SCALE Radiation Testing of System-On-Chip (SoC) Devices

The SCALE Radiation Testing of System-On-Chip (SoC) Devices seminar series covers the complexities of testing SoC devices for radiation effects. The speakers discuss the challenges of testing these devices, which have multiple voltage islands and power domains, making it difficult to determine how to bias the device without access to commercial devices. They also touch on the importance of powering an SoC, which can be complex with 17 different voltage islands, requiring multiple power regulators.
The seminar series highlights the need for more research in this area, particularly in point-of-load converters and fault-tolerant reliable power supplies. The speakers emphasize that radiation effects testing is crucial to ensure device reliability, as a single event burnout can wipe out entire functions. They encourage further discussion and experimentation with biasing different voltage domains and exploring new technologies such as compact integrated point-of-load converters.