2014 NASA/ESA Conference on Adaptive Hardware and Systems, AHS 2014, Leicester, United Kingdom, July 14-17, 2014

On-board data systems and data handling electronics are in constant evolution, due to the obsolescence of components and indeed to the need of increasing their performances. They follow ground technology trends, often at a slower pace, such as the ones allowing easier and faster integration by reusing building blocks. This is well reflected by on-board platform and payload computers that become not only more compact and more powerful but also more versatile. In parallel, high speed links and on-board networks (e.g. SpaceWire, SpaceFibre, and Ethernet) are now widely used. They complement or even replace more conventional command and control busses (e.g. Mil1553). On the same line, sensor links and busses (e.g. SPI, I2C, CAN) are being adapted to space use. Another interesting evolution is related to file based mass-memories (e.g. non-volatile) allowing data to be easily stored on-board and retrieved by applications through standardised services and protocols. These facilities are extended to new concepts including file based operations. On the basis of future missions for which adaptively are an enabling requirement, the presentation addresses ESA's approach for streamlining the development of Data Systems. Starting from reference architectures, the concept of Space Avionics Open Interface Architecture (SAVOIR) is then detailed. Then the definition of generic specifications for key units such as On-Board Computers and Remote Terminal Units are addressed together with some implementation options. Finally, functions and features supporting an adaptive behaviour of the sub-system during definition, development and operations are presented. Biography: Philippe Armbruster received an Engineering degree in Physics and Electronics in 1983 and then a PhD in Signal and Image Processing from the Louis Pasteur University of Strasbourg in 1987, France. After having completed the development of a very high resolution image digitising and processing system for a German company, he started working in 1989 at the technical centre of the European Space Agency, ESTEC, located in The Netherlands. He was first in charge of developing signal processing devices and electronic units for on-board satellite payload data processing applications. Being nominated head of the Data Systems division in 2003, he is responsible presently for the development of radiation hardened microprocessors, computers, mass memories and on-board electronics in general. He contributed significantly to the development of the SpaceWire standard used worldwide today to implement on-board networks. Philippe Armbruster is now focusing on space avionics based on open interfaces (SAVOIR initiative) and adaptive on-board data systems. ESA Developments for On-board Data Systems