LiveView and P2serialcmds Co-Verification Software for NGIS and Embedded MPSoC Instrument Avionics

Abstract

The emergent technology of Multi-Processor System-on-Chip (MPSoC) devices promises lighter, smaller, cheaper, more capable and reliable space electronic systems that could help to unveil some of the secrets in our universe. This paper describes the automation and the integration of hardware/software co-verification tools (LiveCheckHSI) for the Xilinx Zynq-based SoC and UltraScale MPSoC avionics system that have been developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for Next-Generation Imaging Spectrometers (NGIS). The flight NGIS avionics acquires and compresses images in real-time, in addition to reporting telemetry and programming the spectrometer, focus step motor, and heaters. This paper describes the new development of LiveCheckHSI: comprising a data visualization tool, as well as command and telemetry software. In addition, the deployment of LiveCheckHSI to flight avionics is described. The heavy reliance on the ability to discern instrument behavior in real time for displaying data transmitted by an imaging spectrometer led to the development of LiveView, a co-verification tool that executes real-time data processing and visualization on hyperspectral imaging data. This paper documents progress on current LiveView development, including the implementation of features that allow LiveView to be compiled without a CameraLink driver installed, enable the dragging and dropping of files into LiveView, and enable subframe sampling rates in the fast Fourier transform widget. Furthermore, this paper details the Qt-based p2serialcmds GUI and its development, which includes enhancements to the remote recording and automated test scripting capabilities. The p2serialcmds GUI serves as a comprehensive user interface for interacting with the LiveView software, NGIS, and supporting devices, and its development, which includes enhancements on the recording and scripting abilities and implementations of new features. This paper also describes the integration of the Qt-based LiveView application and the Qt-based p2serialcmds GUI onto the MPSoC. This installation was made possible by building the Yocto Linux operating system (OS) onto the MPSoC, which thereby enabled C++ applications such as the Qt framework, LiveView, and p2serialcmds to be compiled and run on the device.