CCSDS PACKET TELECOMMAND ENCODER

Abstract

The European Space Agency (ESA) decided in March, 1991 to phase out the existing telecommand standard (PSS-45) and replaces it with the new CCSDS (Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems) compatible standard, the packet telecommand standard PSS-04-107. SCHLUMBERGER Industries has developed a telecommand encoder, the TC 3900, which complies with the packet telecommand standards. It belongs to a new family of modular products using new technologies and incorporates in only one single housing of 7 units high and 19" wide, the telecommand encoder, a PSKFSK sub-carrier modem, and WAN (Wide Area Network) and LAN (Local) interfaces. The CCSDS recommendations oblige to implement new functions, which were not used with previous standards : we propose to describe what are the new services provided by the packet telecommanding and how they have been implemented in the TC 3900 encoder.