MIL AND SPACE ENCODERS

GPI Military and Space Encoder Capabilities


Why Gurley?

We have better product, delivered sooner, and at a lower cost than other firms.

  • GPI has been in business since 1845, has no debt, and has invested over $1M in infrastructure (including two clean rooms), personnel, life-time component buys, and equipment towards space-based encoder applications
  • GPI has an excellent track record in high reliability/performance encoder applications and has a separate group of personnel dedicated to our space business
  • In 2012 GPI was selected as a Small Business of the Year with Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Orlando and in 2018 was awarded with the Business Management award with Raytheon
  • GPI is a diversified business with a solid foundation in semiconductor, military, commercial, and industrial applications; as such our MIL and space overhead cost structure stands as one of the lowest in the industry

GPI MIL and Space Offerings

  • In short, we have better product, delivered sooner, and at a lower cost than other firms
  • Understand that the basic operating principles and performance (e.g. accuracy and resolution) are the same across all of GPI’s encoder segments: semiconductor, MIL, medical, photonics, space, and general manufacturing; for space, however, the component costs and engineering support in terms of analyses and reviews make up the cost difference
  • That said, there are two basic configurations to choose from for MIL and space encoders: enclosed or modular
    • Enclosed MIL and space encoders come with their own bearings and enclosure; hence, they are easier to install and are already shielded towards radiation
    • Modular MIL and space encoders require either a) the customer install the components themselves (we can show you how) or b) GPI to install the components onto a customer supplied bearing or spindle, thereby locking in performance towards flight; each head comes equipped with a high degree of shielding
  • Popular modular flight designs use a standardized read head design that allows customers to rapidly test encoders with flight pedigree at virtually any diameter, resolution, and accuracy
  • Modular space encoder applications include cubesats, constellation satellites, filter wheel encoders, and rate sensors.

Commercial encoders for use in MIL applications

The encoder series below have all been screened and used in MIL applications to temperatures as low as -55C.

GPI also produces custom encoders for MIL applications; please contact GPI sales at Encoders@gurley.com or 800-759-1844 for more details.

 

Space Encoders

GPI’s radiation hardened space encoders offer the best performance and value in the industry

  • Rotary and linear motion
  • Resolution to 2^28-bits
  • Total error less than 1 urad 3-sigma
  • Capable of high sampling rates
  • Consistent performance over temperature
  • Rapid development of engineering development units (EDUs)
  • No need for calibration/mapping on orbit
  • Stable and diversified firm in business since 1845
  • Flexible packaging options for small to large applications 
  • Low-cost, high-performance systems in volume for constellations
  • -55° to 90°C for most designs
  • By licensing GPI’s firmware you can reduce mass, volume, and cost
  • Qualified to extreme environmental conditions 

GPI offers standard and custom space encoder solutions for rotary and linear motion

There are two basic configurations to choose from for space encoders: enclosed or modular.

  • Enclosed space encoders come with their own bearings and enclosure; hence, they are easier to install and are already shielded towards radiation
  • Modular space encoders require either a) the customer install the components themselves (we can show you how) or b) GPI to install the components onto a customer supplied bearing or spindle, thereby locking in performance towards flight; each head comes equipped with a high degree of shielding
  • Modular space encoder applications include cubesats, constellation satellites, filter wheel encoders, and rate sensors
  • Popular modular flight designs use a standardized read head design (below) that allows customers to rapidly test encoders with flight pedigree at virtually any diameter, resolution, and accuracy
  • GPI verifies all assemblies and sub-assemblies on one of its many NIST traceable high-accuracy encoder test stands and GPI can provide verification software to ensure system accuracy at the customer’s facility

 Call (518) 266-7714 or e-mail m.gordinier@gurley.com for more information on GPI’s space encoders.

GPI’s MIL and Space encoder offerings have been qualified against some of the worst test conditions in the industry: vibration (X, Y, and Z axes), shock (to 35,000 Gs at 10,000Hz!), thermal cycle (GPI has two test chambers), FOD testing, thermal vacuum (testing encoders while spinning or static onsite in Troy, NY), ON/OFF duty cycle testing (e.g. our space circuitry has been successfully tested to 160,000 cycles), Total Ionizing Dose (TID), latch-up, operate through, and EMI/EMC tests per MIL-STD-461E

 

Analyses and Infrastructure

GPI has in-house experience and capabilities to quickly review and complete your design:

  • Single point failures and Critical Items List (CIL)
  • Failure Modes and Effects & Criticality Analysis
  • Reliability Analysis
  • Worst Case Circuit Analysis (even to the TOR)
  • Survivability, Radiation, and Single Event Effects
  • FPGA Test Bench and Code Module Coverage
  • Thermal & Shock/Vibe/Dynamics with assistance from customer

GPI’s MIL and space infrastructure mirrors that of our customer’s flow downs 100% thereby guaranteeing mission assurance:

  • ISO certified and all of our MIL/space documentation is to AS9100; no exceptions
  • J-STD space and NASA certified for hand soldering, conformal coating, inspections, etc.
  • Project- or design-specific build and test procedures ensure 100% compliance to customer requirements

Cost and Design Flexibility

  • GPI’s design and cost flexibility supports missions of any type or risk assessment, e.g. NASA A, B, C or D missions
  • Testing can be performed at GPI either whole or in part, e.g. component level ESS versus sub-assembly or final assembly level testing
  • Finally, GPI has proven that installing and testing encoder assemblies in Troy on customer supplied bearings or spindles is less expensive than the customer doing the same at their own facility – and with GPI proving performance on one of our many accuracy test stands
Get In Touch

Copyright © 1996-2025 Gurley Precision Instruments, Inc. All Rights Reserved