Design and development of MIL-STD-1553 based engineering model.

1. “Master Course in Space Transportation Systems”
Candidate: Ing. Raul Cafini
Supervisor: Prof. Ing. Marcello Onofri
Vitrociset S.p.A. Tutor: Ing. Giulio Troso
Ing. Ciaccini Massimo

2.  Introduction
 EGSE/SCOE Engineering Overview
 Goals & Requirements
 Hardware & Software Choices
 Software Architecture
◦ SCOE Core
◦ MIL-STD-1553 Framework
 Demo
 Conclusions & Future Works
Ing. Raul Cafini - Master STS @
Vitrociset S.p.A. 2

3.  The six-months post-lectures stage activity was
conducted c/o Vitrociset S.p.A. (VCS) :
◦ Via Tiburtina 1020, Rome – Italy;
◦ Tutor (Thanks to): Ing. Giulio Troso, Ing. Massimo Ciaccini;
 Objective: design and development an Engineering
Model (EM) for Electrical Ground Support Equipment
(EGSE/SCOE) in support of European Space Agency
environments.
◦ The approach has to be compliant to ECSS and other
standards;
◦ The activity has to be carried out on a both theoretical and
practical way;
Ing. Raul Cafini - Master STS @
Vitrociset S.p.A. 3

4.  A spacecraft and its payload must
be able to withstand the extreme
stress of launch phase and space
environment.
 To help during the assembly, integration, testing and validation
campaigns manufactors build different Ground Support
Equipment:
o Mechanical-GSE (MGSE), Electrical-GSE (EGSE), …
 Electrical Ground Support Equipment (EGSE):
o Telecommand (TC) sending / Telemetry (TM) acquisition;
o Data processing, archiving and retrieval;
o Human ⇆ Machine Interaction (HMI);
o …
Ing. Raul Cafini - Master STS @
Vitrociset S.p.A. 4

5. Satellite
(UUT)
 Testing is very extensive, calls for automated test equipment
that helps to shorten test durations ⇒ SCOE
 SCOEs are usually provided for each subsystem of a satellite:
◦ Remote control from a Central Check-Out System (CCS)
◦ Standalone mode via a local user interface (HMI).
 The purpose is to test device units (Units Under Test) to
check-out all systems before and after the integration and
until launch;
◦ Data-Bus management (MIL-STD-1553, SpaceWire, … )
◦ Radio Frequency (RF) and Telemetry and Telecommand (TTC)
transmitting and receiving equipment;
SCOE
◦ Power Supply & Monitoring;
◦ …
EGSE
Ing. Raul Cafini - Master STS @
Vitrociset S.p.A. 5

6. On Board
Computer
BC
Primary Bus (A)
Military specification for Digital Time
Secondary Bus (B)

Division Data Bus & Protocol definition: RT … RT BM
◦ Command/Response, Multiplexed;
Radar,
◦ Dual-redundant (Bus A/B), Bidirectional; GNC
Sensors
HK
◦ 1Mbps serial, high bit error reliability (1/106);
 Developed due the growing complexity of integrated
avionics systems:
◦ First utilization (1978) in the F-16 Falcon and AH-64A Apache;
 Three different type of bus element:
◦ Bus Controller (BC): master device, decide which RT can
communicate on the bus;
◦ Remote Terminal (RT): slave devices such as sensors,
instruments, …
◦ Bus Monitor (BM): slave device, receiving bus traffic and extracting selected
information (i.e. HouseKeeping data);
 Used as communication standard on many programs:
◦ Submarines, Tanks [...] Satellites/and Space Systems including
VEGA Launcher, Sentinel-3, and International Space Station (ISS)
Ing. Raul Cafini - Master STS @
Vitrociset S.p.A. 6

7.  Vettore Europeo di Generazione Avanzata
 Italy leading project (> 60%)
 Single-body launcher with three solid rocket
stages (P80 + Z23 + Z9) and one liquid
upper stage (AVUM)
 Designed to launch small payloads:
o Reference mission 1,500 kg @ 700 km
in polar orbit.
 First launch, from CSG@Kourou early 2012.
 MIL-STD-1553 is used as avionic bus for
allow communication between stages and
the On Board Computer (OBC)
o VCS works on Vega Control Bench;
Ing. Raul Cafini - Master STS @
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8.  Future ESA space mission, third satellite in
the GMES program;
 Medium-resolution optical/radar
altimetry earth/sea observation;
 Launch date around 2013;
 Mission characteristics:
o Launch mass: ~1250 kg
o Launcher: Vega / Soyuz from Kourou
o Orbit: Sun-synchronous @ 800 km
 Applications
o Sea and land colour data, surface
temperature and topography data
 MIL-STD-1553 used as main data/control bus
between satellite instruments and payloads;
o VCS works on satellite SCOEs;
Ing. Raul Cafini - Master STS @
Vitrociset S.p.A. 8

9. Define and Develop a Software Architecture:
 Modeled into layers:
◦ Data Link, Transfer and Application layers;
 Customizable for Checkout (SCOE) & Timeline definition;
o Common Core + Project-Dependant parts;
 Validate the Engineering Model on a standard-based
platform:
◦ i.e. MIL-STD-1553;
 Following base guidelines from VCS under-development
participating ESA projects:
◦ VEGA Launcher;
◦ Sentinel-3 (S3) Satellite;
Ing. Raul Cafini - Master STS @
Vitrociset S.p.A. 9

10.  Cross-Platform:
◦ Multiple Operative Systems: GNU/Linux (main development) and Windows
(partial implemented);
 Reusable:
◦ Common (general) + Customizable (project-dependant) code;
 Modular:
◦ Common SCOE Core elements (Logger(s), Data Archiver(s), … )
◦ Multiple Standard-Dependent Frameworks
 MIL-STD-1553, SpW, Can-BUS, …
 Performant:
◦ Possible use in High Rate / Heavy Load data traffic applications;
 Documented:
◦ Auto-Generated documentation from source code (HTML);
Ing. Raul Cafini - Master STS @
Vitrociset S.p.A. 10

11.  Hardware platform based on:
◦ HP Workstation xw6200, Intel Xeon µP (Dual Processor),
2GB RAM;
◦ Aim API-1553 PCI Card;
 Software:
◦ GNU/Linux O.S. (OpenSUSE 10.3):
 Performance (customizable O.S. setup to achieve better
response and processing performance)
 Real-Time capability;
◦ Integrated Development Environment (Eclipse):
 Multi-Language support (C/C++, Java, XML, … )
 Plug-in Extension (JDT, CDT, Window
Builder, XMLEditor, … )
Ing. Raul Cafini - Master STS @
Vitrociset S.p.A. 11

12. HLCS
Command/HK TC/TM
LLCS
EGSE Engineering 1553HMI
PISQ Repository SCOE Core
IPC 1553 HMI
Util Main Window
(Queue, Socket
(Thread)
SHM)
FSM Packetizer Logger Archiver
MIL-STD-1553
1553 HMI
LLCS Framework
OS/HW Driver’s API for Java Virtual Machine
MIL-STD-1553 Board (Aim) (JRE)
GNU/Linux OS
LAN / MIL-STD-1553 Bus
Ing. Raul Cafini - Master STS @
Vitrociset S.p.A. 12

13. This component provide: EGSE Engineering
 Finite State Machine (FSM):
◦ Allow the creation of a custom FSM to define a
series of logical states for application SCOE Core
 Logger:
◦ Log history of user commands and system
FSM Packetizer Logger Archiver
responses for traceability and debbuging;
 Creation of .log text files;
 Archiver: MIL-STD-1553
Framework
◦ Data traffic archiving on binary file to collect and
capture any kind of data for future analisys;
 Creation of .bin binary data files;
 Packetizer*: LogFile
(.log)
Archive
(.bin)
◦ Packet/Unpacket data from/to different
Protocol Standards (CCSDS, PUS, etc.)
* (future extended capabilities)
Ing. Raul Cafini - Master STS @
Vitrociset S.p.A. 13

14. This component provide: EGSE Engineering
 Simulate concurrent bus devices:
◦ BC, RT (up to 31) & BM;
SCOE Core
 Load Bus / Frame Setup
◦ From XSD validated XML file;
 Frame composition in terms of FSM Packetizer Logger Archiver
Major/Minor Frames, Transfers, ...
◦ To/From, Type, Data, … ; MIL-STD-1553
Framework
 Error Injection / Detection;
 IRIG-B Timecode:
◦ Inter-Range Instrumentation Group timecode,
◦ Internal / External reference; BusSetup
(XML)
FrameSetup
(XML)
Validate
BusSchema FrmSchema
(XSD) (XSD)
Ing. Raul Cafini - Master STS @
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15. Now a little demo of how
system works…
Ing. Raul Cafini - Master STS @
Vitrociset S.p.A. 15

16. 1553 HMI (Client)
TCP/IP
1 2
3
EGSE (Server)
Ing. Raul Cafini - Master STS @
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17. 1553 HMI (Client)
8
TCP/IP
4 5 7
6
EGSE (Server)
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18. 1553 HMI (Client)
TCP/IP
9
EGSE (Server)
Ing. Raul Cafini - Master STS @
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19. Captured
traffic (.csv)
Command Log
File (.log)
TM Block
Ing. Raul Cafini - Master STS @
Vitrociset S.p.A. 19

20. Ing. Raul Cafini - Master STS @
Vitrociset S.p.A. 20

21.  Defined a modular and extendable
software architecture as defined
from requirements;
 Implemented EGSECoreArchitecture+MIL-STD-1553
Framework (Server-side);
 Implemented a simple Human-Machine Interface
(HMI) to interact with the system (Client-side)
 Additional stage activities:
◦ Assist VEGA Control Bench group for test activity;
◦ Assist IMBTS Project;
Ing. Raul Cafini - Master STS @
Vitrociset S.p.A. 21

22.  Continue development
from EM to Product
Industrialization;
o Extends current functionalities;
o Deep unit-test and debugging;
o Developing new Standard-Based Frameworks (i.e.
SpaceWire, CAN-Bus, … );
 Use on a pilot project to evaluate the adapting
and maintenance efforts;
Ing. Raul Cafini - Master STS @
Vitrociset S.p.A. 22