The IPU is based on a single board computer running Linux.  University of Kentucky students have written software to provide the board with image capture and signal processing capabilities.  The camera is composed of a 5 megapixel CMOS sensor and a 16mm S-Mount lens. The system is designed to be capable of star field imaging, and will be used to support research in small satellite attitude determination systems. Camera exposure control allows the IPU to image objects at varying levels of illumination, such as the Earth and its horizon. The IPU performs image acquisition, as well as several image processing and compression algorithms to maximize data return from orbit over the narrow radio down-link.