SpaceWire Network Management Service Suite Definition and Validation

The objective is to specify, prototype, and validate a Network Management Service Suite for SpaceWire that integrates all aspects of SpW network management, i.e. network discovery, network configuration, and network FDIR.•The main objective of the activity is the development of a novel deterministic protocol layer for SpaceWire and SpaceFibre•The protocol shall be compatible with the Space Avionics Open Interface Architecture (SAVOIR) concept by ESA.•The new protocol needs to include additional functions for FDIR, network management, quality of service, etc. 

SpaceWire has become a de facto standard for payload systems (including for Command & Control) and its Real-Time derivatives are now being considered for avionics. The capability provided by SpaceWire to develop data handling systems based on high-speed networks allows much greater performance but implies implementing communication bus management techniques specific to SpaceWire. As network management is not part of the basic SpaceWire protocol ECSS-E-ST-50-12C (Rev.1), it must be provided to industry in the form of an additional standard.  The different elements of the SpW network management have been developed separately so far.  The tasks related to this activity are: 1. Merging and consolidation of requirements for a Network Management Service Suite (N-MaSS) covering SpaceWire network discovery, configuration, and FDIR 2. Detailed specification of N-MaSS in the form of a draft ECSS standard 3. Prototyping of the specified N-MaSS 4. Verification (test) the prototyped SpW network management services 5. Validation of the SpW Network Management Service Suite through demonstration of its capabilities in one or more scenario(s) representative of spacecraft data handling (the BepiColombo/Solar Orbiter SpaceWire network and the MTG/MetOp-SG SpaceWire network should be considered as baselines, which leads to quite a number of SpaceWire nodes and switches)