Fundamental Technologies Galileo Spacecraft Pages

The Galileo Energetic Particles Detector Scanning System

Source: D. E. Fort, JHU/APL, Sept. 1985

Abstract. The Energetic Particles Detector is a nuclear particle instrument designed to study the Jovian particle population and to identify the major processes responsible for particle distributions and variations within the Jovian magnetosphere.  Although it will be mounted on the spinning portion of the Galileo spacecraft, complete angular distribution measurements over a sphere can only be obtained if the sensors are scanned through various angles in the plane of the spin vector. To that end, a microprocessor-controlled scanning system has been incorporated in the instrument.  This report describes the operation of the scanning system, its response to ground commands, and the telemetry to monitor system performance.

Contents:

• Introduction
• Scanning System Operation
• Scanning System Diagnostics and Reprogramming
• Software Flow Charts
• Hardware

Return to Galileo EPD Handbook Table of Contents page.
Return to Fundamental Technologies Main Galileo Page.
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Updated 4/13/04, T. Hunt-Ward
tizby@ftecs.com