Research on high-precision attitude measurement technology for satellite deployable boom based on position-sensitive detector

Abstract This paper investigates the high-precision attitude measurement technology for deployable booms based on a position-sensitive detector (PSD) assembly. A novel solution, ‘Corner Cube Prism+Integrated Laser Position Recognition Module,’ is proposed. The innovation lies in the introduction of the corner cube prism, integrating the laser emission unit and the position-sensitive detector into a single design. This approach not only ensures no remnant magnetic interference for precision payloads such as magnetometers but also facilitates the miniaturization and lightweight design of the measurement component. System-level simulations were conducted to verify the rationality and feasibility of the proposed design. Based on these simulations, the engineering prototype was developed, and a simulation system was set up. Key technical challenges, such as developing low-noise electronics based on the DL400-7SMD PSD and building equivalent circuit models for the PSD light saturation characteristics, were successfully overcome. The resulting PSD attitude measurement module engineering prototype demonstrated a position resolution better than 3 μm, with angular measurement accuracy for the deployable boom swings better than 0.2 arcseconds. The system weighs 180 g and has a power consumption of 350 mW, achieving low power consumption and miniaturization. The performance of the system meets the high-precision attitude measurement requirements for the magnetometer deployable boom on the target satellite.