CASSINI In Space

 

Helix Nebula Banner Image
CASSINI

Cassini MIMI Investigation at Fundamental Technologies

 

 Historical MIMI Memos and Notes

 

Data Processing Unit

 

J. Dandouras, MIMI team meeting, October 1994

 

MIMI DPU Analog Electronics I/F Test

 

A. DPU Housekeeping Board I/F

 

  • Read/write in HSK registers: OK
  • Read value from ADC (interrupt driven): OK

 

Note: For read operations in some registers, the timing diagrams show that there are not adequate margins. We thus decided to add a waiting state (in the ACTEL implemented waiting state generator) for addressing the HSK board and having 4 instead of 3 waiting states.

 

B. DPU CHEMS Processing Board I/F

 

  • Read/write in CHEMS registers (accumulators and PHAs): OK

 

General remark: Many DPU signals are very noisy. This is due to the wire wrapping technique used in the breadboard: parasitic capacitance and inductance, high cable lengths, cross-coupling between cables, no ground and power planes. Situation is anticipated to improve significantly with the Engineering Model (PCBs technique). For the breadboard, some corrective actions were taken: insertion of some additional decoupling capacitors and replacement of ACT (rapid) tranceivers with HC (slower) tranceivers.

 

MIMI DPU Turntable I/F Test

 

  • Test of the 4 motor power modes: OK
  • Test of the 2 directions of rotation: OK
  • Test of different rotation speeds: OK
  • Read of the absolute position (interrupt driven): OK
  • Potentionmeter read-out (through the HSK ADC): OK

 

Notes:

 

1. A Schmitt trigger has to be added on the Absolute_Position and on the +5V_Echo signals.

 

2. The ACTEL implemented I/F will be re-programmed, in order to avoid a sudden stop of the turntable in case of a watchdog reset of the DPU.

 

3. Same general remark as for the Analog Electronics I/F concerning noise of some DPU signals.

 

 

Return to DPU main table of contents page.

Return to Historical MIMI Notes and Memos main page.

Return to Cassini MIMI table of contents page.
Return to Fundamental Technologies Home Page.



Updated 8/8/19, Cameron Crane

QUICK FACTS

Manufacturer: The Cassini spacecraft was manufactured by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Huygens Probe was manufactured by Thales Alenia Space.

Mission Duration: The Cassini-Huygens mission launched on October 15 1997, and ended on September 15 2017.

Destination: Cassini's destination was Saturn and its moons. The destination of the Huygens Probe's was Saturn's moon Titan.

Orbit: Cassini orbited Saturn for 13 years before diving between its rings and colliding with the planet on September 15th, 2017.