Flight equipment validation with iSAFT: The EUCLID Fine Guidance Sensor case

iSAFT is an integrated powerful HW/SW environment for the simulation, validation & monitoring of satellite/spacecraft on-board data networks supporting simultaneously a wide range of protocols. This paper presents a study on how iSAFT modules can be used for the validation of demanding spacecraft subsystems such as the EUCLID Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS). Validation of the EUCLID FGS includes the accurate injection of static sky images through SpaceWire and acquisition of the units' response through another SpaceWire and MIL-STD-1553 channels and, synchronization with the AOCS SCOE which provides quaternion and angular rate for dynamic simulations and remote control of other testbed elements (e.g. OGSE). The paper presents the proposed EGSE HW and SW architectures, their configurations and the performance characteristics which pose very strict requirements on the design of the EGSEs.