SpaceWire Packets

Information is transferred across a SpaceWire network in distinct packets. The format of a packet is:

<Destination Address><Cargo><End_of_Packet>

Destination Address

The "Destination Address" is the first part of the packet to be sent and is a list of zero or more data characters that defines the node on the network for which the packet is intended. This list of data characters represents either the identity code of the destination node or the path that the packet will take to get to the destination node.

Cargo

The "Cargo" is the data to be transferred from source to destination.

End of Packet Marker

The "End_of_Packet" is used to indicate the end of a packet. The data character following an End_of_Packet is the start of the next packet. There is no limit on the size of a SpaceWire packet.