Electronics for deep space cryogenic applications

Abstract: Deepspaceprobesandplanetaryexplorationmissionsrequireelectricalpowermanagementandcontrolsystemsthatarecapableofefficientandreliableoperationinverycoldtemperatureenvironments. Typically, in deep space probes, heating elementsare used to keep the spacecraftelectronicsnearroomtemperature.Theutilizationofpowerelectronicsdesignedforandoperatedatlowtemperaturewillcontributetoincreasingefficiencyandimprovingreliabilityofspacepowersystems.AtNASAGlennResearchCenter,commercial-off-the-shelfdevicesaswellasdevelopedcomponentsarebeinginvestigatedforpotentialuseatlowtemperatures.Thesedevicesincludesemiconductorswitchingdevices,magnetics,andcapacitors.Integratedcircuitssuchasdigital-to-analogandanalog-to-digitalconverters,DC/DCconverters,operationalamplifiers,andoscillatorsarealsobeingevaluated. Inthispaper,resultswillbepresentedforselectedanalog-to-digitalconverters,oscillators,DC/DCconverters,andpulsewidthmodulation(PWM)controllers. 1.INTRODUCTION Planetaryexplorationmissionsanddeepspaceprobesrequireelectricalpowermanagementandcontrolsystemsthatarecapableofefficientandreliableoperationinverylowtemperatureenvironments.Presently,spacecraftoperatinginthecoldenvironmentofdeepspacecarryalargenumberofradioisotopeheatingunitsinordertomaintainthesurroundingtemperatureoftheon-boardelectronicsatapproximately20°C.