From ba053b3c5974ba072112498667da3c512aecdf11 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Bdale Garbee Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2010 09:08:28 -0600 Subject: [PATCH] fold in features from Keith's blog post last month, and add a bit more to the futures list --- AltOS/index.mdwn | 81 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-- 1 file changed, 79 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/AltOS/index.mdwn b/AltOS/index.mdwn index 0d5ae8c..f772dd4 100644 --- a/AltOS/index.mdwn +++ b/AltOS/index.mdwn @@ -23,8 +23,85 @@ in the project [fw/altos](http://git.gag.com/?p=fw/altos;a=summary). ## Features ## -More documentation is coming soon, but in the meantime, -most operations in the second-generation GUI are pretty easy to figure out. +Version 0.7.1 is the first release containing our new cross-platform Java-based user interface. AltosUI can: + +* Receive and log telemetry from a connected TeleDongle device. All data + received is saved to log files named with the current date and the connected + rocket serial and flight numbers. There is no mode in which telemetry data + will not be saved. + +* Download logged data from TeleMetrum devices, either through a direct USB + connection or over the air through a TeleDongle device. + +* Configure a TeleMetrum device, setting the radio channel, callsign, apogee + delay and main deploy height. This can be done through either a USB + connection or over a radio link via a TeleDongle device. + +* Replay a flight in real-time. This takes a saved telemetry log or eeprom + download and replays it through the user interface so you can relive your + favorite rocket flights. + +* Reprogram Altus Metrum devices. Using an Altus Metrum device connected via + USB, another Altus Metrum device can be reprogrammed using the supplied + programming cable between the two devices. + +* Export Flight data to a comma-separated-values file. This takes either + telemetry or on-board flight data and generates data suitable for use in + external applications. All data is exported using standard units so that no + device-specific knowledge is needed to handle the data. + +* Speak to you during the flight. Instead of spending the flight hunched over + your laptop looking at the screen, enjoy the view while the computer tells + you what’s going on up there. During ascent, you hear the current flight + state and altitude information. During descent, you get azimuth, elevation + and range information to try and help you find your rocket in the air. Once + on the ground, the direction and distance are reported. + +AltosUI provides all of these features on the three target operating systems, +Linux, Mac OS X (version 10.5 or newer) and Windows (XP, Vista or 7). The bulk +of the software is written in Java and is built once and tested and delivered +on all three target platforms. A tiny ‘shim’ library is built on each system +to provide access to the Altus Metrum devices connected over the USB link. + +## Future Plans ## + +A number of features are implemented or in process in the sources available +in our publicly visible repository that are not part of the current stable +release. Some of these features are already available in our C utilities, +but not yet part of our second-generation Java user interface altosui. + +* [Google Earth](http://earth.google.com) "KML" file export. The + first-generation C program ao-postflight can do this, the implementation + in altosui has improvements. + +* Data plotting. The first-generation C program ao-postflight can output a + set of standard plots as an svg file. The plotting code we're integrating + into altosui supports direct interaction with the data and is much more fun! + +* State-dependent display. When the rocket is on the pad, you mostly want to + know if it’s ready to fly. When the rocket is descending on a chute, you + want to know where it is in the sky and how fast its falling. Presenting a + limited amount of information that represents what is most interesting to + the user at any given time should make the display easier to read. + +* Ejection charge testing. The TeleMetrum firmware has the ability to be + commanded to fire ejection charges over the USB or radio links. Safely + hooking this up to the user interface will allow for wireless ejection + system testing. It is possible to do this today with a terminal program, + but we want this to be a feature in altosui. The key here is “safely”, of + course, which means figuring out a ‘fool proof’ user interface. + +* A Kalman-filter based approach to apogee detection using more than just the + baro sensor, so that we can safely control apogee ejection on flights to + altitudes beyond the range of our baro sensor alone. Unlike the other items + on the list, this will be a significant change to the in-rocket TeleMetrum + firmware. It may therefore be a while before this becomes part of a stable + firmware release. + +There are any number of additions that could be made to this list; feel free +to send along ideas that you’ve got. Of course, all of this software is +licensed under the GNU General Public License, so you can get the source and +hack on it in the comfort of your own home. ## Platform Specific Notes ## -- 2.30.2