Adapting commercial VME technology to space

Honeywell has investigated the adaptation of Versa Modular Eurocard (VME) standard products to space. To implement high reliability systems in the harsh environment of space, Honeywell has developed VME-compliant hardware and an embedded operating system suitable for use in the Space Shuttle, the International Space Station, and large satellite applications. The Honeywell-developed hardware includes a lightweight, conduction cooled, 6U VME 64x chassis and a DC-to-DC power conversion module. The software currently being used for new system development includes industry standard VxWorks and a Honeywell-designed embedded real-time operating system, known as the digital engine operating system (DEOS). Commercial off the shelf (COTS) hardware from multiple vendors has also been evaluated as to suitability for the thermal, vibration and radiation environment of space. This paper summarizes the requirements and considerations for adapting COTS VME hardware and software for the space environment.