Estimating Electronic Parameter End Points for Devices Which Suffer Abrupt Functional Failure during Radiation Testing

The abrupt failure of devices under test - especially during step-stress measurements presents special problems in determining parameter end points. This article shows how past procedures can be replaced by a method which can be applied with equal logical consistency to both the graceful degradation of parts as well as to the abrupt failure of parts. The article gives an example of how the method works and discusses its advantages and disadvantages