Nuclear event detector from C-MAC helps with design of rad hard electronics

QUEBEC CITY, 22 July 2009. C-MAC Microtechnology in Old Amersham, England, is introducing a low power nuclear event detector (NED) that detects a pulse from an ionizing radiation event, such as from space radiation, and mitigates the effect by protecting sensitive electronic systems via a controlled power-down or transition to a known state.

The device helps engineers design radiation hardened (rad hard) electronics. C-MAC made the announcement this week at the IEEE Nuclear & Space Radiation Effects conference in Quebec City. The company developed the NED in association with MBDA UK Ltd. (MBDA) in London.

Once the detected pulse has passed, the NED returns power to the system in a controlled manner. Primarily available in a 14 pin flat-pack configuration, the circuit was designed by MBDA and manufactured on C-MAC's MIL-PRF-38534 certified production line.

Before the end of 2009 the NED will be available for procurement under the Standard Microcircuit Drawing (SMD) program managed by the Defense Supply Center Columbus (DSCC) in Columbus, Ohio.

For more information contact C-MAC online at www.cmac.com.