Abstract
Nowadays sun sensors are being more widely used in satellites to determine the sunray orientation, thus development of a new version of sun sensor with lighter mass, lower power consumption and smaller size it of considerable interest. This paper introduces such a novel digital sun sensor, which is composed of a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) mask with an N-shaped slit as well as a single linear array charge-coupled device (CCD). The sun sensor can achieve the measurement of two-axis sunray angles according to the three sun spot images on the CCD formed by sun light illumination through the mask. Given the CCD glass layer, an iterative algorithm is established to correct the refraction error. Thus, system resolution, update rate and other characteristics are improved based on the model simulation and system design. The test of sun sensor prototype is carried out on a three-axis rotating platform with a sun simulator. The test results show that the field of view (FOV) is ±60° × ±60° and the accuracy is 0.08 degrees of arc (3σ) in the whole FOV. Since the power consumption of the prototype is only 300 mW and the update rate is 14 Hz, the novel digital sun sensor can be applied broadly in micro/nano-satellites, even pico-satellites.
Highlights
As an essential component of satellites, the sun sensor has been widely used to measure the incident angle of the sunrays in the satellite-fixed coordinates [1,2]
By calculating the sunray angles from the location of sun spots formed on the imaging device, digital sun sensors have the merits of a large field of view as well as high accuracy and reliability, which exactly meet the requirements and trends of sun sensors [6]
field of view (FOV) [12] and low update rate [13], this article presents a novel digital sun sensor with large FOV, high accuracy, low power consumption, and high update rate which can achieve the measurement of two-axis sunray angles with a single linear charge-coupled device (CCD)
Summary
As an essential component of satellites, the sun sensor has been widely used to measure the incident angle of the sunrays in the satellite-fixed coordinates [1,2]. FOV [12] and low update rate [13], this article presents a novel digital sun sensor with large FOV, high accuracy, low power consumption, and high update rate which can achieve the measurement of two-axis sunray angles with a single linear CCD. This kind of sun sensor is composed of a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) mask and a single linear CCD. The prototype only consumes 300 mW and the update rate is 14 Hz
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