ESA Open Invitation To Tender AO8290
Open Date: 04/06/2015
Closing Date: 01/09/2015

Status: ISSUED
Reference Nr.: 15.1EE.24
Prog. Ref.: TRP
Budget Ref.: E/0901-01 – TRP
Special Prov.: BE+DK+FR+DE+IT+NL+ES+SE+CH+GB+IE+AT+NO+FI+PT+GR+LU+CZ+RO+PL
Tender Type: C
Price Range: 200-500 KEURO
Establishment: ESTEC
Directorate: Directorate of Technical & Quality Manag
Department: Electrical Engineering Department
Division: Electromagnetics and Space Environment D
Contract Officer: Karl, Heinz-Uwe
Last Update Date: 04/06/2015
Update Reason: Tender issue

For electrical harness the effective shielding efficiency is driven by the total assembly of cable, shield, connector plug, back-shell and connector socket at unit side. Only good electrical 360° contact over the complete assembly ensures electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). Therefore connector bodies at the harness side with sockets at the unit side have to achieve a continuous 360° contact. In practice this is typically ensured by design for circular connectors. However connectors with rather rectangular shape, including the popular family of D type connectors (D-Sub, micro-D), tend to have a guaranteed good electrical contact only via the fixation screws. Differences in tolerances between matching connector plugs and sockets, especially in case of rigid connector such as mirco-D, lead to a limited number of contact points of the connector plug body and back-shell with the connector socket at the unit side. This allows leakage of electromagnetic interference (EMI). Consequently, in the verification at unit and also after integration at system level, excessive EMI has been observed with rectangular connectors. Moreover EMI susceptibility and emissions varying with mating cycles have been experienced regularly in recent studies and qualification campaigns with the rigid micro-D connectors for SpaceWire links. At present such EMI problems need to be mitigated by implementing additional shielding measures during system level AIV. Solutions for similar problems exist for commercial and industrial ground applications, but suitability and ability to qualify needs to be studied. The aim of this activity is the improvement of EMI shielding performance of the connector assembly from a system-perspective. Activity: 1) Study available solutions for commercial and industrial ground applications and perform trade-off analysis with respect to space requirements. 2) Identify possible improvements for reproducible good electrical 360° contact of harness connectors for space applications. 3) Implement identified improvements in a breadboard design.

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