Design and prototype a CCSDS USLP compliant encoder and decoder set in order to evaluate communication achievable performances and start the development of next generation Data Link protocol building blocks.

The Unified Space Link Protocol (USLP) is currently a Draft CCSDS Recommended Standard at the Data Link Layer to be used over all space communications links: space-to-ground, ground-to-space, and space-to-space. The Space Communication environment has changed over the past few years putting increased pressure on current legacy HW implementations (ESA long standing robust IP cores and ASICs) and operational data handling and routing. Development of very high rate Optical Communications, Manned missions utilization of Internet Protocols Growth of Delay Tolerant Network technology for use of selective retransmission and reliable link layer protocols, Flight technology to support high performance Forward Error Correcting Codes and Variable Code Modulation are only few aspects of communication environment evolution trend. New requirements on Link Layer naturally arise from these identified new needs. - Higher Data Rates put increased pressure on current implementations and operational data handling and routing - Larger number of space vehicles requires more spacecraft identifiers - Inclusion of uplink security (CCSDS SDLS) will require new flight implementations - Advances in technology provides the means to improve uplink performance using improved codes and FPGA devices. - Support reprogramming of Flight FPGAs systems (S/W Defined Radios) - Increased control command size due to inclusion of security The activity consists of the following tasks: - Study of CCSDS USLP - Architectural definition and apportionment of functional blocks - Design and testing of both FPGA based decoder and encoder prototype