by Peter J. Brown

What does 21st century software have in store for the global satellite industry? As the next waves of software start emerging some important trends can be identified, including the increasing emphasis on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions, the emergence of more user-friendly software products, and the growing use of Internet protocol (IP) and browser-based systems.

As a result, systems integrators are just one sector of the industry that is able to tap into a wide range of software options that are affordable and evolving rapidly.

“Software, unlike anytime in the past, has become the foundation for most satellite network management systems. As networks become increasingly more expansive and complex, the need for more simplified tools and products has become an absolute necessity,” says John Overlock, vice president of engineering and general manager of IDB Systems in Carrollton, TX. “Software companies like our partner Newpoint Technologies have allowed IDB Systems, a systems integrator, the opportunity to focus internally on core competencies of RF engineering, system integration and installation. Standardized software systems and development tools are readily available in the marketplace. These tools allow users to build their own software systems, including equipment interfaces and graphical user interfaces (GUI’s) to suit their needs.”

Ron Mankarious, vice president of marketing at Montreal-based NSI Communications Systems Corp., a DAMA VSAT terminal manufacturer, also considers software a vital part of his company’s product.

“Optimizing link performance and bandwidth utilization has required the development of sophisticated software-based algorithms. In addition, the mix of telephony services with Internet Protocol -based data services and video teleconferencing has fueled the level of software complexity so that the satellite network seamlessly integrates with the terrestrial network,” Mankarious says.

How far the software industry will go in terms of achieving interoperability and standardization remains open to debate. With a new generation of satellites with onboard processing or switching capabilities inching towards the launch pad, the bent pipe is not becoming obsolete, but the doors are opening to new software opportunities, in space and on the ground.

Creating A Big Space For Standard Interfaces

Approximately 10 people have been attending meetings of the Space, Satellite, Ground Systems Working Group (SSGSWG), which was formed last August to explore the creation of standards for space applications. It is part of the international software consortium known as the Object Management Group (OMG), according to co-chairman James L. Wetherbee, lead architect for Altair Aerospace Corp. in Bowie, MD.

“The technology is moving very quickly. End-users need to mandate this for it to happen,” Wetherbee says. One development Wetherbee would like to see is a segmenting of the traditional software systems that handle every aspect of a satellite network’s deployment and operation. “There are just too many tradeoffs when you ask for a whole system which handles everything,” Wetherbee explains.

In a request for information (RFI) issued in November, the SSGSWG declared, “The space industry has, in the past, created large programs for the design, integration, test, launch, and operation of satellites and satellite constellations. Although many of these large programs have used distributed computing, there has been little effort in breaking down these larger programs into functionality that can be developed independently. Where this functionality has been broken down (into functional modules) there are no standard interfaces to support these functional modules. This RFI is geared toward determining which areas of the space domain can support this breakdown and can support the generation of standard interface definitions.”

The six broad areas covered by the RFI include functional/operational, system-level, hardware interfaces, common services, payload operations and spacecraft communication protocol. Wetherbee believes the new standard interfaces are emerging, based on Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) middleware, will offer lots of advantages.

CORBA middleware enables software engineers to interface together different software packages, which have emerged from different platforms or operating systems such as Unix, Windows NT, or Sun’s Solaris. Additionally, CORBA enables the use of different programming languages. It is a universally accepted standard distribution mechanism that defines a framework for developing object-oriented distributed applications, according to Wetherbee.

“CORBA middleware supports many different programming languages. It describes the mechanism employed so the developer does not have to identify which language–such as C or C++–is being used,” Wetherbee says. “For example, the way things are done now with space operations software, everything is bundled together. A customer cannot select different options for flight control or telemetry monitoring from different vendors. At the next layer down, the same is true for flight dynamics software.”

Wetherbee is quite candid. While he believes the entire satellite industry needs to acknowledge that software standards for space operations are a necessity, he describes it as an uphill battle nonetheless.

“There is a chance this will go nowhere. If nobody attends the meetings or if nobody responds to the RFI, we will know either that the space industry is not ready for standards, or that the industry does not see a payoff,” Wetherbee says.

He also indicates the job is far too large for the SSGSWG to tackle alone. Vendors, integrators and end-users need to address the important elements of this undertaking. And he awaits the spark that can only come from the entire satellite industry.

“In the end, companies like ours will probably end up supporting both markets: vendors or end-users who rely on standard interfaces, and those who don’t. It is not the job of the working group or OMG as a whole to try and force implementation,” Wetherbee says.

Open Software Going Mission To Mission

Dennis Lunder, vice president of corporate marketing for Exigent International Inc., looks out over the vast software landscape from his vantage point in Melbourne, FL. In every direction, Lunder watches as satellite software starts marching to a different beat, albeit played by the same drummer.

“The spacecraft bus and payload will continue be the ‘dog that wags the ground software tail.’ Software architectures are likely to continue to become increasingly open and interoperable,” Lunder explains. The competitive environment and the need for rapid development will ‘incentivize’ satellite software providers to standardize interfaces and broaden their products’ flexibility in meeting requirements, according to Lunder. “Exigent/STI intends to grow its product capabilities so they appeal to the broadest possible customer base, everything from the GEO to the LEO satellite programs.” Lunder says.

Lunder credits increasing downward pressure on both government and commercial program budgets as the major catalyst for software change. He notes that as dollars become scarcer, the industry is forced to further minimize the non-recurring development required for mission-specific software applications.

“Software will need to be reused from mission to mission, at least with minimal changes. This development work is dramatically reduced by increasing the adaptability and capabilities of command/control software,” Lunder says. “Some of these spacecraft manufacturers are taking positive steps to make their bus standards known and to establish a group of pre-qualified software providers to fulfill their requirements.”

Exigent/STI recognizes both the challenges and benefits of standardization to its customers, according to Lunder, who points out that Exigent/STI’s top engineers are eagerly participating on various standards committees.

Rising expectations regarding operator interface ease-of-use, the development of component-based software that “plays” together, the gradual replacement of large monolithic applications, the steady proliferation of browser-based systems, and the ability to retrieve and review data via the Internet are among the general software-related trends Lunder is detecting.

“A direct result of increased Internet use is the rising need for more elaborate protocol and security features in software systems,” Lunder says. “Manufacturers will not only want to reuse the software from mission to mission, but also during the complete life-cycle of the satellite program in question.

“There is also a greater need today for COTS software to reduce costs. Although the cost reduction could be argued, software is moving closer to a true COTS solution, driving costs down. There will be a greater trend towards this, and reuse of COTS software in the future,” Lunder adds.

As for new software tools, Lunder points to the software bridges Exigent/STI has built between its flagship CC&T software product known as OS/COMET and the software of its strategic partners. These partners and their software include the STK orbital analysis software package from Analytical Graphics, which is integrated into Exigent/STI’s Integrated Control Center (OS/ICC). The objective, among other things, is to provide a turnkey ground station solution such as OS/ICC.

What lies ahead as far as Exigent’s role in the Space, Satellite, Ground Systems Working Group and the Space Objects Technology Group (SOTG)?

SOTG is the result of a joint sponsorship of NASA and NRO. Participating companies included Altair, Scitor, Exigent/STI, CSC, Raytheon, Logicon and Appnet.

“We have supported the SOTG with two of our best satellite software engineers and continue to play a major role in supporting the ongoing SOTG work. This now centers on building a demonstration system based on the SOTG interfaces in order to demonstrate the ‘plug and play’ capabilities provided by the definition of these standard interfaces,” Lunder says. “Exigent/STI believes in standardization and will continue to support the SSGSWG, as we did SOTG.”

Mission Control Systems Arrive Sooner

At Herndon, VA-based Storm Control Systems, part of the Telemetry & Instrumentation division of L-3 Communications Corp., there is a strong emphasis on enabling customers to automate operations and speed up the delivery of software to the control centers. At the same time, Storm encourages its customers to utilize the same software system through all phases of satellite test and operations. Although this approach differs from that of several other satellite software companies, Chris Bourassa, senior vice president at Storm, asserts that it greatly reduces development costs and schedules, while also improving the quality and effectiveness of the resulting system. This is a result of the system’s acquired knowledge of the satellite stored in expert systems and related databases.

“Not only is the software arriving earlier at the satellite manufacturer’s door, but engineers can now hand off the same software to the operations staff. During the life of the mission, our customers are able to increase the level of automation as they become more comfortable. This emphasis on establishing a basic foundation eliminates human error in both the testing and operations, because everyone does it the same way every time,” Bourassa says.

He indicates that commercial customers such as Inmarsat are using the automation capabilities of the system to perform “hands-off” control for their fleet of spacecraft and worldwide remote tracking, telemetry and command (TT&C) sites.

“In the past, satellite manufacturers once developed their own software. Today satellite operators are looking to reduce the costs of solutions, while they are also looking for reliability and stability at a higher level,” adds Bourassa. “Customers are looking for relatively good price value on a shorter time line.”

He indicates that L-3 Storm is seeing an increase in work for the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and NRO. Last summer, for example, TRW’s systems information and technology group selected L-3 Storm’s Automated Remote Tracking Stations (ARTS) interface module, or AIM, for a project involving the Air Force Satellite Control Network (AFSCN).

L-3 Storm has also been concentrating on new graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and network-centric data exchange models.

“We are looking at the Internet as a way to provide more flexible access to the control system for engineers and analysts who may not be located at the control center. Our focus is to provide a full system solution that does not require significant customization, but still offers the flexibility to meet the changing needs of the mission. These days, ground hardware is more of a commodity-bought and used ‘as-is.’ Software, on the other hand, serves as the primary interface to the operator and must be more adaptable,” Bourassa says.

“As a division of L-3, Storm can provide customers with end-to-end solutions–from the RF antennas to the workstations and the software at the control center. In addition, there is an increased opportunity to provide services, as satellite owners/operators continue to look for ways to reduce operations costs and improve their bottom line,” he adds.

Bourassa sees the possibility that the demand will grow for mission-based ground control services where clients are billed in blocks of time or by the mission. He compares such a service to what Allied Signal and Universal Spacenet are currently offering in the emerging leased antenna capacity sector.

“For many companies looking to launch space-based ventures, the time/mission model would be extremely attractive as a way to minimize procurement and operations expenses associated with the command and control infrastructure. While it might seem to be a radical new business model, the future growth and entrepreneurial nature of the industry has the ability to support it,” Bourassa says.

All Transponders On A Single Screen

M&C Systems Inc. of Plano, TX, rolled out its Virtual Carrier Monitoring System (VCMS) at NAB’99. VCMS is available as one feature in the fully-integrated “Presence” PC- based management and control (M&C) system, or as a standalone unit, according to Mark Sivertsen, vice president for marketing at M&C Systems. VCMS allows the user to see as many as 12 transponders–or more if requested–simultaneously via standard L-band inputs and 500 MHz bandwidth capabilities. VCMS also offers a dozen user-configurable, zoom-in windows allowing for simultaneous viewing of different satcom devices.

“The string of recent failures in customer satellite operations drove the development of the VCMS,” says Sivertsen. “This system allows the operator and the service provider to see what carrier went down, and then to change the carrier distribution or use in response to the event. The GUI is designed to display all the transponders on a single screen simultaneously, and all 500 MHz are visible as well. All the carriers are broken out.

“Advances in high speed CPU’s and DSP’s, among other things, along with the emergence of standard TCP/IP communications links made this VCMS possible as a low cost carrier monitoring system,” Sivertsen continues. “With the growing emphasis on automation, we understood early on that the software and architectures we selected had to provide maximum flexibility.”

A recent M&C Systems contract for a remote Intelsat station in Trinidad and Tobago demonstrates the increasing demand for non-satellite device monitoring and control, according to Sivertsen. There, device drivers control non-satellite devices such as back-up generators, HPAs, temperature controls and HVAC systems as well as access, fire detection and fire protection systems.

“Regardless of the device or the protocol, we can write a driver to bring the device in question back into a single point-of-presence with the Presence M&C system. We can also phase deploy the Presence system, making it completely scalable, and deployable in a manner such that we control all the parameters through each phase in order to hold down costs for the customer,” Sivertsen says. “Our interface and driver library is constantly expanding due to the evolving mix of components in satellite ground systems offered by various vendors.”

By allowing customers to add any device from any vendor, which yields the best performance at the best price for the application in question, M&C Systems is putting control back in the hands of customers by giving them far more options. In the past, customers have often been locked into the purchase of proprietary satellite components from a single vendor, according to Sivertsen, who indicates that standards-based solutions also ensure a relatively trouble-free and less expensive migration from legacy systems to new technologies.

Evidence of this emphasis on flexibility can be encountered at recent projects completed for two M&C Systems customers. For DirecTV Inc.’s new Los Angeles Broadcasting Center (LABC), the objective was to ensure that the automation system gave DirecTV’s operators remote control of over 2,200 individual components at the site. Sivertsen described it as the largest automation system ever created by his company. LABC includes five separate DBS uplink systems and a satellite HDTV uplink system. Downlinks consist of four separate limited-motion antenna systems, and a multi-feed elliptical antenna to access dual band feeds from 35 different orbital locations. In contrast, an automation system was put in place for the Department of Defense to allow for the remote control of a single device at multiple mobile sites.

Moving Beyond Traditional M&C

According to Dan Ostrouch, vice president of marketing for Newpoint Technologies Inc. in Salem, NH, satellite software industry trends include the shift of all inter-node communications to TCP/IP with real-time operational latencies of fewer than two seconds. This pertains to all local or remote sites in the command-and-control chain.

A TCP/IP-based function called replication is used by Newpoint to provide a rapid response via minimal bandwidth with guaranteed delivery. With it, a Newpoint customer can download the entire real-time database at the Network Operations Center (NOC) during start-up, and once the download cycle is completed, only changing or exception-based data flows across the link. So-called “screen bring-up time” is less than one second, according to Ostrouch.

He sees COTS solutions as offering one distinct advantage to customers: they can make any modifications themselves. The conventional way of implementing all monitoring and control activities has been the process of undergoing vast changes, according to Ostrouch. He makes note of the fact that users and integrators such as Globecomm Systems, IDB Systems and Exigent International–all Newpoint customers–are handling the integration and upgrading of systems by themselves using Newpoint software.

“Ongoing improvements in minimizing management system bandwidth requirements are making remote site M&C systems more attractive as well. Remote site automation involves the most innovative technology change in the market for M&C products and services,” Ostrouch says. “Newpoint’s replication client was developed so that integrators and users could put an inexpensive box at the remote site, and via replication, provide real-time performance over a low bandwidth connection. To support industry standards, an SNMP interface is offered at either the remote site or the NOC.”

While the implementation of the single NOC is not new from the standpoint of network configuration, the trend towards a much faster integration cycle, while interfacing to multiple types of vendor equipment is definitely new, according to Ostrouch.

“Improved software tools are allowing us to develop new low-cost remote site managers, like our Mercury unit. We are rolling out M&C packages in which the more conventional equipment interfaces are now combined with functions like automated satellite system operating guide (SSOG) testing, spectrum analysis, power monitoring, scheduling activities, routing of video traffic and master control functions,” Ostrouch says. “Alliances between COTS vendors, such as the one involving Newpoint Technologies and Exigent International, are being created in order to provide complete solutions.”

Is Convergence Far Off?

Over 100 satellites are tracked, monitored and controlled by systems developed by Lanham, MD-based Integral Systems Inc. These include systems driven by the Epoch 2000 software, and modules such as Integral’s Orbit Analysis System (Oasys), which are offered as stand-alone products. Epoch 2000 is designed to operate satellite and ground equipment for command and control functions.

“Integral does everything off the shelf. It is all COTS, with the exception of such things as elaborate scheduling systems. We fly any type of satellite,” says Steve Carchedi, Integral’s executive vice president. “M&C is one segment of Epoch 2000 which can also be used for testing satellites and payload integration. I guess you can label it as a tool for flying satellites in space as well as on the ground.”

Integral uses SNMP to perform monitoring of network assets, according to Carchedi, who reports that last year, Integral installed 15 GEO control centers with an average delivery time of six months, whereas it used to take a couple of years to complete such a project. Among the recent projects for Integral are control centers for the pair of joint Loral/Alcatel Europe*Star satellites, which are scheduled to launch starting later this year. In early January, Integral announced that it was chosen by New Skies Satellites N.V. to install three control centers and ground systems for the New Skies fleet of satellites built by Loral and Lockheed Martin.

“You can see that thus far, we are not focused on the communications equipment as far as satellite operations are concerned. There is really no reason why the M&C function cannot all be bundled into one package. It is the same thing, but the data just looks different,” Carchedi says. “In practice, there has not been any convergence of this type yet. This separation, to date, probably stems from the fact that M&C of the command and control equipment and M&C of communications equipment are traditionally the responsibility of two different groups. If we were to pursue this, we would not develop it from scratch,” he adds.

Integral’s Leo-T system delivers remote tracking station automation for LEO satellites, including satellite acquisition, telemetry processing, commanding and payload data acquisition and data dissemination. According to Carchedi, this was developed by Integral initially to support NASA, NOAA and USAF applications.

Users Expect Powerful, Easy-To-Use Software Tools

Expectations play a major role in any market, and the satellite software market is no exception. John Pahl, a director at Croydon, U.K.-based Transfinite Systems Ltd., sees the steady influence of ever more demanding customers, and challenging applications, all the time.

“The types of users and applications have changed, with trends including increased use of higher frequencies, such as Ka-band, and the wider use of non-GSO constellations. Scenarios to study have become more complex and more demanding on the software, and on the PCs that have to run these simulations,” Pahl says. “We have customers that run Transfinite’s Visualyse with simulations that contain thousands of satellites and earth stations, or have to run for tens of millions of time steps.”

Pahl agrees that COTS software is playing an increasingly dominant role, primarily for cost reasons.

“Users expect easy to use and yet powerful tools that are kept up to date with the changing standards and integrate with other desktop applications such as Word and Excel. COTS allows these tools to be affordable as vendors produce a package such as Visualyse and then sell it to many customers worldwide,” Pahl says.

COTS packages represent another form of standardization, according to Pahl. As Transfinite’s Visualyse has become more widespread, Pahl indicates that Transfinite’s customers are exchanging Visualyse “.sim” files.

“With a common standard simulation package, they can concentrate on solving their problems rather than debating how each has implemented their software. At the ITU, Visualyse is used more frequently than any other simulation tool. In a sense, it has evolved into a de facto standard,” Pahl says.

The rapid maturing of the non-GSO market has become a factor as well in terms of forecasting, resulting in a greater emphasis on sharing realistic goals and less acceptance of what amounts to unsubstantiated hype.

“In general, with two major voice MSS operators operational, the non-GSO market has matured. This hasn’t always been an easy path, and has resulted in a more realistic approach to market forecasts, and lessons learned about both technology and marketing,” Pahl says.

Like other software vendors, Transfinite is always pushing hard to make sure that new features address the customer’s needs. For example, Transfinite is offering so-called “add-ins” or, according to Pahl, software that can be seamlessly integrated into Visualyse, allowing for customization.

“Users can enter their own gain patterns and propagation models into Visualyse using the Basic programming language. Other add-ins could be used for database access or additional applications on a customer request basis,” Pahl says. “We have introduced a new version of Visualyse-Visualyse EPFD-to analyze the specific problem of interference from non-GSO systems into GSO systems. This whole algorithm, which calculates interference from non-GSO systems into GSO systems, was defined by the ITU.”

This last sentence helps to explain why Pahl labels standards as one of the fundamental ingredients in simulation software.

“Most work done by customers involves discussions with other organizations. This requires that all parties are working from the same assumptions, often standards from bodies such as the ITU. The ITU is important for satellite systems in defining many of the elements that constitute a simulation, such as gain patterns for earth stations and satellites, propagation models, and performance criteria,” Pahl says. “These standards are often updated following new information and requirements, and so Visualyse has a continual upgrade program to keep up to date with new ITU recommendations.”

The customers of all these satellite companies are no doubt pleased with the way in which satellite software engineers and developers are able to keep one step ahead of their clients. All of the above-mentioned contacts dwell in a world that few outsiders comprehend. Calculating general industry trends, and anticipating a client’s next move may be two different things entirely, but the players discussed here seem to be able to accomplish exactly these goals in the most applications-savvy manner imaginable.

As Via Satellite’s senior multimedia writer, Peter J. Brown tracks the satellite industry’s multimedia and Internet applications. He lives on Mount Desert Island, Maine.

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