Digital and Analog Sun Sensors

Sun sensors are a crucial part for a satellite attitude determination and control system (ADCS).
They provide an accurate position of the sun so that the otherwise "blind" satellite can use that information to determine its own orientation towards the sun.

At Aalto University we are developing our own sun sensors from commercial of the shelf parts to improve their accuracy and reliability under harsh conditions in space.
Two different technologies can be used: A purely analog sensing based on photodiodes and a digital one based on an imaging chip similar to the ones found in a camera.
Both technologies have their own unique trades that make them better suited for different applications.
As they are meant for space rigorous testing has been performed on both of our sun sensor designs to qualify and verify the used techniques and hardware.

The designs are published as open-source on GitHub.