DIY Instruments for Amateur Space

DIY Instruments for Amateur Space

by Sandy Antunes
Released April 2013
Publisher(s): Make: Community
ISBN: 9781449310646

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Book description

What can you measure and what are your limits when orbiting in space? Learn about what physical quantities you can measure and what types of sensors you can buy or build. We cover the 5 essential design limits as well: power, bandwidth, resolution, computing... and legal limitations. Explore what you can play with using your own personal satellite.

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Table of contents

  1. Preface
    1. Why Sensors on Satellites Make Sense
    2. Conventions Used in This Book
    3. Using Code Examples
    4. Safari® Books Online
    5. How to Contact Us
    6. Acknowledgments
  2. 1. Understanding Measurement
    1. Brainstorming
  3. 2. Introduction to Instruments
    1. Parameterizing a Mission
    2. Mission Domains
    3. Licensing
    4. Look at Past Missions
  4. 3. By Wavelength
    1. The Spectrum
    2. Gamma and X-rays
    3. Ultraviolet
    4. Violet and Blue
    5. Cyan and Green
    6. Yellow and Orange
    7. Infrared
    8. Microwave, Submillimeter, and Radio
  5. 4. Fundamental Detector Types
    1. The Eternal Fight: Resolution Versus Brightness
    2. Active Detectors
    3. Tradeoffs
    4. Imaging Detectors
      1. Mapping Coverage to Pixels
    5. Sampling and Bandwidth Calculations
  6. 5. Detectors and Instruments and Sensors, Oh My!
    1. Attitude
      1. Passive Attitude Control
      2. Active Attitude Control
    2. Pointing Observations
    3. Sensors
    4. Deployable Payloads
      1. Transmitter
      2. Microchip Satellites
      3. Repeaters and Reflectors
      4. Solar Sail
    5. Operational Demo
    6. Sample Names
  7. 6. Colors and Brightness
    1. Brightness
  8. 7. Resolution, By the Numbers
    1. Detector Bins
    2. What About Noise?
    3. At a Glance
    4. Filters
      1. Spectral Filters
      2. Image Masks
    5. Digitization
  9. 8. Noise
    1. Signal-to-Noise (S/N)
    2. Types of Noise
    3. Adding Noises
  10. 9. Calibration
    1. Response Function
    2. Calibration Protocols
      1. Solution!
      2. Problem
      3. Standard Candles Aren’t
      4. Remember Degradation
    3. Real Versus “Book” Voltages
  11. 10. Protocols
    1. Sensor Readout Theory
    2. Wiring Sensors and Sampling
    3. Clocks and Sampling Rates
      1. Synchronous and Asynchronous
    4. I2C
      1. I2C Sequence Primer
      2. I2C Examples
    5. TTL/UART/Serial/RS232
    6. SPI
    7. Controller Area Network
    8. Musical Instrument Digital Interface
    9. About Standards
  12. 11. Instrument Modes
    1. Dynamic Range
    2. Defining Multiple Instrument Modes
      1. Example Modes For a Magnetic Sensor
      2. Cadence
    3. Triggering
    4. Non-Photon Detectors (And in situ)
    5. CPUs
      1. Raspberry Pi
      2. They Fight!
    6. Communications Limits
    7. Amateur (HAM) Radio
  13. 12. Off-the-Shelf Sensor Hardware
    1. Shopping
    2. Particle Damage
    3. “Project Calliope” Sample Sensor Loadout
      1. ArduSat Sample Sensor Loadout
      2. Sensor Integration
  14. 13. Committing, Freezing, Moving Forward
    1. Buy Many
      1. Lego-Style Versus Custom Shop
  15. A. Exercises
    1. JWST Build-a-Satellite
    2. Solve a Decadal Problem for All of Humanity
  16. About the Author
  17. Colophon
  18. Copyright

Product information

  • Title: DIY Instruments for Amateur Space
  • Author(s): Sandy Antunes
  • Release date: April 2013
  • Publisher(s): Make: Community
  • ISBN: 9781449310646