A spaceborne control system for the SPIRIT experiment

A hardware and software control system for the SPIRIT experiment, which contains a central spaceborne computer, software, and peripherals (controllers of CCD arrays, microdrives, and other devices), is described. The hardware and software system (HSS) is used to change the operating modes of the SPIRIT instrument, control its current parameters, carry out onboard processing of obtained data, and transmit them to a scientific data acquisition system. When the number of control commands applied to the equipment from the Earth is limited, the HSS is also intended to reprogram basic control programs to adapt the instrument to its current state and the scientific tasks of the experiment. High reliability of the HSS is confirmed by its successful operation over three years.