OBC) for a Cubesat
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RIGH Development of an onboard computer (OBC) for a CubeSat by LWABANJI TONY LUMBWE Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Electrical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology Supervisor: Prof Richardt Wilkinson Co-supervisor: Prof Elmarie Biermann Bellville May 2013 DECLARATION I, Lwabanji Tony Lumbwe, declare that the contents of this thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Signed Date Copyright © 2013 Cape Peninsula University of Technology All rights reserved. ii ABSTRACT Over the past decade, the satellite industry has witnessed the birth and evolution of the CubeSat standard, not only as a technology demonstrator tool but also as a human capacity development platform in universities. The use of commercial off the shelf (COTS) hardware components makes the CubeSat a cost effective and ideal solution to gain access to space in terms of budget and integration time for experimental science payloads. Satellite operations are autonomous and are essentially based on the interaction of interconnected electronic subsystems exchanging data according to the mission requirements and objectives. The onboard computer (OBC) subsystem is developed around a microcontroller and plays an essential role in this exchange process as it performs all the computing tasks and organises the collection of onboard housekeeping and payload data before downlink during an overpass above the ground station. The thesis here presented describes the process involved in the development, design and implementation of a prototype OBC for a CubeSat. An investigation covering previously developed CubeSat OBCs is conducted with emphasis on the characteristics and features of the microcontroller to be used in the design and implementation phases. A set of hardware requirements are defined and according to the current evolution on the microcontroller market, preference is given to the 32-bit core architecture over both its 8-bit and 16-bit counterparts. Following a well defined selection process, Atmel’s AT91SAM3U4E microcontroller which implements a 32-bit Cortex-M3 core is chosen and an OBC architecture is developed around it. Further, the proposed architecture is implemented as a prototype on a printed circuit board (PCB), presenting a set of peripherals necessary for the operation of the OBC. Finally, a series of tests successfully conducted on some of the peripherals are used to evaluate the proposed architecture. Keywords: CubeSat, OBC, COTS, Microcontroller. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The completion of this thesis would not have been feasible without the support, inspiration and encouragement of the following people and organisations to whom I would like to express my sincere gratitude: My supervisors Prof Richardt Wilkinson and Prof Elmarie Biermann for their patience, guidance and support; The French South African Institute of Technology (F’SATI) in particular Prof Robert Van Zyl, Prof Elmarie Biermann, Mr Francois Visser and Mr Ian Van Zyl for giving me the opportunity to complete my Masters degree on a full-time basis; The Centre for Instrumentation Research (CIR) staff, store members and students, in particular Khaleel Jooste for his ongoing assistance; My family in particular my brother Sean (Zed) Lumbwe and my sister Lydia (LaDiva) Lumbwe for their never ending motivation and encouragement; Everyone who took interest in my project; And most importantly, my Saviour, Lord Jesus Christ, for giving me the strength to complete this thesis in time. Special thanks to my colleagues Gavin Mutch and Gary de Villiers. The financial assistance of the National Research Foundation and F’SATI towards this research is acknowledged. Opinions expressed in this thesis and the conclusions arrived at, are those of the author, and are not necessarily to be attributed to the respective mentioned establishments. iv DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to my mother LWABANDJI KINDJA ESTHER, who taught me that the best kind of knowledge to have is that which is learned for its own sake and even the largest task can be accomplished if it is done one step at a time. To my late cousin CHOGO CA LWABANDJI, Rest in Peace. v TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ............................................................................................................................ ii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................ iiii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... iv DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................ v GLOSSARY .................................................................................................................................. x LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................... xiii LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................... xv INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Overview ......................................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Background .................................................................................................................... 1 1.3. Research focus and motivation ...................................................................................... 3 1.4. Objectives of the research .............................................................................................. 5 1.5. Significance and contribution .......................................................................................... 5 1.6. Methodology ................................................................................................................... 6 1.7. Research delineation ...................................................................................................... 7 1.8. Thesis outline ................................................................................................................. 8 1.9. Summary ........................................................................................................................ 8 LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................................................ 9 2.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 9 2.2. The CubeSat platform .................................................................................................... 9 2.2.1. CubeSat architecture and subsystems .................................................................. 10 2.2.1.1. Electrical power system ......................................................................................... 10 2.2.1.2. Communications Subsystem ................................................................................. 11 2.2.1.3. ADCS subsystem .................................................................................................. 12 2.2.1.4. Payload subsystem ............................................................................................... 13 2.2.1.5. OBC and memory module ..................................................................................... 14 2.2.2. Previously deployed CubeSat OBCs ..................................................................... 18 2.2.3. CubeSat hardware kits .......................................................................................... 19 vi 2.2.4. PC/104 standard ................................................................................................... 21 2.2.5. CubeSat deployment system ................................................................................ 22 2.3. Space environment effects ........................................................................................... 23 2.3.1. Atmospheric drag and atomic oxygen ................................................................... 23 2.3.2. Solar wind and solar flares .................................................................................... 24 2.3.3. Electromagnetic waves in free space .................................................................... 24 2.3.4. Semiconductors in space ...................................................................................... 24 2.3.5. Space debris ......................................................................................................... 25 2.4. Summary ...................................................................................................................... 26 MICROCONTROLLER SELECTION ......................................................................................... 27 3.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 27 3.2. Analysis of selection criteria ........................................................................................