Speaker
Description
The increasing demand for commercial payloads has driven the development of innovative, high-performance control and data acquisition systems. In this context, the Instrument Control Unit (ICU) emerges as a key component for the efficient control and management of Electro-Optical payloads. Our research presents an advanced ICU architecture that leverages the computational power of the SAMRH71 processor alongside the real-time capabilities of the RTG4 FPGA. This synergy enables the management and processing of large volumes of high-speed data, a critical factor for modern high-resolution observation technologies.
The ICU is designed for both high-performance data acquisition and exceptional modularity and flexibility. Its architecture facilitates integration into a wide variety of space payloads, allowing adaptation to different mission requirements. Key functionalities include TMTC (Telemetry and Telecommand) SpaceWire Interface and High-Speed Serial Link (HSSL) with Platform, Time Synchronization, Power Conditioning and Distribution and Thermal Control, and the management of up to two cameras via SpaceWire and Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter (UART) interfaces. Furthermore, the system can optionally incorporate a data compression module to reduce downlink bandwidth requirements when handling large datasets from multispectral, hyperspectral, and radar sensors. The unit is also engineered to drive stepper motor mechanisms for critical operations such as refocusing and shutter control, thus enhancing image quality.
A robust power management strategy is implemented by conditioning power from an unregulated primary bus and distributing it effectively across various subsystems, ensuring stable and reliable operation under unpredictable conditions. The ICU supports comprehensive in-flight reprogramming of both firmware and application software, including updates to the FPGA firmware and subsystem firmware. This dynamic reprogrammability enables the unit to adapt to evolving mission requirements and significantly extends the payload’s operational lifespan.
The core hardware components — the SAMRH71 Rad-Hard Microprocessor and the RTG4 radiation tolerant FPGA —complement each other in meeting the demanding requirements of spaceborne data acquisition. The SAMRH71 delivers high computational performance with low power consumption through its internal operating system (FreeRTOS), while the RTG4 provides real-time processing, and high data transfer performance (up to 5 Gbps) via its built-in serdes blocks. Moreover, thanks to the redundant interfaces toward platform and the high quality of components (at least ESCC Class 2 or equivalent), the ICU enhances the robustness of the Payload and its reliability figure.
The ICU has been designed to meet the requirement of three different E.O. Payloads in development at Leonardo Space Business Unit: Very High Resolution (VHR), Thermal Infrared (TIR) and Hyperspectral (HYP). The VHR payload, optimized for high-resolution Earth observation, features a refocusing mechanism to enhance image quality for applications ranging from environmental analysis to precision agriculture. The TIR payload requires high thermal control performance, measurement accuracy and stability. Finally, the ICU is tailored for hyperspectral imaging, providing high data management capability from two cameras. These applications underscore the ICU’s versatility and its ability to serve multiple missions in Earth observation.
