Communication Hub Architecture for Radiation-Tolerant Satellite Data Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional spacecraft systems face challenges with modular multiplicity leading to increased system complexity, size, weight, and power consumption, lack of in-situ data triage and compression, limited radiation tolerance, and insufficient anti-jamming and interoperability, particularly in satellite electronics.
Innovation Solution
A compact, integrated command and data handling device with a communication hub that includes a radiation-hardened housing, AI-based data processing, and SOSA-compatible interfaces, supporting anti-jamming and error-correcting capabilities, and capable of operating in extreme temperatures and radiation environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple discrete data-processing modules are used for each sensor, then each sensor can be processed independently, but system complexity, size, weight, and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent consolidates multiple discrete data-processing modules into a single shared processing unit that serves multiple sensors. This integration reduces the overall number of components, simplifies system architecture, and decreases SWaP metrics while maintaining the ability to process data from multiple sensors independently through software configuration and modular processing pipelines.
Solution Approach 2:
The shared processing unit is designed with multi-functional capabilities to handle data from various sensor types (optical, infrared, radar, etc.). It incorporates universal interfaces and configurable processing algorithms that can be dynamically adjusted to process different sensor data formats and requirements, eliminating the need for dedicated processing modules for each sensor.
2Ease of manufacture
If commercial off-the-shelf components are used, then development time is reduced, but radiation tolerance and temperature resistance are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs radiation-hardened variants of commercial off-the-shelf components where available, or implements software-based error correction and detection mechanisms that can compensate for radiation-induced errors. Temperature compensation techniques and adaptive calibration routines are integrated to maintain performance across extreme temperature ranges, allowing the system to meet space qualification standards while leveraging COTS component benefits.
3Reliability
If full-volume sensor data is downlinked without compression, then data integrity is maintained, but communication bandwidth and latency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and transmits only the most critical and high-value data elements to ground stations, rather than downlinking complete sensor datasets. Intelligent data filtering and prioritization algorithms identify and extract key findings, anomalies, and mission-critical information for immediate transmission, while less critical data is either processed locally or transmitted at lower priorities, significantly reducing downlink bandwidth requirements and latency.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for data handling and communication may comprise a housing, and a communication hub carried by the housing. The communication hub may include a main controller, a transceiver controller, and a plurality of transceivers. The transceivers may be positioned in communication with the transceiver controller and with hardware devices. The transceiver controller may be operable to control communication between each of the transceivers to selectively route and bridge communication between each of the hardware devices, which may be based on a control signal received from the main controller.