Launch vehicle testing system
First Claim
1. A system for testing a launch vehicle, the system comprising:
- a flight control section including radiation hardened flight electronics in the launch vehicle, the flight electronics including a radiation hardened flight processor;
a non-flight test section operatively coupled to the flight control section, the non-flight test section comprising;
a first electronic control module in operative communication with the flight electronics; and
a second electronic control module that provides redundancy with respect to the first electronic control module, the second electronic control module in operative communication with the flight electronics;
wherein the first and second electronic control modules include non-radiation hardened electronics;
a first flight processor test interface coupled between the first electronic control module and the radiation hardened flight processor;
a second flight processor test interface coupled between the second electronic control module and the radiation hardened flight processor;
a flight processor control interface configured to assure that the test interfaces are controlled by the flight electronics;
an isolation interface comprising a set of radiation hardened buffers configured to assure that the test interfaces are isolated from the flight processor control interface;
a set of flight control section interfaces configured to assure that enables and direction control to the radiation hardened buffers are managed by the radiation hardened flight processor;
a power interface configured to assure that power switching is controlled by the radiation hardened flight processor and radiation hardened switching electronics, the power interface further configured to assure that test logic is powered-off during flight such that the non-radiation hardened electronics in the non-flight test section are electrically isolated from the flight electronics; and
an embedded software control mechanism configured to;
select one of the first and second electronic control modules to send data to the flight control section during a test;
determine whether a non-flight hardware error has occurred in the selected electronic control module;
automatically select the other electronic control module to send data to the flight control section after the non-flight hardware error is determined to have occurred; and
isolate the electronic control module where the non-flight hardware error occurred;
wherein the first and second flight processor test interfaces are configured to provide for redundant flight system test and debug, such that any flight system faults are isolated from any non-flight system faults.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for testing a launch vehicle comprises a flight control section including flight electronics, and a non-flight test section coupled to the flight control section. The non-flight test section comprises a first control module in communication with the flight electronics, and a second control module that provides redundancy in communication with the flight electronics. A first network serial interface is coupled to the first control module and configured to provide communication to ground support equipment, and a second network serial interface is coupled to the second control module and configured to provide communication to the ground support equipment. Only one of the first and second control modules is selected at a given point in time to send data to the flight control section. When a non-flight hardware error occurs in the selected control module, the other control module is automatically selected to send data to the flight control section.
37 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for testing a launch vehicle, the system comprising:
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a flight control section including radiation hardened flight electronics in the launch vehicle, the flight electronics including a radiation hardened flight processor; a non-flight test section operatively coupled to the flight control section, the non-flight test section comprising; a first electronic control module in operative communication with the flight electronics; and a second electronic control module that provides redundancy with respect to the first electronic control module, the second electronic control module in operative communication with the flight electronics; wherein the first and second electronic control modules include non-radiation hardened electronics; a first flight processor test interface coupled between the first electronic control module and the radiation hardened flight processor; a second flight processor test interface coupled between the second electronic control module and the radiation hardened flight processor; a flight processor control interface configured to assure that the test interfaces are controlled by the flight electronics; an isolation interface comprising a set of radiation hardened buffers configured to assure that the test interfaces are isolated from the flight processor control interface; a set of flight control section interfaces configured to assure that enables and direction control to the radiation hardened buffers are managed by the radiation hardened flight processor; a power interface configured to assure that power switching is controlled by the radiation hardened flight processor and radiation hardened switching electronics, the power interface further configured to assure that test logic is powered-off during flight such that the non-radiation hardened electronics in the non-flight test section are electrically isolated from the flight electronics; and an embedded software control mechanism configured to; select one of the first and second electronic control modules to send data to the flight control section during a test; determine whether a non-flight hardware error has occurred in the selected electronic control module; automatically select the other electronic control module to send data to the flight control section after the non-flight hardware error is determined to have occurred; and isolate the electronic control module where the non-flight hardware error occurred; wherein the first and second flight processor test interfaces are configured to provide for redundant flight system test and debug, such that any flight system faults are isolated from any non-flight system faults. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for testing a launch vehicle, the method comprising:
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performing a test operation using a testing system for the launch vehicle, the testing system comprising; a flight control section including radiation hardened flight electronics in the launch vehicle, the flight electronics including a radiation hardened flight processor; a non-flight test section operatively coupled to the flight control section, the non-flight test section comprising; a first electronic control module in operative communication with the flight electronics; and a second electronic control module that provides redundancy with respect to the first electronic control module, the second electronic control module in operative communication with the flight electronics; wherein the first and second electronic control modules include non-radiation hardened electronics; wherein the test operation is performed by a method comprising; selecting one of the first and second electronic control modules to send data to the flight control section; determining whether a non-flight hardware error has occurred in the selected electronic control module; automatically selecting the other electronic control module to send data to the flight control section after the non-flight hardware error is determined to have occurred; and isolating the electronic control module where the non-flight hardware error occurred. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification