Advanced Orbiting Systems Test-Bedding and Protocol Verification

Abstract

The Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) is developing a set of communications protocols for Advanced Orbiting Systems (AOS). The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) are cooperating in an effort to extensively validate these AOS protocols. This paper describes the techniques and facilities being used to perform this validation. Validation of the AOS protocols consists of (1) developing a formal specification of the protocols using a standard formal definition technique (FDT), (2) developing implementations of the protocols, and (3) remote testing of the implementations. From the FDT specifications, each agency is developing independent implementations which are consistent with the FDT specifications of the AOS protocols. Errors, omissions, or discrepancies detected during the development of the FDT specification and the implementation will be reported to the CCSDS and changes to the main specification will be suggested. The independent implementations will be extensively tested locally by the developing agency and then remotely tested through a cooperative test setup between the agencies. The implementations will interact to communicate between the agencies thus providing proof that the FDT specifications are sufficiently specific to be interpreted by everyone in the same way. Significant variations in the interpretations will result in feedback to the CCSDS and any needed changes to the main specification will be suggested. The AOS protocols are divided into four categories: Path, Space Link ARQ Protocol (SLAP), Space Link (SL), and Management. Each agency has agreed to be either the leader or support agency for each of the categories. NASA has agreed to be leader for the validation of the SLAP and SLS categories while ESA has agreed to lead in the validation of the Path and Management categories. Testbeds at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, Holland and at the MITRE Corporation in McLean, Virginia have been constructed for the development of FDT specifications and AOS protocol implementations. Communications facilities are being obtained which will connect these testbeds. This paper describes these testbeds, the AOS FDT specifications, the protocol implementations being developed, and the results expected from the tests performed.