DISCoS - a detector-independent software for the on-ground testing and calibration of scientific payloads using the ESA Packet Telemetry and Telecommand Standards

The ESA Packet Telemetry and Telecommand Standards accommodate the requirements of a great variety of scientific space missions, thus providing a standard basis for cost-effective and technically compatible developments of on-board and on-ground data handling systems for a wide range of projects. This paper describes the design and the implementation of a detector-independent software, running on Unix platforms, which has been developed for the near real time acquisition, archiving, and basic processing of the ESA based telemetry and telecommand data produced during the on ground testing and calibration of various X- and $\gamma$-ray space borne detectors.