Novel motorization axis for a Coarse Pointing Assembly in Optical Communication Systems

Abstract The demand for higher data transfer between satellites and ground stations is ever increasing. To address this, (free-space) optical communication (OC) technology is emerging. Pointing mechanisms with low size, weight and power (SWaP), high accuracy and low recurring costs are key enablers for constellations of OC systems. In this paper, TNO presents a novel motorization concept for coarse pointing assemblies (CPA) using a switched reluctance actuation principle combined with a magnetic hall sensor. Results on a single axis test setup show promising performance in terms of sensor accuracy, pointing jitter and motor control. The presented concept is a potential enabler for future motorization of CPAs.