Case Study | EDA & Development
designs being as complex as a fault- tolerant controller with multiple FPGAs, the challenge for SpaceX was to complete these designs on time whilst maintaining quality and low costs.
The solution
Since incorporating Altium Designer into its production process, SpaceX has found the design process has simplified. Altium’s unified system offers a much greater level of version control than its previous toolset and now SpaceX can better manage its on-going design development. Altium’s live design capabilities mean that the simplest modifications are automatically adjusted in all previous board and schematic work. The result has been a flexible but
reliable development and documentation process for SpaceX’s catalogue of PCB designs. Altium’s comprehensive libraries were found to be one of the biggest development boons for SpaceX. The library feature provided engineers with the latest and most up-to-date components in a user-friendly system. Engineers were also able to add new components, which allowed for greater customisation and board enhancements. In addition, design flows were complemented by Altium Designer’s ready-to-use FPGA-based components for instant FPGA integration. This feature meant SpaceX could immediately employ FPGAs into its designs, easily capturing them at the schematic level. With the features combined, SpaceX had a complete set of solutions in a single platform system.
The results
SpaceX found that by using Altium Designer, it could continue to improve on its low cost, high reliability designs. For example, SpaceX has built avionic systems that meet the same quality standards as those used in multi-million dollar satellite projects.
Since introducing Altium Designer into its development process, SpaceX has seen significant improvements in its productivity. Without prior knowledge of the software, engineers have been able to easily complete designs without the usual rigorous training required from separate or loosely integrated tools. Within just two weeks of applying Altium technology, engineers were able to create a power distribution and regulation board. SpaceX has found its project turnover has increased exponentially. The Falcon 1, Falcon 9 and Falcon 9
Heavy are all part of the SpaceX line of low cost and reusable space launch vehicles. The Falcon 1 is the smallest and can lift up to 570kg to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The largest, the Falcon 9 Heavy, will carry up to 28,700kg to LEO and 10,350kg to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). Launched aboard a Falcon 9 launcher, the Dragon pressurized spacecraft capsule can transport up to 2500kg of cargo, or a crew of up to seven astronauts to LEO. Its capacity to carry passengers is an important part of the overall SpaceX vision of reducing the costs and increasing access to space for both government and private customers.
Space Exploration Technologies |
www.spacex.com
E-tec
Manufacturing Socket & Connector Solutions LED Sockets vertical & horizontal Female Connectors 1.27, 2.00, 2.54mm pitch Low Profile SMD headers 1.27, 2.00, 2.54 pitch Elevated Sockets PC104 and PC104+ BGA Sockets Ultra low profile 2.00mm pitch SMD turned pin socket ZIF, FPC connectors/cables
E-tec manufactures in Switzerland, Taiwan and the UK. In the UK we produce many special sockets and adaptors so if you have a requirement for a specific board to board spacing, need a special footprint with unorthodox pins, need to convert from a PGA to a QFP, need to second source a Harwin or Samtec connector, or simply need assistance on surface mount connectors why not give us a call to solve your problem.
E-tec Interconnect (UK) Ltd, Units A5 & A6, Decimus Park, Kingstanding Way, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 3GP.
Tel: (01892) 530260 Fax: 01892 515560
info@e-tec.co.uk www.cieonline.co.uk Components in Electronics
www.e-tec.co.uk October 2012 37
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