This page contains a list of verification activities and links their evidence.

Verified Activities

Activities that were verified during Phases A, B, C, or D

V-COM-0270

Perform orbital anaylsis and verify that the link access times are sufficient to transmit the minimum critical data per day.

Verified: Phase B, C

Evidence: See Link Access. Maximum daily total is 1.21 MB and the expected daily average is 915 kB

V-COM-0280

Simulate orbit times, while adjusting for doppler shift using Hackone RF and GNUradio to test whether the transceiver using the ground plane antenna are able to transmit a worst case data transfer capability of 915 kB per day

Not Verified: Phase D, Isolated Subsystem

V-COM-0290

Perform link budget analyses to evaluate that the satellite communication has sufficient link margin of at least 3 dB.

Verified: Phase B, C

Evidence: See Link Budget .

V-COM-0300

Verify that an acquisition of signal of 20 degrees provides sufficient link access times to successfully transmit the minimum critical data per day at 9600 bps.

Verified: Phase B

Evidence: From the link budget, from the orbital performance and downlink (from satellite to space), D64, we are below the Shannon limit of 1.19MB/day Link Budget .

V-COM-0301

Check the transceiver datasheet and verify that it is capable of frequency shift keying modulation and demodulation.

Verified: Phase B

Evidence: See page 34 (1.11: Modulation)

V-COM-0302

Measure the radiation pattern of the antenna and calculate pointing loss for a spinning body of 5 deg/sec/axis.

Not Verified: Phase D, Functional

V-COM-0310

Verify that the transceiver and radio architecture provides the capability for error checking.

Verified: Phase B

Evidence: See page 32 .

V-COM-0320

Perform transmission tests with the transceiver and verify that the bit error rate is less than 10^-5.

Not Verified: Phase D, Integration Functional

V-COM-0330

Perform link budget analyses to evaluate that the downlink transmissions have a minimum signal-to-noise power density of 50 dBHz.

Verified: Phase B

Evidence: From the link budget, in the downlink tab, C32, we have a downlink SNR of 62.96 dBHz See Link Budget.

V-COM-0331

Perform link budget analyses to evaluate that the maximum energy per bit to noise power spectral density ratio (Eb/N0) to meet the BER specification of 10^-5 is no higher than 15dB.

Verified: Phase B

Evidence: See Link Budget. The Downlink budget tab, cell B35. The resulting calculation added to 25.48 dB which meets the minimum 15 dB.

V-COM-0339

Inspect the final spacecraft assembly and check that the antenna is properly stowed inside the deployment mechanism housing.

Not Verified: Inspection, Phase D

V-COM-0340

Measure the communications board components to make sure it does not exceed 92 mm in the X axis.

Verified: Phase D, Isolated Subsystem

Compliance Notes: No components of comms board is more than 90mm except the ground plane [external (202 mm x 49.8 mm)]and coaxial cable [internal ( ~ 100 mm max)].

Evidence: Sheet 2.

V-COM-0350

Measure the communications board components to make sure it does not exceed 92 mm in the Y axis.

Verified: Phase D, Isolated Subsystem

Compliance Notes: No components of comms board is more than 90mm except the ground plane (202 mm x 49.8 mm) and coaxial cable ( ~ 100 mm max).

Evidence: Sheet 2.

V-COM-0360

Verify that the design and placement of the antenna are in no position to shadow the geological samples.

Verified: Phase C

Compliance Notes: Comms board is internal, no shadowing. Deployed antenna doesn't interfere with payload sample.

Evidence: The CAD model was used to simulate a light shining on the payload sample. See Sheet 3. The sample plate and the antenna doesn't share the same face as the payload sample plate. No possible shadowing from the deployed antenna. See Structure Design render.

V-COM-0370

Inspect the full spacecraft assembly to confirm that the antenna are installed in the correct locations that do not have the potential to shadow the geological samples.

Verified: Phase D, Functional

Compliance Notes: Comms board is internal, no shadowing. Deployed antenna doesn't interfere with payload sample. The CAD model was used to demonstrate that the deployed antenna doesn't interfere with the payload sample.

Evidence: Sheet 3.

V-COM-0380

Verify that the concept of operations designated the antenna deployment to happen during commissioning activities.

Verified: Phase B

Evidence: Power Supply to the deployment mechanism upon deployment after 30 minute time lapse.

V-COM-0390

Verify that the antenna has a deployment mechanism that is independent of the Nanoracks deployer.

Verified: Phase B

Evidence: Reviewed design of the The fit check gauge shows that the deployment mechanism does not interfere with the Nanoracks developer.

V-COM-0391

Inspect the stowed antenna configuration and verify that the restraint mechanism is independent of the NRCSD.

Not Verified: Phase D, Integration Functional

V-COM-0400

Verify that the communications hardware does not protrude from the satellite structure for more than 9.5 mm in the undeployed state.

Verified: Phase C

Compliance Notes: No component of the comms board extend beyond the allotted space. Ground plane+epoxy thickness will be less than 3 mm. The stowed antenna doesn't protrude past the coms & CDH shell. Measurement were taken from the rails.

Evidence: Sheet 4.

V-COM-0401

Inspect the comms board assembly and verify that it does not exceed the allocated space.

Verified: Phase D, Integration, Isolated Subsystem

Compliance Notes: The tallest component is the transceiver assembly, with a total height of 8.53 mm from the top of transceiver to the top of the board.

Evidence: Sheet 5.

V-COM-0402

Inspect that the communications hardware does not protrude from the satellite structure for more than 9.5 mm in the undeployed state.

Not Verified: Phase D, Isolated Subsystem

Compliance Notes: The ground plane sits behind on the of the solar panel. Measurement from a CAD model relative to the rails will be used as evidence.

V-COM-0410

Verify that the final mass of the communications subsystem is less than 397 grams.

Verified: Phase D, Isolated Subsystem

Compliance Notes: The board and transceiver is compliant. The mass of the transciver reported by the manufacturer is <250 g.

Evidence: The measured mass of EPS board assembly with all its components is 52 gm which will be more than comms board!

V-COM-0420

Verify that the communications system hardware does not come into contact with the NanoRacks CubeSat deployer in any axis.

Verified: Phase B

Evidence: The fit check gauge shows that the communications system hardware does not interfere with the Nanoracks developer.

V-COM-0430

Verify that there are no electrical or data interfaces between the communications system and the NRCSD.

Verified: Phase B

Compliance Notes: Only electrical interface is the USART for debugging only. Debugging is not accessible when the burn wire mechanism reset panel is screwed in.

Evidence: No plans to interact with NRCSD. There is no external connection to the NRCSD. See harnessing diagram for data and power.

V-COM-0440

Verify in the concept of operations and power mode plans that the communications system remains unpowered while inside the NRCSD.

Verified: Phase B

Evidence: Concepts of operations