ESOPS Team

1
ESOPS Team
Frank Guan
Earth Station OPerationS
Joe Brooks
Joel Reynolds
Erik Von Bausler
Phil Tung
2
Mission Statements

• To build a first rated University class Space
  Mission Ground Station/Control Center
• To support current and future University class
  satellite missions and provide training
  facilities for students

3
Mission Requirements

• Ground Operations should consist of two sites and
  operate simultaneously. One will be designated as
  a primary site and the other one a backup site
• The ground stations shall be able to track
  satellites in real time
• The ground stations shall do automatic antenna
  tracking and frequency tuning in order to
  communicate to next passing satellite
• The ground stations shall detect faults in ground
  element subsystems (hardware and processors)
• The ground stations shall provide alarm displays
  and log into data store
• The ground stations shall manage configurations
  for satellite and ground elements
• The ground stations shall monitor, collect, and
  report device performance data for both satellite
  and ground elements
• The ground and space link shall use AX.25
  protocol for communications
• The ground stations shall have secure identity
  and access management

4
Facilities

• W6YX
• OSCAR (Rm453 Durand)
• Mission Ops (Rm066 Durand)
• Web sites
• http//mgsn.sourceforge.net/index.php
• http//gs.stanford.edu
• http//groups.yahoo.com/group/aa236mogs

5
Tasks Schedule

• Obtain Ham Radio Licenses (Jan/Feb)
• Mercury systems/Ops familiarization (Jan/Feb)
• Build test hardware cabinet for W6YX (Feb)
• Build test hardware for Mission Ops Ctr. (Feb)
• Software upgrade/debug test (Feb/Mar)
• Hardware/Software deployment (Mar)
• Hardware/Software integration (Mar)
• Report/Demo/Documentation (Mar)

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W6YX Ground Station

• A remote ground station located at the W6YX
  facilities.
• To be used as a permanent and proven ground
  station.
• Will allow Durand ground station equipment to act
  as a test bed for new ideas and implementations.

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W6YX GS Setup
Cubesat
Amateur RF
SSDL Yagi
Hard Connection
W6YX
The Hills
Internet, Power
8
W6YX GS Equipment 1 of 3

• Antenna Yagi
• Transceiver Icom 910
• Az / El Controller Yaesu G-5500
• Az / El Computer Interface Yaesu GS-232A

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W6YX GS Equipment 2 of 3

• Ethernet / Optical Interface ATI MC101
• TNC Symek TNC3S
• RS232 Port Switch Moxa NPort 5410
• Preamps Icom AG-35 / AG-25 (430 / 144 MHz)

10
W6YX GS Equipment 3 of 3

• Radio Controller Icom CT-17
• Duplexer C Met CF-416 1.3 to 170 MHz and 380 to
  1400 MHz
• Filters DCI-145-2H (2m bandpass) and DCI-435-10C
  (430 to 440 MHz bandpass).

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W6YX GS Layout
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Sample Link Budget-1
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Sample Link Budget-2
Let's start with the FM transponder mode Down
Link. Echo will produce a minimum power of 1 Watt
(30dBm) on 70CM. The transmit antenna is 2dBic.
The path loss at maximum range (3000 km) is 155
dB. We should allow an extra 3dB loss for
polarisation mismatch and another 1dB from
travelling through the ionosphere.
A typical 70CM hand held transceiver is rated at
-120 dBm for 12dB SINAD, considered the minimum
useable signal. So we have
This is just above the minimum for a useable
signal.
http//www.amsat.org/amsat-new/echo/Echo_Linkbudge
t.php
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Sample Link Budget-3
At minimum range (800 km) the path loss reduces
to 143 dB so we have
So Echo in FM mode will be able to be received on
a dual band handheld with a handheld yagi antenna
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DCI Bandpass Filter
16
ICOM Pre-Amp
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Symek TNC3S

• Description of TNC3S
• Two Modems
• In the TNC3, there is space for two Modems, e.g.
  a 1200 Baud AFSK modem and a 9600 Baud FSK modem.
  Both modems are acessed simultaneously by the
  TNC3-Controller You can read the received data
  of both modems on the screen. Connects may be
  started either on modem 1 or modem 2. The modem
  ports may be distinguished by the port-number,
  which is added to the callsigns as a prefix as
  e.g. 2DB0ID.
• Alternatively, each of the logical channels can
  be assigned to one of the modemports. Select the
  channel and define the modem with the command
  PORT 1 or PORT 2.
• If the RS232 port is not required (e.g. when the
  TNC3 is to be used as remote digipeater), a third
  modem may be attached. The connector for a third
  modem can be added but if the two modem slots are
  occupied, the third modem has to be mounted
  externally.

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ICOM 910H Transceiver

• General
• Frequency coverage (USA version)
• Rx,Tx 144.000-148.000 MHz
• Rx 136.000-174.000 MHz (guaranteed range
  144.000-148.000 MHz)
• Rx, Tx 430.000-450.000 MHz
• Rx, TX 1240.000-1300.000 MHz optional
• Mode SSB, CW, FM, FM-N (FM-N is not available on
  1200 MHz band)
• Frequency stability 3 ppm (-10C to 60C)
• Frequency resolution 1 Hz SSB/CW, 1-- Hz FM
• Number of memory channels328 (39 regular, 1
  call, 6 scan edge for each band plus 10
  satellite)
• Operating temperature range -10C to 60C
  14F to 140F
• Power supply requirement 13.8 V DC 15
  (negative ground)
• Current drain (at 13.8 V DC)
• Transmit
• high 23.0 A
• low 7.0 A
• Receive
• max. audio 2.5 A
• stand-by 2.0 A

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Software

• Mercury
• A software system for commanding and controlling
  a satellite ground station via the Internet
• Open source software platform based on Linux,
  Apache, MySQL, and Java
• Built with Recovery-Oriented design principles
• Deployed in OSCAR (Rm453 Durand)
• Core services captured using GSML (Ground Station
  Mark up Language) based on XML
• Software package and documentation stored in
  SourceForge http//mgsnsourceforge.net/index.php

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Software

• Mercury v1.1.2 software
• Architecture
• Three levels of core services
• - Virtual Hardware
• - Session
• - Network
• Mercury v1.1.2c is the latest stable
• release v1.2.0 is currently under
• development. Visit
• http//gs.stanford.edu
• For more detail

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Software Development Tools

• Eclipse IDE with Java Development Tools and
  JUnit test/debugger
• CVS - keep track of changes made by a number of
  different developers
• STK
• MatLab

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Facilities/Systems Upgrade

• Mission Ops Center buildup
• Install new hardware (workstation,
  projector,..etc.)
• Install updated software (Mercury, STK,...etc.)
• Building new hardware for W6YX
• Build antenna control hardware
• Build and integrate communication equipments

23
Team members

• Erik Von Bausler
• Brief technical background here
• Joe Brooks
• Brief technical background here
• Frank Guan
• Brief technical background here
• Joe Reynolds
• Brief technical background here
• Phil Tung
• Real Time Pilot/HW-in-the-loop flight simulation
  HW/SW integration