Embedded system developed for use in space: News from Gaisler Research

Note: Readers of the free Electronicstalk email newsletter will have read this news when it was announced. Find out how to register for your free copy now.

ESA is funding a development activity aimed at designing, manufacturing and validating a SpaceWire remote terminal controller (RTC), an embedded system for space applications, implemented as an Application Specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The design is based on a well-established interface for spacecraft on-board communication, the SpaceWire standard. The primary objective of the development activity is to provide the European space community with a ready to use, radiation-tolerant component.

The SpaceWire RTC is being developed under a contract awarded to Saab Ericsson Space, teamed with Gaisler Research and Atmel.

A field programmable gate array (FPGA) version of the SpaceWire RTC has already been specified, designed, manufactured and validated.

The prototype was delivered to ESA in May 2006.

The SpaceWire RTC device is a single chip that includes an embedded LEON2-FT SPARC V8 processor with a floating point unit, two SpaceWire interfaces, a controller area network (CAN) bus controller, ADC/DAC interfaces for analogue acquisition/conversion, and standard interfaces and resources (UARTs, timers, general purpose input and output).

Additional features of the SpaceWire RTC provide remote terminals with increased autonomy and hence relieve the central processing chain of repetitive standard acquisition and management duties.

The SpaceWire RTC can be used both in non-intelligent nodes and in nodes with local intelligence.

The device provides an abundance of interfaces, each with a high degree of programmability and configurability.

It is able to acquire analogue and digital data generated by connected peripherals and to generate discrete commands directed towards those peripherals.

The SpaceWire RTC can be operated stand-alone or with a number of external devices such as SRAM, PROM or FIFO memories, and analogue-to-digital or digital-to-analogue converters.

The RTC can be configured locally by the on-chip processor, or remotely via its SpaceWire Link interfaces.

It can operate as a single-chip system, with software being uploaded with the RMAP protocol via the SpaceWire Link interfaces, forming a compact solution for remotely controlled applications.

Alternatively, it can operate in a full system, with software being booted from local PROM and executed from multiple fast and wide SRAM memory banks.

The device provides scalability in terms of use of external devices and operating frequency.

The SpaceWire RTC device can act as an instrument controller (IC) as well as the payload data processor.

In the latter case, it receives payload data from instruments and produces processed data to be either stored or down-linked.

The main data communication is performed via the SpaceWire network.

The CAN controller can be used to implement the command and control bus for a complex payload.

Alternatively, the SpaceWire RTC device can act as an on-board computer (OBC).

The versatility of the SpaceWire RTC reduces future development costs since the same device is used in both payload and avionics.

It also promotes the usage of hybrid SpaceWire and CAN networks and it is fully compatible with the TopNet concept.

This application-specific standard product (ASSP) will be manufactured using the radiation tolerant 0.18um ATC18RHA technology from Atmel.

Atmel will also be responsible for the commercialisation of the device.

The first batch of prototype SpaceWire RTC ASICs is expected by the third quarter of 2007.

• Gaisler Research: contact details and other news
• Email this news to a colleague
• Register for the free Electronicstalk email newsletter
• Electronicstalk Home Page

Embedded system developed for use in space

The design of the SpaceWire Remote Terminal Controller (RTC) is based on a well-established interface for spacecraft on-board communication, the SpaceWire standard.