A Communications Data Processor For ISS Ground Systems Using Standards and Software-Based Architectures Rob Andzik AMERGINT Technologies GSAW 2013

© 2013 by AMERGINT Technologies. Published by The Aerospace Corporation with permission. YOUR INNOVATIVE ADVANTAGE

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Overview •

The International Space Station Easily Represents The Largest Most Complicated Vehicle in Space – It has influenced many of the CCSDS standards – Continues to stretch the boundaries of these standards

•

Unique Challenges – – – – – – –

Manned space flight Complex end-to-end path Large number of data streams Multiple sources/destinations Strict latency requirements Different priorities per stream Custom data processing

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ISS Signal & Data Flows TDRS

ISS

~ 30 Different Data Streams 400+ Mbps Aggregate Rate

Johnson Space Center (JSC) Mission Control Center

CCSDS TLM Streams Communications Data Processor (CDP)

CCSDS SLE EFCLTU

White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) YOUR INNOVATIVE ADVANTAGE

Other NASA Users

External Users

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Example Return Link Data Flows •

Multiplexed Data Streams Encapsulated IP Space Packets Binary Bit Streams Transfer Frames

– CCSDS Features/Customizations

Voice Streams

Assemble Space Packets

Encapsulate IP Packets

Encapsulate IP Packets

Assemble Virtual Channel

Assemble Virtual Channel

Assemble Virtual Channel

Multiplex VCDUs Assemble Frames

Secondary header processing Conditional stripping of headers Data insertion at various levels SLE EFCLTU Orange Book

– Additional Customizations • • • •

Video Streams

Custom network headers Prioritized queuing Recording Rate limiting

– Encapsulated IP • Adds embedded data streams • Filtering, processing etc.

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Modulation

Space Link Demodulation

WSMR

• • • •

Frame Synchronize Split Virtual Channels

CDP

• • • •

On-board Systems

– Includes a Variety of Data Types

Payload Data

Process Virtual Channel

Process Virtual Channel

Process Virtual Channel

Extract Space Packets

De-encapsulate IP

De-encapsulate IP

Send To LAN

Send To LAN

Send To LAN

Payload Data

Video Streams

Voice Streams Page 4

Software-Based Solution - softFEP •

Can This Be Solved With a COTS Solution? – Yes, as long as the architecture allows for customizations in all the right places. – After all the customizations, can it still be called COTS?

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Software Devices and Processing Chains – CCSDS telemetry and telecommand standards lend themselves to a layered or ‘pipelined’ implementation – We handled this by defining ‘Software Devices’ for each layer – Software Devices are then chained together to define the end-to-end data transformation – Custom Software Devices replace standard ones as needed

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Ground Equipment Monitoring Service (GEMS) – Object Management Group (OMG) Standard – Provides direct Control & Status of every Software Device

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Data Processing Chains •

Each Software Device is Focused On An Atomic Function – By using standards and well defined functionality, these can be used on many different programs

•

Network Input

Custom Software Device

Process Custom Header A

CCSDS Transfer Frame

Highly Efficient Interfaces – Defined for a specific layer in the CCSDS processing stack – Include time information – Supports gigabit rates in software

•

Standard Software Device

Additional Benefits – Requirements mapped directly to the software devices – Extensive testing at system, chain and software device level – Increased user base – ISS Engineers can easily understand and even modify the chains post delivery

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Well Defined Data Interfaces

Branching allows for multiplexing, passing data around the standard devices and other custom processing

CCSDS VCDU

Interfaces carry data and metadata

CCSDS MPDU

CCSDS Space Packet

Create Custom Header B

Network Output

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Some More Details

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Diagrams Generated At Runtime – Represent the actual runtime configuration

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Able To Achieve ~70% Reuse With Existing Software Devices – And this is for the International Space Station!

Total

COTS

Custom

Types

48

34

14

Instances

343

238

105

Software Device GEMS Control & Status Parameters NOTE: Parameters do not represent actual settings

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Unexpected Benefits •

Simulation & Training – Full simulation of the end-to-end communication system • On-board, WSMR, and JSC

– Processing chains were quickly modified to include: • Simulation of malfunctions • Custom voice and video processing – developed by JSC engineers

On-Board ISS

– Entire system was virtualized

And this is only about half of the system

WSMR

JSC

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Significant Benefits To This Approach •

What Did We Learn? – Scales to very large systems quickly and efficiently – Easily handles changing requirements • Even late in the development cycle and after delivery

– End customer directly sees the design • Reduces design errors • Aids in troubleshooting

– Software-defined systems are fully capable of processing these rates • Rates in excess of 1 Gbps possible

– Standards, in particular CCSDS, work • Even with customizations, the long-term benefits are being realized • Shared code base between projects even with unique processing

– GEMS provides easy-to-use control & status • Very few issues/questions regarding the network API • Support for both GEMS-ASCII and GEMS-XML

– Extends Easily and Quickly To Simulation & Training Environments

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Future of Ground System Processing •

Focus on Standards! – CCSDS Telemetry and Command Data Formats Work • Today’s systems can easily accommodate any additional overhead • Benefits increase as more satellite programs use these standards

– OMG GEMS Standard allows for common Control & Status code • Simple standard that solves a specific problem • Only need to write the message processing logic once • Relatively easy to swap out one vendor’s system for another

•

Software Defined Data Processing Systems Are Reality – – – –

No need for custom hardware, ridged firmware or monolithic designs Commercial servers provide all the horsepower needed. Adds unprecedented flexibility and long-term supportability End-user can modify/maintain the system themselves

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Questions? Special Thanks to NASA and Lockheed Martin for their time reviewing this presentation. Rob Andzik AMERGINT Technologies [email protected]

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