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GP-B Post-Flight Analysis—Final Report - Gravity Probe B - Stanford ...

GP-B Post-Flight Analysis—Final Report - Gravity Probe B - Stanford ...

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significantly reduces and thus preserves to a much larger extent the science mission configuration whilecomputer control is re-established. In spin-up mode, a similar controller is provided to hold the rotor inposition in the spin-up channel while gas is flowing if the computer control should fail during this critical phase.9.1.6 Suspension arbiterAn autonomous state machine in the FSU is used to monitor the health of the digital suspension algorithm andimmediately switch to a backup system should a fault be detected. The arbiter monitors the health of the GSSprocessor via a heartbeat keep-alive circuit and the gyro position via radius-from-center position thresholds.Should either of these tests fail the backup system is engaged. In science mode, initially the control is passed thehigh authority backup controller (SMHB). Once the gyro position is stable for 30 seconds, control is passed tothe low authority (SMLB) controller until the computer is ready to take control. In the event of a positionexcursion greater than the position threshold (> 10 μm), the high authority controller is used until the positionsettles again. Before control may be passed back to the flight computer, a handshake set of commands must besent to the FSU to convince the arbiter that the computer is healthy and read to take back control. A statetransition diagram for this arbiter is shown in Figure 9-4.9.1.7 Mode RegisterFigure 9-4. GSS Arbiter State Transition diagram.A bank of 16 latching relays are used to hold the configuration of the FSU (bridge amplitude, suspension mode,low voltage amplifier configuration, threshold enables, etc.). This set of relays are highly radiation tolerant andretain their state should power be removed, thus they are a very stable source of configuration informationshould the aft computer need to be rebooted during the mission (this was never necessary, however).260 March 2007 Chapter 9 — Gyro Suspension Subsystem (GSS) Analysis

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