Design and verification of the electric control box of the low energy x-ray telescope onboard the Insight-HXMT

The Low Energy X-ray telescope (LE) is one of the main instruments of the Insight-Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (Insight-HXMT), the first Chinese X-ray astronomical satellite. The scientific objectives of LE focus on scanning and pointed observations of the X-ray sources in the soft X-ray band (0.7–13 keV). LE consists of three detector boxes (LEDs) and an electric control box (LEB). The LEB is composed of data handling unit, monitoring unit, and power distribution unit, with functions including data processing, communication, monitoring, power supply, and distribution. All the functions designed in the LEB were verified during the operation in orbit. To improve the efficiency of astronomical observations and reliability of LE, onboard data processing is designed in the LEB. The results of onboard data processing are immediately transmitted to the ground as important housekeeping data and are verified by comparing them with the processing results of the data transmitted to the ground. In the six years since launch, the LEB has performed well, operated smoothly, and met all expected requirements. The LEB has participated in numerous scientific observations, transmitted a large amount of scientific data, and obtained several observational results.