PLATO fast front end electronics (F-FEE): performance results of the engineering model

Alexander Koncz; Philipp Eigmüller; Harald Michaelis; Heike Rauer; David Wolter; Matthias Tschentscher; Stefan Weisse; Konstantinos Vasiliou; Daniel Tomecki; Sergio Rufini; Andrei Cacovean; Christian Althaus; Boris Jung; Uwe Mueller; Hartmut Korsitzky; Ronny Terzer; Kristian Manthey; Matthias Grott; Jan Ligus; Stubbe Hviid; Christophe Cara; Tony Lavanant; Jean Fontigniè; Dat Huynh; Francois Nico; Sami Niemi

doi:10.1117/12.2629953

27 August 2022 PLATO fast front end electronics (F-FEE): performance results of the engineering model

Alexander Koncz, Philipp Eigmüller, Harald Michaelis, Heike Rauer, David Wolter, Matthias Tschentscher, Stefan Weisse, Konstantinos Vasiliou, Daniel Tomecki, Sergio Rufini, Andrei Cacovean, Christian Althaus, Boris Jung, Uwe Mueller, Hartmut Korsitzky, Ronny Terzer, Kristian Manthey, Matthias Grott, Jan Ligus, Stubbe Hviid, Christophe Cara, Tony Lavanant, Jean Fontigniè, Dat Huynh, Francois Nico, Sami Niemi

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 12180, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2022: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave; 121801E (2022) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2629953
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2022, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Abstract

The Fast Front End Electronic (F-FEE) is a unit of the payload for the PLATO ESA mission. PLATO aims at finding and characterising a large number of extra solar planetary systems. In order to achieve its scientific objectives, PLATO relies on the analysis of continuous time series of high precision photometric measurements of stellar fluxes. The scientific payload of PLATO is based on a multi-telescope approach, involving a set of 24 ”normal” cameras working at a cadence of 25 s optimized to monitor stars fainter than magnitude 8 (photometry on saturated stars down to magnitude 4 will be possible), plus two ”fast” cameras working at a cadence of 2.5 s, and observing stars in the V range from 4 to 8. Beside providing star brightness measurements for bright stars, the ”fast” cameras also work as fine guidance sensors for the attitude control system of the Spacecraft. Each ”fast” camera is equipped with 4 CCDs with 4510 × 2255 light sensitive pixels each, working in frame transfer mode. In view of the instrument development an Engineering Model (EM) of the F-FEE has been manufactured, assembled and tested. The performance tests have been conducted using artificially generated CCD signals as well as real CCDs, proving the capability of the electronics to satisfy the demanding requirements to fine guidance but also science requirements of the PLATO mission.

Conference Presentation

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Alexander Koncz, Philipp Eigmüller, Harald Michaelis, Heike Rauer, David Wolter, Matthias Tschentscher, Stefan Weisse, Konstantinos Vasiliou, Daniel Tomecki, Sergio Rufini, Andrei Cacovean, Christian Althaus, Boris Jung, Uwe Mueller, Hartmut Korsitzky, Ronny Terzer, Kristian Manthey, Matthias Grott, Jan Ligus, Stubbe Hviid, Christophe Cara, Tony Lavanant, Jean Fontigniè, Dat Huynh, Francois Nico, and Sami Niemi "PLATO fast front end electronics (F-FEE): performance results of the engineering model", Proc. SPIE 12180, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2022: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave, 121801E (27 August 2022); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2629953

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