Open AccessAccelerated Tests of Soft Errors in Network Systems Using a Compact Accelerator- Driven Neutron Source
Author(s) -
Hidenori Iwashita,
Hirotaka Sato,
Kaoru Arai,
Takashi Kotanigawa,
Koichi Kino,
Takashi Kamiyama,
Fujio Hiraga,
Katsutoshi Koda,
Michihiro Furusaka,
Yoshiaki Kiyanagi
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
ieee transactions on nuclear science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.537
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1558-1578
pISSN - 0018-9499
DOI - 10.1109/tns.2016.2626005
Subject(s) - nuclear engineering , bioengineering
The frequency of neutron-induced soft errors is increasing as devices become more integrated and miniaturized. Therefore, it has become more important recently to check reliability of a recovery system from the soft errors in network systems. For accelerated test, first we have examined possibility of the acceleration tests at a compact accelerator-driven neutron source, which is easy to adjust for soft-error tests and which also has low experimental costs. We selected the electron accelerator-driven neutron source at Hokkaido University as the compact accelerator-driven neutron source. We prepared a new target-reflector assembly composed of heavy metals to provide the fast neutrons, and conducted neutron-induced soft-error experiments on network equipments. As a result, we found that an accelerated rate of soft errors was about 106 times compared with that of the natural environment. We also investigated network equipment soft-error tolerance, fault detection and backup switching processes. Performing such testing before network equipment is actually deployed is critical for development of future network systems. Hence, the compact accelerator-based neutron source is a very useful tool.