Embedded algorithms for the SS-411 digital sun sensor

This paper discusses the evolution of the SS-411 series digital sun sensor. The earlier SS-256 and SS-330 models have proven themselves in orbit on low-cost satellite missions. The SS-411 represents a further hardware revision with enhanced robustness and improved attitude estimation performance. To complement the latest hardware improvements, researchers in the Space Avionics and Instrumentation Laboratory (SAIL) at Ryerson University in Toronto have developed advanced signal processing routines compatible with the SS-411. These routines significantly improve the accuracy of the sensor's estimation without increasing manufacturing complexity. With this advanced processing, the sensor maintains a 2-σ accuracy of 0.11° over the entire field-of-view.