Development of a differential cable drive mechanism for acquiring tracking and pointing application

Abstract

A brief overview of previously built acquiring tracking and pointing devices reveals a trend toward smaller, more agile systems. A differential cable drive mechanism is developed to realize large look angle, high precise and compact structures. The mechanical design, including structure configuration, transmission system, and feathers, is introduced. The kinetic principle is studied and the differential relation between the motors orientations and gimbals pointing positions is investigated. Dynamics of the differential cable drive mechanism is studied based on the Lagrange equations, and the dynamics coupling and kinetic coupling is analyzed. The differential cable drive mechanism is machined and assembled. Experimental setup is built, and the frequency response in different operating conditions is investigated and the transmission performance is tested. Studies and analysis in this paper could provide a basis for further decoupled control of the differential cable drive mechanism.

Keywords

Acquiring tracking and pointing differential cable drive dynamics coupling

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