Radiation Testing Background

History of the Electronics Test Group

We are certainly pleased to have you visit this site and welcome the opportunity to tell you a little bit about ourselves. Some of us have been around long enough to have come from the Special Nuclear Effects Lab at General Atomic in San Diego, way back in the middle sixties. Those of us who have managed to survive, have made a living from testing nuclear radiation effects on electronics parts, systems and sub-systems for a little more than thirty years. We have test experience at many of the radiation simulators around the country such as:

• Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York NY
• Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, in Berkeley, CA
• Texas A&M University Cyclotron, in College Station, TX
• Crocker National Laboratory, at UC Davis in Davis, CA
• Sandia National Labs Hermes flash X-ray
• Sterigenics Inc. Linear Accelerator (Linac), in San Diego, CA
• General Atomic's Triga Mk1, MkF and MkIII reactors in San Diego
• and many others...

In addition to the above mentioned simulators, Maxwell Technologies owns and operates 2 Gammacell-220 Cobalt-60 Gamma Irradiators plus a Gamma Range Source here at our facility in San Diego, CA.

With the decline in demand of nuclear radiation testing for military purposes, and the increased desire to move towards a Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) based satellite systems, radiation testing demands of commercial die has increased dramatically. This stronger reliance on surveillance and commercial communications satellites has provided an increase in demand for total dose radiation hardened parts as well as Single Event Effects (SEE).

So, we have had to adjust to the new business environment/demands just like any other successful business. We decided a few years ago that in order to continue in this business we must re-dedicate ourselves to providing our customers the very best in quality and service at the absolute lowest price possible. We are truly convinced that we are still in business today only because of this renewed committment. So, if you have a requirement for radiation hardness testing, you have come to the right place!

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Selected customers:

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Our Program Experience is as follows: