Innoflight, Inc. — National Aeronautics and Space Administration SBIR Phase I: Z6

Description

In this proposed effort, Innoflight will develop a new type of high-reliability, high-performance data network switch family known collectively as the ldquo;InnoSwitchrdquo;.The High Performance Spaceflight Computing (HPSC) Chiplet will provide high-reliability space missions with a major increase in computing capability when compared with existing radiation-hardened processors.nbsp; However, HPSC-enabled computers are only one aspect of a full spacecraft avionics system.nbsp; As technology and mission complexity continue to advance, additional technologies will be needed in order to operate full spacecraft systems.nbsp; By the time HPSC-enabled computers become readily available, Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) technology will have advanced well beyond the capability of the HPSC itself.nbsp; As a result, COTS technology will need to be integrated into high-performance space systems alongside HPSC computers.In addition to high-performance sensors and processors, high-speed bus interconnects are critical enabling technologies.nbsp; The HPSC Chiplet includes support for several popular high-speed interconnects: Serial RapidIO (SRIO), PCI Express (PCIe), and Ethernet.nbsp; High-reliability space systems, including those with built-in redundancy, must implement sophisticated Fault Detection, Isolation, and Reconfiguration (FDIR) features within the spacecraft bus interconnect system.nbsp; The selected interconnect standards have varying degrees of built-in support for high-reliability, fault-tolerant systems.nbsp; Innoflightrsquo;s goal is to extend and tailor these existing FDIR capabilities for spacecraft architectures.nbsp; We also plan to standardize these new capabilities between the different interconnect types.nbsp; Implementing standardized FDIR features within radiation-tolerant switches will facilitate the development of high-reliability space systems, including those with both HPSC processors and COTS components, for multiple types of high-speed interconnects.