices are flown in space.
The use of commercial electronic components and also fully commercial-of-the-shelf (COTS) equipment is increasingly attractive for the space domain. Performance – in the full meaning of the term – of COTS electronic components and devices is highly attractive compared to their Hil-Rel (High Reliability) / Rad-Hard (Radiation-Hardened) equivalents. Sometimes, especially for long term operational equipment like infrastructure facilities on the International Space Station, COTS equipment is mandatory in terms of availability, performance and nevertheless costs.
To qualify COTS equipment for space applications is usually very complex, time-consuming and therefore also very expensive process. But especially for Low-Earth-Orbit applications like the International Space Station (ISS), such a qualification process can be reduced and optimized if some key points are carefully attended.

This presentation describes the process of qualifying a COTS equipment for the utilization onboard the ISS. It focuses on the activities performed for the radiation qualification of a commercial hard disk storage system required as replacement and upgrade of obsolete equipment of a scientific facility of the ISS Columbus Module.
These activities had been conducted as part of a general cost effective approach for qualifying commercial hardware for low-earth-orbit applications.

References

[01] GPQ-MAN-02-Issue1 Commercial, Aviation and Military (CAM) Equipment Evaluation Guidelines for ISS Payloads Use
[02] GPQ-010_02 Product assurance requirements for payload projects
[03] SSP30512-C Space Station Ionizing Radiation Design Environment, International Space Station Alpha
[04] SSP30423RH Space Station Approved Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Parts List - International Space Station
[05] SSP 30233 rev.F Space Station Requirements for Materials and Processes - International Space Station
[06] SSP 57000, Revision E Pressurized Payloads Interface Requirements Document - International Space Station Program
[07] COL-RIBRE-SPE-0164_01-A Columbus Pressurized Payloads Interface Requirements Document
[08] "Radiation Test Results on COTS & non-COTS Electronic Devices for NASA-JSC Spaceflight Projects" Kimberly K. Allums PhD, Patrick M. O’Neill PhD, Brandon D. Reddell PhD, Charles R. Bailey, Kyson V. Nguyen - NASA Johnson Space Center, Avionics Systems Division, Radiation Effects Group
[09] JSC-64376 ESCG-6230-08-EPGG-DOC-0038_rev.A NASA ESC Radiation Test Report T61P Lenovo Thinkpad Laptop: Final Configuration
[010] PSTAR physics.nist.gov/PhysRefData/Star/Text/PSTAR.html
[011] ESCC Basic Specification No. 22900 TOTAL DOSE STEADY-STATE IRRADIATION TEST METHOD
[012] ESCC Basic Specification No. 25100 SINGLE EVENT EFFECTS TEST METHOD AND GUIDELINES
[013] ECSS E-ST-10-12C, “Methods for the calculation of radiation received and its effects, and a policy for design margins”
[014] ECSS-E-HB-10-12A “Calculation Of Radiation And Its Effects And Margin Policy Handbook”
[015] "High Energy Neutron and Proton Irradiation Facilities at TSL" Alexander Prokofiev, 2007-11-30, 6th LHC Radiation Workshop

Acknowledgements

The Authors gratefully acknowledge the European Space Agency for funding this project.