Optical Communications For A Space Station Payload Interface

Abstract

The future demand for large multimission spacecraft and space platforms such as space station has warranted research into modular disconnects which incorporate thermal, electrical and data transfer into a single device. The modular devices which could benefit from these mechanisms would be electrical power conditioning units, experimental and communication payloads, orbital maneuvering vehicles and other free fliers. These devices must avoid the use of connector pins since this type of connector cannot provide the necessary reliability for hundreds of connect cycles. Reliability is a key issue in a space based interconnect. At present separate connections must be made for heat sink, electrical power and data linking. Attachment of equipment to large cold plates is difficult and variations in clamping forces will affect the capacity for thermal control. The requirements from NASA were to develop a generic space based interconnect that combines heat, electrical, and data linking in one structure. The contact heat transfer requirement was 500 watts, and the electrical power transfer requirement was also 500 watts at 20 kHz single phase. The data links were to have six channels communicating at a maximum of 100 Mbps, Manchester-encoded, with a bit error rate of less than 10-10. The operational requirement was to achieve 1000 reliable interconnects.