Power Processing & Thruster Electronics
Power processing and thruster electronics.
Custom development
We design PPUs, RF plasma power generators, high voltage supplies and thruster controllers for electric propulsion. Commission a complete electronics unit, a dedicated conversion stage or the control electronics for an existing thruster.
- Power processing
- RF plasma generators
- Thruster control
Electronics architectures
| Propulsion load | Development scope |
|---|---|
| RF plasma source | RF generator, impedance matching, power measurement and protection |
| Gridded ion thruster | Grid supplies, RF-source electronics, neutralizer interfaces and operating control |
| Hall effect thruster | Discharge supply, cathode electronics and selected magnetic-field control |
| Cathode / neutralizer | Heater, ignition, keeper or emission supplies matched to the electron-source design |
| Propellant management | Valve, heater and actuator drivers with sensor readout and interlocks |
| Spacecraft interface | Input filtering, protection, command/telemetry links and hardware inhibits |
Supply functions are selected for the propulsion architecture. Not every thruster uses every supply listed above.
Key features
Power conversion and protection
- Conversion stages matched to steady-state loads, startup demand and operating transitions.
- Regulated voltage or current outputs with programmable setpoints.
- Input filtering, inrush control and spacecraft-bus interaction assessment.
- Galvanic isolation and grounding strategy matched to the output potentials.
- Voltage, current, temperature and power telemetry.
- Overcurrent, overvoltage, undervoltage and overtemperature responses.
- Controlled startup, shutdown, output discharge and restart behavior.
- Electrical fault isolation and hardware inhibit paths.
RF plasma power electronics
- RF power generation matched to the plasma source and coupling arrangement.
- Impedance matching for changing plasma operating conditions.
- Forward and reflected power sensing.
- Frequency or matching adjustment where selected by the RF architecture.
- Protection against reflected power, loss of plasma and abnormal loading.
- Shielding, RF return paths and coexistence with spacecraft electronics.
High voltage and discharge electronics
- Grid, discharge, ignition and electron-source supplies tailored to their loads.
- High voltage isolation, spacing and insulation-system design.
- Arc detection, output-current limiting and controlled recovery sequences.
- Discharge-current monitoring and filtering for the selected thruster load.
- Cathode warm-up, ignition and operating transitions coordinated with the main supply.
- Coil-current supplies for electromagnet-based magnetic circuits.
Thruster control
- State machines for standby, startup, stabilization, firing, shutdown and fault handling.
- Command handling, parameter management and operating records.
- Valve and heater sequencing with measured-state checks.
- Bounded retry policies and independent watchdog supervision.
- Command, telemetry and inhibit interfaces for the customer’s spacecraft electronics.
Configuration and interface options
| Area | Design options |
|---|---|
| Electrical input | Mission-selected spacecraft bus and input protection |
| Output architecture | Dedicated converters or integrated multi-output PPU |
| Regulation | Voltage, current, RF-power or selected closed-loop control |
| Command links | CAN/CAN FD, RS-422, RS-485, UART or customer-defined link |
| Auxiliary interfaces | Valve/heater drivers, temperature channels, current sensing and discrete inhibits |
| Packaging | CubeSat-oriented boards/modules or enclosed SmallSat units |
| Thermal | Conductive mounting, heat spreaders and defined equipment heat paths |
| Development level | Prototype stage, complete electronics development or adaptation of customer hardware |
Verification and delivery
Representative loads and test fixtures are used to verify conversion, regulation, sequences and protection. Tests address transients, interrupted commands, abnormal loads and recovery. Delivery includes electronics, firmware, interface specifications, configuration data and verification records.
Build the electronics around your thruster.
Discuss your propulsion loads, spacecraft power interface and control requirements with our team.
Discuss Your Propulsion Electronics