SPC Weekly Report (April 16 to 22, 2018)

Our team continues to work hard to fine tune and enhance the technology, while our co-founders are networking with other space experts in the aerospace industry. Be sure to catch our interview to learn more about our project.

TECHNOLOGY PROGRESS:

Blockchain node in space

The team is making extensive use of its spacecraft to increase the number of space blockchain nodes and conduct application testing.

At present, the satellite node hardware team has completed the hardware detailed scheme review of the satellite blockchain node and put into production the PCBA model to complete the procurement of components. They also completed the test development board PCB board schematic diagram and layout design, and began production, follow-up of the PCB and electrical installation work.

Open Space Software System SpaceChain OS

We continued to upgrade SpaceChain OS’s virtual machines on X86 devices. and solved the following problems:

• The problem of virtual machine memory and disk shortages
• The problem of stack overflow on the virtual machine

At present, the entire system still has the following problems:

• Occasionally corrupted blockchain data stored after synchronization
• After a period of synchronization, the connection with the neighbour node is abnormally disconnected

We continue to upgrade and test simultaneously, hoping to meet with enthusiasts as soon as possible.

Open source document finishing work

We carried out open-source software document editing and online work. This week, the team completed the editing and online development of the following documents:

• SPC002002 Usage of Qtum Test in SpaceChain OS EnvironmentV1.0 EN.pdf
• SPC002003 Description for Code Open Source OnlineV1.0 EN.pdf

The updated document system is as follows:

SpaceChain Hardware

The team has started planning and designing the SpaceChain OS open-source development board.

SpaceChain OS is an embedded real-time operating system. Its development and debugging need to be based on embedded hardware devices. SpaceChain’s OS-based virtual machine allows developers to utilize and adjust the OS on the PC. However, as an embedded operating system, its application ultimately depends on embedded hardware devices. Currently, there are few open-source embedded hardware devices that can support SpaceChain OS on the market, which also creates barriers for technology promotion. We are committed to more open-source development boards that support the SpaceChain OS to enrich the open-source ecosystem.

SpaceChain OS development board is mainly aimed at aerospace and blockchain enthusiasts and enterprises, and is also the first hardware in the SpaceChain system advancement plan. It is an important part of our technology adoption.

This development board can be used for learning and application development based on SpaceChain OS. At the same time, as a complete blockchain node, the development board can be used for learning and technology development of the blockchain, and can also be used as a node for blockchain hardware.

Here are the design attributes and characteristics of this open-source development board.

1. Chip selection. The main control chip of the development board adopts the ARM architecture such as NXP IMX6 and TI 335X or the ZynqFPAG and ARM heterogeneous chips from Xilinx.

2. The development board plans to use the core board plus backplane mode to facilitate the secondary expansion and customization of the module and enhance the system reliability.

3. All schematics and PCB designs are open source. This information can be used directly for product development.

4 The use of stamp-hole welding technique is anti-seismic, anti-oxidation and cost efficient. The core devices, including power supplies, storage and main control, all use industrial-grade standards. The core board leads to the vast majority of functional interfaces including commonly used CAN, USB, SD CARD and Gigabit Ethernet.

5. Development board bottom panel supports LCD, resolution at least supports 1366*768. The development board supports IoT devices such as GPS, 4G modules and WIFI modules, making it easy for users to use blockchain additive networking to develop services such as supply chain.

6. On the software side, the complete adaptation of the SpaceChain OS is provided and software redundancy schemes such as multiple backup mechanisms are provided for the common characteristics of aerospace and other fields.

The core board parameters are initially defined as follows:

The design of the development board is being refined. We will let the community know when it has been verified and released.

After the development board is released, we will provide detailed design reference materials and publish the corresponding source code. This set of development board will be for our partners, universities and enthusiasts.

For partners, we also provide technical support and assistance to help build usage scenarios and quickly develop actual development.

At the same time, through the establishment of a complete development environment, it provides a platform for cooperative universities to use for blockchain teaching and SpaceChain OS learning.

COMMUNITY & MEDIA:

In the news

Our Co-founders Zee Zheng and Jeff Garzik, together with our core strategy advisor Matt Roszak were interviewed by Paul Brigner, Managing Director of Blockchain, Security and Software Engineering Research at Georgetown University, about their vision, goals and tech. Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KufgkfkQTa4

Community activities

From April 16 to 19, our co-founders Jeff Garzik and Zee Zheng participated in the 34th Space Symposium held in Colorado, US.

The Space Symposium is one of the most important conferences in the global aerospace industry. More than 9,000 speakers, exhibitors, volunteers, aerospace educators and students from all over the world attended the Space Symposium.

The conference is devoted to the education, connection, inspiration and advocacy of the global aerospace industry. It is an important platform for the exchange of international space intelligence, aerospace education and the exchange of ideas among space leaders. The space seminar covers the speeches and presentations in all directions of the aerospace industry. It covers rockets, satellites, aircraft, spacecrafts, ground stations, etc. It is the most comprehensive space technology exchange exhibition in the United States.