Data Modelling and Code Automation for Space Systems Software

David Santos Gil, Mukesh Jha, Hessa Alshamsi

National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC), United Arab Emirates University (UAEU)
P.O. Box: 15551, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, UAE; +971556793111 SSC21-P2-22
davidgil@uaeu.ac.ae

Background Interface Generation Conclusion

I/F
In 2019, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Space Agency Of all the opportunities to use code generation in the Service
Template
A.C.
Template
I/F
Spec. Excluding input/output (IO) and the Board Support
Spec
awarded the National Space Science and Technology development of space systems, generating code for the Package (BSP), it was measured that overall, 45.3% of the
Center (NSSTC) a contract to develop a modular telecommand and telemetry interfaces is probably the Avionic codebase of the CDHS application that runs on-board was
On-Board
Service
Equipment Equipment I/F
Command and Data Handling Software (CDHS) to be used most evident. After specifying the interfaces of the CDHS Controller
Controller
Controller
I/F Equipment
Equipment generated automatically along with the Interface Control
in current and future UAE missions. and other onboard equipment in an abstract data model, it Document (ICD) and Test Specification Document. These
The CDHS is a critical element of the mission. This means was possible to generate elements of code for both space techniques were also applied in the validation framework
that it needs to be developed with sufficient quality such and ground segments, and validation framework. The data IO CDHS BSP
and ground software of the first mission where this
Satellite
that it poses a low risk to the success of the mission. The model was used to generate code for multiple languages, software is going to be used.
software also needs to offer functionality that is on-par including C for onboard code, LaTeX for documentation, Object Generic Although the benefits of the selected code generation
Template Object Encoders /
with what is being used in other countries to fulfill the database schema, queries for data visualization and decoders options are difficult to objectively measure and compare,
UAE ambitions in space. A CDHS with these elements of Human Machine Interface for ground we assert that without them, it would have not been
characteristics was challenging to produce within the 30 operation software. possible to produce in 30 months a service based CDHS
Radio
month span of the project and with a small team. The Equipment on-par with what is being used in other space programs.
technical solution that was adopted is to provide services Software Production Line Ground Data flow
generation All this, in a context where engineers with decades long of
aligned with the Packet Utilization Standard[1] (PUS) Using common design patterns, it was possible to generate packets
space industry experience are difficult to find. With this
listed in Table 1. the skeletons of all software components. Additionally, the Encoders / Fully
Decoders Generated respect, code automation was an enabler. We expect that
This software is selected to fly in 3 missions, the first one CDHS features 17 Services and 16 Equipment Controllers
schema Partially during the operation of the satellite, we will be able to
is the GNSSaS[2] 6U CubeSat which is due to be launched (one per equipment with which the CDHS has to interact). Generated accommodate, support change requests and help the
in Q4 2021. Among these components, the commonality goes well Database HMI
mission to adapt to unforeseen circumstances.
beyond the skeleton. They have similar structure and Manual or
PUS ID Title Reuse
control flows, which enabled us to generate a substantial
ST03 Housekeeping Visualization
References
part of the code for these components. Service
Service Data Model
ST05 Event Reporting of Telemetry Clients or Template
Clients 1. European Space Agency, “Telemetry and telecommand
ST08 Function Management Improving quality through code automation packet utilization”. ECSS-E-ST-70-41C. ESA Requirements
ST11 Time-based schedule
Human factors are a common cause of defects, code Configuration and Standards Division, ESTEC, Noordwijk, The
ST12 On-Board Monitoring Packet Interface
generation minimizes these. Code automation also makes Specification Specification Control Doc. Netherlands, April 2016.
ST14 Real-Time Forward Control
it easier for developers to work in different parts of the 2. Alhashmi K, Al-Eman O, Hasbi AM, Mustapha MI,
ST17 Test Figure 2: CDHS and Ground Segment diagram
codebase because it helps to ensure that all software “NSSTC capabilities and the GNSSaS satellite project,”
ST19 Event-Action
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ST20 Parameter Management
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ST21 Request Sequencing
maintainability and overall quality of the software. In 3. Clerigo, A. A, P. Collins, N. Mardle, E. Montagnon, J.
ST22 Position-Based Scheduling “overall, 45.3% of the code of the CDHS
addition, the data model acts as a single point of truth for Morales and I. Tanco, “One Standard To Rule Them All:
Table 1: CDHS Services application that runs on-board was the Tailoring of PUS-C for Future ESA Missions,”
all the software components.
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(Assessed on 26th April 2021).
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Specification for Electronic Data Sheets, ” CCSDS 876.0-
I/F Spec. Template Data flow
I/F Spec B-1, Recommendation for Space Data Systems
generation
Standards, April 2019.
c
CDHS I/F
Avionic Fully 6. J. Wilmot, "A core flight software system," 2005 Third
I/F Simulator Generated
I/F Equipment IEEE/ACM/IFIP International Conference on
t
Encoders / Partially Hardware/Software Codesign and System Synthesis
decoders Generated
(CODES+ISSS'05), 2005, pp. 13-14, doi:
Satellite Packet
Simulator
c t
Spec. Manual 10.1145/1084834.1084842.
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Test
Supervisor
Data Model approach to modeling and reusing requirements of
Encoders / or Template
decoders
software product lines," Proceedings 27th Annual
printers
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Figure 1: Example of data visualization in the ground that uses data collected by the CDHS Figure 3: CDHS Validation Framework diagram