NSEU impact on commercial avionics

Neutron single event upsets (NSEU) are known to have a significant impact on modern IC's used in typical ground applications. The impact is orders of magnitude more frequent and critical when IC's are used in avionics flying at 40,000 ft due to the higher atmospheric neutron flux and the potential for critical impact to human safety. As ICs become more sensitive and as systems use more bits, the systems become more sensitive. Avionics manufacturers use a variety of methods to manage the effects of NSEU, starting in design, through the product assessment process, and into the extended field life of products.