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Author: Nikhita Goné
Date Created: 2025-05-16
Last Edited: 2025-06-25
Altium Link: Flatsat design
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The purpose of the FlatSat board is to serve as a system-level testing apparatus. It allows us to test the functionality of all boards working together, before they are integrated into the CubeSat.
It achieves this by providing a flat platform that all the boards are attached to. The PC104 headers of each board, which would have been connected in a stack within the CubeSat, are connected on a flat plane via the FlatSat instead.
Figure 1 - FlatSat REV 1
The FlatSat does not manage or affect the power transmitted between boards; It serves as an intermediate to transfer power between them. Since it is a system-level apparatus, its power consumption is equal to the sum of the boards integrated onto it; The same as the CubeSat.
The solar panels provide power input, which is converted by the EPS system to power the rest of the satellite, and to charge the on-board battery pack. When the solar panels provide power input, they supply 10-17V, at 600mA, which is a 6-10W power supply.
The FlatSat is a 450mm x 150mm, 4 layer PCB, and has 6 female PC104 headers to mount 6 board systems onto them.
The top and bottom layers are used to route traces between headers. Each header is routed in parallel with the other 5 headers, simulating the parallel arrangement the boards will have when assembled within the CubeSat.
Figure 2 - FlatSat top layer
Figure 3 - FlatSat first ground layer
Figure 4 - FlatSat second ground layer
Figure 5 - FlatSat bottom layer
Additionally, the two middle layers are exclusively used as ground planes, providing a low impedance path to ground. Next, signal traces are routed at 0.2 mm, and power traces are routed at 0.5 mm to withstand a maximum current of 1.5A.
Finally, the FlatSat has 80 test points to check the functionality of each trace. These test points are located at the top of the board, and are numbered 1-80. To find the test point corresponding to a given net, reference the Flatsat design page on Altium.
Figure 6 - FlatSat test points