System controller hardware and embedded software for the Petite Amateur Navy Satellite (PANSAT)

Abstract

This thesis documents the design of the hardware and embedded software of a digital computer that provides autonomous control of the PANSAT spacecraft. The system was designed for use during a two year mission in a low earth orbit. The computer uses an Intel M80C186XL running at 7.3728 MHz, 512 kbytes of error-detection and correction RAM, 64 kbytes of ROM, and standard CMOS components to provide a general purpose microcomputer. The purpose of the computer is to control all subsystems of the spacecraft, perform analog-to- digital conversions, orchestrate duplicate hardware components to provide redundancy, and upload new software from a ground station. The hardware system was built on printed circuit boards which were manufactured by the Space System Academic Group and tested for proper operation. The embedded software was coded using 80186 Assembler and the C programming language, tested for proper operation, and placed into ROM as firmware