SATMON A Generic User Interface For Satellite Control

1
SATMON A Generic User Interface For Satellite
Control

• C. Peat, Heavens-Above GmbH,
• Munich, Germany
• H. Hofmann, DLR,
• Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany

2
Heavens-Above GmbH

• Founded in 1999, and based in Munich.
• We are a small company specializing in software
  development for space operations.
• DLR is our main customer, and we have developed
  software for them in the fields of telemetry
  display, mission planning and big screen orbit
  display.
• Additionally, we run a web site
  (heavens-above.com) which provides satellite
  visibility predictions and other astronomical
  data customized for any location in the world.
  The web site is free and funded through
  advertising.
• Since July 2002, we have provided the See the
  ISS web pages to ESA (ESRIN). They form a part
  of the ESA web offering.

3
SATMON Overview

• SATMON is a Windows based front end for the
  display of satellite telemetry and other
  real-time data.
• By defining a standard data provider interface,
  it can display data from several different
  monitoring and control systems.
• It has been operationally proven as the prime
  display system on several satellite missions at
  the German Space Operations Centre (EUTELSAT
  HB6/EW5, CHAMP, BIRD, GRACE).

4
A Typical SATMON Display
5
SATMON Version 2 Screen
6
SATMON Architecture
7
Remote Client Prototype
8
Client Details
9
Page Definitions

• Pages are stored as XML files which specify
  graphical controls and bind parameters to
  properties of these controls for input/output.
• Pages can be designed using a form designer tool
  which offers a toolbox of available controls, and
  allows their properties to be set or bound to
  parameters (direct or via lookup table, string
  formatter etc).
• Pages can be stored on the clients local file
  system or loaded via HTTP from a central web
  server..

10
Orbital Displays
11
Ground Track Display
12
Lineplot scaleable and zoomable
13
Procedure Execution Page
14
Synoptic Display (SVG)
15
Parameter References

• Parameters have globally unique identifiers
  similar to URLs which identify their source and
  position within the source hierarchy, e.g.
  //tm.champ/aocs/imu/gyroX/rate
• Status, validity, OOL codes and sample times are
  all individually addressable parameters.

16
Page Definitions - Expressions

• Visible control properties are bound to
  spreadsheet-like expressions, for example
• Format(//metop1.xband/param1, 0.00)
• Sum( /p1, /p2 )
• Lookup( /p1, //tables/ForeColors )
• Format( /pradians, Div(180, PI()), 0.0)
• If( Eq( /p1/OOL, 1), Color(Red),
  Color(White))
• If( GE( /p3, 0), Positive, Negative)

17
Data Providers

• Providers implement a standard interface which
  allows clients to request parameter updates,
  histories and to issue directives to the
  provider.
• Data providers can be in-process or remote.
  Communication with remote providers is via .NET
  remoting channels.
• Data providers can be written for many types of
  data, e.g.
• Processed telemetry from different sources
  (SCOS-2000, EPOCH-2000, Framtec)
• Flight dynamics (station passes, orbital events)
• Timing sources (UTC, MET)
• Ground system parameters

18
Graphical Page Designer
19
Sample Web Interface

• Web server application receives parameter
  updates.
• Page formatted in HTML format in real-time using
  latest values.
• Values updated on page refresh.
• Used by JPL and other institutions to monitor
  GRACE telemetry.

20
Future Plans

• More providers will be implemented to expand the
  real-time data sources (e.g. mission planning
  products).
• Provide an API which allows thirds parties to
  extend the range of display controls.
• Try to win new customers outside of the space
  operations field.