# Presentation: 091376

## Why Is NASA Interested in the Aerospace Qualified Electronic Component (AQEC)?

- Program Manager, Workmanship and EEE Parts Assurance
- NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD 20771
- Code 306, Systems Management Office,
- Phone: 301-286-3335; Fax: 301-286-1667
- Michael.J.Sampson@nasa.gov

**Why Is NASA Interested in the Aerospace Qualified Electronic Component (AQEC)?**

**For the Panel Discussion at CMSE 2004**
**February 10, 2004**

## The Short Answer Is:

**For Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS), Plastic Encapsulated Microcircuits (PEMs) AQEC Would Provide:**
_**Improved**_** ability to manage the risk of using COTS/PEMs in spaceflight systems**
_**Reduced**_** cost and **_**increased**_** effectiveness of required risk mitigation**
_**AND**_
_**NASA Cannot Achieve This Much Without Help**_

## Overview

**NASA’s Drivers for Change**
**EEE Parts Options**
**Military/Hi Rel**
**COTS**
**NASA Risk Matrix**
**COTS Risk Factors**
**Cost Factor**
**The Aerospace Qualified Electronic Component (AQEC)**
**features**
**NASA view**
**Conclusions**

## NASA’s Drivers for Change

**Cost constrained missions**
**Tight schedules**
**Aggressive science and technology goals**
**COTS frequently seen as a solution to all three**
**COTS can be the ONLY solution where essential technology capability is the driver**

**BUT, The Hidden Costs and Complications of a COTS-based Solution Can Surprise the Uneducated**
**AND **_**NASA Is In A One Strike And You’re Out Game**_

## Two Principal EEE Parts Options

**Military/Hi Rel**
**Known performance (reliability)**
**Specification driven**
**Controlled/monitored sources**
**Consistent requirements**
**Known traceability**
**Change notification**
**Interchangeability**
**Stability **
**Use-as-is or minor upgrading**** **
**Older technologies**
**Long lead times**
**High procurement costs**** **

**Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS****)**
**Unknown performance ****(and reliability)**
**Commercial market driven**
**Unmonitored sources**
**Variable market driven requts**
**Variable traceability (none?)**
**Limited (none) change notification**
**Vendor specific variations**
**Rapid obsolescence**
**Continuous change **
**Up-grading/rating/screening for assurance**
**Newest technologies**
**Short lead times**
**Low procurement costs**

## NASA Risk Matrix (Inherent Risk)

**NPSL - NASA Parts Selection List****ESA -  European Space Agency****JAXA - Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency **

## Typical COTS Risk Factors

_**Instability**_
**Lot-to-lot variation/frequent process and design changes**
**“****Lots” can consist of unknown mixes of sub-lots of different origins**
**Integrity of plastic packages difficult to assess**
**Manufacturer reliability data may contain unidentified biases and have limited relevance to procured parts**
**Design margins minimized, considerably less conservative than military**
**Limited operating temperature range**
**Minimal screening determined by primary market needs**
**Rapid obsolescence**

## Traceability?

## Purchase Cost For The NASA Model

**Purchase Cost For The NASA Model**

## Impact Of Lot-by-Lot Upgrading On Parts Costs

**Impact Of Lot-by-Lot Upgrading On Parts Costs**

## Impact of Lot-by-Lot Radiation Assurance, With Upgrading On Parts Costs

**Impact of Lot-by-Lot Radiation Assurance, With Upgrading On Parts Costs**

## The Aerospace Qualified Electronic Component (AQEC)

**NASA is interested because it addresses some of our concerns about commercial parts**
**AQEC parts are manufactured as part of normal COTS production**
**Several key microcircuit manufacturers are interested**
**It does not require specific testing**** BUT ...**

## AQEC Features

**It Does:**
**extend characterized temp range beyond COTS**** (some to full military range)**
**And Requires: **
**reliability assessment methods that are****“mutually agreed to”**
**a stable configuration for “a specified period**** of time”**

**Some COTS Offerings May Already Go Further**

## NASA View of Current AQEC

**Addresses issues of design suitability (temp range)**
**May address lot uniformity, lot-to-lot variation and change control depending on the definitions of “stable configuration” and “period of time”**
**It could reduce the amount of testing NASA does (and thereby cost) by:**
**reducing or eliminating the need to radiation test every lot **
**permitting smaller sample sizes for sample based tests**
**possibly eliminating some screening tests and perhaps qualification, once confidence established**

******   ****Stocking Program**** **

## Conclusions

**AQEC is a concept that appeals to NASA as a means to reduce the cost of COTS risk mitigation while improving its effectiveness**
**BUT**
**The current version of the definition does not clearly meet NASA’s needs for configuration stability, lot homogeneity or lot traceability, which are needed for:**
**economic and effective lot acceptance testing**
**economic procurement of extras or replacements**
**avoidance of lot-by-lot radiation assurance**
**problem identification and containment**