Honeywell Radiation Tolerant General Purpose Processor

Abstract

When designing electronic systems for space applications, engineers must take into consideration the extreme operating conditions of space environment. Electronics devices operating outside the Earth atmosphere are exposed to very high/low temperatures and radiation. Radiation exposure is very dangerous for electronic systems because it can compromise their operation. Semiconductive components are sensitive to accumulated ionization as a result of radiation exposure. Honeywell Aerospace is currently testing a general purpose processor (GPP) unit designed to be radiation tolerant. This will allow the device to device to be used in various space applications. Key Terms - Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR), General Purpose Processor (GPP), Radiation, Single Board Computer (SBC), Van Allen Radiation Belts