Reconfigurable Embedded Wiring Harness for 3D Electronics Packaging

Reconfigurable networks are required to support the utilization of increasingly miniaturized and sophisticated electronics for space flight systems. SpaceWorks, Inc. proposes to develop a reconfigurable wiring harness that is embedded within structural composite panels to address this need. The embedded wiring harness supports multiple payload sites, different module types, and different functional domains within a single network. The payload sites are networked together at hub locations and switched at switch nodes. By electro-mechanically connecting panels together, we can operate, network, and switch multiple payload sites from multiple panels. Through implementation of a standard communications protocol, the reconfigurable embedded wiring harness enables plug-and-play functionality. The approach is completely scaleable and supports realization of self-organizing networks, self-healing, on-orbit rewiring, and fully modular, tailored systems for responsive space.