MISAT: Designing a Series of Powerful Small Satellites Based upon Micro Systems Technology

MISAT is a research and development cluster which will create a small satellite platform based on Micro Systems Technology (MST) aiming at innovative space as well as terrestrial applications. MISAT is part of the Dutch MicroNed program which has established a microsystems infrastructure to fully exploit the MST knowledge chain involving public and industrial partners alike. The cluster covers MST-related developments for the spacecraft bus and payload, as well as the satellite architecture. Particular emphasis is given to distributed systems in space to fully exploit the potential of miniaturization for future mission concepts. Examples of current developments are wireless sensor and actuator networks with plug and play characteristics, autonomous digital Sun sensors, re-configurable radio front ends with minimum power consumption, or micro-machined electrostatic accelerometer and gradiometer system for scientific research in fundamental physics as well as geophysics. As a result of MISAT, a first nano-satellite will be launched in 2007 to demonstrate the next generation of Sun sensors, power subsystems and satellite architecture technology. Rapid access to in-orbit technology demonstration and verification will be provided by a series of small satellites. This will include a formation flying mission, which will increasingly rely on MISAT technology to improve functionality and reduce size, mass and power for advanced technology demonstration and novel scientific applications.

Design Concept of Dynamic-Adaptive Reconfigurable Wireless Sensor Node (DARWiSeN)

This paper describe the proposed design concept of wireless sensor node named Dynamic-Adaptive Reconfigurable Wireless Sensor Node (DARWiSeN), with special emphasis on the design principles and functionality. The design concept is targeted to a wireless sensor node prototype that has ability to adapt various applications and situation with a minimal redesign effort through concept of reconfigurable hardware and modularity approach. Both the hardware and software components are detailed, together with experimental evaluation. The experimental evaluation revealed that this approach is not only capable to show rapid prototype of wireless sensor application design, but it can also be used as a generic wireless node platform design in dynamic-adaptive reconfigurable feature, flexible, and greatly extending its applicability

Analog Signal Buffering and Reconstruction

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are capable of a myriad of tasks, from monitoring critical infrastructure such as bridges to monitoring a person\u27s vital signs in biomedical applications. However, their deployment is impractical for many applications due to their limited power budget. Sleep states are one method used to conserve power in resource-constrained systems, but they necessitate a wake-up circuit for detecting unpredictable events. In conventional wake-up-based systems, all information preceding a wake-up event will be forfeited. To avoid this data loss, it is necessary to include a buffer that can record prelude information without sacrificing the power savings garnered by the active use of sleep states.;Unfortunately, traditional memory buffer systems utilize digital electronics which are costly in terms of power. Instead of operating in the target signal\u27s native analog environment, a digital buffer must first expend a great deal of energy to convert the signal into a digital signal. This issue is further compounded by the use of traditional Nyquist sampling which does not adapt to the characteristics of a dynamically changing signal. These characteristics reveal why a digital buffer is not an appropriate choice for a WSN or other resource-constrained system.;This thesis documents the development of an analog pre-processing block that buffers an incoming signal using a new method of sampling. This method requires sampling only local maxima and minima (both amplitude and time), effectively approximating the instantaneous Nyquist rate throughout a time-varying signal. The use of this sampling method along with ultra-low-power analog electronics enables the entire system to operate in the muW power levels. In addition to these power saving techniques, a reconfigurable architecture will be explored as infrastructure for this system. This reconfigurable architecture will also be leveraged to explore wake-up circuits that can be used in parallel with the buffer system