The Third Workshop on...
Fault-Tolerant Spaceborne Computing Employing New Technologies, 2010

CSRI Building
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM
May 25-26, 2010 (working groups May 24 and 27)

Organized by: JPL, Sandia, MITRE

Click here for the schedule. For reference, here are the links to the 2009 and 2008 conference archives.

Organizers
Larry Bergman, JPLRichard Stempien, MITRE
Erik DeBenedictis, Sandia

Steering Committee
Marti Bancroft, MBC ConsultingLarry Bergman, JPLErik DeBenedictis, Sandia
Robert Habbit, SandiaAJ Kleinosowski, BoeingHeather Quinn, LANL
Raphael Some, JPLRichard Stempien, MITRE

OVERVIEW AND VISION

Microelectronics advances due to Moore's Law make it feasible to put much more computing power into embedded systems and hence into space. However, effectively utilizing the increased computing power requires changes in architecture and software and may require reconsideration of radiation hardening issues. This workshop is to serve as a forum for coordinating R&D activities that will enable embedded computing applications to make effective use of new computing technology.

The 2010 workshop is focusing on the following specific issues:

  1. Architecture: Does it make sense to develop a Common Space borne Supercomputer Architecture for the U.S space community (NASA, DoD, DoE, IC)?
  2. Software: What additional software R&D is needed to accommodate emerging multi-core processors and other changes in the underlying hardware?
  3. Fault Tolerance: What additional fault tolerance issues are introduced by advancing computer technology?
  4. IP for Space: Is it feasible to develop and share IP modules compatible with a "plug and play" IP standard across the US Space community? (IP refers to logic designs in FPGAs and ASICs.)
  5. Memory: There will be a special working group on memory advances applicable to space, such as 3D stacking and radiation hardening.
  6. Component trust: What are the vulnerabilities in a spacecraft to using untrusted components and what mitigations are possible?
  7. Other: The organizers are open to participants supplying ideas for other working groups.
The main conference days will be Tuesday and Wednesday, May 25 and 26, 2010.

Working groups will take place on the Monday and Thursday of that week.

ATTENDENCE AND REGISTRATION FEE

Attendance is by gracious invitation only. If you are in the industry and would like an invitation, please call Erik DeBenedictis (505) 284-4017 or e-mail erikdebenedictis@sandia.gov. We are charging a $150 registration fee to all attendees. This fee has been set to cover the cost of food due principally to gifting regulations pertaining to government participants. Register at the Sandia Webpay website at https://cfwebprod.sandia.gov/cfdocs/ccpwa/ and selecting "Fault-Tolerant Spaceborne Computing Using New Technologies 2010 " as the event name.

SENSITIVE INFORMATION

The workshop will include information at various levels of senstitivity.
  • Some sessions on the schedule will indicate the information is sensitive (i. e. export controlled and proprietary). Attendees not eligible to receive specific information will be asked to leave the meeting room as needed.
  • There will be Government session that may be attended by only Government, FFRDC, and SETA employees.
  • While the entire workshop is by invitation only, there may be additional invitation-only sessions not posted on the Internet.

FOREIGN NATIONALS

Foreign nationals will require a badge to enter DOE facilities. Foreign nationals should contact the conference sponsors immediately about a badge and should plan on stopping at the Sandia badge office about 1/2 mile away before first entering DOE premises.

ACCOMMODATIONS

The hotel accommodations will be a the Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown Hotel, click here to learn more about the event and to book, modify, or cancel a reservation at a group rate until May 19, 2010. All Monday activities and the banquet Tuesday night will be at the Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown Hotel in the uptown area of Albuquerque. The hotel has a directions page.

DIRECTIONS

The workshop will be held at several locations:
  • All evening activities will be at the Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown Hotel in the uptown area of Albuquerque.
  • Except as noted above, open portions of the workshop will be held at Sandia's Computer Science Research Institute (CSRI) building on 1450 Innovation Parkway, Albuquerque, NM 87123 (map below). This facility is outside of Kirtland Air Force Base; visitors please do not try to enter Kirtland Air Force Base as you will probably not succeed and it will cause quite a delay. US Citizens may go directly to the CSRI building; foreign nationals will need to make arrangements for a badge and then go to the badge office.
  • Closed portions of the workshop will be held in other buildings at Sandia; meet at the CSRI building for directions.

Document date May 18, 2010.