Digital Channelizer Supplementing Spacecraft Telemetry Command
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Solution Overview
Problem
Spacecraft telemetry and command (T&C) subsystems face complete loss of functionality upon failure of both primary and redundant components, necessitating techniques to maintain or restore T&C functionality without additional hardware and accommodate design or implementation issues, requirement changes, or component deficiencies.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a digital channelizer that communicatively couples with T&C subsystem components, enabling the payload subsystem to provide command and telemetry functionalities, thereby mitigating deficiencies in T&C components and allowing reconfiguration or enhancement of T&C subsystem functions post-launch.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional T&C subsystem with redundant components is used, then reliability is improved through redundancy, but device complexity increases and complete failure still occurs when both primary and redundant components fail
Solution Approach 1:
The digital channelizer is designed to perform multiple functions: its primary payload function and supplemental T&C functions (command reception, telemetry transmission, ranging). This allows a single component to serve multiple purposes, reducing the need for dedicated redundant T&C hardware while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The digital channelizer acts as an intermediary component between the payload subsystem and the T&C subsystem, providing supplemental functionality that bridges the gap when primary T&C components fail. It mediates command and telemetry signals through its signal processing capabilities.
2Reliability
If dedicated T&C subsystem components are used, then T&C functionality is ensured, but adaptability to new techniques or requirement changes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The digital channelizer provides dynamic reconfigurability through software or firmware updates, allowing the T&C functionality to adapt to new techniques, frequency allocations, or mission requirements. The signal processing capabilities can be reprogrammed to meet changing demands without hardware modifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The digital channelizer's multi-functional design allows it to accommodate various T&C operations (command reception, telemetry transmission, ranging) and can be reconfigured for different functions as mission requirements evolve, providing both reliability and adaptability.
3Reliability
If additional hardware is added to T&C subsystem, then reliability through redundancy is improved, but device complexity and hardware requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The digital channelizer serves dual purposes: maintaining its primary payload function while simultaneously providing supplemental T&C functionality. This eliminates the need for additional dedicated hardware components for T&C redundancy, reducing overall hardware requirements while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the T&C subsystem functionality with the payload subsystem by utilizing the digital channelizer for both purposes. This consolidation reduces the total number of components needed while providing redundant T&C capabilities through the channelizer's supplemental functions.
Data Source
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AI summary
A spacecraft includes a payload subsystem including a digital channelizer. The digital channelizer provides at least a portion of spacecraft command or telemetry functionality. The spacecraft may optionally also include a telemetry and command (T&C) subsystem, the T&C subsystem including one or more of a command receiver, a command decoder, a telemetry encoder and a telemetry transmitter. The digital channelizer may be communicatively coupled with at least one of the command receiver, the command decoder, the telemetry transmitter and the telemetry encoder.