On the use of distributed reconfigurable hardware in launch control avionics

This paper discusses the feasibility of employing reconfigurable hardware in the avionics systems of future generations of launch vehicles for space. Such technology has the potential of being orders of magnitude faster than conventional embedded computer technology for many applications. It can be argued that avionics architectures that use such reconfigurable elements may vastly improve the flexibility, efficiency, performance and reusability of the avionics system. It can also be argued that such a flexible environment will facilitate the implementation of advanced and mission-specific real-time fault tolerance, avoidance, and corrective techniques and would greatly facilitate sensor/data fusion operations. However, before this technology can be applied to such safety critical applications there are several issues that must be resolved. Such issues center around the suitability and robustness of reconfigurable hardware for in-flight operation. In this paper we investigate many of these issues, focussing upon the use of reconfigurable hardware to form a generic multi-functional launch controller element that can be replicated as needed and distributed throughout the launch vehicle.