Space-bound SL99

The picture above is of a very special SPLat. This one is destined for orbit.

A SPLat customer in Maryland is designing a scientific experiment that (it is hoped) will be flown on a Space Shuttle within the next several months. They have selected SPLat to control the experiment.

The controller is an SL99. It has been specially prepared to meet NASA's exacting standards with several measures:

1. All connectors have been removed to reduce height and eliminate plug-in connections, and replaced with soldered in wires where required.
2. The regulator chip has been laid down, and the associated potentiometer has been eliminated. Because the application doesn't require analog capability, the loss of trimming is unimportant.
3. Electrolytic capacitors have been replaced with tantalums, so they can survive vacuum testing.
4. The whole thing has received 3 dip coats of silicone conformal coating to improve vibration tolerance.

At time of writing the boards are at the Marshal Space Flight Center have been subject to and passed 2 of the 3 test criteria. These are EMC (Electro Magnetic Compatibility) and vibration. The third test is outgassing, essentially to ensure that equipment doesn't generate fumes that may upset astronauts or sensitive equipment.

STOP PRESS: The third and final test has been sucessfully completed. We are now simply waiting for a place on a launch!