Space
Figure 2: A network of linked satellites orbiting the Earth.
themselves are very robust components of the system – from an electrical perspective, they are constructed from wire, thus presenting an inherent radiation hardness during their operation in space. This is not true of the electronics that
make up the motor driver. There are numerous interconnected semiconductor components in a motor driver, from the power switches for the motor windings to the associated catch diodes to the electronics that interface between the circuity that generates the PWM or dive command signals for the power switches and the power switches to the PWM circuitry itself. All these circuits and their constituent components must have an assured, tested level of radiation hardness for the mission to succeed long-term.
GaN in space for motor drive applications To address the need for assured, tested level of radiation hardness for components, EPC Space has created a product line of discrete and modular components for space motion control, as well as other power-related applications. The products in the EPC Space product portfolio consist of discrete enhancement-mode gallium nitride (eGaN) high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) and more complex circuit functions incorporating these devices. To address motor drive applications specifically, the EPC7C006 (Figure 3) is a three-phase motor driver demonstration board measuring 6.80 x 5.22 inches that utilizes the FBS-GAM02-P-R50 as the phase control bipolar switches. The EPC7C006 demonstration board is designed to be either stand-alone with the phases driven by external PWM signals or to interface with the
Figure 3: EPC Space EPC7C006 three-phase motor driver demonstration board.
www.cieonline.co.uk
EPC9147A microcontroller interface board that features a Microchip DSP to provide the PWM signals for each phase based on voltage, current and optional positional feedback. The EPC9147A control board utilizes the Microchip motorBench Development Suite, under
Figure 4: EPC Space product images.
license to EPC. Thus, the designer has the means to control the motor to be driven in the end-application with an existing control system developed in-house or with a purpose-built control system that interfaces to a computer via a USB connection and GUI interface provided by EPC or EPC Space. In addition to three-phase motors, multiple EPC7C006 demonstration boards may be used to drive multi-phase stepper motors or multiple single-phase motors. So long as the appropriate PWM signals are available, there is no limit to the applications that this flexible demonstration board can satisfy.
Summary
As the outer reaches of the Earth’s atmosphere continues to be explored and developed, motors and their motor drivers will become increasingly important to motor systems placed there for the multitude of functions that they perform. The electronics used in these systems need to be efficient, small, lightweight, and radiation hard. eGaN FETs and ICs from EPC Space provide designers with rad-hard solutions meeting the small size, light weight, and precision control that these motors require.
epc.space Components in Electronics October 2021 17
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