Onboard Data Handling and Telemetry: Lesson 2: The Complete Cdhs Architecture
Onboard Data Handling and Telemetry: Lesson 2: The Complete Cdhs Architecture
OBDH Introduction
THEMAL AOCS
SUBS.
POWER
SUBSYSTEM PAYLOAD 1 PAYLOAD n
(EPS)
GPS
RECEIVER
RADIO/TRANSPONDERS
Other satellites COMMAND LINK DATA LINK
TELECOMMAND TELEMETRY
GROUND
CONTROL
COMMAND DATA COLLECTION
LESSON 2: THE COMPLETE CDHS ARCHITECTURE
As described in [RD-8]
Reference architecture – A set of architectural design principles and a mapping of the
usual functions implemented by the software and the hardware
(General overview of your system)
Functional architecture – Focus is on the system functionalities to be implemented and on
the relation to their environment – A functional architecture is built, independently from the
issues brought by the integration on an execution platform.
(Function blocks that implements your system)
Physical architecture – The Physical architecture describes the processing nodes of the
system (i.e. on-board computer), sensors and actuators, the network topology (buses/point-
to- point links/serial lines) that interconnects them and the communication protocol used by
the physical communication layers.
(The hardware blocks that implements your system)
LESSON 2: THE COMPLETE CDHS ARCHITECTURE
A Hardware Overview
• Pending on the satellite size and complexity, the OBDH can be implemented in
just a PCB or it may consist in several hardware elements distributed along the
satellite.
• The OBDHS shall be designed keeping in mind ALL the mission phases: testing,
launch, transfer orbit, operation and deorbiting.
• On-board Data Systems encompass a vast range of functional blocks that
include Telecommand and Telemetry Modules, On-Board computers, Data
Storage and Mass memories, Remote Terminal Units, Communication protocols
and Busses. These elements are common to all projects and are subject to a
demanding set of evolving requirements from Science, Exploration, Earth
Observation and Telecom missions.
S/S Spacecraft Subsystems
TRANSPONDERS
TELEMETRY OBDH ARCHITECTURE
High / Low / Passive
Data format and
control logic
ADC (Functional)
Analog High Priority
Telemetry
S/S
PAYLOAD
Ultra-stable
Oscilator
RM &
Discrete
FDIR S/S
I/O Interfaces
HOUSEKEEPING
COMMAND COMMAND
MESSAGE MESSAGE High Priority Commands
VALIDATION DECODING Power Control & S/S
(HPC)
Distribution Unit
High Priority Command (PCDU)
LESSON 2: THE COMPLETE CDHS ARCHITECTURE
• Once received (from transponders or from the OBC) the command is firstly
validated (for verifying message integrity and security) and later decoded. The
command decoder determines command output type and the specific interface
channel to be used (serial digital or discrete).
LESSON 2: THE COMPLETE CDHS ARCHITECTURE
COMMAND COMMAND
MESSAGE MESSAGE High Priority Commands
VALIDATION DECODING Power Control & S/S
(HPC)
Distribution Unit
High Priority Command (PCDU)
Serial Digital
LESSON 2: THE COMPLETE CDHS ARCHITECTURE
• Some small satellites only have a single low speed transmitter and the housekeeping and
payload data are combined over the same link.
• For larger satellites with payloads capable of producing vast amounts of data, a dedicated
high-speed data link is used to store the data onto the onboard storage system. When the
satellites passes over a ground station, the OBC commands the high-speed radio
transmitter to retrieve and transmit the previously stored payload data through another
dedicated high-speed link from the onboard storage system.
• This approach frees the OBC from having to process large amounts of data and allows it to
devote its internal resources for time critical operations.
• A usual configuration is performing satellite bus platform control via a bi-directional TC/TM
radio data link in S-band (2.0-2.2 GHz). Payload TM downlink (uni-directional) is usually
performed via X-band (7.25-7.75 GHz). Nevertheless, for both, CCSDS standards are
applied.
LESSON 2: THE COMPLETE CDHS ARCHITECTURE
GPS On-Board
Processing
receiver Time
S/S
Ultra-stable
Oscilator
LESSON 2: THE COMPLETE CDHS ARCHITECTURE
Processing function.
• The spacecraft control computer is a key element for controlling the spacecraft
and maintaining the safety of the spacecraft. The processing function is the core
of the OBDH subsystem and a key element of the spacecraft as the tendency is
implementing more and more functions in SW. Traditionally, large satellites used
a dedicated OBC for the SC bus platform and another OBC for the payload.
Nowadays, more and more satellites uses a single OBC for both payload and
bus platform.
• How this function is implemented varies pending on mission requirements, from
just a microprocessor running on a FPGA to tens of boards and different
components in charge of hosting different tasks of the processing function.
LESSON 2: THE COMPLETE CDHS ARCHITECTURE
• The unit running the processing function receives different names and include
different functions pending on the mission: On Board Computer (OBC), also
referred to as Spacecraft Management Unit - SMU or Command & Data
Handling Management unit – CDMU or Central Processing Unit (CPU).
• The processing function hosts the Execution Platform SW (composed of RTOS,
SOIS upper layers, PUS, …) and the Application SW.
• Volatile and Non-volatile Memories, Safe Guard Memories, Booting mechanisms,
On Board Timer, Interface controllers, Reconfiguration modules, error detection
and reconfiguration mechanisms, scheduling…
• The OBDH is based on one or more OBC (standby redundancy is commonly
used for enhanced reliability).
LESSON 2: THE COMPLETE CDHS ARCHITECTURE
• SCs are systems that requires high level of autonomy as its maintenance is not
possible (or just reduced to remote commanding/reconfiguration).
• The S/C must perform autonomous decisions when ground communications is
not possible or increase the satellite autonomy as required by the mission.
• Processing function requires demanding timing requirements, real time control
and scheduling/planning.
• The control computer, whose internal architecture may depend on the
application and its availability requirements, includes autonomous failure
management functionalities to ensure that the spacecraft can autonomously
recover from major anomalies and enter a safe state without interaction from
the ground operators (we will see later the reconfiguration function).
LESSON 2: THE COMPLETE CDHS ARCHITECTURE
• Processors useful for space applications evolve and new processors appear at
intervals of several years instead of a new processor every year as happens on
the terrestrial market (same tendency but different cadence).
• If we do not consider the so-called New Space (CubeSats) lag of 6–8 years
between the commercial introduction of a technology in products and the
introduction of that technology in space products.
• ESA has qualified different OBC based on LEON processors. is a 32-
bit CPU microprocessor core, based on the SPARC-V8 RISC architecture
and instruction set.
• The current version is LEON4.
LESSON 2: THE COMPLETE CDHS ARCHITECTURE
The Remote Terminal Unit (also called Remote Interface Unit-RIU) is a unit
that is usually present on medium-large size spacecraft.
The RTU offloads the On Board Computer from analogue and discrete digital
data acquisition and actuators control tasks.
Processing
RTU S/S
Digital Bus
PAYLOAD
Interface
S/S
LESSON 2: THE COMPLETE CDHS ARCHITECTURE
• Discrete I/O interfaces for collection of on-board status and control data and for
distribution of configuration and control commands.
• The purpose of the housekeeping data (also known as engineering data)is to give
the operators an overview of the spacecraft health and general condition:
• Temperature of key elements of the satellite required for thermal regulation.
• Pressure in fuel tanks.
• Voltage and currents of electrical and electronics key elements.
• Operational status of the satellite, on/off status of valves and actuators, functional mode active etc.
• Status of the redundant elements.
• Batteries charge.
• …
Housekeeping data usually does not require high frequency sampling, nevertheless it
will be a continuous data flow during the entire mission.
LESSON 2: THE COMPLETE CDHS ARCHITECTURE
As previously commented, SCs are systems that requires high level of autonomy as its maintenance is
not possible (or just reduced to remote commanding/reconfiguration).
Cross-strapping
Cross-strapping is the term used referring how to interconnect redundant modules. At physical
level there are several types of implantation and configurations (e.g. if cold redundancy is used,
the redundant modules that are switch off shall not disturb the active modules).
The objective of cross-strapping is to increase the reliability of a functional chain by better
exploiting the available redundant resources. However, it may introduce additional cases of
failure propagation, dependencies, and single point failures. Usually, electronics digital
components are not prepared to receive current/voltage signal at their inputs while the
component is not powered. This could lead to unwanted leakage currents, perturbances,
malfunctions or premature component degradation. Cross-strapping techniques shall be
carefully considered in the design, especially in the CDHS.
LESSON 2: THE COMPLETE CDHS ARCHITECTURE
• [RD1] G. Maral, M. Bousquet and Z. Sun Satellite Communications Systems: Systems, Techniques and Technology,
Wiley, 2009
• [RD2] M. Macdonald and V. Badescu The International Handbook of Space Technology, Springer, 2014
• [RD3] P. Fortescue, G. Swinerd and J. Stark (Editors) Spacecraft Systems Engineering, 4th Edition, John Wiley, 2012
• [RD4] J.Bouwmeester Lecture Notes - Spacecraft Technology (AE3534), TuDelf, 2018.
• [RD5] E. Keesee Satellite Telemetry, Tracking and Control Subsystems, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2003
• [RD6] Architectures of Onboard Data Systems:
https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Onboard_Computer_and_Data_Handling/Architect
ures_of_Onboard_Data_Systems
• [RD7] ECSS, ECSS-S-ST-00-01C – Glossary of terms (1 October 2012)
• [RD8] P. Armbruster Space Avionics Open Interface Avionics Architecture SAVOIR Overview, ESA, 2011
• [RD9] LARSON, Wiley J.; WERTZ, James Richard. Space mission analysis and design. Torrance, CA (United States);
Microcosm, Inc., 1999.
• [RD10] What is On-board Data Processing?:
http://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Onboard_Data_Processing/What_is_On-
board_Data_Processing
LESSON 1: INTRODUCTION
• [RD11] M. RIMPAULT, Multi-mission On-board High Performance Payload Data Processing Platform, ESTEC – Workshop
OBDP2019 Noordwijk, 25th of February 2019
• [RD12] HULT, Torbjörn; PARKES, Steve. On-Board Data Systems. The International Handbook of Space Technology. Springer,
Berlin, Heidelberg, 2014. p. 441-470.
• [RD13] “New Space and Old Space”. https://wanderingalpha.com/new-space-vs-old-space
• [RD14] A. de Concini, J. Toth The future of the European space sector How to leverage Europe’s technological leadership and
boost investments for space ventures. European Commission, 2019
• [RD15] SAVOIR. SAVOIR Generic OBC Functional Specification. European Space Research and Technology Centre, 2019.
• [RD16] SAVOIR. SAVOIR Flight Computer Initialisation Sequence Generic Specification. European Space Research and
Technology Centre, 2016
• [RD17] SAVOIR. SAVOIR RTU Functional and Operability Requirements. European Space Research and Technology Centre,
2018
• [RD18] SAVOIR. SAVOIR Data Storage System Requirement Document. European Space Research and Technology Centre,
2017
• [RD19] Generic OIRD Working Group. Generic Operations Interface Requirements Document (GOIRD). European Space
Operations Centre, 2019
• [RD20] SAVOIR. SAVOIR On-board Communication System Requirement Document. European Space Research and
Technology Centre, 2019
LESSON 1: INTRODUCTION
• [RD21] SAVOIR. SAVOIR Data Handling Handbook. European Space Research and Technology Centre, 2019
• [RD22] SAVOIR. SAVOIR FDIR Handbook. European Space Research and Technology Centre, 2019
• [RD23] SAVOIR. SAVOIR Functional Reference Architecture. European Space Research and Technology Centre, 2019
• [RD24] CCSDS 130.0-G-2: Overview of Space Communications Protocols. Green Book. Issue 2. December 2007. Available at
www.ccsds.org.
• [RD25] CCSDS 200.0-G-6: Telecommand Summary of Concept and Rationale. Green Book. Issue 6. January 1987.
• [RD26] CCSDS 727.0-B-4: CCSDS File Delivery Protocol (CFDP). Blue Book. Issue 4. January 2007
• [RD27] CCSDS 231.0-B-2: Telecommand Synchronization and Channel Coding. Blue Book. Issue 2. September 2010
• [RD28] CCSDS 232.0-B-2: Telecommand Space Data Link Protocol. Blue Book. Issue 2. September 2010
• [RD29] CCSDS 232.1-B-2: Communications Operation Procedure-1. Blue Book. Issue 2. September 2010
• [RD30] CCSDS 133.1-B-2: Encapsulation Service. Blue Book. Issue 2. October 2009
• [RD31] CCSDS 133.0-B-1: Space Packet Protocol. Blue Book. Issue 1. September 2003
• [RD32] CCSDS 301.0-B-4: Time Code Formats. Blue Book. Issue 4. November 2010
• [RD33] CCSDS 727.0-B-4: CCSDS File Delivery Protocol (CFDP). Blue Book. Issue 4. January 2007
• [RD34] CCSDS 132.0-B-1: Telemetry Space Data Link Protocol. Blue Book. Issue 1. September 2003
• [RD35] CCSDS 100.0-G-1: Telemetry Summary of Concept and Rationale. Green Book. Issue 1. December 1987
LESSON 1: INTRODUCTION
• [RD36] CCSDS 131.0-B-1: Telemetry Synchronization and Channel Coding. Blue Book. Issue 1. September 2003
• [RD37] CCSDS 130.2-G-3. Space Data Link Protocols—Summary of Concept and Rationale. 2012.
• [RD38] Jalilian, S., SalarKaleji, F., & Kazimov, T. Fault Detection, Isolation and Recovery (FDIR) in Satellite Onboard
Software,2017,
• [RD39] J. Day, M.Ingham. Fault Management at JPL: Past, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology,
ADCSS 2011
• [RD40] SalarKaleji, Fatemeh, and Aboulfazl Dayyani. "A survey on Fault Detection, Isolation and Recovery (FDIR) module in
satellite onboard software." 2013 6th International Conference on Recent Advances in Space Technologies (RAST). IEEE,
2013.
• [RD41] WANDER, Alexandra; FÖRSTNER, Roger. Innovative fault detection, isolation and recovery strategies on-board
spacecraft: state of the art and research challenges. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Luft-und Raumfahrt-Lilienthal-Oberth eV, 2013.
• [RD42] Guide, Partial Reconfiguration User. "UG702 (v14. 1)." Xilinx Inc., Apr 24 (2012).
• [RD43] Eickhoff, Jens. Onboard computers, onboard software and satellite operations: an introduction. Springer Science &
Business Media, 2011.
• [RD44] CCSDS 232.0-B-3 2015. TC SPACE DATA LINK PROTOCOL.
• [RD45] ECSS. ECSS-M-30-01A. Organization and conduct of reviews. 1999
LESSON 1: INTRODUCTION