The impact of gamma radiation on a commercial off the shelf microcontroller board has been investigated. Three different tests have been performed to ascertain the radiation tolerance of the device from a nuclear decommissioning deployment perspective. The first test analyses the effect of radiation on the output voltage of the on-board voltage regulator during irradiation. The second test evaluated the effect of gamma radiation on the voltage characteristics of analogue and digital inputs and outputs. The final test analyses the functionality of the microcontroller when using an external, shielded voltage regulator instead of the on-board voltage regulator. The results suggest that a series of latch-ups occurs in the microcontroller during irradiation, causing increased current drain which can damage the voltage regulator if it does not have short-circuit protection. The analogue to digital conversion functionality appears to be more sensitive to gamma radiation than digital and analogue output functionality. Using an external, shielded voltage regulator can prove beneficial when used for certain applications. The collected data suggests that detaching the voltage regulator can extend the lifespan of the platform up to approximately 350 Gy.

已经研究了伽马辐射对商用现货微控制器板的影响。已经进行了三项不同的测试，以从核退役部署的角度确定装置的辐射耐受性。第一个测试分析了辐照过程中辐射对车载稳压器输出电压的影响。第二个测试评估了伽马辐射对模拟和数字输入和输出电压特性的影响。最后的测试分析了当使用外部屏蔽稳压器而不是板载稳压器时微控制器的功能。结果表明，微控制器在辐照期间会发生一系列闩锁，如果没有短路保护，会导致电流消耗增加，这可能会损坏电压调节器。模数转换功能似乎比数字和模拟输出功能对伽马辐射更敏感。当用于某些应用时，使用外部屏蔽稳压器可以证明是有益的。收集到的数据表明，分离电压调节器可以将平台的寿命延长至大约 350 Gy。