All 2015 Content
Abstract
Technological improvements achieved since 15 years allowed nanosatellites to emerge. 3U and bigger Cubesats permit functions and reliability once specific to microsatellites. The RF game-changing is related to higher frequencies and data rates. Following the in-orbit X-band High Data Rate TeleMetry success on board the ESA Proba-V microsatellite, Syrlinks has finalized with CNES and ESA the development of a new solution to download payload telemetry in X-Band at high data rate for smaller platforms, such as Nanosatellites and CubeSats. This equipment is able to modulate data up to 100 Mbps using fully CCSDS compatible filtered OQPSK modulation and Convolutional Coding [7,1/2]. It delivers up to 2 Watts RF with no more than up to 10W DC/DC consumption, and fits inside a 0.25 Unit of a standard cubesat. . This miniature X band HDR-TM transmitter is planned to be used on board OPS-SAT, an ESA triple Cubesat dedicated to test new space operation control concepts, currently planned for launch in 2017. It is also planed to be used on board EYE-SAT, a Student/CNES triplecubsat, also in 2017. More rescently, a decision was taken to test this equipement on board the GOMX-3 triple cubesat in the frame of an ESA project, as soon as till the autumn 2015. In parallel, answering customer requirements, Syrlinks is also developing with CNES a new S -Fernandez 2 29th Annual AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites band transceiver which is fully compliant with CCSDS recommendations for RF, Modulation and Coding, and therefore with ITU EESS frequency bands for TT&C. The transmitter can provide data rates up to 3Mbps (OQPSK with differential coding) with an adjustable output power from 27 to 33 dBm. The receiver supports data rates from 8 to 256 kbps (PCM/PM/SP-L). This integrated product fits inside a 0.25 Unitwhen no diplexer is used. It is a miniaturized version of an existing Syrlinks platform. In 2014, an EQM has been developed and evaluation tests are also on-going. This miniature S-band transceiver is also planned to be used on board OPS-SAT and EYE-SAT, and will satisfy the requirement that the cubesat will look like a fully CCSDS compliant spacecraft to the ESA and CNES ground control segments. The RF system on-board architecture of OPS-SAT andEYE-SAT, describing the S-band TT&C and X-band HDR-TM is presented. This paper provides information on these CCSDS compliant RF products, and the RF architecture used to implement them on board OPS-SAT, EYE-SAT and GOMX-3. Using these products would not only guarantee a correct use of the allocated frequencies, but also ease the possibility to re-use “standard” CCSDS compatible satellite ground stations for Nano/CubeSat missions. Keywords: RadioFrequency, cubesat, OPS-SAT, EYE-SAT, GOMX-3, TT&C, S-band, TM, X-band, CCSDS, telecommand, telemetry, nanosat
Game-changing Radio Communication Architecture for Cube/nano Satellites
Technological improvements achieved since 15 years allowed nanosatellites to emerge. 3U and bigger Cubesats permit functions and reliability once specific to microsatellites. The RF game-changing is related to higher frequencies and data rates. Following the in-orbit X-band High Data Rate TeleMetry success on board the ESA Proba-V microsatellite, Syrlinks has finalized with CNES and ESA the development of a new solution to download payload telemetry in X-Band at high data rate for smaller platforms, such as Nanosatellites and CubeSats. This equipment is able to modulate data up to 100 Mbps using fully CCSDS compatible filtered OQPSK modulation and Convolutional Coding [7,1/2]. It delivers up to 2 Watts RF with no more than up to 10W DC/DC consumption, and fits inside a 0.25 Unit of a standard cubesat. . This miniature X band HDR-TM transmitter is planned to be used on board OPS-SAT, an ESA triple Cubesat dedicated to test new space operation control concepts, currently planned for launch in 2017. It is also planed to be used on board EYE-SAT, a Student/CNES triplecubsat, also in 2017. More rescently, a decision was taken to test this equipement on board the GOMX-3 triple cubesat in the frame of an ESA project, as soon as till the autumn 2015. In parallel, answering customer requirements, Syrlinks is also developing with CNES a new S -Fernandez 2 29th Annual AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites band transceiver which is fully compliant with CCSDS recommendations for RF, Modulation and Coding, and therefore with ITU EESS frequency bands for TT&C. The transmitter can provide data rates up to 3Mbps (OQPSK with differential coding) with an adjustable output power from 27 to 33 dBm. The receiver supports data rates from 8 to 256 kbps (PCM/PM/SP-L). This integrated product fits inside a 0.25 Unitwhen no diplexer is used. It is a miniaturized version of an existing Syrlinks platform. In 2014, an EQM has been developed and evaluation tests are also on-going. This miniature S-band transceiver is also planned to be used on board OPS-SAT and EYE-SAT, and will satisfy the requirement that the cubesat will look like a fully CCSDS compliant spacecraft to the ESA and CNES ground control segments. The RF system on-board architecture of OPS-SAT andEYE-SAT, describing the S-band TT&C and X-band HDR-TM is presented. This paper provides information on these CCSDS compliant RF products, and the RF architecture used to implement them on board OPS-SAT, EYE-SAT and GOMX-3. Using these products would not only guarantee a correct use of the allocated frequencies, but also ease the possibility to re-use “standard” CCSDS compatible satellite ground stations for Nano/CubeSat missions. Keywords: RadioFrequency, cubesat, OPS-SAT, EYE-SAT, GOMX-3, TT&C, S-band, TM, X-band, CCSDS, telecommand, telemetry, nanosat
