EEVblog #519 - Ardusat Arduino Based CubeSat Satellite - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 15, 2013, 12:02:47 pm
content: Jonathan Oxer from Freetronics talks about the Ardusat project and shows his Arduino based cluster board for running Arduino sketches in space at the Melbourne Connected Community Hackerspacehttp://www.freetronics.com/pages/ardusat-the-arduino-satellitehttps://ardusat.org/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArduSat

author: DutchGert
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2013, 03:23:14 pm
content: CubeSat's are one of the coolest things to work on. During my 4 months time in South Africa last year I helped the ESL team from Stellenbosch University with some of there designs. Very cool idea that some of the things u make are actually floating in space (or racing around the earth).Kind of curious to see how they power this thing since i worked on a psu design back then.

author: jancumps
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 15, 2013, 06:13:48 pm
content: It's almost unimaginable, the opportunities you have in science these days. The manned space program may be on a low, but scientists and engineers stay inventive non the less.

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2013, 06:27:16 pm
content: Raises more questions:- why didn't they put the 16 controllers in a neat 4 by 4 matrix but now they are (randomly?) scattered over the board?- what inputs and outputs do these controllers have and are they really independent of eachother?

author: mrflibble
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2013, 06:42:19 pm
content: Quote from: Kjelt on September 15, 2013, 06:27:16 pmLooks like it just turned out to be easiest way to route. That, and there's also stuff on the bottom side, which may have affected the symmetry or lack thereof. Or maybe it's on purpose to test the effects on temperature of different power densities on the board, but I seriously doubt that.Other than that, thanks for the video Dave!Really like the concept of cubesats, and may we see many more small scale experimentation like that.

author: PA0PBZ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2013, 07:27:37 pm
content: Quote from: Kjelt on September 15, 2013, 06:27:16 pmMounting holes in the pcb, you can't put a controller where a mounting hole is, and stuff (like connectors) on the bottom of the pcb.See this at 28:00:

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2013, 08:07:33 pm
content: Quote from: PA0PBZ on September 15, 2013, 07:27:37 pmI now see it, the guy in the original clip in the 1stpost, used only the 4 outside holes.

author: wblackledg
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2013, 03:09:12 am
content: What is the chip that replaces the arduino? If you want a "mini" arduino is that something you can make yourself or buy?thanks

author: jancumps
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 16, 2013, 06:04:17 am
content: ATmega328P

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2013, 10:44:41 am
content: I'm still not sure i get the purpose of this?

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2013, 11:51:03 am
content: Quote from: jancumps on September 16, 2013, 06:04:17 amNo rad-hard/space-qualified version either.Would be interesting to see how long it lasts... there's a reason military/aerospace parts cost a LOT more than regular ones!

author: mrflibble
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2013, 11:55:13 am
content: The purpose of cubesats in general, or this Ardusat in particular? Particular: to have 16 sketches that can be uploaded by random people running in space, all attempting to crash the hypervisor. That, or access the sensors and do fun stuff with it. Purpose of cubesats in general is easy: cubesats are cool!

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2013, 01:02:06 pm
content: Quote from: mrflibble on September 16, 2013, 11:55:13 amIs that like the free software thing?How do you make a profit on free software? Volume!Seriously, I don't see what "experiments" can be carried out on a cubesat that a) haven't been done yet, b) couldn't be just as easily done from earth or c) the results worked out with some easy theory.

author: mrflibble
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2013, 01:25:41 pm
content: Quote from: peter.mitchell on September 16, 2013, 01:02:06 pmI for one would find it neat to play around with two tethered cubes and magnetorquers to see if you can get some altitude control as well. Or play around a bit with cube-to-cube communications.Is it meaningful? Probably not on a cosmic scale. But who cares, as long as you learn something new in the process.

author: DutchGert
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2013, 01:41:50 pm
content: Quote from: peter.mitchell on September 16, 2013, 01:02:06 pmThe main and very big advantage of cubesat's is that they are cheap! Very cheap even compared to the more mature big brothers.Right now a lot of companies and universities are looking into them to use them for programs which would not be able to generate money or simply couldnt be accieved if they needed a 'big' satelite for it.I for example worked for Stellenbosch University in South Africa, with there cubesat's there will be able to do agricultural measurements from space that potentially could help some of the more underdevelopted countries in Africa with there agriculture.Also, in my own country (Netherlands) there is a company that is developing a coastal tracking system for ships, something that would not have been possible without cubesat's (http://www.isispace.nl/cms/index.php/projects/triton-missions)Also, they are a great way for students to learn about navigation, flightcomputers, reliablilety design etc.Ans above all, ther plain fun!

author: KedasProbe
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2013, 01:49:03 pm
content: Quote from: DutchGert on September 16, 2013, 01:41:50 pmNo matter how you look at it you have to like it, resistance is futile.

author: mrflibble
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2013, 01:50:38 pm
content: Quote from: DutchGert on September 16, 2013, 01:41:50 pmHow cheap is very cheap?

author: DutchGert
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2013, 01:58:21 pm
content: Quote from: mrflibble on September 16, 2013, 01:50:38 pmTo build and launch a CubeSat would cost u about $100.000. U just buy a flightcomputer, powermanmagement, communication and some other modules fromhttp://www.cubesatshop.com/and the thing will fly, navigate and do all other basic stuff a 'real' satelite would do.Than u make a 'payload' module for your specific application (lets say a IR cam or whatever) an build a 1U or bigger cube.So the only engineering time goes into making the payload, the rest of the 'satalite stuff' is taken care of by the modules u buy and integration and launch can be done by a company like Isis Space.If u would like to use a 'big' satelite it would cost u years and years of engineering and probably a minimum of $10.000.000 or even a lot more.That's the real (potential) power of CubeSat's: cheap and fast to develop.

author: wblackledg
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2013, 01:59:48 pm
content: I got on their website and as best I can see if you split the cost with 3 others its $125 for 3 days.I would like to see a list / diagram or something that shows what all is on the cubesat and what you can interface with. paying $125 to for the bragging rights to say you have run "Hello World" in space, sounds cool until you explain to your XYL you spent $125 for the bragging rights to say you ran "Hello World" in space.So there must be more to it than just that.please advise.

author: wblackledg
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2013, 02:08:48 pm
content: Telemetry data.He also said the frequencies are published showing the telemetry data for 2 meter and 70cm armature bands. I didn’t see that on the website. There is a sign up section that I didn’t fill out the registration for. Is that where I can find the radio info?thanks

author: wblackledg
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2013, 02:19:21 pm
content: Quote from: wblackledg on September 16, 2013, 02:08:48 pmI found this.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArduSat