Design and Hardware Implementation of Sun Sensor based Sun Re-Acquisition on Safe Mode Detection in Satellites
Dhanyashree T S1, Sangeetha B G2, Gayatri Malhotra3

1Dhanyashree T S, P.G. Student, Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, RNS Institute of Technology, Bangalore (Karnataka), India.
2Mrs. Sangeetha B G, Asst. Professor, Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, RNS Institute of Technology, Bangalore (Karnataka), India.
3Mrs. Gayatri Malhotra, Scientist ‘SE’, CDEG, ISAC, Bangalore (Karnataka), India.

Manuscript received on 15 April 2016 | Revised Manuscript received on 25 April 2016 | Manuscript Published on 30 April 2016 | PP: 233-236 | Volume-5 Issue-4, April 2016 | Retrieval Number: D4546045416/16©BEIESP
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© The Authors. Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Abstract: Satellite/spacecraft enter into Safe Mode in case of contingency when the solar panel is not rotated towards Sun in order to provide full solar array power. The transition from safe mode to sun pointing mode, carried out automatically by Sun acquisition logic. In sun acquisition logic selected yaw and roll errors are used as inputs to controller whose outputs are routed to thruster selection logic. On Safe Mode enable condition, based on the safe mode pulse from on board computer (OBC) thruster block reconfiguration is done. This initiates thruster selection logic (TSL), whose outputs are routed to thruster drivers to fire the thrusters in satellites/spacecraft to change the spacecraft orientation. The eclipse condition is also detected from 4PI pitch output on safe mode.
Keywords: Pitch, Yaw, Roll, Safe Mode Detection, Loop-On Pulse Generation, Long Pulse Detection, Thruster Selection, Sun Pointing Mode.

Scope of the Article: WSN