Design and implementation of onboard software for a CubeSat based on a partitioned architecture
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17979/ja-cea.2026.47.13717Keywords:
Embedded computer architectures, Cyber-Physical Systems, Real-time algorithms, scheduling, and programmingAbstract
This paper presents the design and implementation of the On-Board Software (OBSW) for a 1.5U educational CubeSat nanosatellite based on an IMA (Integrated Modular Avionics) architecture. The system runs on the XtratuM XNG real-time hypervisor on a Zybo Z7 (Zynq-7000) platform, ensuring temporal and spatial isolation between partitions in accordance with the ARINC 653 standard and aligned with the ECSS space standard. The flight software is organized into four functional partitions: PCOM, responsible for the LoRa link with the ground station; OBCS, in charge of satellite coordination and operational mode management; PGS, which centralizes sensor data acquisition, validation and distribution; and FDIR, which implements fault detection, classification and recovery. Inter-partition communication is carried out exclusively through ARINC 653-compliant sampling and queuing channels. The results demonstrate the feasibility of applying IMA architectures in educational nanosatellites, providing modularity, temporal determinism and improved fault robustness.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Lucía Alba, Andrea Nieto, Luis Ortiz, Marc Fontalba, Patricia Balbastre, Ana Guasque, José Simó, Alfons Crespo
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
