Case Study: TriVector Services validates Ares I communication timing and verifies packet‑level latency with MathWorks (Simulink & SimEvents)

TriVector Verifies Time Latencies for Ares I Rocket

TriVector Services worked with MathWorks to verify end‑to‑end timing for NASA’s Ares I rocket communication buses. Facing the challenge of validating packet‑level latency across redundant avionics buses before any hardware existed, TriVector used MathWorks products — including Simulink, SimEvents, Stateflow, and MATLAB — to model RTs, flight computers, and buses and to simulate microsecond‑level packet delivery (tracking roughly 20,000 packets per second).

Using MathWorks tools and MathWorks Consulting Services, TriVector built parameterized, reusable SimEvents models, accelerated runs with Simulink Coder, and postprocessed results in MATLAB to measure per‑packet latency and visualize compliance. MathWorks’ solution enabled requirements validation a year earlier, uncovered timing specification gaps for NASA, and produced clear latency plots that demonstrated whether each packet met timing requirements.

TriVector Services

Kerry Alexander

Senior Engineer