Description: The evolving objectives, destinations, and requirements for future NASA missions, result in a broad array of system power requirements that must operate through extreme environmental conditions. With applications ranging from solar electric propulsion to landers and tethered probes, a power controller architecture that is both flexible and capable of performing in extreme environmental conditions is necessary. NASA Glen Research Center (GRC) along with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in collaboration with Apogee Semiconductor (AS) through a parallel Phase 2 SBIR and Tipping Point Contracts, has been working to develop a state of the art (SOA) digitally controlled switch mode power supply (SMPS) controller prototype, whose project code name is Jensen-PS. With the inputs and guidance provided by NASA and JPL’s skilled team of power systems engineers, AS has developed a flexible radiation hardened (rad-hard) digital SMPS controller that can meet the requirements for the range of future NASA power architectures and can withstand the extreme environments that are anticipated in these future missions. This CCRPP work will achieve the following objectives: Porting of the proposed rad-hard PWM controller design into a commercially viable foundry Implementation of design changes to optimize the functionality of the PWM controller for NASA and non-NASA applications Development of production and qualification test infrastructure to MIL-PRF-38535 specifications Flight qualification of the rad-hard PWM controller Development of commercialization infrastructure such as applications boards, SPICE and other electrical models, and documentation The proposed deliverable of this CCRPP program is a TRL 8 flexible radiation-hardened PWM controller qualified to MIL-PRF-38535 specifications. Apogee Semiconductor will also demonstrate full rate production of the proposed innovation.

Benefits: The work proposed is well aligned with NASA’s Advanced Modular Power Systems (AMPS) project and fits with NASA’s push to modularize avionics platforms. The proposed PWM controller will also improve the conversion efficiency of various future NASA programs like the ones below: Power grid and high-power vehicle concepts like the ones below: Artemis power grid, VSAT, ISRU applications, Endurance A, Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS), Uranus orbiter and probe, Enceladus Orbilander

The proposed PWM controller will mainly be utilized by satellite electronics engineers developing power systems for various subsystems. High power and voltage applications, as well as payload power can benefit from this technology. In addition, high reliability module vendors plan to utilize this PWM to improve the electrical and radiation performance of their modules.