Electronic boards design for Space Equipment

For geostationary missions, electronic boards must meet a reliability level of 15 years in flight, in a specific environment in terms of mechanical, thermal, radiation and radiative stress. In addition, storage and conditioning on the ground prior to flight can last several months or even years. This longevity is sometimes limited to a few years for more scientific missions in low, stationary Leo orbits.

What was true in the 2000s, when the small quantities inherent in the space market prevented us from taking advantage of the mass effect needed to introduce new technologies or technological limits, is no longer the case today. Indeed, even if the notion of series does not exist as it does in the automotive or consumer sectors (e.g. mobile telephony), since volumes can be counted in tens of units, it is essential to take new technologies on board, in order to have high-performance electronic equipment that meets customers' needs. Applications range from commercial to military, and include navigation, optics and telecommunications. Satellite operators need flexible, high-capacity in-flight solutions.

Following a description of environmental constraints, the article details the qualification domain for electronic board technologies, which covers three areas:

• the basic support, the printed circuit board (PCB);

• electronic and non-electronic components assembled on the PCB ;

• assembly methods (brazing, gluing, screwing, etc.).

The main design and industrialization rules are illustrated, and compliance with them is essential to guarantee a level of reliability in line with the needs of space missions.

The major points concerning environmental constraints are detailed first. The often iterative development phases are then analyzed. At the end of the document, the main stages in the production of electronic boards are presented, with a focus on controls.

A glossary and table of acronyms are provided at the end of the article.