Software sponsorship speeds small satellites

Altium is sponsoring the CanX-1 PicoSatellite mission at the University of Toronto's Institute for Aerospace Studies.

Altium is sponsoring the CanX-1 PicoSatellite mission at the University of Toronto's Institute for Aerospace Studies.

The CanX Programme is a bold new initiative in which students build, test, launch, and operate real picosatellites (satellites with mass less than 1kg) to test new miniaturised technologies in the harsh environment of space.

The programme is the first of its kind in Canada, and the University of Toronto now joins a very select group of universities worldwide involved in pioneering picosatellite research and development.

With recent advances in microelectronics (and very soon, nanoelectronics), much more can be done with miniature devices than was possible 5-10 years ago.

Satellite research can be conducted using microsatellites (satellites with mass between 10 and 100kg), with each mission taking a number of years to complete.

However, with the advent of picosatellites - tiny satellites that can fit within the palm of your hand - the design cycle is drastically shortened which allows the rapid prototyping and testing of components in space, and dramatically reduced costs involved in penetrating the space market.

As a consequence, this will enable more space missions to be accomplished and more technologies to be tested.

Picosatellite research will enable significant advances in the miniaturisation of high-performance space systems that can be used in many different satellite applications, including communications, space science, remote sensing, Earth observation, and global monitoring.

"We are changing the entire approach to space missions and spacecraft development by using a disciplined approach to apply the latest technologies in space without being tied to traditional space mission design which may consume many years and many dollars", says Dr Robert Zee, Manager, Space Flight Laboratory, University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS/SFL).

"We are very pleased that Altium recognises the importance of our microspace research and education program in Canada and is willing to champion innovation.

We approached Altium because we knew their tools were powerful, easy to use, and able to yield high-fidelity professional designs".

Nick Martin, Joint-CEO and founder, Altium, says that the Space Flight Laboratory at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies embodies the innovation that they wish to encourage.

"The CanX picosatellite programme has taken a unique approach and is breaking down the barriers to innovation and technological advances by attempting to build extremely small satellites with comparable performance to larger satellites, for a fraction of the price", says Martin.

"It is important to encourage programmes such as this that provide unique and valuable practical training experience for students, and lead the way with cutting-edge technologies for industry".

The Canadian Advanced Nanospace experiments (CanX) promote the development and testing of low-cost space technologies and push the envelope of performance that can be achieved with small low-power devices.

Over the span of one to one-and-a-half years, graduate students at the University of Toronto will build new generations of picosatellites and develop revolutionary space technologies for picosatellites, before testing and evaluating them in space.

The first mission, CanX-1, will launch in early 2003.

Students will be using Altium's Protel board-level design software to design custom computer boards for the picosatellites and Altium's Tasking embedded software development tools to program the computer boards so that they can perform various tasks in space - such as helping to take pictures and controlling the orientation of the satellites.

The students and staff of UTIAS/SFL are very pleased with the results Altium software has delivered in their work so far.

Daniel Foisy, computer engineer at UTIAS/SFL says: "Protel mirrors the thought sequence of the typical board designer: what are my goals; what are my limitations; design; and how do I show that this design will work before committing it to copper? By also providing schematic capture and PCB board design all in one program, along with a powerful synchronisation tool to communicate changes between the two, Protel provides a superior package that makes the user ask `What have I been doing with those other packages all this time?'".

(This was Electronicstalk's Top Story on 28 May 2002).

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