Session
Technical Session IX: Mission Enabling Technologies I
Abstract
This paper explores a rapid development approach for creating new electronic systems for digital data processing, control, and interfacing with other components of satellite systems. In order to deliver increasingly complex satellite designs on reduced schedules and budgets, it is critical to rapidly integrate existing knowledge, designs, and components in novel ways. The traditional approach of creating every component of a new system from scratch can divert time and energy from solving higher-order problems. Field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technology has matured to the point where entire small satellite digital processing could reside in a single active component. In addition, graphical design tools for FPGA development have reached a point where complex, high speed designs can be efficiently mapped to FPGAs, and an array of available off-the-shelf board-level solutions make it possible to rapidly prototype and test new system-level designs. In response to the growing demand of increasingly complex electronic space systems, Honeywell taken advantage of FPGA technology and graphical design tools to develop an alternative approach for digital data processing, control and interfacing with other satellite system components. This paper shows how the Honeywell designed Responsive Digital Electronics (RDE) board and the graphical programming language LabVIEW were used to rapidly develop and implement a new Thrust Control System (TCS). The development cycle from desktop simulation (TRL-2) to hardware implementation, including designing and building custom drive electronics (TRL-5), took weeks instead of months [6]. The RDE is based on the recently announced Xilinx Virtex-5QV radiation-hardened FPGA, and supports multiple missions. It provides a migration path from commercial electronics to space-rated hardware without rewriting IP.
Presentation Slides
Rapid Development of Electronic Systems for Space Applications
This paper explores a rapid development approach for creating new electronic systems for digital data processing, control, and interfacing with other components of satellite systems. In order to deliver increasingly complex satellite designs on reduced schedules and budgets, it is critical to rapidly integrate existing knowledge, designs, and components in novel ways. The traditional approach of creating every component of a new system from scratch can divert time and energy from solving higher-order problems. Field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technology has matured to the point where entire small satellite digital processing could reside in a single active component. In addition, graphical design tools for FPGA development have reached a point where complex, high speed designs can be efficiently mapped to FPGAs, and an array of available off-the-shelf board-level solutions make it possible to rapidly prototype and test new system-level designs. In response to the growing demand of increasingly complex electronic space systems, Honeywell taken advantage of FPGA technology and graphical design tools to develop an alternative approach for digital data processing, control and interfacing with other satellite system components. This paper shows how the Honeywell designed Responsive Digital Electronics (RDE) board and the graphical programming language LabVIEW were used to rapidly develop and implement a new Thrust Control System (TCS). The development cycle from desktop simulation (TRL-2) to hardware implementation, including designing and building custom drive electronics (TRL-5), took weeks instead of months [6]. The RDE is based on the recently announced Xilinx Virtex-5QV radiation-hardened FPGA, and supports multiple missions. It provides a migration path from commercial electronics to space-rated hardware without rewriting IP.
