DC-Motor Drive Encompassing SiGe Asynchronous Control Electronics for Ultra-Wide (-230 °C to +130 °C) Environments

In Phase I, the research team formed by APEI, Inc. and University of Arkansas proved the feasibility of developing ultra-wide temperature (-230 oC to +130 oC) motor drives utilizing silicon-germanium (SiGe) asynchronous logic digital control electronics by the successful design, simulation and layout of an insensitive-delay asynchronous microcontroller. The microcontroller incorporates asynchronous-to-synchronous and synchronous-to-asynchronous interfaces (wrappers) using an IBM SiGe 5AM process. The complete asynchronous microcontroller was successfully simulated using temperature calibrated models to -230 ºC. Electronic components needed in the development of the DC-motor power stage were first characterized down to -184 ºC and then a complete 20W DC-motor drive power stage was successfully demonstrated while operating at cryogenic temperatures and driving a Maxon RE 25 permanent magnet DC-motor at full power (This motor is currently used on the Mars Spirit and Opportunity rovers). Ultra-wide temperature power electronics system will have a profound impact on deep space exploration craft enabling greater mobility and mission lifetime. The use of ultra-wide temperature power electronics will allow increased payload capacity of Lunar and Mars exploratory craft, while improving reliability through reduced system level complexity. The goal of this Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project is to deliver, to NASA JPL, a complete DC-motor drive that is fully functional over the entire temperature range required for lunar and Martian extreme environment exploratory robotic missions (-230 ºC to +130 ºC). This cryogenic DC-motor drive will encompass a SiGe-based 8051-compatible delay-insensitive asynchronous microcontroller with significantly enhanced capabilities for the advanced control of the DC-motor drive.