Closed-loop neutron particle effects testing on a recoverable flight control computer

This work describes a single event upset (SEU) experiment performed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. A closed-loop control system consisting of a recoverable flight control computer (FCC) and a Boeing 737 simulator was operated while the FCC was exposed to a neutron beam. The purpose of this test was to analyze the effects of neutron bombardment on avionics control systems operating at altitudes where the occurrence of neutron effects is 100 or more times more probable than at sea level. The neutron energy spectrum produced at the Los Alamos National Laboratory is similar in shape to the spectrum of atmospheric neutrons but much more (at flight altitudes up to a million times more) intense. The higher intensity results in accelerated life tests that are representative of the actual neutron radiation that a FCC may receive over a period of years.