Integrated Reconfiguration of Multi-Satellite Network

Communication Using Colored Petri Nets

Atefeh Einafshar, Behnam Razavi, and Farrokh Sassani

Department of Mechanical Engineering

University of British Columbia
Vancouver, BC, Canada
{atefeh.einafshar,behnam.razavi}@alumni.ubc.ca,
sassani@mech.ubc.ca

Abstract. An integrated quantitative reconfiguration model for interacting sa-

tellite networks is a powerful tool in analyzing reliability and developing proto-
cols for uninterrupted operation. However, such a model is not easy to develop
since it involves many parameters related to the network’s operation including
all the earth-linked communications. The aim of this study is to propose an in-
tegrated communication model for a network of interacting satellites using high
level Petri Nets which permits sub-network reconfiguration without loss of
communication whenever there are satellite faults. To model the communica-
tion interactions in a network of satellites, Colored Petri Nets (CPN) paradigm
is used so as to simulate the operation of the integrated Networked Control Sys-
tem (NCS). A modular representation of the interacting satellites within the
network in terms of senders and receivers including packet-data transmission
through the network is provided. The packets stored on-board the satellites are
sent via the network to the earth station which may not arrive successfully in
case of a fault in the communication payload/network. The proposed approach
is used to study the overall response time of a given NCS in interacting satel-
lites, as well as the delays between the mutual senders and receivers. Simula-
tions of the detailed model used show that the networked control performance
of the interacting satellites, in particular with reference to any satellite failure,
can be improved with inclusion of appropriate monitors within the networked
system as represented by sub-networks in the CPN model. The proposed inte-
grated networked control can be used to obtain a fault tolerant reconfiguration
for a standard network performance.

Keywords: Colored Petri Nets, Networked Reconfiguration, Integrated Sys-

tems, Interacting Satellites.

1 Introduction

Satellite networks due to their location and the nature of inter-connection require
several specific factors to be taken into consideration for optimal and sustained opera-
tion. In satellite networks, many nodes and links are required to connect to each other
over time varying long distances (much larger than on the ground). Satellites are

© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015 3

M. Fathi (ed.), Integrated Systems: Innovations and Applications,
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-15898-3_1
4 A. Einafshar, B. Razavi, and F. Sassani

prone to several space-specific hazards. Damage from Solar radiation pressure, for
instance, is a factor which must be considered in satellite operations. Despite the fact
that solar radiation/pressure is extensively used as a source of energy in controlling
the satellites, however, it can severely damage them at excessive levels such as in
case of sudden sun activities. In addition, the space around the earth is surrounded by
a large number of satellites and debris. As a result of occasional collision between the
space objects, either directly or indirectly, satellites are damaged. The solar panels of
satellites are particularly vulnerable and prone to damage. Furthermore, satellites pass
through the shadow of the earth and back into direct solar radiation and as such expe-
rience significant temperature variation, thereby affecting their life [1]. Generally,
satellite networks’ requirements are different for various configurations depending
on their distance from the earth, design, operation and maintenance, transmission
technologies, topologies and costs [2].
The control issue in a network of satellites is thus very important due to the opera-
tional and environmental variation they encounter in the space. The constant growth
in the global communications and the need to replace aging and out of commission
satellites call for new concepts in design and operation of satellites. Because of the
lower cost of smaller satellites numerous units can be incorporated in an interacting
network. In such a system, if properly configured, a satellite failure should not have a
severe impact on the network’s intended mission. As a result, there is a growing trend
toward deployment of networks of low cost small interacting satellites. With networks
of satellites, communication can be more reliably maintained [3, 4].
According to the literature, much of the research work on fault and failure detec-
tion, and control methods of satellites has been carried out by assuming an individual
satellite, regardless of its interaction within a network [5-8]. For multi-satellite inte-
ractions, the faultless network performance has been analyzed [9-11].
To this extent, developing a performance analysis procedure by which the complex
system can be handled well and intelligently is very important [12, 13].
In this chapter, we develop a communication network control system using colored
petri nets (CPN) which allows a graceful degradation of network performance in case
of faults but maintain availability.

2 Satellite Networks

The architecture of satellites includes two major elements known as service and
communication modules. Each satellite is composed of several subsystems which
provide and maintain the full operational conditions [14]. Fig.1 shows the most typi-
cal satellite subsystems. The communication module on board the satellite is termed
the communication payload. All other subsystems in the satellite support the commu-
nication payload to facilitate and maintain the sending/receiving links between the
earth and the space segments.