Multi-function application specific integrated circuit for controlling spacecraft thrusters
AssigneeBritish Aerospace Space and Communications Limited
InventorsFranklin G. Tichborne, John S. Stevens
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multifunctional application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) may be configured to perform one of three different functions by selecting the input status of particular pins on the ASIC. The pins serve various functions according to the set operational mode of the ASIC. The three modes described are a thruster drive mode, a microprocessor interface drive and a bypass mode.
Claims4
A multi-function application specific integrated circuit for a spin-stabilized spacecraft whose position and/or orientation is controlled in use by thruster means on board the spacecraft, said integrated circuit being operable for passing serial data between said spacecraft and a remote command station, said integrated circuit including:
- command data input means for receiving from said command station serial command data encoding thruster control signals;
- serial to parallel converter means for receiving from said data input means said serial data and converting it to parallel format;
- command store means for storing parallel data output by said serial to parallel converter means;
- thruster control means for receiving from said command store means parallel data and for extracting therefrom thruster control signals;
- telemetry data input means for receiving parallel telemetry data;
- telemetry store means for storing said parallel telemetry data;
- parallel to serial converter means for receiving parallel telemetry data from said telemetry store means and converting it into serial format;
- telemetry data output means for receiving serial data from said parallel to serial converter means and passing it for output to said remote station;
- mode selecting means for selecting the operating mode of said integrated circuit;
- and
- microprocessor parallel interface means for receiving data from said command store means, and transmitting data to said telemetry store means, wherein in a microprocessor mode data supplied to said command data input means is passed to said microprocessor interface means and data from said interface means is passed to said telemetry data output means.
A control assembly for a spin stabilized spacecraft whose position and/or orientation is controlled in use by thruster means on board the spacecraft, said control assembly being operable for passing serial data between said spacecraft and a remote command station, said control assembly comprising a plurality of integrated circuits, each integrated circuit including:
- command data input means for receiving from said command station serial command data encoding thruster control signals;
- serial to parallel converter means for receiving from said data input means said serial data and converting it to parallel format;
- command store means for storing parallel data output by said serial to parallel converter means;
- thruster control means for receiving from said store means parallel data and for extracting therefrom thruster control signals;
- telemetry data input means for receiving parallel telemetry data;
- telemetry store means for storing said parallel telemetry data;
- parallel to serial converter means for receiving parallel data from said telemetry store means and converting it into serial format;
- telemetry data output means for receiving serial data from said parallel to serial converter means and passing it for output to said remote station;
- mode selecting means for selecting the operating mode of said integrated circuit;
- and
- microprocessor parallel interface means for receiving data from said command store means and transmitting data to said telemetry store means wherein in a microprocessor mode data supplied to said command data input means is passed to said microprocessor interface means and data from said interface means is passed to said telemetry data output means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.