A Simple Low Cost Digital Sun Sensor for Micro-satellites

A Digital Sun Sensor (DSS) has several advantages if compared to the analogue one. It achieves higher accuracy and avoids the problems with light being reflected from the Earth’s surface. The gradual degradation of the sensitivity of the elements due to radiation effects is not crucial for its proper functioning. The advances in CCD and recently in CMOS technology make possible to implement the DSS at relatively low prices. The described sensor has accuracy about 0.05°. It contains two mutually perpendicular CCD or CMOS linear arrays and uses no lenses. Its advantages are low mass (0.12kg) and low size (65 x 55 x 25 mm). It provides complete sun vector (two perpendicular angles to the Sun) at a standard serial interface. The digital values of signal of all pixels are also accessible for test purpose.