Use of COTS Components

in Academic Space Projects

Prof. Dr. Volker Gass
Federico Belloni
SEREC event, Dbendorf, June 28, 2013
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
1946 - 1968 EPUL - Ecole Polytechnique de
lUniversit de Lausanne
Since 1969 EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fdrale
de Lausanne
1853 Creation of the Ecole spciale de
la Suisse Franaise based on Ecole
Centrale Paris
EPFL in numbers (2012 figures)
9306 Students - of which 2041 Ph.D.
358 Professors
2982 Administrative and Technical Staff
Federal Budget 575 Million CHF
External Financing 228 Million CHF
Total Budget 803 Million CHF
A steady increase
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010
2012 : 9306 students
Nb of students *
2012
> NCCR Quantum Photonics
> NCCR Mobile Information and Communication Systems (MICS)
> Multimodal Systems (with IDIAP)
> NCCR Molecular Oncology
> Frontiers in Genetics (with UNIGE)
-> Environment and Sustainability (CCES)
-> Energy and mobility (CCEM)
-> Materials Science (CCMX)
-> Center for Integrated Systems
-> Neuroprosthetics
EPFL hosts several Research Centers
Activities 2013
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Academic activities
Minor in space technologies
Master in space
technologies
Doctoral activities
Educational outreach and
training
Technological activities
Space Technology
development
Mesure de positionnement
Review of Swiss scientific
needs
Technology verification
studies
Promotion & Representation
Promotion of space activities, e.g. executive report 2012
Survey of Swiss academic and industrial competences
Support to the Swiss space community
ESA THAG Swiss delegation
ESA/ESTEC mandate
Swiss Space Center Members
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Status: 03.2013
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Projects
CHEOPS
- Exo-Planet Characterization
CleanSpace One
- Orbital Debris Removal
CubETH
- ultra high displacement measurement using GNSS
- High level of miniaturization
Space Environment
Vacuum
- ~10
8
Pa
- Outgassing problem
Thermal
- In LEO ~16 thermal cycles/day
- -50 to + 80 C
Radiations
- Van Allen Belts with trapped electrons and protons
- South Atlantic Anomaly
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Radiation Effects
Total Ionizing Dose - TID
- Charge generation in insulating layers. Due to electrons and protons.
- Parameter drift, increased leakage currents. Eventual functional failure
Displacement Damage Dose - DDD
- Disruption of crystal lattice due to protons.
- Reduced gain, increased ON resistance,
reduced charge transfer efficiency in CCDs
Single Event Effect SEE
- Dense path of localised ionization from a
single particle hit due to cosmic rays and high
energy protons.
- Variety of transient and permanent SEE
Single Event Latch-up - SEL
Single Event Upset - SEU
Single Event Burnout - SEB
Single Event Transient - SET
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COTS, Rad Tolerant and Rad Hard
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COTS Rad Tolerant Rad Hard
Design and
production
Process and design
limit the radiation
hardness,
No lot radiation
controls
Design assures rad hardness
up to a certain level,
No lot radiation controls
Designed and processed for
particular hardness level
Wafer lot radiation tested
Total Dose 2 to 10 krad 20 to 50 krad > 200 krad to >1 Mrad
SEU Threshold LET
SEU Error Rate
5 Mev/mg/cm
2
10
-5
errors/bit-day
20 Mev/mg/cm
2
10
-7
to 10
-8
errors/bit-day
80-150 Mev/mg/cm
2
10
-10
to 10
-12
errors/bit-day
Risk Customer performs rad
testing, evaluate and
assumes all risk
Usually tested for functional
fail only
Customer evaluate risk
Mitigated by the design
Cost Low
1-100$
Medium
100-1000$
High
1000-10000$
Source: NASA - Space Radiation Effects on Electronic Components in Low-Earth Orbit
COTS vs. Rad Hard Technologies
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133 MHz RAD750
In development
20 MHz GVSC1750
33 MHz RAD6000
200 MHz RAD750
PowerPC 750 RAD750
200-266 MHz 110-133 MHz
Transistors: 6.40 Million Transistors: 10.4 Million
Bus Size: 64bits Bus Size: 64bits
Instructions per cycle: 3 Instructions per cycle: 3
L1 Cache: 32K Inst.,
32K Data
L1 Cache: 32K Inst.,
32K Data
L2 Cache: 256K, 512K,
1MB
Optional
5.7W @200MHz 5W @133MHz
Die Size: 67mm
2
Die Size: 130mm
2
3.3V I/O, 2.6V core 3.3V I/O, 2.5V core
255pin BGA 360pin CGA
MTFB: >? Hours MTFB: >4.3 Million Hour
COTS vs. Rad Hard Boards
Gomsapce
NanoMind A712D
Tyvak
Intrepid Pico-Class
BAE Systems
RAD750 extended 6U-
220 cPCI single board
computer
Application CubeSat CubeSat Curiosity rover (MSL)
CPU ARM7
36DMIPS@40MHz
Atmel AT91SAM9G20
440 DMIPS@400Mhz
RAD750
260 DMIPS@133 MHz
Memory 2 MB RAM
2 GB Flash
128 MB SDRAM
512 MB Flash
36 MB SRAM
4 MB EEPROM
Radiation Not specified Not specified
Latch-up protection
>100 krad
Latch-up immune
Size [mm
2
]
Mass [kg]
Power [W]
96 x 60
0.050
< 0.3
83 x 94
0.055
< 0.3
233x220
2.0
< 25
Cost 6000 CHF ~6600 CHF ~200000 CHF (in 2002)
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COTS in Space for Academics Projects
CubeSat
- Standard by Cal Poly: 10x10x10 cm3, 1 Kg, 1-3 W
Rad Hard technologies are too big and power consuming
- > 70 University project
- Low cost satellite and low founding
Use of COTS components
- Can survive in space for more than 5 years
How to fly COTS in space
- Reliable design
Redundancy
Use of less radiation sensibly technologies
Use components with extend temperature range
Heritage, reuse already flown components
- Testing, testing and testing
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Swisscube
Developed in 2005 2009, by EPFL, HES-SO, FHNW and UniNE students
Launched in September 2009 still active
- Only a sun sensor died in October 2011
Four MSP430F1611
- 8 MHz 16 bit microcontroller
- Very reliable in space
Power supply
- Direct Energy Transfer, simple and reliable
- No latch up protection
- Redundant batteries design
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Swisscube Batteries
Batteries doesnt like extreme temperatures, thermal cycles and vacuum
COTS Lithium Polymer Varta batteries
Reliable design with:
- Two independent batteries
- Thermal control to maintain constant temperature (-5 to 20 C)
- Box to avoid batteries inflation
- Low DOD to avoid fast degradation
- Redesigned battery protection circuit
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CubETH Avionics
New CubeSat in development for GNSS Earth Observations:
- ETHZ Science
- HSLU and HSR payload
- EPFL with HES-SO satellite
Reuse as much as possible of Swisscube design
- MSP430 for critical functions
- Same power and batteries system
Some new development to increase performances
- New CDMS design with 48 MHz ARM cortex M3 microcontroller
- New CDMS flight software C/OS same as Curiosity rover (MSL)
- Improved communication board (for highest data rate)
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CubETH Payload
Payload will perform:
- Precise Orbit Determination
- Precise Attitude Determination (+/- 10)
- Radio occultationons measures
11 GNSS COTS receivers from u-Blox
6 GNSS antennas,
- 4 on zenith, 1 on nadir and 1 on lateral face
To reduce test and validation procedures Payload use the same microcontroller
and operating system as the CDMS
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COTS Limits ?
In 2013 NASA has successfully flown two Nexus One mobile phones
- With 1 GHz ARMv7 processor
Many high performances FPGA, DSP and
Microcontroller has flown in CubeSat showing
their reliability for short term mission
Educational satellite can assume high risk
- Allowing to test in space components and technologies that can be used in real
satellites
The only limitation is the time to test and validate the designs
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References
http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oce/llis/0824.html
http://www.petervis.com/Vintage%20Chips/PowerPC%20750/PowerPC%2075
0.html
http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/industry/SME/2003/Space-Component/ESA-
Training-Radiation-ESTEC_May03.pdf
http://tyvak.com/intrepidsystemboard/
http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/industry/SME/2003/Space-Component/ESA-
Training-Radiation-ESTEC_May03.pdf
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Terms and abbreviation
CDMS -> Control and Data Management System
DOD -> Deep Of Discharge
DMIPS -> Dhrystone Million Instructions Per Second
DSP -> Digital Signal Processor
FPGA -> Field-Programmable Gate Array
LET -> Linear Energy Transfer
SEU -> Single Event Upset
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Backup
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