Selecting A Low-Voltage Multiplexer For Signal Processing Satellite Telemetry

By Kiran Bernard and Joshua Broline

Military communications can be a matter of life and death, making proper component choices for military satellites crucial.

Per the Union of Concerned Scientists, 1,381 satellites orbited Earth as of January 2016. Of those, 568 belonged to the United States or United States-based companies and contractors. Of those, 149 are identified as military satellites, and each one has been launched with a purpose, be it reconnaissance and surveillance, signals intelligence, meteorology, navigation, or communications.

Communication satellites feature a plethora of sensors that read out various telemetry test points and statuses for mission-critical systems. Because digital microprocessors have a limited number of input/output (I/O) pins, they interface with these sensors using multichannel analog multiplexers, which then continuously process and output the hundreds of telemetry signals into an analog-to-digital converter’s (ADC) input. Satellite telemetry systems rely on these key components to achieve mission assurance for long-duration space flights. Analog multiplexers are a staple for this critical signal processing application.