Satellites use radiation-hardened components to withstand the harsh space environment
Radiation-hardened (rad-hard) components are used in products that operate in radiation-rich environments, such as in space, nuclear facilities, high-altitude aviation, and medical radiation-based devices. Radiation damages electronics by generating charge buildup, corrupting data, or permanently degrading materials. When exposed to these radiation levels, standard electronic components are vulnerable to malfunctions or failure.
Design Criteria for Radiation-Hardened Components
Several challenges exist in designing PCBs with radiation-hardened components. Compared to standard parts, these components often have stricter power consumption, size, and performance requirements. Furthermore, radiation-hard components are often more expensive and difficult to find. In harsh environments like space or nuclear applications, radiation-hardened components generate more heat, making thermal management a challenge. The table below provides PCB design best practices for radiation-hardened components.
Radiation-Hardened (Rad-hard) Components: Design Best Practices | |
Area | Best Practice |
Radiation Tolerance | Choose components rated for the expected radiation levels (measured in rads or grays) based on the environment’s exposure. |
Total Ionizing Dose | Make sure your components can withstand the accumulated radiation exposure over time, known as total ionizing dose. |
Single-Event Effects | Ensure the components are resistant to single-event effects, which can occur due to the impact of high-energy particles. |
Component Shielding | Use proper shielding materials (like aluminum or lead) to protect sensitive components from radiation. |
Redundancy and Error Correction | Design systems with redundancy and include error correction codes for memory components to mitigate the effects of radiation-induced errors. |
Latch-up Protection | Use rad-hard components to prevent latch-ups or design circuits with current-limiting and power-reset mechanisms. |
Power Management | Ensure power components are radiation-hardened to avoid failures in the power supply system due to radiation exposure. |
Material Selection | Use PCB materials with low radiation susceptibility, such as polyimide or Teflon, which resist radiation degradation. |
Temperature Range | Select rad-hard components that can operate under a wide range of temperatures encountered in radiation-prone environments like space. |
Qualification and Testing | Choose components that have undergone stringent radiation testing and qualification processes. |
Component Sourcing | Source components from manufacturers specializing in rad-hard parts (such as Texas Instruments, Microchip, or BAE Systems) to ensure reliability. |
Board Layout Considerations | Minimize the trace lengths to reduce radiation-induced transient effects and place critical components in shielded areas. |
Packaging Type | Use hermetically sealed packages for rad-hard components to provide additional protection against harsh environmental conditions. |
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) | Consider the EMI effects in radiation-heavy environments and implement EMI shielding and filtering techniques. |
Cost vs. Reliability | Balance the higher cost of rad-hard components with the reliability and safety requirements of the mission or application. |
Companies That Make Rad-Hard Components
A range of companies manufacture radiation-hardened components for use in space, military, nuclear, and other radiation-prone environments. Here are some of the leading companies:
Microchip Technology offers a wide range of radiation-hardened microcontrollers, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), memory, and power management ICs designed for aerospace and defense applications.
Each sensor type serves a particular function based on the application’s requirements, such as sensitivity, magnetic field detection, and output type.
L3Harris Technologies, formed from the merger of L3 and Harris in 2019, produces command and control systems and products, wireless equipment, tactical radios, avionics, and electronic systems for use in the government, defense, and commercial sectors.
Example: L3Harris’ JANSR2N7292
STMicroelectronics offers radiation-hardened power devices, voltage regulators, and analog ICs used in space, satellite, and defense applications.
Example: STMicroelectronics’ RHFL4913ESY1505V
Renesas (formerly Intersil) provides radiation-hardened precision analog ICs, voltage references, and power management components for space and nuclear environments.
Example: Renesas’ HS9-26CLV32RH-Q
Analog Devices (ADI) produces radiation-hardened signal processing and power management ICs and data converters used in space, defense, and high-radiation environments.
Example: Analog Devices’ RH1021BMH-5
Xilinx (now part of AMD) designs radiation-hardened FPGAs used in aerospace and defense systems for reconfigurable computing and mission-critical tasks.
Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions (CAES) specializes in radiation-hardened memory, processors, and mixed-signal ICs used in space, military, and nuclear applications.
Teledyne e2v develops radiation-hardened data converters, microprocessors, and RF components, widely used in space exploration and defense systems.
VPT specializes in radiation-hardened power supplies and DC-DC converters, often used in satellites and aerospace applications.
These companies focus on ensuring that their components meet stringent standards; such as IPC Class 3 for performance, reliability, and longevity in harsh environments exposed to radiation, such as space missions and defense applications.
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