A Heterogenous, reliable onboard processing system for small satellites

Abstract

Small satellites like CubeSats and Nanosatellites have been constantly evolving over the last decades. Due to the minimization of development costs and time by using commercial off the shelf (COTS) components for their construction, small satellites have become a cost-efficient alternative to conventional satellites for many applications. Since the COTS components are not designed to withstand harsh environmental conditions like extreme temperature ranges and high radiation levels, they provide only a limited lifespan and a reduced reliability in space. To overcome this issue an advanced data processing unit (DPU) is currently being developed at the Fraunhofer EMI. It will provide strong and reliable onboard processing capabilities for the upcoming ERNST nanosatellite mission. The heterogenous multiprocessor system on a chip (SoC) on which the DPU is based on allows the implementation of different concepts that improve the system’s reliability on a single COTS-SoC. The effectiveness of these protective measures is currently tested by extensive Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) tests. Once the HiL testing is completed, radiation tests and two in orbit demonstration will be carried out so the outcome of HiL tests can be validated.