Altium > Case Studies > Altium Designer Enhances Satellite Design Productivity at Penn State University

Altium Designer Enhances Satellite Design Productivity at Penn State University

Technology Category

Networks & Connectivity - Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)
Sensors - GPS

Applicable Industries

Education
Equipment & Machinery

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development
Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Time Sensitive Networking
Virtual Prototyping & Product Testing

Services

System Integration
Testing & Certification

About The Customer

The Student Space Programs Laboratory (SSPL) at Pennsylvania State University is a unique educational environment where undergraduate and graduate students get the opportunity to design, fabricate, and integrate space systems. The hands-on projects apply classroom knowledge to real-world, interdisciplinary projects, giving students the experience of working through a complete design cycle. The SSPL projects are guided by a small team of graduate students and involve the contributions of nearly 70 undergraduates. The lab has been involved in several significant projects, including the OSIRIS-3U CubeSat mission, which aims to aid in the study of space weather.

The Challenge

The Student Space Programs Laboratory (SSPL) at Pennsylvania State University provides undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to design, fabricate, and integrate real, working space systems. However, the design tool suite they were using, OrCAD, was proving to be a challenge. The system was slow and difficult to use, particularly for incoming undergraduates who were new to the field. The long learning curve and non-intuitive workflow resulted in frequent errors that had to be caught and corrected by more senior engineers. This was particularly problematic for the OSIRIS-3U CubeSat mission, a complex project that required system-level, electrical, and mechanical design efforts to create a compact satellite for studying space weather. The project was guided by three grad students and nearly 70 undergraduates, and the usability challenges of the design software were a significant obstacle to its completion.

The Solution

The SSPL switched to using Altium Designer, a design tool suite that proved to be much more user-friendly and efficient. The online tutorials and wiki pages provided by Altium made the transition easy, and the quality and speed of project completion improved significantly. New students were able to self-train quickly, often designing schematics within a few hours of first sitting down at the workstation. The common parts library was another major advantage, reducing mistakes and increasing productivity. The lab was able to import parts directly from suppliers, and grad students could customize this capability to meet the specific system requirements of their projects. Altium Designer’s Footprint Wizard was critical for ensuring the physical package footprints were correct, resulting in a noticeable drop in board layout errors. AltiumLive also made it easier to support many students with a dozen seats of Altium Designer in SSPL, automatically pulling preferences from the cloud and configuring the workstation to the user.

Operational Impact

The switch to Altium Designer has had a significant impact on the operations of the SSPL. The design tool suite is much easier to use, which has not only reduced frustration among new engineers but also removed a major obstacle to completing assignments within academic semesters. The tool supports the entire design cycle, enabling students and instructors to achieve a complete, working system. The ease of use and comprehensive nature of Altium Designer has allowed students to focus on acquiring the techniques and skills they need for their careers. The tool has also made it easier to support many students with a dozen seats of Altium Designer in SSPL, with AltiumLive automatically pulling preferences from the cloud and configuring the workstation to the user.

Quantitative Benefit

New students were able to self-train and start designing schematics within a few hours of first sitting down at the workstation.
The use of Altium Designer resulted in a noticeable drop in board layout errors.
The transition to Altium Designer led to projects completing considerably faster.