Telecommand Decoder Shell
The Telecommand Decoder Shell package is a commercial off-the-shelf software component which implements the space based parts of a telecommand system, including the TC Space Data Link Protocol, the Communications Operation Procedure (COP-1) and the channel coding (BCH code).
It is highly portable so that it is easy to use for building into different software systems, such as spacecraft simulators and on-board telecommand decoders. It is also ideal for building demonstration systems. To demonstrate ground system telecommand elements to users or customers, there is no need for spacecraft hardware: the Shell can be used to build a software-based simulation of the spacecraft behaviour.
The Shell has an API (Application Programming Interface) which provides access to the telecommand facilities. The API uses calls in ANSI-C.
The Telecommand Decoder Shell accepts the incoming telecommand data. The data can be supplied as Communications Link Transmission Units (CLTUs) each containing a telecommand transfer frame, or as the candidate BCH codeblocks of a CLTU. The Shell delivers packets and the other SDUs (service data units) defined for the TC Space Data Link Protocol. It also delivers Communications Link Control Words (CLCWs) for the spacecraft telemetry.
The facilities and interfaces of the Telecommand Decoder Shell package are described further in the detailed description.
Security options for the Telecommand Decoder Shell
There are currently three versions of the Shell package:
- Telecommand Decoder Shell without security options
- Telecommand Decoder Shell with ESA Telecommand Authentication option
- Telecommand Decoder Shell with SLSI option.
The Shell can provide support for ESA Telecommand Authentication as an optional extra. When this option is selected, the Shell provides the receiving-end processing for the ESA AU, including the validation of the authentication tail on telecommand segments.
The Shell can provide an interface for external implementation of security features such as authentication. The Segment Level Security Interface (SLSI) is an optional extra. When this option is selected, the Shell passes each segment to the interface for processing.
Optional feature: Failure simulation for test systems
The Telecommand Decoder Shell package
has a unique feature: Built-In-Failures (BIFs).
The BIFs can be switched on and off for testing the response of
the ground system to spacecraft exceptions.
This controlled generation of spacecraft errors is an advantage of our
software-based telecommand decoder. However, the capability could create a risk in
operational applications, so the BIF interface is not in a standard release.
A modified release of the Telecommand Decoder Shell which includes the
BIF interface is available on request.
Please contact us for further information on technical questions or licensing conditions for the Telecommand Decoder Shell package.