1. April 1, 2002NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Characterization of a Twelve Channel Optical Fiber, Ribbon Cable and MTP Array Connector Assembly for Space Flight Environments Melanie N. Ott, Shawn Macmurphy, Patricia Friedberg Sigma Research and Engineering/ Goddard Space Flight Center 301-286-0127 SPIE Conference on Enabling Photonic Technologies for Aerospace and Applications IV

2. April 1, 2002NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Outline Assembly enhancements Characterization plan Vibration Testing Results Thermal Testing Results Radiation Parameters Results of radiation testing Conclusions

3. April 1, 2002NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Cable Assembly Enhancements W.L. Gore Kynar Ribbon Cable, OFS Fitel Commercial Optical Fiber, MTP connectors and terminations by US Conec. 100/140/250 commercial optical fiber instead of 62.5/125/250. 140 micron ferrule holes. Non outgassing boots for connector and ferrule. Mated pair 5.24 m long with cable assembly tested.

4. April 1, 2002NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Characterization Plan All testing conducted: recorded before and after optical performance data as well as insitu optical data. Vibration Induced Effects –Verified survival and operational ability during launch using typical launch parameters ~ 14.1 grms total for protoflight small box components. –3 minutes per axis, 20 grms total. Thermal Induced Effects –-20°C to +85 °C, 18 cycles and 38 cycles, 25 minute soak, 1 °C/min rate Radiation Effects –Space flight environments from GSFC are less than 1 rad/min and more typically less than.1. Two dose rates used to possibly provide a model for extrapolation to lower dose rates.

5. April 1, 2002NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Cable Channels Optically Monitored During Testing TestCable DesignationChannel Optically Monitored Vibration DUTA1,3,5,6,8,10,12 DUTB1,3,5,6,8,10,12 DUTC1,3,5,6,8,10,12 Thermal DUTA1, 5, 8, 12 DUTB1, 5, 12 DUTC1,3,5,6,8,10,12 Radiation DUTA12 DUTB12

6. April 1, 2002NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Vibration Testing 3 minutes/axis, 20 grms total, Optical data @ 25 µsec, and 5 sec sampling rate X YZ

7. April 1, 2002NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Vibration Test Results: 25 µsec sampling DUT Test SetVibration Test AxisLoss events AX < 1.2 dB AY< 0.1 dB AZ BX BY BZ CX CY CZ< 0.2 dB Vibration induced events (dynamic losses) for channel six of each cable assembly, mated pair for each axis

8. April 1, 2002NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Vibration Test Results: 5 sec sampling DUT Test SetVibration Test AxisLoss Recorded AX<.08 dB AY<.10 dB AZ<.11 dB BX<.13 dB BY<.35 dB BZ<.03 dB CX<.15 dB CY<.40 dB CZ<.28 dB Summary of MTP vibration data (static losses) on channels 1,3,5,8,10, & 12.

9. April 1, 2002NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Vibration Test Results: DUT B, Y Axis

10. April 1, 2002NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Thermal Testing Results DUT Cable Channel Max  within a cycle Max  entire test duration A11.6 dB1.8 dB A50.8 dB1.3 dB A80.1 dB1.4 dB A121.2 dB1.4 dB B10.9 dB1.2 dB B5 1.9 dB B120.8 dB1.1 dB C11.4 dB1.6 dB C31.3 dB C51.0 dB1.2 dB C60.9 dB1.6 dB C80.7 dB1.0 dB C101.3 dB1.4 dB C121.5 dB1.6 dB Thermal cycling: -20°C - +85°C, 1 °C/min ramp rate 25 minute dwells. DUT A & B: 38 cycles DUT C: 18 cycles

11. April 1, 2002NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Thermal Testing Results

12. April 1, 2002NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Radiation Test Parameters Cable Set DUT Radiation Dose Rate Total DoseLength mated pair A4 rads/min~ 62 Krads5.24 m B27 rads/min~ 403 Krads5.24 m

13. April 1, 2002NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Radiation Results

14. April 1, 2002NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Radiation Results

15. April 1, 2002NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Radiation Results A(D) = 7.47*10 -4 .1993 D.8007

16. April 1, 2002NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Radiation Results Cable SetDose RateTotal DoseAttenuation DUT A4 rads/min62 Krads6.18 dB DUT B27 rads/min403 Krads15.18 dB Extrapolated0.1 rads/min100 Krads4.75 dB Extrapolated0.1 rads/min10 Krads0.75 dB

17. April 1, 2002NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Conclusions Vibration Summary Dynamic test: 3 axis test, 3 min/axis, channel six of each DUT, 9 dynamic tests total. Losses < 0.1 dB, DUT A on X axis test highest loss @ 1.2 dB Static test: <.4 dB Thermal Summary 38 cycles: DUT A ave loss: 1.48 dB, DUT B ave loss 1.4 dB 18 cycles: DUT C ave loss: 1.38 dB Radiation Summary DUT A: 4 rads/min, 6.18 dB/ 5.24 m mated pair DUT B: 27 rads/min, 15.18 dB/ 5.24 m mated pair Extrapolated to 0.1 rads/min,.75 dB for 10 Krads, 4.75 dB for 100 Krads. Final Visual Inspection: No damaged end-faces including all cables tested. Before After

18. April 1, 2002NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Acknowledgements Special thanks to NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging Program & Ken LaBel of the Radiation Effects Group for support of this work. Thanks to: Matthew Dodson, Sigma Steve Brown, GSFC Claude Smith, QSS & Harry Shaw, GSFC For more information see the website: http://misspiggy.gsfc.nasa.gov/tva/authored/fo_photonics.htm