Session
Pre-Conference Workshop Session 5: Advanced Concepts 2 - Research & Academia
Location
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Abstract
Tests have determined damage thresholds and failure rates as a function of total ionizing dose (TID) of beta radiation for various types of COTS micro-SD cards commonly used for memory storage in space applications. Radiation tolerance of high-density electronics are common critical failure modes for satellites, particularly for small satellites that often use lower shielding and less radiation-hardened COTS components. The tests evaluated SD-card formatting and read/write speeds at nine radiation intervals for up to ~ 1000 Gy TID, equivalent to ~15 times TID typically experienced annually on the unshielded exterior of satellites in Low Earth Orbit. A limited number of failures were observed beginning after ~ 400 Gy TID. Cards experiencing failures were subsequently tested at more rapid interval intervals, and typically recovered their initial read/write speeds after ≤ 24 hrs, except in more severe cases after > 400 Gy TID. These results will facilitate satellite designers’ selection of the appropriate quality and cost of the micro-SD cards for their particular mission, based on reliability and radiation tolerance.
Total Ionizing Dose Tolerance of Micro-SD Cards for Small Satellite Missions
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Tests have determined damage thresholds and failure rates as a function of total ionizing dose (TID) of beta radiation for various types of COTS micro-SD cards commonly used for memory storage in space applications. Radiation tolerance of high-density electronics are common critical failure modes for satellites, particularly for small satellites that often use lower shielding and less radiation-hardened COTS components. The tests evaluated SD-card formatting and read/write speeds at nine radiation intervals for up to ~ 1000 Gy TID, equivalent to ~15 times TID typically experienced annually on the unshielded exterior of satellites in Low Earth Orbit. A limited number of failures were observed beginning after ~ 400 Gy TID. Cards experiencing failures were subsequently tested at more rapid interval intervals, and typically recovered their initial read/write speeds after ≤ 24 hrs, except in more severe cases after > 400 Gy TID. These results will facilitate satellite designers’ selection of the appropriate quality and cost of the micro-SD cards for their particular mission, based on reliability and radiation tolerance.
