SpaceWire

What is SpaceWire?

SpaceWire is a data communication protocol designed for use in space applications. The SpaceWire links are high-speed, bi-directional, point-to-point communication links operating at a baud rate of between 2 and 400 Mbits/s. SpaceWire is used in a variety of space-based systems, such as satellites and spacecraft. It is also used in ground-based systems, such as spacecraft test and simulation equipment. The standard was developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and is now maintained by the SpaceWire Consortium.

SpaceWire is designed to be highly reliable and robust in the harsh radiation environment of space. It uses a number of error-detection and correction techniques, such as cyclic redundancy check (CRC) and packetization, to ensure data integrity. SpaceWire is also designed to be low-cost, making it well-suited for use in space-borne systems, where cost and weight are major considerations. The standard is relatively simple to implement, and it is supported by a number of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components.

At each end of a SpaceWire link is a coder/decoder (CODEC) which encodes packets of data to be transmitted into a serial bit-stream and decodes an incoming serial bit-stream into a data packets."

 

What is SpaceWire RMAP?

SpaceWire Remote Memory Access Protocol (RMAP) is an extension of the SpaceWire standard that enables remote access to memory devices, such as memory boards, on a SpaceWire network. RMAP is a high-level protocol that runs on top of the SpaceWire standard and provides a standardized method for accessing memory devices on a SpaceWire network.

Our offering

We provide several SpaceWire cores: GRSPW2, GRSPWROUTER and GRSPW_CODEC.

The GRSPW2 core implements a SpaceWire link controller with an AHB interface and RMAP command handler.

The GRSPWROUTER core implements a SpaceWire router switch with the possibility for different types of ports, covering SpaceWire, AMBA AHB and FIFO ports.

The GRSPW_CODEC is a standalone version of the codec used in the GRSPW2.

More information about each core can be found on their respective pages:

GRSPW2

GRSPWROUTER

GRSPW_CODEC