Abstract:The insitu test of coded solar sensors is difficult to carry out. To solve this problem, one kind of LED solar simulator with motion function is proposed. The white LED is applied to simulate the solar light signal, and the motion equipment is employed to simulate the solar light vector signal. The paper introduces the structural composition and the working principle of the solar simulator. The simulation method of solar light and solar light vectors is studied very carefully. The required number of LEDs is determined by the radiant power. The linear array space of the LEDs is determined by the Sparrow criterion. The optical parameters of the cylindrical mirror are calculated by the matrix method, and the simulation analysis is performed by using Lighttools software. According to the structure and functional requirements of the sensor, the elements of motion equipment are confirmed, including ultrasonic motor, double rocker mechanism, mounting bracket and encoder. The vector adjustment accuracy of the device is analyzed. Experimental results show that the irradiation spot is 50×10 mm for the radiation simulator with a working distance of 50 mm. The irradiance is higher than 393 W/m2 and the irradiation nonuniformity is better than ±73%. It can simulate three solar vector angles of -13°, 0°, and 38°. The simulation accuracy is better than ±0008 3°, which meets the requirements of solar sensor testing. This method provides a powerful tool to ensure the quality of aerospace products.