A Compact Power Controller for Microsat Applications

This paper describes a compact, lightweight power control unit suitable for a microsat. A COTS-based approach was used in component selection to enable short lead times and parts availability in addition to facilitating a lower cost. The five boards in the unit are similar in size to a 3U form factor and are packaged in a lightweight aluminum housing, include ldr Dual 200 W boost-mode battery chargers o 8051 microcontrollers ldr 96 12-bit analog channels ldr 16 5A FET relays with individual current monitors and slew rate control ldr PWM driver for torque rods ldr Sun sensor conditioning circuitry ldr Full-duplex communications channels that support various protocols including HDLC The architecture for the unit is revealed that includes the regulation methods for battery charging and solar panel power. Microcontroller functions are described that include the possibility of performing B-dot magnetic control in addition to implementing the algorithms for solar panel power monitoring. The radiation, vibration, thermal cycling and thermal vacuum test environments that this unit has been exposed to will be summarized. The test methodology and results will be examined.