Control and Data Processing Unit
Modular payload control and on-board processing
Decouple your payload from the spacecraft platform
Advanced payloads increasingly require local control, high-speed data handling, storage and on-board processing. At the same time, payload developers need to integrate their instruments with different spacecraft platforms without redesigning their complete electronics and software architecture.
Technolution’s Control & Data Processing Unit (CDPU) provides a modular processing platform between the instrument / payload and the spacecraft OBC / platform.
The CDPU combines a mission-specific carrier with a reusable processing core. Connectivity and supporting electronics can be tailored to the payload and spacecraft, while reusing the processing architecture, FPGA design and software platform. This enables payload development to progress more independently from the spacecraft platform, reducing integration effort and non-recurring engineering.
The CDPU architecture is designed to scale across mission classes, cost-efficient COTS-based CubeSat applications to longer-duration SmallSat missions requiring higher component quality and mission assurance.
Key capabilities
- Payload control
Autonomous instrument control and housekeeping - Data handling
Flexible high-speed payload data acquisition and routing - On-board processing
CPU and FPGA-based processing close to the payload - Expandable functionality
Mass storage, Artificial Intelligence or processing acceleration
- Mission-specific security
Data protection and security functionality integrated at application level - Platform flexibility
Configurable interfaces towards instrument / payload and OBC / platform
Together, we turn the payload into an autonomous subsystem, ready for spacecraft integration.
Three levels of mission adaptation
CARRIER
Physical interfaces and mission-specific
electronics
FPGA
Protocol IP, high-speed dataflow
and hardware acceleration
SOFTWARE
Mission application, payload control,
data processing and security
Reuse the processing core. Tailor the carrier, firmware and software to the mission.
Meet the CDPU-EK
The first hardware implementation of our modular CDPU architecture
The CDPU Evaluation Kit (CDPU-EK) provides a platform for software development, interface integration, FPGA development and evaluation of payload-processing applications.
It combines the reusable CDPU Core with an evaluation carrier exposing a representative set of payload and spacecraft interfaces.
From evaluation to mission implementation
The CDPU-EK carrier demonstrates the modular architecture. For a customer application, the carrier can be redesigned around the specific instrument, spacecraft interfaces and mission requirements while retaining the reusable CDPU Core. CDPU-EK is a development and Linux-based evaluation platform; not a flight unit.
Demonstrated heritage
An earlier CDPU demonstrator was integrated with the Airbus/SRON SPEXone Engineering Model, providing practical experience with instrument control and payload data handling in a representative Earth-observation setup.
Developed within an ESA GSTP Element 2 activity.
Turn payload integration into a strategic subsystem
Whether you integrate satellites or develop payloads, the CDPU creates a clear boundary between payload and platform.
- Integrating a payload?
Simplify payload integration. - Building a payload?
Create a complete autonomous subsystem.
Start with the CDPU-EK
Evaluate the architecture with your payload or platform interfaces and define the mission-specific CDPU together with us.
Bring us your payload integration challenge
Together, we turn your payload into an autonomous subsystem, ready for spacecraft integration.
Learn more about our expertise used in this project
Wondering about what we can do for you?
Contact us and let’s chat further.
