Back-plane connector for cubesat
AssigneeSpire Global, Inc.
InventorsJoel Spark, Jeroen Cappaert
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A back-plane connector connects component boards for a cubesat with a processing unit and a board connector electrically connected to the back-plane connector. The board connector mates with complimentary connectors on the component boards. The arrangement facilitates assembly, testing and operational reliability. An image capture system may be included and has an image capture device with a multiplexer for interactive collection and storage of image and video data.
Claims16
A cubesat comprising:
- a back-plane connector connecting component boards for a cubesat;
- a processing unit locally mounted on the back-plane connector;
- a board connector electrically connected to the back-plane connector and mating with complimentary connectors on the component boards;
- plural component boards electronically connected through said board connectors;
- wherein the board connector provides at least one of power or data exchange between the processing unit and the component board;
- and
- wherein each of the component boards are and remain mounted to the back plane connector independently of each other.
A cubesat configured for orbital imaging, comprising:
- an image capture device:
- a selectively structured memory device;
- a processing unit;
- and
- a multiplexer for switching connections;
- wherein said multiplexer switches from a first connection between said image capture device and said memory and a second connection between said memory and said processor so that images captured are first recorded in said memory and then received from said memory by said processor.
A method of capturing image data from an image capture device located on a cubesat in orbit, comprising the steps of:
- unmounting a memory device from an on-board computer;
- setting a multiplexer to communicate with the image capture device;
- providing instructions through a multipoint control unit to power on the image capture device and capture the image data;
- storing the captured image data on the memory device;
- providing the image data on the memory device to the on board computer;
- and
- mounting the memory device to on-board computer to transmit the image data from the memory device to the on-board computer.
A method for assembling and testing a cubesat comprising:
- providing a back-plane connector plate to a cubesat during assembly and testing;
- installing one or more component boards into said cubesat connected to said back-plane connector plate;
- testing said component board in a connected state to said back-plane connector plate;
- and
- replacing said component board if said testing results is one or more error signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.