Small, light-weight, low-power, low-cost, high performance computing for CubeSats
John R. Samson · 2014
Dependable Multiprocessor (DM) CubeSat technology continued its steady path to flight with the development and demonstration of a DM CubeSat F-cubed (Form, Fit, and Function) payload processor flight prototype. The DM F-cubed flight prototype was developed and demonstrated as part of the SMDC TechSat Phase 2 effort. The F-cubed flight prototype was designed to be a reusable, scalable implementation that can be used in a variety of future CubeSat missions and can fit into a variety of CubeSat form factors including SMDC TechSat, SMDC-ONE, Pumpkin Sat, and other 3U CubeSat configurations. The paper includes a brief overview of DM and DM CubeSat technology development, the path from NMP ST8 to SMDC TechSat, and the SMDC TechSat Phase 1 effort, but focuses on the development of the F-cubed flight prototype and its use in the DM portion of the SMDC TechSat Phase 2 Demo1,2,3.