SpaceFibre implementation, test and validation

SpaceFibre is a multi-gigabit/s data link and network technology for use onboard spacecraft. Compatible with SpaceWire at the packet level, SpaceFibre runs over electrical and optical media. It provides extensive quality of service (QoS) and fault detection, isolation and recovery (FDIR) capabilities that are designed specifically for spacecraft applications. This paper provides a short introduction to SpaceFibre and then describes how SpaceFibre is being implemented. It introduces some SpaceFibre test equipment and explains how SpaceFibre has been validated. SpaceFibre is designed to support high data rate payload data-handling like synthetic aperture radar (SAR), multi-spectral imaging systems and fast mass memory. It is an ideal candidate for the next generation of spacecraft interconnect, being an open standard designed specifically for spacecraft applications.