v 1.0 Roadmap Evaluation of Communication and Data Handling Subsystem

Added by J. Simmons over 9 years ago

Please comment below on the 5 requirements from Choosing the technology branch for the v 1.0 roadmap regarding projects related to launch vehicle Communication and Data Handling. Feel free to brain storm potential projects related to this subsystem, evaluate any or all requirements, or otherwise comment on the suitability of this subsystem for the v 1.0 roadmap. Note, the end result should be group consensus on requirements score and any notes to include on the evaluation page in the wiki.


Replies (4)

RE: v 1.0 Roadmap Evaluation of Communication and Data Handling Subsystem - Added by Jeremy Wright over 9 years ago

Is this a prerequisite of telemetry and command? Where would Ground Sphere and its ilk fit?

RE: v 1.0 Roadmap Evaluation of Communication and Data Handling Subsystem - Added by J. Simmons over 9 years ago

Nice quick reference on C&DH - http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Engineering/Onboard_Computer_and_Data_Handling/Telemetry_Telecommand.

So I hate to say this (someone might come and take my rocket scientist card away from me), but in my attempt to create a complete list of sub-systems, I may have doubled up here (by virtue of different texts referencing the same basic functions as two different names - Greg, feel free to chime in here if I am just too tired to see things clearly).

  • C&DH - "process[es] onboard data and deliver[s] telemetry to the control center"
  • TT&C - functions include "formatting and transmitting telemetry... accepting, decoding, verifying, and storing uplink commands"

So, yeah, that is totally my bad. I was capturing raw process ideas on a coffee break during a drive up the interstate. We can probably safely cut one or the other. In either case, from an overall architecture view, this includes communications gear (radios, antennas, etc) on both the launch vehicle and the ground, as well as the computers necessary to use that gear (again on launch vehicle and the ground).

So, Ground Sphere and related hardware projects would fall under this category. Ideas might include:

  • Ground Spheres tuned to other bands
  • Azimuth and Elevation tracking ground station hardware
  • Networked ground stations
  • Stand alone versions of Ground Sphere (that is ones that include a small computer in the project instead of needing to be linked to a laptop to function)
  • Radios/antennas for the vehicle side of the link (Aaron has proposed using High Altitude Balloons as the target vehicles for kite scale projects)
  • C&DH computers for the vehicle side of the link
  • Adding uplink capability to our ground station projects
  • ...

So, I think there are plenty of project ideas for C&DH. What I worry about are things like engineering and maker expertise (to my knowledge are only strong expertise in radio links is Aaron) and export control concerns (I would like to see how the EC rules relate to satellite communication). My ratings would so far look like

  • Engineering expertise - 2 (our comms expertise is very lite, but our computing and network expertise is a little better, so some projects might go better than others, but this still feels like an area we are not prepared to work on in a long term way at present)
  • Fabrication - 2 (I think the kinds of projects present a nice ramp up in difficulty, but again, the radio parts of things seem out of reach for most of our makers at present)
  • Mission - 4-5 - I think there is a compelling argument for the maturity of the technology and the educational opportunities for satellite communication
  • Income - 3-4 - I tend to think there are potential markets for C&DH hardware across the educational spectrum, but some actual market research is probably in order if we were to actually move this category forward in any way
  • Admin - ??? I am deeply concerned about export controls and this category. Barring that, my understanding is the insurance issues are much lower for projects of this kind than say propulsion projects.

RE: v 1.0 Roadmap Evaluation of Communication and Data Handling Subsystem - Added by Matt Maier over 9 years ago

Category XI paragraph (5) covers Command & Control computer systems, but it's clearly focused on military systems.
https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/07/01/2014-14681/amendment-to-the-international-traffic-in-arms-regulations-united-states-munitions-list-category-xi#h-26
(i) integrates other defense systems
(ii) incorporate Friend Or Foe information
(iii) uses electronic countermeasures
(iv) designed to comply with TEMPEST
(v) elude electronic detection

RE: v 1.0 Roadmap Evaluation of Communication and Data Handling Subsystem - Added by Jeremy Wright over 9 years ago

Engineering Expertise - 1 - Aaron is our only core community member with enough experience in this area.
Fabrication - 1 - Aaron is the only one with the right gear to build the radio hardware if surface mount parts are needed (and they almost certainly will). We can probably do antenna fabrication in most cases though.
Mission - 5
Income - ? - Not enough market research has been done yet.
Admin - ? to 1 - Aaron seemed to have concerns around the active tracking systems he's worked with in the past.

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