Low Cost, Low Noise, High Voltage Pulser-Driver for Spaceborne Electro-Optics for Earth and Planetart Remote Sensing

The demand for HV square-wave pulse generation with sub-25 ns rise times, stable and clean flat top levels, with repetiton rates between 10 and 10,000 Hz is rapidly increasing, but there has been no real advancement technology. Typical applications are in space-based remote sensing for earth and planetary missions. This CIF proposes to develop a small footprint (CubeSat size) Q-switch/HV driver board that delivers the quality and reliability of commercial units, but with radiation hardened (equivalent) components, optimized in design for high adaptability to a wide array of laser-based applications. This challenging effort will include design optimization in consideration of the various trade-offs involved, selection of the best parts, radiation testing, detailed parts layout, fabrication of the prototype board, Corona testing, and full performance testing.

The difference between commercial and recent flight quality, High Voltage (HV) square-wave pulse generators in technology, reliability, footprint, and cost is quite significant. For example, those developed for the Global Environment Dynamics Investigation mission (GEDI) are >4x the footprint and approximately 500x the cost of the leading commercial OEM unit, which has been used for decades in NASA's laser labs. Producing precision high voltage pulse generators has always been expensive due to many factors such as: our strict requirements for low noise, fast rise and fall times (<20 ns), multi-billion pulse life-times, and the lack of high voltage EEE part availability. An improved design is needed, which meets NASA-quality reliability and performance metrics but is also less compex, smaller, and significntly less expensive. This Q-switch driver is suitable for SmallSats with performance needs for fast response and high-precision high-voltage modulation, adjustable pulse width, and single or dual output polarity. Future and on-going helio, wind, Earth, or planetary lidars, as well as terrain-based instruments for planetary landers (Europa Lander) and rovers with laser-based mass spectroscopy, will benefit from having a TRL6 Q-switch driver in NASA’s highly specialized electronics arsenal.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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