Various myths related to EEE Components are circulating due to misunderstanding and misinterpretation. The presentation attempts to debunk 16 myths, hopefully helping the community avoid pitfalls. The myths are:
Myth 1: Incorrect interpretation of the term “Space Qualified.”
Myth 2: Incorrect interpretation of the terms “Radiation Hardened” and “Radiation Tolerant.”
Myth 3: The main drive to use COTS in space is Cost Savings.
Myth 4: Incorrect interpretation of the term “space heritage. “
Myth 5: Use of terms “Quality” and “Reliability“interchangeably.
Myth 6: COTS reliability cannot be ensured unless they are 100 percent tested and screened.
Myth 7: Meeting the absolute quantitative limit of reliability is required in technical specifications in order to achieve the needed mission reliability.
Myth 8: Plastic encapsulated semiconductors (PEM) cannot be used for space applications.
Myth 9: COTS industry is not controlled sufficiently.
Myth 10: COTS industry is not wafer traceable to ensure radiation test validity.
Myth 11: Success in space missions can be achieved only using a conservative approach.
Myth 12: Redundancy is a magic solution to enable the use of softer radiation components.
Myth 13: A meaningful barrier to using COTS in Space is the space application’s criticality.
Myth 14: The automotive grade (AEC-Q) EEE Components are recently aggressively promoted for space applications, being more reliable and having a lifetime of 15 years vs. industrial grade ones.
Myth 15: The more frequent obsolescence of COTS is a showstopper for their use in space applications.
Myth 16: Electrical and Radiation Tests at the Component level is technically justifiable to be replaced by testing at the board/module/subsystem level.
Dan Friedlander
Graduated from the Engineering School at Tel Aviv University with a degree in physics (1965–1969), with 44 years of experience in Component Engineering at MBT/Israeli Aerospace Industries (1969–2013), serving as Head of Components Engineering. Responsibilities included all aspects of EEE components—such as policymaking, corporate-level standardization, and approval processes—for both military and space applications. Since 2013, has been active as an independent industry consultant.
