Oscar Rodriguez Polo - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Oscar Rodriguez Polo
40th COSPAR Scientific Assembly, 2014
Software and Systems Modeling, Nov 9, 2021
The development process of on-board software applications can benefit from model-driven engineeri... more The development process of on-board software applications can benefit from model-driven engineering techniques. Model validation and model transformations can be applied to drive the activities of specification, requirements definition, and system-level validation and verification according to the space software engineering standards ECSS-E-ST-40 and ECSS-Q-ST-80. This paper presents a model-driven approach to completing these activities by avoiding inconsistencies between the documents that support them and providing the ability to automatically generate the system-level validation tests that are run on the Ground Support Equipment and the matrices required to complete the software verification. A demonstrator of the approach has been built using as a proof of concept a subset of the functionality of the software of the control unit of the Energetic Particle Detector instrument on-board Solar Orbiter.
This paper presents an approach to feature modelling based on the use of modelling constructs fro... more This paper presents an approach to feature modelling based on the use of modelling constructs from the component-based software development domain. The proposed models allow establishing feature hierarchies, making a clear distinction between the features themselves and their realisations or variants. Furthermore, they enable the definition of complex dependency relationships between the different feature realisations, making it possible to define variable configurations associated with these dependencies. Finally, the approach allows the modelling of product configurations as a set of interconnected and configured feature realisations. The proposal is illustrated with an example based on the on-board satellite software applications domain.
Electronics, May 15, 2021
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
... 2nd Edition Prentice-Hall. New York, 1994 [14] Selic, B., Gullekson, G. and Ward PT Real-Time... more ... 2nd Edition Prentice-Hall. New York, 1994 [14] Selic, B., Gullekson, G. and Ward PT Real-Time Object-Oriented Modeling. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ... IEEE Control Systems. Vo117, No 6. December, 1997. [21]Russel, SJ and Norvig, P. Artij2ial Intelligence. A Modern Approach. ...
IFAC Proceedings Volumes, Jul 1, 2001
After a study of control design to get a good candidate for testing, it comes a step of experimen... more After a study of control design to get a good candidate for testing, it comes a step of experimental confirmation. The general objective of the research is to smooth the vertical motions of a fast ferry. A T-foil and transom flaps are added to a scaleddown replica of the fast ferry. These appendages can move under control. So there is a control system installed on the replica, that moves the appendages using motors, and measures the main variables of the ship and actuators motions. This control system is based on an industrial PC with electronic interfaces for motors and sensors. The control algorithm obtained by the design, must be implemented as real-time control software, to be executed on the industrial PC. For a fast and easy translation from design to real-time application, a new software tool has been developed. This tool generates directly C++ code, easy to compile, from a graphical description of the control. With this tool, the experiments have been achieved in short time. During experiments, several non expected circumstances appear, but this was not a problem: the tool allows for an easy improvement of the original design. The paper describes the tool and its use during experiments.
HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Jan 25, 2006
HAL is a multidisciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific re... more HAL is a multidisciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés.
Sensors, Oct 31, 2016
Most satellites use an on-board attitude estimation system, based on available sensors. In the ca... more Most satellites use an on-board attitude estimation system, based on available sensors. In the case of low-cost satellites, which are of increasing interest, it is usual to use magnetometers and Sun sensors. A Kalman filter is commonly recommended for the estimation, to simultaneously exploit the information from sensors and from a mathematical model of the satellite motion. It would be also convenient to adhere to a quaternion representation. This article focuses on some problems linked to this context. The state of the system should be represented in observable form. Singularities due to alignment of measured vectors cause estimation problems. Accommodation of the Kalman filter originates convergence difficulties. The article includes a new proposal that solves these problems, not needing changes in the Kalman filter algorithm. In addition, the article includes assessment of different errors, initialization values for the Kalman filter; and considers the influence of the magnetic dipole moment perturbation, showing how to handle it as part of the Kalman filter framework.
ACM Transactions in Embedded Computing Systems, Jul 24, 2023
In recent decades, mixed-criticality systems have been widely adopted to reduce the complexity an... more In recent decades, mixed-criticality systems have been widely adopted to reduce the complexity and development times of real-time critical applications. In these systems, applications run on a separation kernel hypervisor, a software element that controls the execution of the diferent operating systems, providing a virtualized environment and ensuring the necessary spatial and temporal isolation. The guest code can run unmodiied and unaware of the hypervisor or be explicitly modiied to have a tight coupling with the hypervisor. The former is known as full virtualization, while the latter is known as paravirtualization. Full virtualization ofers better compatibility and lexibility than para-virtualization, at the cost of a performance penalty. LEON is a processor family that implements the SPARC V8 architecture and whose use is widespread in the ield of space systems. To the best of our knowledge, all separation kernel hypervisors designed to support the development of mixed-criticality systems for LEON employ para-virtualization, which hinders the adaptation of real-time operating systems. This paper presents the design of a Virtualization Monitor that allows guest real-time operating systems to run virtualized on LEON-based systems without needing to modify their source code. It is designed as a standalone component within a hypervisor and incorporates a set of techniques such as static binary rewriting, automatic code generation, and the use of operating system proiles. To validate the proposed solution, tests and benchmarks have been implemented for three guest systems: RTEMS, FreeRTOS, and Zephyr, analyzing the overhead introduced in certain situations characteristic of real-time applications. Finally, the same benchmarks have been run on AIR, one of the hypervisors that uses para-virtualization. The results obtained show that the use of the proposed techniques allows us to obtain similar results to those obtained using para-virtualization without the need to modify the source code of the guest real-time operating systems. CCS Concepts: • Computer systems organization → Embedded software; Real-time system architecture; • Security and privacy → Virtualization and security.
Sensors, Jan 12, 2023
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Actas de las XXXVII Jornadas de Automática 7, 8 y 9 de septiembre de 2016, Madrid, Feb 18, 2022
IFAC Proceedings Volumes, Jul 1, 2001
The research considers a fast ferry with active appendages: a T-foil near the bow and transom fla... more The research considers a fast ferry with active appendages: a T-foil near the bow and transom flaps. The objective is to attenuate the ship's vertical motions. These appendages are actuators that can move to counteract the effect of each incident wave. There is a problem of control design, to move the actuators in the most effective way. For an easy and safe control study, a simulation tool has been developed. The simulation is based on a previous experimental work to determine the adequate models. The simulation has been developed using MATLAB and SIMULINK: a modular architecture results where it is easy to integrate control strategies to be analysed. Simulated experiments can be run with the tool, to see the behaviour of the important variables: vertical motions of the ship, motions of the actuators, sea-sickness incidence, etc. The paper describes the simulation tool from a functional point of view, and explains some details of the main parts of its internal structure.
2019 IEEE 27th International Requirements Engineering Conference Workshops (REW)
This work presents a model-driven engineering approach to the software development process for sp... more This work presents a model-driven engineering approach to the software development process for space applications following the standards ECSS-E-ST-40C and ECSS-Q-ST-80C. This approach is based on the use of models for the definition of the different constituent elements of the process, i.e. specification, requirements and validation procedures. The proposed approach provides development teams with a set of features that deliver an integrated solution to the software development process. These features include the use of model checking techniques to avoid inconsistencies between the different items and the ability to obtain input data from different sources, like telemetry and telecommand databases. Furthermore it enables the definition of transformations to generate different products such as component code, formatted output files, or configuration files for a ground support equipment software that allows the automatic execution of the defined functional tests. This approach has been validated through a case study in which a subset of the functionality of the software of the Instrument Control Unit of the Energy Particle Detector instrument on-board Solar Orbiter has been modelled.
Actas de las XXXIX Jornadas de Automática, Badajoz, 5-7 de Septiembre de 2018, 2020
Los satélites de bajo coste son una revolución en el sector espacial, porque permiten asumir ries... more Los satélites de bajo coste son una revolución en el sector espacial, porque permiten asumir riesgos. Un tipo de misiones arriesgadas son las formaciones en vuelo de satélites, que son muy exigentes desde el punto de vista de la algoritmia de control y del coste de propulsión. Estos satélites tienen el hándicap de su limitada capacidad de propulsión, y las prestaciones reducidas tanto de los sensores como del hardware. Para asegurar que la misión ofrezca una autonomía suficiente, es necesario estudiar modos de operación que supongan un mínimo coste de propulsión. En este artículo se presenta un análisis matemático del problema y se proponen diferentes modos de operación que minimizan el consumo del sistema de propulsión, analizando también diferentes estrategias de control.
In this paper is presented an automatic process of verification. We focus in the verification of ... more In this paper is presented an automatic process of verification. We focus in the verification of scheduling analysis parameter. This proposal is part of process based on Model Driven Engineering to automate a Verification and Validation process of the software on board of satellites. This process is implemented in a software control unit of the energy particle detector which is payload of Solar Orbiter mission. From the design model is generated a scheduling analysis model and its verification model. The verification as defined as constraints in way of Finite Timed Automatas. When the system is deployed on target the verification evidence is extracted as instrumented points. The constraints are fed with the evidence, if any of the constraints is not satisfied for the on target evidence the scheduling analysis is not valid.
Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2021
The Solar Orbiter flyby of Venus on 27 December 2020 allowed for an opportunity to measure the su... more The Solar Orbiter flyby of Venus on 27 December 2020 allowed for an opportunity to measure the suprathermal to energetic ions in the Venusian system over a large range of radial distances to better understand the acceleration processes within the system and provide a characterization of galactic cosmic rays near the planet. Bursty suprathermal ion enhancements (up to ∼10 keV) were observed as far as ∼50RVdowntail. These enhancements are likely related to a combination of acceleration mechanisms in regions of strong turbulence, current sheet crossings, and boundary layer crossings, with a possible instance of ion heating due to ion cyclotron waves within the Venusian tail. Upstream of the planet, suprathermal ions are observed that might be related to pick-up acceleration of photoionized exospheric populations as far as 5RVupstream in the solar wind as has been observed before by missions such as Pioneer Venus Orbiter and Venus Express. Near the closest approach of Solar Orbiter, the...
arXiv: Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics, 2017
Solar Orbiter is a joint ESA-NASA mission planed for launch in October 2018. The science payload ... more Solar Orbiter is a joint ESA-NASA mission planed for launch in October 2018. The science payload includes remote-sensing and in-situ instrumentation designed with the primary goal of understanding how the Sun creates and controls the heliosphere. The spacecraft will follow an elliptical orbit around the Sun, with perihelion as close as 0.28 AU. During the late orbit phase the orbital plane will reach inclinations above 30 degrees, allowing direct observations of the solar polar regions. The Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) is an instrument suite consisting of several sensors measuring electrons, protons and ions over a broad energy interval (2 keV to 15 MeV for electrons, 3 keV to 100 MeV for protons and few tens of keV/nuc to 450 MeV/nuc for ions), providing composition, spectra, timing and anisotropy information. We present an overview of Solar Orbiter from the energetic particle perspective, summarizing the capabilities of EPD and the opportunities that these new observations wi...
Acta Astronautica, 2021
Abstract This work presents an overview of the in-flight engineering data of the Energetic Partic... more Abstract This work presents an overview of the in-flight engineering data of the Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) instrument suite during its first year of operation. EPD is part of the in-situ scientific payload of the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter mission which was launched in February 2020. After completion of its commissioning phase, Solar Orbiter started its cruise phase in June 2020, in coincidence with its first perihelion at 0.51 au. Six remote-sensing instruments and four in-situ instruments, including EPD, which is a suite of four individual sensors, make Solar Orbiter the most complete space laboratory flown into the inner heliosphere to date. In-flight engineering data of the different EPD units such as their power consumption and their temperatures are the key indicators to ascertain that the design, manufacturing and qualification of the EPD units on ground and throughout the different life cycles prior to launch were successful. On the other hand, these in-flight housekeeping data also reflect the general status of the units which are exposed to space radiation, stray light and a varying thermal environment. The reliability of the EPD suite was analyzed during the design phase and the in-flight status evaluation confirms this analysis. The first year of flight covers special milestones for the Solar Orbiter mission such as the launch, first perihelion, as well as the first Venus flyby. By evaluating the in-flight engineering data, it is demonstrated that the EPD suite successfully meets its design requirements and also satisfies its scientific objectives in flight.
40th COSPAR Scientific Assembly, 2014
Software and Systems Modeling, Nov 9, 2021
The development process of on-board software applications can benefit from model-driven engineeri... more The development process of on-board software applications can benefit from model-driven engineering techniques. Model validation and model transformations can be applied to drive the activities of specification, requirements definition, and system-level validation and verification according to the space software engineering standards ECSS-E-ST-40 and ECSS-Q-ST-80. This paper presents a model-driven approach to completing these activities by avoiding inconsistencies between the documents that support them and providing the ability to automatically generate the system-level validation tests that are run on the Ground Support Equipment and the matrices required to complete the software verification. A demonstrator of the approach has been built using as a proof of concept a subset of the functionality of the software of the control unit of the Energetic Particle Detector instrument on-board Solar Orbiter.
This paper presents an approach to feature modelling based on the use of modelling constructs fro... more This paper presents an approach to feature modelling based on the use of modelling constructs from the component-based software development domain. The proposed models allow establishing feature hierarchies, making a clear distinction between the features themselves and their realisations or variants. Furthermore, they enable the definition of complex dependency relationships between the different feature realisations, making it possible to define variable configurations associated with these dependencies. Finally, the approach allows the modelling of product configurations as a set of interconnected and configured feature realisations. The proposal is illustrated with an example based on the on-board satellite software applications domain.
Electronics, May 15, 2021
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
... 2nd Edition Prentice-Hall. New York, 1994 [14] Selic, B., Gullekson, G. and Ward PT Real-Time... more ... 2nd Edition Prentice-Hall. New York, 1994 [14] Selic, B., Gullekson, G. and Ward PT Real-Time Object-Oriented Modeling. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ... IEEE Control Systems. Vo117, No 6. December, 1997. [21]Russel, SJ and Norvig, P. Artij2ial Intelligence. A Modern Approach. ...
IFAC Proceedings Volumes, Jul 1, 2001
After a study of control design to get a good candidate for testing, it comes a step of experimen... more After a study of control design to get a good candidate for testing, it comes a step of experimental confirmation. The general objective of the research is to smooth the vertical motions of a fast ferry. A T-foil and transom flaps are added to a scaleddown replica of the fast ferry. These appendages can move under control. So there is a control system installed on the replica, that moves the appendages using motors, and measures the main variables of the ship and actuators motions. This control system is based on an industrial PC with electronic interfaces for motors and sensors. The control algorithm obtained by the design, must be implemented as real-time control software, to be executed on the industrial PC. For a fast and easy translation from design to real-time application, a new software tool has been developed. This tool generates directly C++ code, easy to compile, from a graphical description of the control. With this tool, the experiments have been achieved in short time. During experiments, several non expected circumstances appear, but this was not a problem: the tool allows for an easy improvement of the original design. The paper describes the tool and its use during experiments.
HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Jan 25, 2006
HAL is a multidisciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific re... more HAL is a multidisciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés.
Sensors, Oct 31, 2016
Most satellites use an on-board attitude estimation system, based on available sensors. In the ca... more Most satellites use an on-board attitude estimation system, based on available sensors. In the case of low-cost satellites, which are of increasing interest, it is usual to use magnetometers and Sun sensors. A Kalman filter is commonly recommended for the estimation, to simultaneously exploit the information from sensors and from a mathematical model of the satellite motion. It would be also convenient to adhere to a quaternion representation. This article focuses on some problems linked to this context. The state of the system should be represented in observable form. Singularities due to alignment of measured vectors cause estimation problems. Accommodation of the Kalman filter originates convergence difficulties. The article includes a new proposal that solves these problems, not needing changes in the Kalman filter algorithm. In addition, the article includes assessment of different errors, initialization values for the Kalman filter; and considers the influence of the magnetic dipole moment perturbation, showing how to handle it as part of the Kalman filter framework.
ACM Transactions in Embedded Computing Systems, Jul 24, 2023
In recent decades, mixed-criticality systems have been widely adopted to reduce the complexity an... more In recent decades, mixed-criticality systems have been widely adopted to reduce the complexity and development times of real-time critical applications. In these systems, applications run on a separation kernel hypervisor, a software element that controls the execution of the diferent operating systems, providing a virtualized environment and ensuring the necessary spatial and temporal isolation. The guest code can run unmodiied and unaware of the hypervisor or be explicitly modiied to have a tight coupling with the hypervisor. The former is known as full virtualization, while the latter is known as paravirtualization. Full virtualization ofers better compatibility and lexibility than para-virtualization, at the cost of a performance penalty. LEON is a processor family that implements the SPARC V8 architecture and whose use is widespread in the ield of space systems. To the best of our knowledge, all separation kernel hypervisors designed to support the development of mixed-criticality systems for LEON employ para-virtualization, which hinders the adaptation of real-time operating systems. This paper presents the design of a Virtualization Monitor that allows guest real-time operating systems to run virtualized on LEON-based systems without needing to modify their source code. It is designed as a standalone component within a hypervisor and incorporates a set of techniques such as static binary rewriting, automatic code generation, and the use of operating system proiles. To validate the proposed solution, tests and benchmarks have been implemented for three guest systems: RTEMS, FreeRTOS, and Zephyr, analyzing the overhead introduced in certain situations characteristic of real-time applications. Finally, the same benchmarks have been run on AIR, one of the hypervisors that uses para-virtualization. The results obtained show that the use of the proposed techniques allows us to obtain similar results to those obtained using para-virtualization without the need to modify the source code of the guest real-time operating systems. CCS Concepts: • Computer systems organization → Embedded software; Real-time system architecture; • Security and privacy → Virtualization and security.
Sensors, Jan 12, 2023
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Actas de las XXXVII Jornadas de Automática 7, 8 y 9 de septiembre de 2016, Madrid, Feb 18, 2022
IFAC Proceedings Volumes, Jul 1, 2001
The research considers a fast ferry with active appendages: a T-foil near the bow and transom fla... more The research considers a fast ferry with active appendages: a T-foil near the bow and transom flaps. The objective is to attenuate the ship's vertical motions. These appendages are actuators that can move to counteract the effect of each incident wave. There is a problem of control design, to move the actuators in the most effective way. For an easy and safe control study, a simulation tool has been developed. The simulation is based on a previous experimental work to determine the adequate models. The simulation has been developed using MATLAB and SIMULINK: a modular architecture results where it is easy to integrate control strategies to be analysed. Simulated experiments can be run with the tool, to see the behaviour of the important variables: vertical motions of the ship, motions of the actuators, sea-sickness incidence, etc. The paper describes the simulation tool from a functional point of view, and explains some details of the main parts of its internal structure.
2019 IEEE 27th International Requirements Engineering Conference Workshops (REW)
This work presents a model-driven engineering approach to the software development process for sp... more This work presents a model-driven engineering approach to the software development process for space applications following the standards ECSS-E-ST-40C and ECSS-Q-ST-80C. This approach is based on the use of models for the definition of the different constituent elements of the process, i.e. specification, requirements and validation procedures. The proposed approach provides development teams with a set of features that deliver an integrated solution to the software development process. These features include the use of model checking techniques to avoid inconsistencies between the different items and the ability to obtain input data from different sources, like telemetry and telecommand databases. Furthermore it enables the definition of transformations to generate different products such as component code, formatted output files, or configuration files for a ground support equipment software that allows the automatic execution of the defined functional tests. This approach has been validated through a case study in which a subset of the functionality of the software of the Instrument Control Unit of the Energy Particle Detector instrument on-board Solar Orbiter has been modelled.
Actas de las XXXIX Jornadas de Automática, Badajoz, 5-7 de Septiembre de 2018, 2020
Los satélites de bajo coste son una revolución en el sector espacial, porque permiten asumir ries... more Los satélites de bajo coste son una revolución en el sector espacial, porque permiten asumir riesgos. Un tipo de misiones arriesgadas son las formaciones en vuelo de satélites, que son muy exigentes desde el punto de vista de la algoritmia de control y del coste de propulsión. Estos satélites tienen el hándicap de su limitada capacidad de propulsión, y las prestaciones reducidas tanto de los sensores como del hardware. Para asegurar que la misión ofrezca una autonomía suficiente, es necesario estudiar modos de operación que supongan un mínimo coste de propulsión. En este artículo se presenta un análisis matemático del problema y se proponen diferentes modos de operación que minimizan el consumo del sistema de propulsión, analizando también diferentes estrategias de control.
In this paper is presented an automatic process of verification. We focus in the verification of ... more In this paper is presented an automatic process of verification. We focus in the verification of scheduling analysis parameter. This proposal is part of process based on Model Driven Engineering to automate a Verification and Validation process of the software on board of satellites. This process is implemented in a software control unit of the energy particle detector which is payload of Solar Orbiter mission. From the design model is generated a scheduling analysis model and its verification model. The verification as defined as constraints in way of Finite Timed Automatas. When the system is deployed on target the verification evidence is extracted as instrumented points. The constraints are fed with the evidence, if any of the constraints is not satisfied for the on target evidence the scheduling analysis is not valid.
Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2021
The Solar Orbiter flyby of Venus on 27 December 2020 allowed for an opportunity to measure the su... more The Solar Orbiter flyby of Venus on 27 December 2020 allowed for an opportunity to measure the suprathermal to energetic ions in the Venusian system over a large range of radial distances to better understand the acceleration processes within the system and provide a characterization of galactic cosmic rays near the planet. Bursty suprathermal ion enhancements (up to ∼10 keV) were observed as far as ∼50RVdowntail. These enhancements are likely related to a combination of acceleration mechanisms in regions of strong turbulence, current sheet crossings, and boundary layer crossings, with a possible instance of ion heating due to ion cyclotron waves within the Venusian tail. Upstream of the planet, suprathermal ions are observed that might be related to pick-up acceleration of photoionized exospheric populations as far as 5RVupstream in the solar wind as has been observed before by missions such as Pioneer Venus Orbiter and Venus Express. Near the closest approach of Solar Orbiter, the...
arXiv: Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics, 2017
Solar Orbiter is a joint ESA-NASA mission planed for launch in October 2018. The science payload ... more Solar Orbiter is a joint ESA-NASA mission planed for launch in October 2018. The science payload includes remote-sensing and in-situ instrumentation designed with the primary goal of understanding how the Sun creates and controls the heliosphere. The spacecraft will follow an elliptical orbit around the Sun, with perihelion as close as 0.28 AU. During the late orbit phase the orbital plane will reach inclinations above 30 degrees, allowing direct observations of the solar polar regions. The Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) is an instrument suite consisting of several sensors measuring electrons, protons and ions over a broad energy interval (2 keV to 15 MeV for electrons, 3 keV to 100 MeV for protons and few tens of keV/nuc to 450 MeV/nuc for ions), providing composition, spectra, timing and anisotropy information. We present an overview of Solar Orbiter from the energetic particle perspective, summarizing the capabilities of EPD and the opportunities that these new observations wi...
Acta Astronautica, 2021
Abstract This work presents an overview of the in-flight engineering data of the Energetic Partic... more Abstract This work presents an overview of the in-flight engineering data of the Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) instrument suite during its first year of operation. EPD is part of the in-situ scientific payload of the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter mission which was launched in February 2020. After completion of its commissioning phase, Solar Orbiter started its cruise phase in June 2020, in coincidence with its first perihelion at 0.51 au. Six remote-sensing instruments and four in-situ instruments, including EPD, which is a suite of four individual sensors, make Solar Orbiter the most complete space laboratory flown into the inner heliosphere to date. In-flight engineering data of the different EPD units such as their power consumption and their temperatures are the key indicators to ascertain that the design, manufacturing and qualification of the EPD units on ground and throughout the different life cycles prior to launch were successful. On the other hand, these in-flight housekeeping data also reflect the general status of the units which are exposed to space radiation, stray light and a varying thermal environment. The reliability of the EPD suite was analyzed during the design phase and the in-flight status evaluation confirms this analysis. The first year of flight covers special milestones for the Solar Orbiter mission such as the launch, first perihelion, as well as the first Venus flyby. By evaluating the in-flight engineering data, it is demonstrated that the EPD suite successfully meets its design requirements and also satisfies its scientific objectives in flight.