Fault‐Tolerance Techniques for Spacecraft Control Computers

Reliability analysis of a fault-tolerant RISC-V system-on-chip

“…Space systems operate in harsh environments and are exposed to radiation, extreme temperatures, and vacuum. The hostility of space can produce transient, intermittent, or permanent faults and affect the functioning of computer systems [1]. Single or multiple bit changes, for example, can lead to catastrophic failures in critical systems.…”

Characterization of a RISC-V System-on-Chip under Neutron Radiation

“…The atmospheric environment, for example, presents a cascade of secondary particles, including neutrons, protons, and electrons, due to the interaction of the atmospheric gases and galactic cosmic rays [1]. The interaction of these particles with electronics can lead to transient, permanent, or intermittent faults [2]. As a result, electronic systems may suffer malfunctions and catastrophic failures.…”

“…SETs are characterized by transient turbulence in the signals, which can lead to incorrect circuit action. SEUs are similar to SETs, but they affect the memory elements with bit-flips [2]. According to [4], SEUs have a very high occurrence probability and must be considered when designing embedded systems.…”

A Low-Cost Fault-Tolerant RISC-V Processor for Space Systems

“…Space systems operate in a harsh environment and are exposed to space radiation and extreme temperatures, as well as vacuum and lack of gravity. This hostility of the space environment can lead to transient, permanent, or intermittent faults that can affect the functioning of computational systems [1]. Single and multiple bit upsets, per example, may lead to catastrophic failures in critical systems.…”