RF Field and ESD Immunity Test on Cable Assembly Type AL SpaceWire Link

Many past, current, and future ESA’s, NASA’s and JAXA’s science missions are using extensively SpaceWire (SpW) links, implementing LVDS for the physical layer, in order to transmit science data. Electrostatic discharge (ESD) events in wires and cables used on spacecraft, can damage electronics or affect data integrity and ultimately compromise the mission objectives. Consequently, it is imperative to determine the levels of susceptibility to electromagnetic effects of electrostatic discharges. In this work, indicative RF field and ESD immunity tests are performed on a cable assembly type AL SpaceWire link based on common EMC standards in order to evaluate SpW link performance under harsh conditions.