Space Shuttle Flight Test Results of the Cosmic Ray Upset Experiment

• Published in: IEEE transactions on nuclear science Vol. 31; no. 6; pp. 1178 - 1182
• Main Authors: Adolphsen, John W., Yagelowich, John J., Sahu, Kusum, Kolasinski, W. A., Koga, R., Stassinopoulos, E. G., Benton, Eugene V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Legacy CDMS IEEE 01-12-1984
• Subjects: Aerospace engineering; Cyclotrons; Design engineering; Error analysis; Instrumentation And Photography; NASA; Predictive models; Space shuttles; Space technology; Space vehicles; Testing
• ISSN: 0018-9499; 1558-1578
• DOI: 10.1109/TNS.1984.4333478

CRUX is the first engineering flight experiment designed to test for the incidence of upsets in microcircuits by energetic particles. Harris HM 6504 4K × 1 static CMOS RAM's were used as the test device types in a 1.3 megabit memory which flew on two shuttle flights. Ground (cyclotron) test information led to a prediction of about one error every 1000 days. No errors were experienced in 10 days of flight. While data were not in conflict with the error prediction and do support it, quantitative validation of the modeling for upsets is not statistically possible. Follow-on hardware (CRUX III) incorporates five different state-of-the-art microcircuits, and is scheduled for flight in October 1984.