NPSAT1 Attitude Control Subsystem Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation

Book excerpt: NPSAT1 is a three-axis stabilized spacecraft. Its Attitude Control Subsystem (ACS) uses a magnetic control approach that will be used for the first time. The Magnetic control approach is verified with an ACS SIMULINK model of NPSAT1. The correct SIMULINK implementation of the magnetic control algorithm will be verified with an ACS air bearing SIMULINK model and a hardware-embedded ACS control algorithm SIMULINK model that controls the test platform on a spherical air bearing table. This is a report of the work that covers different steps of the air bearing table set-up for these hardware-in-the-loop simulations. The first part describes the approach of determining an air bearing table location in Earth's magnetic field with minimal magnetic deviation to provide good conditions for hardware-in-the-loop simulations. The second part is the attempt of developing custom driver software for the magnetic measurement device that is going to be used on the air bearing test platform. The third part gives some information about the general structure of the hardware-in-the-loop test setup and the hardware setup of the air bearing platform.