SW simulator of satellite czCube
David Holas, member of czCube team, has developed special software simulator for satellite verification.
Software can simulate:
- satellite location
- satellite attitude
- satellite rotation
- illumination of satellite sides
- communication windows
- geomagnetic field vector around satellite
- active de-spin by electromagnetic coils
- aerodynamic drag and solar light pressure
- control algorithms of satellite modules
Once our satellite will be in orbit, we wanted to make simulator output accessible online.
You can try, how we envisaged it.
Download
Current version
Version dated 05/18/2007
- It is possible to record a movie of the simulation progress, see Orbit.cfg, parameters Movie...
- Movie recording can be paused/ran using hotkey Shift+Ctrl+R
- Periodic storing of scene screenshots is now possible, see Orbit.cfg
- Graphic textures can now be defined by user, see Orbit.cfg
- Default camera mode can be defined by user, see Orbit.cfg
- Files of the simulator organized into sub-dirs, several Earth textures added.
- A couple of small bugs removed.
Older versions (newer first)
Version dated 10/18/2006
- Projections of the sateit surface to the planes perpendicular to the Sun direction and to velocity vector can now be displayed.
- It is possible to define mean reflectivity and drag coefficient in configuration files.
- Atmosphere density model (dependent only on altitude) finished. The magnitude of the drag force is now computed properly. Only rotational effects of that force are simulated.
- A couple of small bugs in starting computations fixed.
Version dated 10/09/2006, released for the World Space Week 2006
- Onboard magnetic coils model has been implemented. Currents of the coils can be driven by onboard modules outputs. Power consumption model and various modes of coil driving included.
- First version of onboard ADCS software has been implemented. Software detumbles (slows down) initial rotation using magnetic coils and then attempts to perform three-axis stabilization. 3D regulator not finished yet.
- Surface models have been implemented for the ability to model solar and atmospheric drag torque.
- Solar radiation drag torque model implemented and finished. Simulation of the solar sail effects is now possible.
- Atmospheric drag torque implemented. The size of the moment still not correct
- Drawing of the surface model projection in the direction of object's velocity is now possible
- Projection in the plane perpendicular to the sun vector can be displayed also.
- Surface models for simple cube and cube with two solar sail wings prepared
Version dated 09/12/2006
- Internal B-dot and B-cross regulators have been implemented. Just for preliminary testing of this way of detumbling sattelite's initial rotation. Sattelite is being detumbled with respect to surrounding magnetic field. Algorithm is internal only, magnetic moment is simulated, not generated by onboard modules and coils. Practical implementation can be assumed to be slower.
- Onboard coils model finished. The currents of onboard coils can be determined by outputs of onboard software modules.
- Principal axis of rotation from inertia tensor finished. Principal axes can be displayed grahically, along with other new graphic features.
- New posibilities and options of data outputs to CSV files.
Version dated 08/14/2006
Model of isotropic rotational energy damping finished. Current version of simulator is capable to fully simulate passive magnetic stabilization (permanent magnets plus damping).
Version dated 08/02/2006 (file offline, download on demand)
- Rigid body rotation integrators finished.
- Gravitational and magnetic (residual dipole) disturbance torques implemented.
- Model of passive stabilization (permanent magnet) finished.
- Displaying of various new values, vectors and axes.
- A couple of mass and graphic models of the sattelite prepared for testing.
Version dated 07/10/2006 (file offline, download on demand)
Mass model (modelling of mass distribution in sattelite object) finished. Computation of the inertia tensor and center of mass coordinates.
Beta version of rotational integrators finished. Model of sattelite attitude and rotation. Influence of external torques. Resulting angular velocity vector. Development of values in time. Influence of non-diagonal inertia tensor. No direct connection with onboard modules so far.
Additional camera modes (ORBIT-surface-fixed, ORBIT-ECI-fixed a ORBIT-body-fixed). Dislaying of local ECI-axes and BODY-axes is now possible. Current angular velocity vector can be displayed also.
Version dated 06/30/2006 (file offline, download on demand)
Model of onboard communication serial bus finished. Exact simulation of token passing, inter-module message passing (data messages interchange) including time-delay, delays caused by module on/off switching and so on.
Complete set of onboard modules prepared and defined in configuration. Power source for every module is controlled by the PowerModule, each of them can be independently switched on or off by PwerModule.
Second version of MSDK released, skeletons of algorithms of all onboard modules prepared: Power, Beacon, Radio, ADCS(+magnetometer), Photo, Tether, Sail, Science.
Version dated 06/21/2006 (file offline, download on demand)
Big improvement of simulator controls. A lot of hotkeys, controlling is now possible using menus.
Virtual X51 CPU finished. Onboard modules can be now defined in Satelit.cfg file.
Model of power switching of onboard modules, output of one module can drive the power for another module.
First version of Module Software Development Kit (MSDK) released.
Version dated 05/18/2006 (file offline, download on demand)
Ground stations model finished. Sattelite tracking, various values for data outputs. Ground stations can be defined in Ground.cfg file.
Graphics can be switched off for better performance (see Orbit.cfg).
Data computation nodes for better data outputs.
Multipass support finished (multiple simulations with variable parameters are now possible (see Multipass.cfg).
Support for virtual onboard processor for onboard modules under development.
Version dated 03/22/2006 (file offline, download on demand)
Lighting model finished. New values for data outputs.
Local ECI-axes can be displayed, local magnetic axes (according the WMM model) can be displayed.
Magnetic vector components (Bx, By, Bz) with respect to magnetic axes can be displayed.
History of local magnetic vector can be displayed.
Version dated 03/15/2006 (file offline, download on demand)
Graphics models of the sattelite finished. It is possible to define own graphic model.
Local magnetic vector computation finished.
Visibility border (area on earth surface where the sattelite is over the horizon) can be dislpayed.
Areas for a specific distance can be displayed - definition in Satelit.cfg. Sun vector can be displayed.
Local magnetic vector can be displayed.
New values for data outputs (latitude, longitude, altitude, magnitude of magnetic vector)
Version dated 03/13/2006 (file offline, download on demand)
Camera modes again functional, support for CSV data files output finished (see DataOutput.cfg)
. Improved orbital model for simple but accurate position prediction (Enhanced Kepler).
Version dated 02/14/2006 (file offline, download on demand)
Configuration on sattelites changed. Now the sattelites are defined in Satelit.cfg file.
It is possible to choose orbital model for a sattelite (NEWTON, KEPLER, SGP etc.).
Camera modes currently not functional.
Constellations finished (many thanks to M :-) )
Version dated 02/06/2006 (file offline, download on demand)
Camera mode ORBIT working (still under development), mode FREE.
In the camera mode FREE, PgUp/PgDn move camera forwards/backwards.
In other modes, PgUp/PgDn zoom/unzoom the camera view.
Additional constellations added :-)
Version dated 02/02/2006 (file offline, download on demand)
Camera controls fixed. Control keys: Arrows, Shift-arrows, camera ROLL=ctrl+Arrow left, right.
Try other hotkeys: PgUp, PgDn, shift-PgDn, shift-PgUp. Camera modes can be switched by hotkey "C".
Only camera modes ECI, ECEF and SUN are working.
Version dated 02/01/2006 (file offline, download on demand)
Constellations added (thanks, M), magnetic field lines can be displayed (press hotkey "M" repeatedly).
Version dated 01/30/2006 (file offline, download on demand)
First working version. Huge development is necessary.