The STAR-Dundee SpaceWire Link Analyser Mk2 is a key piece of equipment when performing test, validation and verification of a SpaceWire [1] system. The analyser sits between two SpaceWire devices and monitors traffic in both directions of the link providing the user with the functionality to monitor, record and analyse SpaceWire traffic. The new features of the SpaceWire Link Analyser Mk2 make it an invaluable tool when testing, debugging, validating or verifying any type of SpaceWire equipment.

The SpaceWire Electronic Ground Support Equipment (EGSE) is a STAR-Dundee product [1] designed to simulate and stimulate SpaceWire devices. It provides a means of generating user defined packets in pre-defined sequences at specific times and data rates. The SpaceWire EGSE is configured using a script that is compiled and loaded onto the SpaceWire EGSE unit. Once configured, the EGSE can generate complex SpaceWire packet sequences without further interaction from host PC software.

Real-time SpaceWire Electronic Ground Support Equipment can be implemented easily with the SpaceWire-EGSE unit, avoiding the need for complex and expensive, real-time software development.

STAR-Dundee have previously reported on test equipment which is capable of testing the Network, Packet, Exchange, Character and parts of the Signal level of the SpaceWire standard. This paper introduces the SpaceWire Physical Layer Tester (SPLT), which is a new tool designed to test, validate and verify a SpaceWire system across all levels covered by the SpaceWire standard.

Two SpaceWire ports on the SPLT employ a special LVDS interface which allows the transmitted signals to be deliberately and measurably manipulated to test the capability of a unit under test (UUT) to receive signals of varying quality. The SPLT SpaceWire drivers offer full, independent control of voltage offset and amplitude for data and strobe pairs. Skew can be introduced both in-pair and between data-strobe pairs. Slew rates can be individually configured on each half of the differential pairs. To facilitate acquisition of an eye-diagram, the signal received on the termination resistors on these ports is buffered on external connectors to allow easy interfacing to an oscilloscope. This allows a comprehensive suite of tests to be performed through the UUT SpaceWire port without the need to open the unit.

In addition to the LVDS interface, the SPLT also implements many of the capabilities of existing STAR-Dundee devices: Link Analyser Mk2, Conformance Tester and USB Brick in addition to the packet generator and checker capabilities of the newly announced SpaceWire EGSE. A pair of Gigabit Ethernet ports and a USB 2.0 port in addition to an API allow for great flexibility in interfacing the SPLT to existing test environments. The device is rack mountable in a 1U, half width format.