Example

This documentation page provides an example script and quick start guide for the use of FlexibleSpacecraft.jl

Example script and files

Example script main.jl is found in the /test directory. Configuration and parameter setting file is preferred for the simulation, and these files should be in YAML format. Detailed formatting for the parameter settings is found in the Simulation configuration.

You need the following files:

• Configuration files for simulation (simconfig.yml)
• Dynamics model parameters definition file (spacecraft.yml)
• Disturbance parameters (disturbance.yml)
• Orbital parameters (orbit.yml)
• Initial values (initvalue.yml)

If you are using CLI, not script, you need one more file:

• Wrapper for all of the configuration files

These files are found on the test directory in the GitHub repository. Run the main.jl, and you will get the simulation result. By default, the software provides the data set of simulation results and plots of those data. It also gives you a GIF animation of the spacecraft attitude.

Description of the main.jl and UI

This section illustrates the user interface for running the attitude-structure coupling simulation with FlexibleSpacecraft.jl. This description is based on the contents in main.jl.

Firstly, you need to load the module FlexibleSpacecraft into your namespace.

using FlexibleSpacecraft

You need to input the simulation parameters and configuration settings. Our API will help you by loading the parameter setting files:

# Set the dynamics model
model = setdynamicsmodel("./test/spacecraft.yml",)

# define a orbit info
orbitinfo = setorbit("./test/orbit2.yml", ECI_frame)

# Set disturbance torque
distconfig = setdisturbance("./test/disturbance.yml")

# Initialize the simulation configuration
simconfig = setsimconfig("./test/simconfig.yml")

# Define initial values for simulation
initvalue = setinitvalue("./test/initvalue.yml")

Then you are all set! Just run runsimulation(). This function is the high-level user interface for simulation. You can find more detailed information at Simulation interface

# run simulation
println("Begin simulation!")
@time (time, attitudedata, orbitdata) = runsimulation(model, ECI_frame, initvalue, orbitinfo, distconfig, simconfig)
println("Completed!")

Congrats! You have successfully run your simulation! Let's process your simulation data. We have covered that for you. Run quaternion_constraint() to check your result is physically making sense.

@test Evaluation.quaternion_constraint(attitudedata.quaternion)

Our visualization feature helps you to process your simulation effectively.

fig1 = PlotRecipe.angularvelocities(time, attitudedata.angularvelocity)
# fig1 = PlotRecipe.angularvelocities(time, attitudedata.angularvelocity, timerange = (0, 10))
display(fig1)

fig2 = PlotRecipe.quaternions(time, attitudedata.quaternion)
display(fig2)

# Plot of the body frame with respect to ECI frame
fig3 = PlotRecipe.framegif(time, LVLHref, attitudedata.rollpitchyawframe, Tgif = 20, FPS = 8)
display(fig3)

# Plot of the euler angle
fig4 = PlotRecipe.eulerangles(time, attitudedata.eulerangle)
display(fig4)

FlexibleSpacecraft.jl also helps you to save the simulation data as CSV files. Specify the directory you want to save your data. The simulation result will be saved as a directory with timestamp.

location = "output" # specify where to save your data
outputdata = SimData(time, attitudedata, orbitdata)
write(location, outputdata)