Patent · US Expired

Radiation detection and signal delay circuitry for protecting recorded data

US5067106A · kind A · utility

4Cited by
9References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 5, 1989
Grant dateNov 19, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 5, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F11/0754
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A radiation hardened or fail safe circuit is coupled between a peripheral data storage device, for example a disk drive, and its associated controller. The circuit includes an AND logic gate with two inputs: a write enable signal from the controller; and a sensing input logic signal normally high, but driven low responsive to the sensing of unacceptably high levels of radiation. A delay means is interposed between the controller and the AND gate, for delaying propagation of the write enable signal a sufficient amount of time to ensure that the sensing input to the AND gate responds to the detection of high radiation before the arrival of the write enable signal. The delay means can be an LC delay circuit, a coaxial cable, or a series of latches clocked in alternation order by opposite phases of an oscillator.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.