ANALYSIS AND SIMULATIONS OF SPACE RADIATION INDUCED SINGLE EVENT TRANSIENTS

Spacecraft electronics are affected by the space radiation environment. Among the different types of radiation effects that can affect spacecraft electronics is the single event transients. The space environment is responsible for many of the single event transients which can upset the performance of the spacecraft avionics hardware. In this paper we first explore the origins of single event transients, then explore the modeling of a single event transient in digital and analog circuit. The paper also addresses the concept of crosstalk that could develop among digital circuits in the present of a SET event. The paper ends with a brief discussion of SET hardening. The goal of the paper is to provide methodologies for assessing single event transients and their effects so that spacecraft avionics engineers can develop either hardware or software countermeasures in their designs