NSS CubeSat Sun Sensor
$3300
The CubeSat sun sensor determines the spacecraft body angles with respect to the sun. The sensor is extremely small and light to minimise the demands on nano-spacecraft. The sensor achieves much higher measurement accuracy than traditional photodiode cosine sensors.
The sensor consists of a CMOS PSD detector sitting behind a small pin-hole with a field of view of +/- 57 degrees. The device produces four analogue voltages that are dependant on the incident angle of sunlight in the horizontal and vertical directions. Each sensor is supplied with a calibration algorithm that calculates the sun vector from these four voltages to an accuracy of +/-0.5 degrees.
- Features
- Performance
- Product properties
- Qualification
- Documents
- Applications:
- Accurate determination of sun-angle
- Six sensors can achieve full sky coverage
- Used in conjunction with a magnetometer for simple attitude control
- Can be used as safe-mode sensors on gyro or star-mapper controlled systems
- PSD architecture
- Good accuracy
- Wide field of view
- Ultra Small size and low mass
- Low power
- Simple analogue interface
- Field of view: 114°
- Update Rate: >10 Hz (limited by ADC)
- Accuracy: <0.5°
- Interfaces:
- Power Supply: 5V
- I/F: 5 analogue channels, 9-way Nano-D connector
- Mass: < 5 g
- Power: < 10 mA
- Size: 33mm x 11mm x 6mm
- Environmental Characteristics
- Operating temperature: -25°C to +50°C
- 250 rms random, 1000g shock (Qualification levels)
- 10krad total dose (component level)
The NFSS-411 was first flown in 2007. Since then, it has been used on a number of constellations with a total of over 100 delivered. The NCSS-SA05 has also been delivered, more than one hundred units, to a multitude of international satellite programmes.
