The new ams sensor helps satellites explore the Earth's magnetosphere

     The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has launched a mission to explore the Earth and the Sun, the Magnetosphere Multi-Scale Mission. As part of the project, NASA sent four equally equipped satellites into Earth orbit to make unprecedented, high-precision three-dimensional measurements of the Earth's magnetosphere. The primary goal of the mission is to explore the dynamics of the magnetosphere by making precise measurements of the subtle variations in the Earth's magnetic field.

     The Space Research Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (Graz, Austria) took the lead in undertaking the research, focusing on magnetic reconnection. Magnetic reconnection is a physical process in which the earth's magnetic energy is transformed into kinetic energy, heat energy and particle acceleration. It is one of the causes of aurora and one of the factors of transient magnetic disturbance of the Earth.

     Like other satellite measuring instruments and equipment, the Space Institute's magnetometer must be as small and light as possible and use as little energy as possible. In addition, it must provide high-precision measurements under extremely harsh conditions such as low temperatures and radiation.

     To complement the work of the Space Institute, the Fraunhofer Institute of Integrated Circuits customized an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) to enable the satellite's digital flux-gate magnetometer-DFG to obtain accurate three-dimensional measurements of the magnetosphere with low current consumption. The digital fluxgate magnetometer sensor was provided by the University of California, Los Angeles, USA. With a sensitivity of up to 10 picoTesla, which far exceeds that of a traditional electronic compass, the device can detect any subtle change in magnetic flux.

     The ASIC uses ams' unique 0.35µm CMOS(C35) manufacturing process, which enables the design of complex analog/mixed-signal integrated circuits. The C35 technology is based on a unique process architecture, and its radiation resistance is particularly suitable for space and aerospace applications. Fraunhofer and the Space Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences also benefit from a complete solution designed by ams IC, including a complete process development kit and IP product library, advanced process technology, excellent product certification services and supply chain management capabilities. All of this helps ams's foundry customers significantly reduce development risk and shorten development cycles.

     Johann Hauer, development project manager at Fraunhofer IIS ASIC, said: "ams's unique 0.35µm CMOS process enabled our researchers and scientists to develop complex analog/mixed-signal integrated circuits that far exceeded our expectations in terms of performance, power consumption, wafer area and reliability." "After two months of stable operation in space, we are convinced that the magnetometer developed based on this chip far exceeds our requirements for accuracy and stability," said Werner Magnes, vice president of the Space Institute.

     Markus Wuchse, General Manager of ams Foundry Division, said: "In nearly 25 years of cooperation, ams and Fraunhofer IIS have successfully developed a large number of complex integrated circuits for various research institutions as well as industrial projects. "We are excited that the integrated circuits produced by ams will operate robustly in space and help us better understand Earth's physical systems."