The onboard software of the EUSO‐SPB pathfinder experiment

Abstract

In this paper, the flight software architecture of the EUSO-SPB mission is described. The JEM-EUSO program aims at developing an advanced large space-borne UV telescope designed to detect ultra high energy cosmic rays. In this framework, the EUSO-SPB experiment is the third pathfinder mission of the JEM-EUSO program, the second that has been launched on a stratospheric balloon to test the technological readiness of the detectors and to carry out some preliminary scientific observations. The EUSO-SPB software has a modular structure conceived to control all the instruments and the ancillary subsystems, to acquire data, and to manage data transfer to ground. System programming in C and C++ languages and Bash scripts have been used to implement and run the modules. The software runs on the data processor, an onboard computer that communicates with several payload blocks, the UV sensor, and the synchronization and time tagging board. The control software module controls all the subsystems, provides communication to ground through the NASA telemetry or the Internet, runs the acquisition control and download software, and manages the execution of the acquisition software. The acquisition software module directly operates the subsystems for the data acquisition activity. The acquisition control and download software module runs the acquisition software upon request of the control software and transfers scientific data to ground. The software system performed as expected during the flight on April 2017. KEYWORDS cosmic rays, EUSO, flight software, SPB, stratospheric balloon, UHECR THE JEM-EUSO EXPERIMENTSThe JEM-EUSO * program 1,2 aims at developing a large space-borne UV telescope able to detect the ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs). The very wide field-of-view telescope is conceived to look down from space toward the Earth to detect the fluorescence photons emitted by the cascades of particles produced by the interaction of an UHECR with the *EUSO is the acronym of Extreme Universe Space Observatory, whereas JEM is named after the Japanese Experiment Module, the module of the International Space Station where the UV telescope was initially designed to be installed. 524

The Fluorescence Telescope on board EUSO-SPB2 for the detection of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays

“…It is a complex system that allows to remotely control, configure, monitor and operate the telescope, during integration phases, test and flight campaigns. The DP of the SPB2 Fluorescence telescope is an evolution of the one developed for EUSO-SPB1 [11][12]. The block diagram of the DP is shown in Fig.…”

Control and data acquisition software of the high‐energy particle detector on board the China Seismo‐Electromagnetic Satellite space mission

“…This fast local communication network is especially designed for spacecraft, and it has been selected for its high reliability and positive performance. 25 SpaceWire Light controllers are implemented in the field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) firmware of the electronic boards: each board exposes a number of 32-bit registers, such that the CPU board processor can read their status and configure them by means of commands. FPGA are well suited for space applications.…”

A data processing system for balloon-borne telescopes

“…The DP is the interface between the detector and the telemetry blocks and the end-users.Instrument operations and monitoring will be shared between collaborators in the US, Japan and Europe to provide, during local daytime, control and monitoring of the telescopes 24/7, similarly to the onground control that was done for EUSO-SPB1 [10].…”