Evaluation and Compensation of Digital Switching Circuits in Transient Radiation Environments

A method for determining the degree of vulnerability of a general digital switching circuit to intense bursts of radiation is presented. Emphasis is placed upon the ability of the circuit to maintain a desired state, rather than on the switching process itself. The advantages and disadvantages of added compensation are discussed. Application is made of the preceding theory to contemporary circuits, and reproductions of actual test results are presented to support this theory. The final section is a discussion of some additional considerations that are introduced when radiation bursts of short duration are concerned.