Keysight Technologies announced the new MP4300A Series Modular Solar Array Simulator (SAS) to emulate the behavior of photovoltaic (PV) segments. The SAS solution simulates all conditions a craft or satellite will encounter in space with high fidelity.
Launching solar-powered spacecraft or satellites is incredibly expensive, with little possibility of recovery or repair. These vehicles must have efficient and reliable power management systems, which often cannot be tested by using actual solar panels to provide power. Engineers must have a test solution that can verify a spacecraft's power management system through high fidelity PV emulation.
Keysight's new MP4300A SAS addresses this challenge with a 6-kW modular power supply, supporting fast current-voltage (I-V) curve changes with a quick recovery time that mimics rapidly changing conditions in space (more info).