Just a quick update regarding the new V4 design of the AIS-gPPT3-1C pulsed plasma thruster. The new V4 board design is complete and submitted to OshPark for manufacture! This board includes some major rework from the previous version. The circuit has been greatly simplified, and both cap banks are now horizontal for stability. All input and output pins are also lined up as well. And of course it’s finally in the new OshPark After Dark!
On this version, I was able to better organize the layout, and the simplified design has freed up a lot of board space for possible add-ons down the road. Having the IO pins lined up on the same plane also helps making interfacing a bit simpler as well. Thruster performance will be adjustable based on which EMCO supply is selected, as well as the main and igniter cap bank values. This also helps free up component selection a bit, and makes it easier to adjust based on part availability. And of course a huge thanks to OshPark for continuing to sponsor these open source propulsion efforts! Your contribution has gone a long way to getting these tiny thrusters up and ready quite rapidly!