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Using Automation to Improve the Flight Software Testing ProcessOne of the critical phases in the development of a spacecraft attitude control system (ACS) is the testing of its flight software. The testing (and test verification) of ACS flight software requires a mix of skills involving software, attitude control, data manipulation, and analysis. The process of analyzing and verifying flight software test results often creates a bottleneck which dictates the speed at which flight software verification can be conducted. In the development of the Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) spacecraft ACS subsystem, an integrated design environment was used that included a MAP high fidelity (HiFi) simulation, a central database of spacecraft parameters, a script language for numeric and string processing, and plotting capability. In this integrated environment, it was possible to automate many of the steps involved in flight software testing, making the entire process more efficient and thorough than on previous missions. In this paper, we will compare the testing process used on MAP to that used on previous missions. The software tools that were developed to automate testing and test verification will be discussed, including the ability to import and process test data, synchronize test data and automatically generate HiFi script files used for test verification, and an automated capability for generating comparison plots. A summary of the perceived benefits of applying these test methods on MAP will be given. Finally, the paper will conclude with a discussion of re-use of the tools and techniques presented, and the ongoing effort to apply them to flight software testing of the Triana spacecraft ACS subsystem.
Document ID
20010016286
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
ODonnell, James R., Jr.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Andrews, Stephen F.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Morgenstern, Wendy M.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Bartholomew, Maureen O.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
McComas, David C.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Bauer, Frank H.
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2001
Subject Category
Computer Programming And Software
Meeting Information
Meeting: Guidance and Control
Location: Breckenridge, CO
Country: United States
Start Date: January 31, 2001
End Date: February 4, 2001
Sponsors: American Astronomical Society
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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