Power bus digital communication system

• US 5,644,286 A
• Filed: 10/04/1993
• Issued: 07/01/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Incorporated (BAE Systems Plc)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Dennis, Charles A., Brosh, Richard M., Willis, Scott C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl C.
• Application Number:
  US08/131,346
• Time in Patent Office: 1,366 Days
• Field of Search: 340/310.01, 340/310.02, 340/310.03, 340/310.06, 340/310.07, 340/538, 340/558
• US Class Current: 375/258
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/02 Details ; arrangements for supplying electrical power along data transmission lines systems for transmitting signals via power distribution lines H04B3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0266 Arrangements for providing Galvanic isolation, e.g. by means of magnetic or capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/4904 using self-synchronising codes, e.g. split-phase codes

Abstract

A power bus digital communication system reduces power and signal cabling in a space satellite by transformer coupling digital signal sources to power bus circuits, the transformer coupling devices in all power bus circuits being in parallel relation and electrically isolated from a power supply whereby the digital communication sources may communicate among themselves at a DC power level using a square wave modulated according to a Manchester code.

Claims

1. A power bus digital communication system for a space satellite system comprising:

a) a plurality of power conducting circuits 10, 12, each circuit connected in parallel between a DC power supply Vps and a load Vl1, Vl2;

b) a plurality of digital transceiver sources Vlogic1, Vlogic2 for transmitting and receiving digital signals;

c) a plurality of digital signaling coupling devices T10, T12, each digital signaling coupling device including a broad band transformer and an impedance element C10, C12 for coupling a digital transceiver source to an associated load Vl1, Vl2, each said broad band transformer connected in series between one terminal of said power supply Vps and its associated load Vl1, Vl2 with said impedance element C10, C12 providing a low impedance path across each said associated load Vl1, Vl2, each said digital coupling device T10, T12 including additional inductance to isolate digital signals on the power conducting circuits 10, 22 from the associated load Vl1, Vl2 while supplying digital signals to the digital transceiver sources and DC power to each associated load Vl1, Vl2;

d) the digital signaling coupling devices in the respective power conducting circuits being in electrically parallel relation to said DC power supply; and

e) a power supply impedance element LPS for isolating the DC power supply from the coupled digital transceiver signal sources;

whereby digital communications are completed among the digital transceivers sources by using the power conducting circuits as a carrier for the digital signals while supplying DC power to each load thereby saving weight and size in the space satellite system.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the digital transceiver sources modulate the digital signals using a square wave.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the square wave is modulated in accordance with a Manchester code and encoded with an address to identify a digital transceiver source to which the digital signals are directed.

4. A power bus digital communication system for a space satellite system comprising:

a) a plurality of power conducting circuits 10, 12, each circuit connected in parallel between a DC power supply Vps and a load Vl1, Vl2;

b) a plurality of digital transceiver sources Vlogic1, Vlogic2 for transmitting and receiving digital signals;

c) a plurality of digital signaling coupling devices T10, T12, each digital signaling coupling device including a broad band transformer and an impedance element C10, C12 for coupling a digital transceiver source to an associated load Vl1, Vl2, each said broad band transformer connected in series between one terminal of said power supply Vps and its associated load Vl1, Vl2 with said impedance element C10, C12 providing a low impedance path across each said associated load Vl1, Vl2, each said digital coupling device T10, T12 supplying digital signals to the digital transceiver sources and DC power to each associated load Vl1, Vl2;

d) the digital signaling coupling devices in the respective power conducting circuits being in electrically parallel relation to said DC power supply; and

e) a power supply impedance element LPS for isolating the DC power supply from the coupled digital transceiver signal sources;

whereby digital communications are completed among the digital transceivers sources by using the power conducting circuits as a carrier for the digital signals while supplying DC power to each load thereby saving weight and size in the space satellite system.