This repository manages the release of the software packages related with the SimuCam project, focusing on its N-FEE version, whose directly user is the LESIA (Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique). This projet is a part of PLATO mission, and it is being developed by the NSEE (Núcleo de Sistemas Eletrônicos Embarcados) team, a laboratory that is part of IMT (Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia) at São Caetano do Sul, São Paulo, Brazil, in a partnership with USP-IAG (Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas) , funded by FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo ).
The SimuCam is an electronic system with 8 independent SpaceWires links, emulating the behavior of PLATO’s cameras (N-FEE and F-FEE), and controlled by Ethernet. SimuCam will be used by five different teams in the PLATO consortium, each one in a different situation, ranging from software development to system integration. From the user point of view, SimuCam is able to emulate 6 normal cameras and 4 fast cameras and a spacewire data generator.
SimuCam has 3 different versions, depending on its final use:
| # | Version ID | Final User Lab | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SimuCam/N-FEE | Lesia (Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique), IAA (Instituto Astrofísica Andalucía) | France, Spain |
| 2 | SimuCam/F-FEE | DLR (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt) | Germany |
| 3 | SimuCam/Data Transmission | [IWF (Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften)(https://www.iwf.oeaw.ac.at/home/)], INAF (Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica) | Austria, Italy |
PLATO (PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars) is the third medium-class mission in ESA's Cosmic Vision programme. Its objective is to find and study a large number of extrasolar planetary systems, with emphasis on the properties of terrestrial planets in the habitable zone around solar-like stars. PLATO has also been designed to investigate seismic activity in stars, enabling the precise characterisation of the planet host star, including its age.
More informmation about PLATO mission could be found in the Mission official website.
IMT (Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia) is a private, non-profit organization. Its main objective is to promote technical-scientific education, technological research and development aiming to provide highly qualified human resources to contribute to the socioeconomic development of Brazil. IMT was founded on December 11, 1961 its headquarters is located at Rua Pedro de Toledo, 1071 in São Paulo city. The institute maintains two units: the Centro Universitário and the Technical Services and Tests Center and two campi: one in São Paulo city and the other in São Caetano do Sul. The headquarter of the two units is located at IMT campus in São Caetano do Sul at Praça Maua, 1 with a constricted area of 130,000 m2, 12km from São Paulo city center. In this campus the Centro Universitário offers undergraduate courses in Engineering, Design, Administrations and Higher Education Certificate.
More informmation about IMT could be found in the Institute official website.
NSEE (Nucleo de Sistemas Eletrônicos Embarcados), created on the initiative of the Mauá de Tecnologia Institute (IMT) based on participation in the initial version of INCT INEspaço, has developed research in the area of critical systems with direct application in the aerospace area. Its performance is related to the study of electronic systems that allow solving problems by meeting severe restrictions on communication speed, mass, consumption and real-time processing. Another area of expertise involves the development of multivariable control and signal processing systems, their algorithms and embedded implementations.