Magnetorquer Optimization Tool

A tool for calculating the optimal trace width to maximize magnetic moment for PCB magnetorquer coils with various copper weights. This tool helps design optimal PCB-based magnetorquer coils by considering various constraints like trace width, spacing, current density, and power limitations.

Screenshots of magnetorquer_optimize_with_graphics.py

Overview

This repository contains two different versions of the magnetorquer optimization tool:

1. magnetorquer_optimization.py - Command line version with basic functionality
2. magnetorquer_optimize_with_graphics.py - GUI version with interactive graphs

Prerequisites

• Python 3.7+
• Required Python packages:

  numpy
  scipy
  matplotlib
  

Installation

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/magtorque-optimization.git
   cd magtorque-optimization
   

2. Install required packages:

   pip install numpy scipy matplotlib
   

Usage

Command Line Version

Run the basic optimization script: (I recommend using the graphical onen as this one is outdated)

python magnetorquer_optimization.py

You'll be prompted to enter:

• Voltage supplied (V)
• Max power (W)
• Inner length (mm)
• Inner width (mm)
• Outer length (mm)
• Outer width (mm)
• Copper weight (oz) (USE 2.0 OZ)
• Number of layers (USE 6.0)

GUI Version

Run the graphical interface version:

python magnetorquer_optimize_with_graphics.py

This provides an interactive interface where you can:

• Adjust parameters in real-time
• View optimization graphs
• See immediate results of parameter changes

Script Analysis

Working Scripts:

1. magnetorquer_optimization.py (Command Line Version)

   • Most reliable version
   • Provides basic functionality
   • Gives consistent results

2. magnetorquer_optimize_with_graphics.py (GUI Version)

   • Working visualization
   • Includes real-time parameter updates
   • Some unit conversion inconsistencies but functional

Known Limitations:

• All scripts assume uniform copper thickness
• Edge effects are not considered
• Thermal considerations are not included
• Magnetic field uniformity is not calculated

Parameter Guidelines

• Voltage:
• Power:
• Trace Width:
• Trace Spacing:
• Copper Weight:
• Number of Layers: Samwise - 6

Contributing

Feel free to open issues or submit pull requests. Areas that need improvement:

1. Thermal analysis
2. Edge effect calculations
3. Better handling of non-square geometries
4. Manufacturing constraint validation

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details