Design, and manufacture of digital sun sensor with an optimized slit over the entire field of view

One of the key subsystems in satellites is the attitude determination and the sun sensor is one of the most common sensors in this field. Today, due to the increasing development of satellites, the need to increase the accuracy of satellite subsystems seems very necessary. In this paper, the design of a sun sensor made with an optimized slit in the entire field of view are examined. In this sensor, two orthogonal linear detectors are used, on top of each of the detectors, an optimal gap perpendicular to the detectors is required at an optimal distance according to the field of view. Due to the light passing through the optimized slits and its effect on the detectors and the slit, a peak can be seen in the output of the detectors, which according to the location of the peak, the angle of the incoming light can be calculated with high accuracy. The sun sensor made in Shiraz Mechanics Research Institute has an absolute error (2 sigma) of 0.14 in the 50 degrees of field of view.