Ruggedized Camera Housing with Vibration Damping for Aerospace
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing camera systems for aerospace applications fail to withstand harsh environments such as extreme temperatures, radiation, and vibrations while meeting specific video quality requirements, particularly compatibility with digital video interfaces like HD-SDI.
Innovation Solution
A ruggedized camera system with a housing that integrates a M12 lens interface, LED light-ring circuit, diffuser ring, and a power circuit using rigid-flex printed circuits, along with a camera electronics holder to secure and protect the electronics from environmental stresses, ensuring compatibility with HD-SDI and providing high-quality optical data signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If prior art camera systems are used in aerospace environments, then basic camera functions are provided, but the systems fail to withstand harsh environments including extreme temperatures, radiation, and vibrations while meeting video quality requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system is divided into separate functional modules: a ruggedized camera module housed in an environmentally protected enclosure, and a separate processing module. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized for its specific function - the camera module for environmental durability and the processing module for video interface compatibility and HD-SDI processing capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
A ruggedized camera module serves as an intermediary between the harsh aerospace environment and the sensitive video processing electronics. This intermediate component captures images in the harsh environment while protecting the internal electronics, and transmits data through environmentally protected interfaces to external processing systems that handle HD-SDI compatibility.
2Reliability
If camera systems are designed to meet video quality requirements and digital video interface compatibility, then image quality is maintained, but the systems cannot withstand severe vibrations upon vehicle launch or during flight
Solution Approach 1:
The camera module is pre-protected with shock-absorbing mounting structures and vibration-dampening materials within the ruggedized enclosure. These protective elements are built in during manufacturing to cushion the sensitive image sensor and electronics against the severe vibrations and shocks of aerospace launch and flight, ensuring video quality is maintained despite the harsh mechanical environment.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If camera systems operate in extreme temperatures and radiation environments, then aerospace application requirements are met, but the electronic components suffer from temperature extremes and radiation damage
Solution Approach 1:
The ruggedized camera module enclosure creates a protected internal environment that shields electronic components from the harsh aerospace external environment including extreme temperatures and radiation. This protective barrier allows standard electronic components to function reliably by isolating them from the harmful external conditions while still enabling the camera to operate in aerospace applications.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The camera system effectively operates in harsh aerospace environments, providing high-quality video signals and withstanding vibrations and shocks, while ensuring compatibility with HD-SDI, making it suitable for various applications including space exploration and military use.
Implementation Method 1
The LED light-ring comprises a plurality of high-power LEDs and linear LED drivers that are mounted to a circular circuit board
Implementation Method 2
The camera system further includes a diffuser ring that covers the LED light ring
Implementation Method 3
The interior of the housing is completely filled with potting material. The potting material provides further resistance to shock and vibrations
Implementation Method 4
The camera system includes an M12 lens interface that allows the camera system to use a variety of optical lenses including those with a significantly wide field of view
Data Source
AI summary
A ruggedized camera system provides high-quality optical data signals while operating in harsh environments and includes a housing having an electronics housing section and a lens housing section. A light-ring circuit is attached to the lens housing section. A diffuser ring is attached to the lens housing section and covers the light-ring circuit. The camera system includes camera electronics that process optical data captured by the camera optical lens. The camera electronics are secured within a camera electronics holder that is located within and attached to the electronic housing section and which minimizes vibrations to the camera electronics. A power circuit is inside and attached to the electronic housing section and provides power to the camera electronics and the light-ring circuit and receives serial command data being transmitted to the camera electronics. The housing tightly integrates the camera optical lens, the camera electronics holder, the light-ring circuit and power circuit.