The Onboard Computer (OBC) is the central control unit of the CubeSat system, designed for low-power operation, robust interfacing, and modular telemetry/command handling. It serves as the core data and control hub, interfacing with sensors and subsystems over multiple buses including SPI, I2C, UART, and CAN.
🚀 This design emphasizes embedded systems learning, modular subsystem interaction, and reliable firmware development for space applications.
| Component Type | Component | Function |
|---|---|---|
| MCU Core | STM32L496ZGT6 | Main application processor |
| Clock | NX3225GA (16 MHz) | High-speed MCU clock |
| RTC | NX3215SA (32.768 kHz) | Real-time clock for timing and sleep mode |
| Watchdog | TPL5010Q1 | System reset if hung |
| Inertial | ISM330ISN | Accelerometer + Gyro |
| Magnetic | MMC5983MA | 3-axis magnetometer |
| MRAM | MR25H40MDF | Non-volatile fast memory |
| NOR Flash | S25HL512TFANHI010 | Bootloader/data storage |
| CAN Interface | TCAN332GDCNT | Satellite bus communication |
| UART Buffer | SN74LVC2G34DRLR | Signal integrity for UART |
| USB OTG | 473460001 | Micro USB port |
| Sun Sensor (x3) | 503763-0691 | SPI slave interface |
| GPS | 53261-0771 | Location services interface |
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STM32L496ZGT6
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Real-Time Clock & System Clocks
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Sensor Suite
ISM330ISN: IMU with embedded sensor hub and machine learning coreMMC5983MA: 3-axis high-precision magnetometer
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Watchdog Timer
- External watchdog for mission resilience and autonomous reset
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Memory & Storage
- MRAM (non-volatile, fast) for telemetry data
- NOR Flash for data logging and firmware storage
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Communication Interfaces
- CAN transceiver
- UART
- Micro-USB connector for OTG FS (for development/debug)
- Sun Sensor Connectors
- GPS Interface
- Powered via EPS board through PC104 connector
- Designed for low power consumption in deep-sleep modes
- All digital IOs are ESD-protected and power-aware
- 🛠 Altium Designer – Schematic and PCB Layout
- 🔌 STM32CubeIDE – Embedded development
- 🔌 STM32CubeMX – Peripheral and clock config
- 📦 GitHub – VersVersion control , documentation and project showcase
Hitesh Bhoyar
📍 Embedded Systems | CubeSat Design | Low Power Electronics
GitHub →
For educational use. Feel free to fork, reuse, or reach out if you are exploring embedded systems!
📦 Visit the main repository for other subsystems.
Licensed under the MIT License