Posts: 45
From: Harrisburg, PA
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 01-24-2013 09:21 AM               

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I have a telemetry transmitter developed for the Saturn I Instrument Unit, and with Scott Schneeweis' help, have positively confirmed its association with the SA-6 mission. My question here relates to the designation on the attached MSFC tag.

Among the other identification numbers on the label, it includes S-IU6-BP. I am wondering what the BP stands for. Could be "Boilerplate" (but I don't think this clearly fits into the context); could be "Back Up" (possibly); or could be ?? Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

Posts: 782
From:
Registered: Mar 2009

posted 01-24-2013 11:17 AM               

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Given that the NASA page reference on SA-6 makes use of the term several times, I like your 'boilerplate' theory over the 'backup'.

What makes it seem unfitting to context?

Posts: 45
From: Harrisburg, PA
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 01-24-2013 02:27 PM               

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Thanks Dave, appreciate your reply.

I guess I struggle to see how the text on the IU transmitter would reference "Boilerplate," when there was nothing boilerplate about the SA-6 Instrument Unit. Beginning with SA-5, the guidance and related instruments were carried in a real, functional instrument unit, located above the S-IV stage (though the form of the unit differed between SA-5 thru SA-7 and that used on SA-8 thru SA-10).

The only thing boilerplate was the CSM, and not sure why the IU telemetry transmitter would bear this (boilerplate) designation in reference to the CSM; possible, however, I suppose.

Was hoping (though having trouble establishing) that the BP stood for "Backup." That would be neater.

Posts: 4437
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999

Posts: 782
From:
Registered: Mar 2009

posted 01-24-2013 07:39 PM               

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quote:

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Originally posted by Tim Collins:
I struggle to see how the text on the IU transmitter would reference "Boilerplate," when there was nothing boilerplate about the SA-6 Instrument Unit

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Fair point, Tim.

My only other (stab-in-the-dark) thought was BP designating "bandpass". A bandpass is a filter typical of almost any radio to control modulation and/or transmitted signals.

Is your hardware the whole transmitter or perhaps strictly the output signal conditioner (bandpass filter)? Pictures here or offline, particularly of any circuitry, might help me look into this theory if you wish.

Posts: 4437
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999

Posts: 45
From: Harrisburg, PA
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 01-26-2013 12:32 PM               

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Dave - The assembly consists of the power supply (DC to DC inverter), signal conditioner, transmitter and RF power amp. Thanks for your comments.

Scott - Thanks for the figure (4.2-1.); very helpful. Based on this I dug into the info in the A-101 Post Launch Report and the Pre Launch document on the BP-13 spacecraft and got lots of great additional info. I now do suspect that the BP appended to the tag number (S-IU-6BP) does refer to BoilerPlate - the launch of and data from BP-13 seemed to be a major aspect of the SA-6 launch. Still digging - thanks so much for this great lead.

Posts: 782
From:
Registered: Mar 2009

posted 01-26-2013 03:16 PM               

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While I noted a band pass filter in Scott's diagram it wasn't in the highlighted section, and from your description there's a lot more going on circuit-wise. The telemetry transmitter signal path may still have its own band pass filter but clearly you have a higher-order piece of hardware.

The title of the diagram and everything else points back to the boilerplate reference so I think your hunch is correct.

Occam's Razor and all that....