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How PCBs are used in satellites?

How PCBs are used in satellites?

Satellites are essential for modern communications and will only continue to grow in importance as technology advances. PCBs used for satellite communications (satcom) are special because they function reliably in hostile environments. Because of the challenging environments satellite PCBs must withstand, the material is a critical consideration in the PCB design and layout. The PCB materials need to last the life of the satellite, both for those that are in space and on Earth.

One major concern of satcom PCBs is outgassing, which is where gas gets trapped inside a solid — like a PCB. Circuit laminates can be porous and contain trapped gas from the manufacturing process or the curing laminate process. In high-vacuum environments like space, this gas can release. Therefore, the RF PCB material used for your satellite must have low outgassing properties.

Satellite PCBs operate under vacuum conditions and some may also have to withstand high-voltage corona fields and high dielectric breakdown voltage. Circuit materials must be considered accordingly.

Challenges for RF and Microwave satellite PCBs 

Radio frequency (RF) and microwave printed circuit boards (PCBs) can handle higher frequencies compared to other circuits. Both circuits are crucial elements in different professional and commercial products such as wireless communication devices, including satellites. With higher frequencies in the mix, the PCB design becomes more complex.Challenges in RF and microwave PCBs can range from impedance matching and bleeding prevention to outgassing and minimizing weight. Other challenges include:

1.Difficult to design: If your satellite PCB has multiple layers, different components need to be kept separate, like RF or digital parts and low-level analog. This helps to decrease issues during assembly. RF and microwave PCBs require multiple layers of design, with the top including a power stage and radio frequency signal lines. The board will also require a ground layer under any component that has RF and microwave signals.

2.Noise: Radio frequency and microwave signals are sensitive to noise and more susceptible to a range of noise types compared to standard PCBs. You must mitigate signal noise, ringing and reflection as much as possible. Different types of noises can include white, pink or band limited, as well as thermal, shot, phase, flicker and avalanche noise.

3.Wide temperature range: Swings in temperature levels are another concern to take into consideration. Altering temperatures within a satellite can change a printed circuit board’s material characteristics. Looking at the temperature coefficient of a dielectric constant data sheet is helpful for comparing a range of board materials and how suitable they are for satellite applications. RF microwave satellite PCBs must be able to dissipate heat well, especially in confined areas within the spacecraft. Consider the PCBs thermal conductivity to understand how the material dissipates heat in space.

4.Reliability: Minimizing weight is another PCB satellite concern that relates to the growing use of circuit boards with multiple layers and increased RF and microwave circuitry density. The reliability of plated through holes (PTHs) for interconnections between layers is a concern when operating in the temperature cycling and temperature extremes in space.

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