Modeling SpaceWire networks with network calculus

The SpaceWire network standard is promoted by the ESA and is scheduled to be used as the sole on-board network for future satellites. This network uses a wormhole routing mechanism that can lead to packet blocking in routers and consequently to variable end-to-end delays. As the network will be shared by real-time and non real-time traffic, network designers require a tool to check that temporal constraints are verified for all the critical messages. Network Calculus can be used for evaluating worst-case end-to-end delays. However, we first have to model SpaceWire components through the definition of service curves. In this paper, we propose a new Network Calculus element that we call the Wormhole Section. This element allows us to better model a wormhole network than the usual multiplexer and demultiplexer elements used in the context of usual Store-and-Forward networks. Then, we show how to combine Wormhole Section elements to compute the end-to-end service curve offered to a flow and illustrate its use on a industrial case study

Worst-case end-to-end delays evaluation for SpaceWire networks

SpaceWire is a standard for on-board satellite networks chosen by the ESA as the basis for multiplexing payload and control traffic on future data-handling architectures. However, network designers need tools to ensure that the network is able to deliver critical messages on time. Current research fails to address this needs for SpaceWire networks. On one hand, many papers only seek to determine probabilistic results for end-to-end delays on Wormhole networks like SpaceWire. This does not provide sufficient guarantee for critical traffic. On the other hand, a few papers give methods to determine maximum latencies on wormhole networks that, unlike SpaceWire, have dedicated real-time mechanisms built-in. Thus, in this paper, we propose an appropriate method to compute an upper-bound on the worst-case end-to-end delay of a packet in a SpaceWire network

A method of computation for worst-case delay analysis on SpaceWire networks

SpaceWire is a standard for on-board satellite networks chosen by the ESA as the basis for future data-handling architectures. However, network designers need tools to ensure that the network is able to deliver critical messages on time. Current research only seek to determine probabilistic results for end-to-end delays on Wormhole networks like SpaceWire. This does not provide sufficient guarantee for critical traffic. Thus, in this paper, we propose a method to compute an upper-bound on the worst-case end-to-end delay of a packet in a SpaceWire network

An enhanced worst-case end-to-end evaluation method for SpaceWire networks

The SpaceWire network is scheduled to be used as the sole on-board network for future ESA satellites. However, at the moment, network designers do not have tools to ensure that critical temporal deadlines are met when using best-effort wormhole networks like SpaceWire. In a previous paper, we have presented a first method to compute an upper-bound on the worst-case end-to-end delay of flows traversing such networks. However, its scope was limited by restrictive assumptions on the traffic patterns. Thus, in this paper, we propose a new network model that removes those limitations and allows worst-case delay analysis on SpaceWire networks with any traffic pattern

A molecular genetic perspective of reproductive development in grapevine

The grapevine reproductive cycle has a number of unique features. Inflorescences develop from lateral meristems (anlagen) in latent buds during spring and summer and enter a dormant state at a very immature stage before completing development and producing flowers and berries the following spring. Lateral meristems are unique structures derived from the shoot apical meristem and can either develop into an inflorescence or a tendril. How the grapevine plant controls these processes at the molecular level is not understood, but some progress has been made by isolating and studying the expression of flowering genes in wild-type and mutant grapevine plants. Interestingly, a number of flowering genes are also expressed during berry development. This paper reviews the current understanding of the genetic control of grapevine flowering and the impact of viticulture management treatments and environmental variables on yield. While the availability of the draft genome sequence of grapevine will greatly assist future molecular genetic studies, a number of issues are identified that need to be addressed—particularly rapid methods for confirming gene function and linking genes to biological processes and traits. Understanding the key interactions between environmental factors and genetic mechanisms controlling the induction and development of inflorescences, flowers, and berries is also an important area that requires increased emphasis, especially given the large seasonal fluctuations in yield experienced by the crop and the increasing concern about the effect of climate change on existing wine-producing regions

Controlling communication latencies in on-board SpaceWire networks

SpaceWire est un standard de réseau embarqué promu par l'Agence Spatiale Européenne qui envisage de l'utiliser comme réseau bord unique dans ses futures satellites. SpaceWire utilise un mécanisme de routage Wormhole pour réduire la consommation mémoire des routeurs et les coûts associés. Cependant,le routage Wormhole peut engendrer des blocages en cascade dans les routeurs et, par conséquent,d'importantes variations des délais de livraison des paquets.Comme le réseau doit être partagé par des flux critiques et non-critiques, les concepteurs réseau ont besoin d'un outil leur permettant de vérifier le respect des contraintes temporelles des messages critiques. Pour réaliser cet outil, nous avons choisi comme métrique une borne supérieure sur le délai pire-cas de bout en bout d'un paquet traversant un réseau SpaceWire. Au cours de la thèse, nous avons proposé trois méthodes permettant de calculer cette borne. Les trois méthodes utilisent des hypothèses différentes et ont chacune des avantages et des inconvénients. D'une part, les deux premières méthodes sont très générales et ne nécessitent pas d'hypothèses restrictives sur le trafic en entrée du réseau. D'autre part, la troisième méthode nécessite des hypothèses plus précises sur le trafic en entrée. Elle est donc moins générale mais donne la plupart du temps des bornes plus serrées que les deux autres méthodes. Dans cette thèse, nous avons appliqué ces différentes méthodes à une architecture de référence fournie par Thales Alenia Space afin d'en comparer les résultats. Nous avons également appliqué ces méthodes à des exemples plus simples afin de déterminer l'influence de différents paramètres sur les bornes fournies par nos méthodes.The SpaceWire network standard is promoted by the ESA and is scheduled to be used as the sole onboard network for future satellites. SpaceWire uses a wormhole routing mechanism to reduce memoryconsumption and the associated costs. However, wormhole routing can lead to packet blocking in routerswhich creates large variations in end-to-end delays. As the network will be shared by real-time and nonreal-time traffic, network designers require a tool to check that temporal constraints are verified for allthe critical messages. The metric we chose for this tool is an upper-bound on the worst-case end-to-enddelay of a packet traversing a SpaceWire network. This metric is simpler to compute than the exact delayof each packet and provide enough guarantee to the network designers. During the thesis, we designed three methods to compute this upper-bound. The three methods use different assumptions and have different advantages and drawbacks. On the one hand, the first two methods are very general and do not require strong assumptions on the input traffic. On the other hand, the third method requires more specific assumptions on the input traffic. Thus, it is less general but usually gives tighter bounds than the two other methods. In the thesis, we apply those methods to a case study provided by Thales Alenia Space and compare the results. We also compare the three methods on several smaller networks to study the impact of various parameters on their results

Using network calculus to compute end-to-end delays in SpaceWire networks

The SpaceWire network standard is promoted by the ESA and is scheduled to be used as the sole on-board network for future satellites. This network uses a wormhole routing mechanism that can lead to packet blocking in routers and consequently to variable end-to-end delays. As the network will be shared by real-time and non real- time traffic, network designers require a tool to check that temporal constraints are verified for all the critical messages. Network Calculus can be used for evaluating worst- case end-to-end delays. However, we first have to model SpaceWire components through the definition of service curves. In this paper, we propose a new Network Calculus element that we call the Wormhole Section. This element allows us to better model a wormhole network than the usual multiplexer and demultiplexer elements used in the context of usual Store-and-Forward networks