Modular, Customizable Data Processing Solutions
The Programmable Telemetry Processor (PTP®) is a versatile, modular telemetry and command front-end processor for use in remote tracking stations and satellite operations centers. The PTP® is also well suited for spacecraft communication integration and testing at the factory and on the launch pad. To support missions that employ bulk encrypted telemetry and command streams, the PTP® provides an integrated control and status interface for encryption/decryption equipment.
What Is The Programable Telemetry Processor (PTP®) And How Does It Work?
The PTP® software application provides a modular set of components that can be linked together to create a data handling or processing stream that is intuitive, flexible, and customizable. Rather than coding and compiling, users are presented with a menu-based graphical user interface (GUI) through which PTP modules can be selected, added, configured, linked together, rearranged, and reconfigured. Changes to the data-processing stream can be applied in seconds, and results can be viewed and analyzed instantly.
What Is The PTP® Life Cycle?
The PTP® is useful throughout the life cycle of a satellite system; it provides vital functions from development to deployment. During development, integration, and test phases, the front-end system acts as a test tool in a distributed test environment. During operations, the system is installed at remote ground stations, with network links back to operations center(s) for telemetry and command processing and analysis.
Featured PTP® Models
PTP-2021
1U Rack-rackmount short depth chassis with redundant power supplies and five hot swappable hard drives. Features of this platform include Intel Xeon quad core processor, 16GB for DDR4 ram, and dual gigabit network ports. This platform is equipped with Windows 10 Professional and the PTP software package. The PTP-2021 is used for network-based deployments and cannot be used with any of the I/O board options. This platform includes out of band management through its IPMI 2.0 interface.
PTP-2031
1U high performance rackmount with redundant power supplies and ten hot swappable hard drive bays. Delivered with Windows 10 Professional and the PTP software. Features of this platform include Intel Xeon Gold 12 core processor, 16GB for DDR4 ram, and dual 10Bast-T RJ45 network ports. The PTP-2031 can accommodate purely network transfer or a single channel of serial I/O through our offering of board offerings. This platform includes out of band management through its IPMI 2.0 interface.
PTP-2032
2U high performance rackmount with redundant power supplies and ten hot swappable hard drive bays. Delivered with Windows 10 Professional and the PTP software. Features of this platform include Intel Xeon Gold 12 core processor, 16GB for DDR4 ram, and dual 10Bast-T RJ45 network ports. The PTP-2032 can accommodate purely network transfer or a single channel of serial I/O through our offering of board offerings. This platform includes out of band management through its IPMI 2.0 interface.
PTP-2019
3U Rack-rackmount standard depth chassis with redundant power supplies and eight hot swappable hard drives. Features of this platform include Intel Xeon quad core processor, 16GB for DDR4 ram, and dual gigabit network ports. This platform is equipped with Windows 10 Professional and the PTP software package. The PTP-2019 can be used with the range of Parsons I/O boards up to four channels.
PTP-2018
4U Rack-rackmount short depth chassis with redundant power supplies and five hot swappable hard drives. Features of this platform include Intel Xeon quad core processor, 16GB for DDR4 ram, and dual gigabit network ports. This platform is equipped with Windows 10 Professional and the PTP® software package. The PTP-2018 can be used with the range of Parsons I/O boards up to four channels.
PTP® For Windows Software
The PTP® for Windows software consists of a server application, a GUI, and the module dynamic link libraries. The server controls the hardware and performs all the real-time data processing. The server program can be run as an application or service that is loaded and started at system boot. The console application provides an easy-to-use visual, point-and-click interface for controlling the configuration and monitoring the status of the PTP for Windows system.
Technical Highlights
- Configurable and modular
- Complete data processing solution from RF to network
- Support for multiple independent channels at data rates up to 1.6Gbps per channel
- CCSDS/TDM telemetry and telecommand processing and simulation
- Space Link Extension (SLE) provider and user services
- Integrated control and status for encryption/decryption devices
- Integrated data quality monitor and bit error rate test tools
- Compatible with major COTS satellite monitoring and control software packages
Key Features And Benefits
- A COTS solution that reduces program-specific development
- The user can modify and change any function at any time
- An adaptable solution for evolving mission requirements
- Compatible with major COTS satellite monitoring and control software packages
- A wide variety of hardware interface options to reduce integration time
- Delivered as a system-level or software-only solution, depending
on program needs
Product Capabilities
Broad, Extensible Protocol Support
The PTP® offers a wide variety of network encapsulation protocols to facilitate integration with different satellite control systems and offers support for new protocol standards as they emerge. Support for user encapsulation formats includes NASCOM RTP, IPDU, SFDU, LEO T, and EDOS. SLE data services (FCLTU, RAF, RCF) are provided with support for the United States Space Force SGLS interoperability standards.
The product can be controlled locally or remotely via a highly functional GUI. A remote-control library is also provided for integration with satellite control systems, and a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) agent is provided for integration with enterprise management platforms.
Configurable Platform Architecture
Enterprise-grade server architecture is utilized to provide expandability and multi-mission capabilities. Transmit and receive interfaces can be added and removed for configuration to new missions. Interfaces range from low-speed serial interfaces, like TTL, RS-422, and RS-232, to high-speed interfaces, like Ethernet, LVDS, and ECL. The PTP® can also be configured with RF interfaces from 70MHz to 6GHz to support MODEM functionality.
Multiple encoding and decoding algorithms are supported including randomization, Reed-Solomon, Viterbi, Turbo, LDPC, and CRC.
The system enables real-time telemetry and command processing and simulation. Supported protocols and capabilities include:
• CCSDS Conventional (version 1) and AOS (version 2)
• Transfer frame processing
• CCSDS VCA and bitstream service processing
• Fully configurable VCID and APID filtering and routing
• CCSDS, TDM, and ESA packet processing
• Database-driven telemetry decommutation and engineering unit conversion
• CCSDS telecommand processing (COP-1)
The product also offers fully configurable PRBS generation and verification, fixed and user-provided pattern generation and verification, error simulation, AWGN and user-provided noise simulation, bit and packet error rate calculation, and integrated data quality monitoring and bit error rate test (BERT) tools.
Data archiving and playback is provided to and from local drives and network-attached storage devices. Data can be recorded and played back from any point in the data stream. Configurable multi-mode file playback and segmented and multi-file recording is supported as well as automatic time-tagging and aging of recorded files.
The icAutomata Automation and Test Engine software represents the next generation of ground system and test automation. icAutomata utilizes the flexible, user-configurable feature set combined with a procedure-driven automation engine to build, configure, execute, and report on our products operations, allowing users to automatically implement and test configurations, and script complex, scenarios for push-button implementation.
Data Interface Cards
LUNA
The LUNA is a PCI-based serial I/O card that supports both CCSDS (Conventional and Advanced Orbiting Systems), and time division multiplexed (TDM) data formats. The Luna also features a Reed-Solomon encoder/decoder to provide complete block error detection and correction for each of the CCSDS-recommended grades of service for Advanced Orbiting Systems (AOS).
ORION
The ORION High-Rate Serial Interface Board is a PCI Express I/O card that supports both Conventional and Advanced Orbiting Systems (CCSDS) and Time Division Multiplexed (TDM) data formats. The Orion also provides Viterbi and Reed-Solomon decoding to provide complete bit and block error detection and correction for CCSDS-recommended grades of service for Advanced Orbiting Systems.
RATTLESNAKE
The RATTLESNAKE board is a family of modular next-generation hardware components that combine the features of multiple previous-generation analog and digital interface and signal processing boards into a single, highly adaptable interface platform. The Rattlesnake supports a variety of interface configurations, including multi-channel analog receive and transmit, multi-channel digital receive and transmit, and multi-channel Gigabit Ethernet.
Contact Us
For more information about the Programmable Telemetry Processor (PTP®), please fill out the contact form.
*Parsons complies with all applicable Trade Compliance regulations. Some of Parsons products may require an authorization from the U.S. Government before they are exported.
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