Implementation of a fault tolerant computing testbed
Subtitle: a tool for the analysis of hardware and software fault handling techniques
By:  David C. Summers
Publisher: Naval Postgraduate School; Available from National Technical Information Service
Published: 2000
Place of publication: Monterey, Calif; Springfield, Va
Language: eng
Format: Electronic resource
Number of pages: 168
Description: With spacecraft designs placing more emphasis on reduced cost, faster design time, and higher performance, it is easy to understand why more commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) devices are being used in space based applications. The COTS devices offer spacecraft designers shorter design-to- orbit times, lower system costs, orders of magnitude better performance, and a much better software availability than their radiation hardened (radhard) counterparts. The major drawback to using COTS devices in space is their increased susceptibility to the effects of radiation, single event upsets (SEUs) in particular. This thesis will focus on the implementation of a fault tolerant computer system. The hardware design presented here has two different benefits. First, the system can act as a software testbed, which allows testing of software fault tolerant techniques in the presence of radiation induced SEUs. This allows the testing of the software algorithms in the environment they were designed to operate in without the expense of being placed in orbit. Additionally, the design can be used as a hybrid fault tolerant computer system. By combining the masking ability of the hardware with supporting software, the system can mask out and reset processor errors in real time. The design layout will be presented using OrCAD schematics.
Notes: Thesis advisor(s): Ross, Alan A.; Loomis, Herschel H.

"June 2000."

Thesis (M.S. in Electrical Engineering) Naval Postgraduate School, June 2000.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 163-165).

"Approved for public release, distribution unlimited"--Cover.

Also available in print.

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

System requirements: Adobe Acrobat reader.

US Marine Corps (USMC) author.

dk/dk cc:9116 08/01/00