+ Watch our
+ <a class="ulink" href="http://altusmetrum.org/" target="_top">web site</a> for more news
+ and information as our family of products evolves!
+ </p></div></div><div class="chapter"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idm46789024451664"></a>Chapter 9. Altimeter Installation Recommendations</h1></div></div></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><dl class="toc"><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024450208">1. Mounting the Altimeter</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024445376">2. Dealing with the Antenna</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024439280">3. Preserving GPS Reception</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024434496">4. Radio Frequency Interference</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024426928">5. The Barometric Sensor</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024424128">6. Ground Testing</a></span></dt></dl></div><p>
+ Building high-power rockets that fly safely is hard enough. Mix
+ in some sophisticated electronics and a bunch of radio energy
+ and some creativity and/or compromise may be required. This chapter
+ contains some suggestions about how to install Altus Metrum
+ products into a rocket air-frame, including how to safely and
+ reliably mix a variety of electronics into the same air-frame.
+ </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024450208"></a>1. Mounting the Altimeter</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ The first consideration is to ensure that the altimeter is
+ securely fastened to the air-frame. For most of our products, we
+ prefer nylon standoffs and nylon screws; they're good to at least 50G
+ and cannot cause any electrical issues on the board. Metal screws
+ and standoffs are fine, too, just be careful to avoid electrical
+ shorts! For TeleMini v1.0, we usually cut small pieces of 1/16 inch
+ balsa to fit
+ under the screw holes, and then take 2x56 nylon screws and
+ screw them through the TeleMini mounting holes, through the
+ balsa and into the underlying material.
+ </p><div class="orderedlist"><ol class="orderedlist" type="1"><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Make sure accelerometer-equipped products like TeleMetrum,
+ TeleMega and EasyMega are aligned precisely along the axis of
+ acceleration so that the accelerometer can accurately
+ capture data during the flight.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Watch for any metal touching components on the
+ board. Shorting out connections on the bottom of the board
+ can cause the altimeter to fail during flight.
+ </p></li></ol></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024445376"></a>2. Dealing with the Antenna</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ The antenna supplied is just a piece of solid, insulated,
+ wire. If it gets damaged or broken, it can be easily
+ replaced. It should be kept straight and not cut; bending or
+ cutting it will change the resonant frequency and/or
+ impedance, making it a less efficient radiator and thus
+ reducing the range of the telemetry signal.
+ </p><p>
+ Keeping metal away from the antenna will provide better range
+ and a more even radiation pattern. In most rockets, it's not
+ entirely possible to isolate the antenna from metal
+ components; there are often bolts, all-thread and wires from other
+ electronics to contend with. Just be aware that the more stuff
+ like this around the antenna, the lower the range.
+ </p><p>
+ Make sure the antenna is not inside a tube made or covered
+ with conducting material. Carbon fiber is the most common
+ culprit here -- CF is a good conductor and will effectively
+ shield the antenna, dramatically reducing signal strength and
+ range. Metallic flake paint is another effective shielding
+ material which should be avoided around any antennas.
+ </p><p>
+ If the ebay is large enough, it can be convenient to simply
+ mount the altimeter at one end and stretch the antenna out
+ inside. Taping the antenna to the sled can keep it straight
+ under acceleration. If there are metal rods, keep the
+ antenna as far away as possible.
+ </p><p>
+ For a shorter ebay, it's quite practical to have the antenna
+ run through a bulkhead and into an adjacent bay. Drill a small
+ hole in the bulkhead, pass the antenna wire through it and
+ then seal it up with glue or clay. We've also used acrylic
+ tubing to create a cavity for the antenna wire. This works a
+ bit better in that the antenna is known to stay straight and
+ not get folded by recovery components in the bay. Angle the
+ tubing towards the side wall of the rocket and it ends up
+ consuming very little space.
+ </p><p>
+ If you need to place the UHF antenna at a distance from the
+ altimeter, you can replace the antenna with an edge-mounted
+ SMA connector, and then run 50Ω coax from the board to the
+ antenna. Building a remote antenna is beyond the scope of this
+ manual.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024439280"></a>3. Preserving GPS Reception</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ The GPS antenna and receiver used in TeleMetrum and TeleMega is
+ highly sensitive and normally have no trouble tracking enough
+ satellites to provide accurate position information for
+ recovering the rocket. However, there are many ways the GPS signal
+ can end up attenuated, negatively affecting GPS performance.
+ </p><div class="orderedlist"><ol class="orderedlist" type="1"><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Conductive tubing or coatings. Carbon fiber and metal
+ tubing, or metallic paint will all dramatically attenuate the
+ GPS signal. We've never heard of anyone successfully
+ receiving GPS from inside these materials.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Metal components near the GPS patch antenna. These will
+ de-tune the patch antenna, changing the resonant frequency
+ away from the L1 carrier and reduce the effectiveness of the
+ antenna. You can place as much stuff as you like beneath the
+ antenna as that's covered with a ground plane. But, keep
+ wires and metal out from above the patch antenna.
+ </p></li></ol></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024434496"></a>4. Radio Frequency Interference</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ Any altimeter will generate RFI; the digital circuits use
+ high-frequency clocks that spray radio interference across a
+ wide band. Altus Metrum altimeters generate intentional radio
+ signals as well, increasing the amount of RF energy around the board.
+ </p><p>
+ Rocketry altimeters also use precise sensors measuring air
+ pressure and acceleration. Tiny changes in voltage can cause
+ these sensor readings to vary by a huge amount. When the
+ sensors start mis-reporting data, the altimeter can either
+ fire the igniters at the wrong time, or not fire them at all.
+ </p><p>
+ Voltages are induced when radio frequency energy is
+ transmitted from one circuit to another. Here are things that
+ influence the induced voltage and current:
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Keep wires from different circuits apart. Moving circuits
+ further apart will reduce RFI.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Avoid parallel wires from different circuits. The longer two
+ wires run parallel to one another, the larger the amount of
+ transferred energy. Cross wires at right angles to reduce
+ RFI.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Twist wires from the same circuits. Two wires the same
+ distance from the transmitter will get the same amount of
+ induced energy which will then cancel out. Any time you have
+ a wire pair running together, twist the pair together to
+ even out distances and reduce RFI. For altimeters, this
+ includes battery leads, switch hookups and igniter
+ circuits.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Avoid resonant lengths. Know what frequencies are present
+ in the environment and avoid having wire lengths near a
+ natural resonant length. Altus Metrum products transmit on the
+ 70cm amateur band, so you should avoid lengths that are a
+ simple ratio of that length; essentially any multiple of ¼
+ of the wavelength (17.5cm).
+ </p></li></ul></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024426928"></a>5. The Barometric Sensor</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ Altusmetrum altimeters measure altitude with a barometric
+ sensor, essentially measuring the amount of air above the
+ rocket to figure out how high it is. A large number of
+ measurements are taken as the altimeter initializes itself to
+ figure out the pad altitude. Subsequent measurements are then
+ used to compute the height above the pad.
+ </p><p>
+ To accurately measure atmospheric pressure, the ebay
+ containing the altimeter must be vented outside the
+ air-frame. The vent must be placed in a region of linear
+ airflow, have smooth edges, and away from areas of increasing or
+ decreasing pressure.
+ </p><p>
+ All barometric sensors are quite sensitive to chemical damage from
+ the products of APCP or BP combustion, so make sure the ebay is
+ carefully sealed from any compartment which contains ejection
+ charges or motors.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024424128"></a>6. Ground Testing</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ The most important aspect of any installation is careful
+ ground testing. Bringing an air-frame up to the LCO table which
+ hasn't been ground tested can lead to delays or ejection
+ charges firing on the pad, or, even worse, a recovery system
+ failure.
+ </p><p>
+ Do a 'full systems' test that includes wiring up all igniters
+ without any BP and turning on all of the electronics in flight
+ mode. This will catch any mistakes in wiring and any residual
+ RFI issues that might accidentally fire igniters at the wrong
+ time. Let the air-frame sit for several minutes, checking for
+ adequate telemetry signal strength and GPS lock. If any igniters
+ fire unexpectedly, find and resolve the issue before loading any
+ BP charges!
+ </p><p>
+ Ground test the ejection charges. Prepare the rocket for
+ flight, loading ejection charges and igniters. Completely
+ assemble the air-frame and then use the 'Fire Igniters'
+ interface through a TeleDongle to command each charge to
+ fire. Make sure the charge is sufficient to robustly separate
+ the air-frame and deploy the recovery system.
+ </p></div></div><div class="chapter"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idm46789024420960"></a>Chapter 10. Updating Device Firmware</h1></div></div></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><dl class="toc"><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024416880">1.
+ Updating TeleMega, TeleMetrum v2, EasyMega, EasyMini or
+ TeleDongle v3 Firmware
+ </a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024407744">1.1. Recovering From Self-Flashing Failure</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024387392">2. Pair Programming</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024385936">3. Updating TeleMetrum v1.x Firmware</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024372672">4. Updating TeleMini Firmware</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024359056">5. Updating TeleDongle v0.2 Firmware</a></span></dt></dl></div><p>
+ TeleMega, TeleMetrum v2, EasyMega, EasyMini and TeleDongle v3
+ are all programmed directly over their USB connectors (self
+ programming). TeleMetrum v1, TeleMini and TeleDongle v0.2 are
+ all programmed by using another device as a programmer (pair
+ programming). It's important to recognize which kind of devices
+ you have before trying to reprogram them.
+ </p><p>
+ You may wish to begin by ensuring you have current firmware images.
+ These are distributed as part of the AltOS software bundle that
+ also includes the AltosUI ground station program. Newer ground
+ station versions typically work fine with older firmware versions,
+ so you don't need to update your devices just to try out new
+ software features. You can always download the most recent
+ version from <a class="ulink" href="http://www.altusmetrum.org/AltOS/" target="_top">http://www.altusmetrum.org/AltOS/</a>.
+ </p><p>
+ If you need to update the firmware on a TeleDongle v0.2, we recommend
+ updating the altimeter first, before updating TeleDongle. However,
+ note that TeleDongle rarely need to be updated. Any firmware version
+ 1.0.1 or later will work, version 1.2.1 may have improved receiver
+ performance slightly.
+ </p><p>
+ Self-programmable devices (TeleMega, TeleMetrum v2, EasyMega and EasyMini)
+ are reprogrammed by connecting them to your computer over USB
+ </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024416880"></a>1.
+ Updating TeleMega, TeleMetrum v2, EasyMega, EasyMini or
+ TeleDongle v3 Firmware
+ </h2></div></div></div><div class="orderedlist"><ol class="orderedlist" type="1"><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Attach a battery if necessary and power switch to the target
+ device. Power up the device.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Using a Micro USB cable, connect the target device to your
+ computer's USB socket.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Run AltosUI, and select 'Flash Image' from the File menu.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Select the target device in the Device Selection dialog.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Select the image you want to flash to the device, which
+ should have a name in the form
+ <product>-v<product-version>-<software-version>.ihx, such
+ as TeleMega-v1.0-1.3.0.ihx.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Make sure the configuration parameters are reasonable
+ looking. If the serial number and/or RF configuration
+ values aren't right, you'll need to change them.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Hit the 'OK' button and the software should proceed to flash
+ the device with new firmware, showing a progress bar.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Verify that the device is working by using the 'Configure
+ Altimeter' or 'Configure Groundstation' item to check over
+ the configuration.
+ </p></li></ol></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idm46789024407744"></a>1.1. Recovering From Self-Flashing Failure</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ If the firmware loading fails, it can leave the device
+ unable to boot. Not to worry, you can force the device to
+ start the boot loader instead, which will let you try to
+ flash the device again.
+ </p><p>
+ On each device, connecting two pins from one of the exposed
+ connectors will force the boot loader to start, even if the
+ regular operating system has been corrupted in some way.
+ </p><div class="variablelist"><dl class="variablelist"><dt><span class="term">TeleMega</span></dt><dd><p>
+ Connect pin 6 and pin 1 of the companion connector. Pin 1
+ can be identified by the square pad around it, and then
+ the pins could sequentially across the board. Be very
+ careful to <span class="emphasis"><em>not</em></span> short pin 8 to
+ anything as that is connected directly to the battery. Pin
+ 7 carries 3.3V and the board will crash if that is
+ connected to pin 1, but shouldn't damage the board.
+ </p></dd><dt><span class="term">EasyMega</span></dt><dd><p>
+ Connect pin 6 and pin 1 of the companion connector. Pin 1
+ can be identified by the square pad around it, and then
+ the pins could sequentially across the board. Be very
+ careful to <span class="emphasis"><em>not</em></span> short pin 8 to
+ anything as that is connected directly to the battery. Pin
+ 7 carries 3.3V and the board will crash if that is
+ connected to pin 1, but shouldn't damage the board.
+ </p></dd><dt><span class="term">TeleMetrum v2</span></dt><dd><p>
+ Connect pin 6 and pin 1 of the companion connector. Pin 1
+ can be identified by the square pad around it, and then
+ the pins could sequentially across the board. Be very
+ careful to <span class="emphasis"><em>not</em></span> short pin 8 to
+ anything as that is connected directly to the battery. Pin
+ 7 carries 3.3V and the board will crash if that is
+ connected to pin 1, but shouldn't damage the board.
+ </p></dd><dt><span class="term">EasyMini</span></dt><dd><p>
+ Connect pin 6 and pin 1 of the debug connector, which is
+ the six holes next to the beeper. Pin 1 can be identified
+ by the square pad around it, and then the pins could
+ sequentially across the board, making Pin 6 the one on the
+ other end of the row.
+ </p></dd><dt><span class="term">TeleDongle v3</span></dt><dd><p>
+ Connect pin 32 on the CPU to ground. Pin 32 is closest
+ to the USB wires on the row of pins towards the center
+ of the board. Ground is available on the capacitor
+ next to it, on the end towards the USB wires.
+ </p></dd></dl></div><p>
+ Once you've located the right pins:
+ </p><div class="orderedlist"><ol class="orderedlist" type="1"><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Turn the altimeter power off.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Connect a battery.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Connect the indicated terminals together with a short
+ piece of wire. Take care not to accidentally connect
+ anything else.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Connect USB
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Turn the board power on.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ The board should now be visible over USB as 'AltosFlash'
+ and be ready to receive firmware.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Once the board has been powered up, you can remove the
+ piece of wire.
+ </p></li></ol></div></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024387392"></a>2. Pair Programming</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ The big concept to understand is that you have to use a
+ TeleMetrum v1.0, TeleBT v1.0 or TeleDongle v0.2 as a
+ programmer to update a pair programmed device. Due to limited
+ memory resources in the cc1111, we don't support programming
+ directly over USB for these devices.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024385936"></a>3. Updating TeleMetrum v1.x Firmware</h2></div></div></div><div class="orderedlist"><ol class="orderedlist" type="1"><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Find the 'programming cable' that you got as part of the starter
+ kit, that has a red 8-pin MicroMaTch connector on one end and a
+ red 4-pin MicroMaTch connector on the other end.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Take the 2 screws out of the TeleDongle v0.2 or TeleBT v1.0
+ case to get access to the circuit board.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Plug the 8-pin end of the programming cable to the
+ matching connector on the TeleDongle v0.2 or TeleBT v1.0, and the 4-pin end to the
+ matching connector on the TeleMetrum.
+ Note that each MicroMaTch connector has an alignment pin that
+ goes through a hole in the PC board when you have the cable
+ oriented correctly.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Attach a battery to the TeleMetrum board.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Plug the TeleDongle v0.2 or TeleBT v1.0 into your computer's USB port, and power
+ up the TeleMetrum.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Run AltosUI, and select 'Flash Image' from the File menu.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Pick the TeleDongle v0.2 or TeleBT v1.0 device from the list, identifying it as the
+ programming device.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Select the image you want put on the TeleMetrum, which should have a
+ name in the form telemetrum-v1.2-1.0.0.ihx. It should be visible
+ in the default directory, if not you may have to poke around
+ your system to find it.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Make sure the configuration parameters are reasonable
+ looking. If the serial number and/or RF configuration
+ values aren't right, you'll need to change them.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Hit the 'OK' button and the software should proceed to flash
+ the TeleMetrum with new firmware, showing a progress bar.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Confirm that the TeleMetrum board seems to have updated OK, which you
+ can do by plugging in to it over USB and using a terminal program
+ to connect to the board and issue the 'v' command to check
+ the version, etc.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ If something goes wrong, give it another try.
+ </p></li></ol></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024372672"></a>4. Updating TeleMini Firmware</h2></div></div></div><div class="orderedlist"><ol class="orderedlist" type="1"><li class="listitem"><p>
+ You'll need a special 'programming cable' to reprogram the
+ TeleMini. You can make your own using an 8-pin MicroMaTch
+ connector on one end and a set of four pins on the other.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Take the 2 screws out of the TeleDongle v0.2 or TeleBT v1.0 case to get access
+ to the circuit board.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Plug the 8-pin end of the programming cable to the matching
+ connector on the TeleDongle v0.2 or TeleBT v1.0, and the 4-pins into the holes
+ in the TeleMini circuit board. Note that the MicroMaTch
+ connector has an alignment pin that goes through a hole in
+ the PC board when you have the cable oriented correctly, and
+ that pin 1 on the TeleMini board is marked with a square pad
+ while the other pins have round pads.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Attach a battery to the TeleMini board.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Plug the TeleDongle v0.2 or TeleBT v1.0 into your computer's USB port, and power
+ up the TeleMini
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Run AltosUI, and select 'Flash Image' from the File menu.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Pick the TeleDongle v0.2 or TeleBT v1.0 device from the list, identifying it as the
+ programming device.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Select the image you want put on the TeleMini, which should have a
+ name in the form telemini-v1.0-1.0.0.ihx. It should be visible
+ in the default directory, if not you may have to poke around
+ your system to find it.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Make sure the configuration parameters are reasonable
+ looking. If the serial number and/or RF configuration
+ values aren't right, you'll need to change them.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Hit the 'OK' button and the software should proceed to flash
+ the TeleMini with new firmware, showing a progress bar.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Confirm that the TeleMini board seems to have updated OK, which you
+ can do by configuring it over the radio link through the TeleDongle, or
+ letting it come up in “flight” mode and listening for telemetry.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ If something goes wrong, give it another try.
+ </p></li></ol></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024359056"></a>5. Updating TeleDongle v0.2 Firmware</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ Updating TeleDongle v0.2 firmware is just like updating
+ TeleMetrum v1.x or TeleMini
+ firmware, but you use either a TeleMetrum v1.x, TeleDongle
+ v0.2 or TeleBT v1.0 as the programmer.
+ </p><div class="orderedlist"><ol class="orderedlist" type="1"><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Find the 'programming cable' that you got as part of the starter
+ kit, that has a red 8-pin MicroMaTch connector on one end and a
+ red 4-pin MicroMaTch connector on the other end.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Find the USB cable that you got as part of the starter kit, and
+ plug the “mini” end in to the mating connector on TeleMetrum
+ v1.x, TeleDongle v0.2 or TeleBT v1.0.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Take the 2 screws out of the TeleDongle v0.2 or TeleBT v1.0 case to get access
+ to the circuit board.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Plug the 8-pin end of the programming cable to the
+ matching connector on the programmer, and the 4-pin end to the
+ matching connector on the TeleDongle v0.2.
+ Note that each MicroMaTch connector has an alignment pin that
+ goes through a hole in the PC board when you have the cable
+ oriented correctly.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Attach a battery to the TeleMetrum v1.x board if you're using one.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Plug both the programmer and the TeleDongle into your computer's USB
+ ports, and power up the programmer.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Run AltosUI, and select 'Flash Image' from the File menu.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Pick the programmer device from the list, identifying it as the
+ programming device.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Select the image you want put on the TeleDongle v0.2, which should have a
+ name in the form teledongle-v0.2-1.0.0.ihx. It should be visible
+ in the default directory, if not you may have to poke around
+ your system to find it.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Make sure the configuration parameters are reasonable
+ looking. If the serial number and/or RF configuration
+ values aren't right, you'll need to change them. The
+ TeleDongle v0.2
+ serial number is on the “bottom” of the circuit board, and can
+ usually be read through the translucent blue plastic case without
+ needing to remove the board from the case.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Hit the 'OK' button and the software should proceed to flash
+ the TeleDongle v0.2 with new firmware, showing a progress bar.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Confirm that the TeleDongle v0.2 board seems to have updated OK, which you
+ can do by plugging in to it over USB and using a terminal program
+ to connect to the board and issue the 'v' command to check
+ the version, etc. Once you're happy, remove the programming cable
+ and put the cover back on the TeleDongle v0.2.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ If something goes wrong, give it another try.
+ </p></li></ol></div><p>
+ Be careful removing the programming cable from the locking 8-pin
+ connector on TeleMetrum. You'll need a fingernail or perhaps a thin
+ screwdriver or knife blade to gently pry the locking ears out
+ slightly to extract the connector. We used a locking connector on
+ TeleMetrum to help ensure that the cabling to companion boards
+ used in a rocket don't ever come loose accidentally in flight.
+ </p></div></div><div class="chapter"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idm46789024342288"></a>Chapter 11. Hardware Specifications</h1></div></div></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><dl class="toc"><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024341648">1.
+ TeleMega Specifications
+ </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024330176">2.
+ EasyMega Specifications
+ </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024320432">3.
+ TeleMetrum v2 Specifications
+ </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024309872">4. TeleMetrum v1 Specifications</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024299312">5.
+ TeleMini v2.0 Specifications
+ </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024290480">6.
+ TeleMini v1.0 Specifications
+ </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024281680">7.
+ EasyMini Specifications
+ </a></span></dt></dl></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024341648"></a>1.
+ TeleMega Specifications
+ </h2></div></div></div><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Recording altimeter for model rocketry.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Supports dual deployment and four auxiliary pyro channels
+ (a total of 6 events).
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 70cm 40mW ham-band transceiver for telemetry down-link.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Barometric pressure sensor good to 100k feet MSL.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 1-axis high-g accelerometer for motor characterization, capable of
+ +/- 102g.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 9-axis IMU including integrated 3-axis accelerometer,
+ 3-axis gyroscope and 3-axis magnetometer.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ On-board, integrated uBlox Max 7 GPS receiver with 5Hz update rate capability.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ On-board 8 Megabyte non-volatile memory for flight data storage.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ USB interface for battery charging, configuration, and data recovery.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Fully integrated support for Li-Po rechargeable batteries.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Can use either main system Li-Po or optional separate pyro battery
+ to fire e-matches.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 3.25 x 1.25 inch board designed to fit inside 38mm air-frame coupler tube.
+ </p></li></ul></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024330176"></a>2.
+ EasyMega Specifications
+ </h2></div></div></div><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Recording altimeter for model rocketry.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Supports dual deployment and four auxiliary pyro channels
+ (a total of 6 events).
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Barometric pressure sensor good to 100k feet MSL.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 1-axis high-g accelerometer for motor characterization, capable of
+ +/- 102g.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 9-axis IMU including integrated 3-axis accelerometer,
+ 3-axis gyroscope and 3-axis magnetometer.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ On-board 8 Megabyte non-volatile memory for flight data storage.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ USB interface for battery charging, configuration, and data recovery.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Fully integrated support for Li-Po rechargeable batteries.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Can use either main system Li-Po or optional separate pyro battery
+ to fire e-matches.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 1.25 x 1.25 inch board designed to fit inside 38mm air-frame coupler tube.
+ </p></li></ul></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024320432"></a>3.
+ TeleMetrum v2 Specifications
+ </h2></div></div></div><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Recording altimeter for model rocketry.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Supports dual deployment (can fire 2 ejection charges).
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 70cm, 40mW ham-band transceiver for telemetry down-link.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Barometric pressure sensor good to 100k feet MSL.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 1-axis high-g accelerometer for motor characterization, capable of
+ +/- 102g.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ On-board, integrated uBlox Max 7 GPS receiver with 5Hz update rate capability.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ On-board 8 Megabyte non-volatile memory for flight data storage.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ USB interface for battery charging, configuration, and data recovery.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Fully integrated support for Li-Po rechargeable batteries.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Uses Li-Po to fire e-matches, can be modified to support
+ optional separate pyro battery if needed.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 2.75 x 1 inch board designed to fit inside 29mm air-frame coupler tube.
+ </p></li></ul></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024309872"></a>4. TeleMetrum v1 Specifications</h2></div></div></div><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Recording altimeter for model rocketry.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Supports dual deployment (can fire 2 ejection charges).
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 70cm, 10mW ham-band transceiver for telemetry down-link.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Barometric pressure sensor good to 45k feet MSL.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 1-axis high-g accelerometer for motor characterization, capable of
+ +/- 50g using default part.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ On-board, integrated GPS receiver with 5Hz update rate capability.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ On-board 1 megabyte non-volatile memory for flight data storage.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ USB interface for battery charging, configuration, and data recovery.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Fully integrated support for Li-Po rechargeable batteries.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Uses Li-Po to fire e-matches, can be modified to support
+ optional separate pyro battery if needed.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 2.75 x 1 inch board designed to fit inside 29mm air-frame coupler tube.
+ </p></li></ul></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024299312"></a>5.
+ TeleMini v2.0 Specifications
+ </h2></div></div></div><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Recording altimeter for model rocketry.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Supports dual deployment (can fire 2 ejection charges).
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 70cm, 10mW ham-band transceiver for telemetry down-link.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Barometric pressure sensor good to 100k feet MSL.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ On-board 1 megabyte non-volatile memory for flight data storage.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ USB interface for configuration, and data recovery.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Support for Li-Po rechargeable batteries (using an
+ external charger), or any 3.7-15V external battery.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Uses Li-Po to fire e-matches, can be modified to support
+ optional separate pyro battery if needed.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 1.5 x .8 inch board designed to fit inside 24mm air-frame coupler tube.
+ </p></li></ul></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024290480"></a>6.
+ TeleMini v1.0 Specifications
+ </h2></div></div></div><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Recording altimeter for model rocketry.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Supports dual deployment (can fire 2 ejection charges).
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 70cm, 10mW ham-band transceiver for telemetry down-link.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Barometric pressure sensor good to 45k feet MSL.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ On-board 5 kilobyte non-volatile memory for flight data storage.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ RF interface for configuration, and data recovery.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Support for Li-Po rechargeable batteries, using an external charger.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Uses Li-Po to fire e-matches, can be modified to support
+ optional separate pyro battery if needed.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 1.5 x .5 inch board designed to fit inside 18mm air-frame coupler tube.
+ </p></li></ul></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024281680"></a>7.
+ EasyMini Specifications
+ </h2></div></div></div><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Recording altimeter for model rocketry.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Supports dual deployment (can fire 2 ejection charges).
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Barometric pressure sensor good to 100k feet MSL.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ On-board 1 megabyte non-volatile memory for flight data storage.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ USB interface for configuration, and data recovery.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Support for Li-Po rechargeable batteries (using an
+ external charger), or any 3.7-15V external battery.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Uses Li-Po to fire e-matches, can be modified to support
+ optional separate pyro battery if needed.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 1.5 x .8 inch board designed to fit inside 24mm air-frame coupler tube.
+ </p></li></ul></div></div></div><div class="chapter"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idm46789024273568"></a>Chapter 12. FAQ</h1></div></div></div><p>
+ <span class="emphasis"><em>TeleMetrum seems to shut off when disconnected from the
+ computer.</em></span>
+ Make sure the battery is adequately charged. Remember the
+ unit will pull more power than the USB port can deliver before the
+ GPS enters “locked” mode. The battery charges best when TeleMetrum
+ is turned off.
+ </p><p>
+ <span class="emphasis"><em>It's impossible to stop the TeleDongle when it's in “p” mode, I have
+ to unplug the USB cable? </em></span>
+ Make sure you have tried to “escape out” of
+ this mode. If this doesn't work the reboot procedure for the
+ TeleDongle *is* to simply unplug it. 'cu' however will retain it's
+ outgoing buffer IF your “escape out” ('~~') does not work.
+ At this point using either 'ao-view' (or possibly
+ 'cutemon') instead of 'cu' will 'clear' the issue and allow renewed
+ communication.
+ </p><p>
+ <span class="emphasis"><em>The amber LED (on the TeleMetrum) lights up when both
+ battery and USB are connected. Does this mean it's charging?
+ </em></span>
+ Yes, the yellow LED indicates the charging at the 'regular' rate.
+ If the led is out but the unit is still plugged into a USB port,
+ then the battery is being charged at a 'trickle' rate.
+ </p><p>
+ <span class="emphasis"><em>There are no “dit-dah-dah-dit” sound or lights like the manual
+ mentions?</em></span>
+ That's the “pad” mode. Weak batteries might be the problem.
+ It is also possible that the flight computer is horizontal and the
+ output
+ is instead a “dit-dit” meaning 'idle'. For TeleMini, it's possible that
+ it received a command packet which would have left it in “pad” mode.
+ </p><p>
+ <span class="emphasis"><em>How do I save flight data?</em></span>
+ Live telemetry is written to file(s) whenever AltosUI is connected
+ to the TeleDongle. The file area defaults to ~/TeleMetrum
+ but is easily changed using the menus in AltosUI. The files that
+ are written end in '.telem'. The after-flight
+ data-dumped files will end in .eeprom and represent continuous data
+ unlike the .telem files that are subject to losses
+ along the RF data path.
+ See the above instructions on what and how to save the eeprom stored
+ data after physically retrieving your altimeter. Make sure to save
+ the on-board data after each flight; while the TeleMetrum can store
+ multiple flights, you never know when you'll lose the altimeter...
+ </p></div><div class="appendix"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idm46789024264720"></a>Appendix A. Notes for Older Software</h1></div></div></div><p>
+ <span class="emphasis"><em>
+ Before AltosUI was written, using Altus Metrum devices required
+ some finesse with the Linux command line. There was a limited
+ GUI tool, ao-view, which provided functionality similar to the
+ Monitor Flight window in AltosUI, but everything else was a
+ fairly 80's experience. This appendix includes documentation for
+ using that software.
+ </em></span>
+ </p><p>
+ Both TeleMetrum and TeleDongle can be directly communicated
+ with using USB ports. The first thing you should try after getting
+ both units plugged into to your computer's USB port(s) is to run
+ 'ao-list' from a terminal-window to see what port-device-name each
+ device has been assigned by the operating system.
+ You will need this information to access the devices via their
+ respective on-board firmware and data using other command line
+ programs in the AltOS software suite.
+ </p><p>
+ TeleMini can be communicated with through a TeleDongle device
+ over the radio link. When first booted, TeleMini listens for a
+ TeleDongle device and if it receives a packet, it goes into
+ 'idle' mode. Otherwise, it goes into 'pad' mode and waits to be
+ launched. The easiest way to get it talking is to start the
+ communication link on the TeleDongle and the power up the
+ TeleMini board.
+ </p><p>
+ To access the device's firmware for configuration you need a terminal
+ program such as you would use to talk to a modem. The software
+ authors prefer using the program 'cu' which comes from the UUCP package
+ on most Unix-like systems such as Linux. An example command line for
+ cu might be 'cu -l /dev/ttyACM0', substituting the correct number
+ indicated from running the
+ ao-list program. Another reasonable terminal program for Linux is
+ 'cutecom'. The default 'escape'
+ character used by CU (i.e. the character you use to
+ issue commands to cu itself instead of sending the command as input
+ to the connected device) is a '~'. You will need this for use in
+ only two different ways during normal operations. First is to exit
+ the program by sending a '~.' which is called a 'escape-disconnect'
+ and allows you to close-out from 'cu'. The
+ second use will be outlined later.
+ </p><p>
+ All of the Altus Metrum devices share the concept of a two level
+ command set in their firmware.
+ The first layer has several single letter commands. Once
+ you are using 'cu' (or 'cutecom') sending (typing) a '?'
+ returns a full list of these
+ commands. The second level are configuration sub-commands accessed
+ using the 'c' command, for
+ instance typing 'c?' will give you this second level of commands
+ (all of which require the
+ letter 'c' to access). Please note that most configuration options
+ are stored only in Flash memory; TeleDongle doesn't provide any storage
+ for these options and so they'll all be lost when you unplug it.
+ </p><p>
+ Try setting these configuration ('c' or second level menu) values. A good
+ place to start is by setting your call sign. By default, the boards
+ use 'N0CALL' which is cute, but not exactly legal!
+ Spend a few minutes getting comfortable with the units, their
+ firmware, and 'cu' (or possibly 'cutecom').
+ For instance, try to send
+ (type) a 'c r 2' and verify the channel change by sending a 'c s'.
+ Verify you can connect and disconnect from the units while in your
+ terminal program by sending the escape-disconnect mentioned above.
+ </p><p>
+ To set the radio frequency, use the 'c R' command to specify the
+ radio transceiver configuration parameter. This parameter is computed
+ using the desired frequency, 'F', the radio calibration parameter, 'C' (showed by the 'c s' command) and
+ the standard calibration reference frequency, 'S', (normally 434.550MHz):
+ </p><pre class="programlisting">
+ R = F / S * C
+ </pre><p>
+ Round the result to the nearest integer value.
+ As with all 'c' sub-commands, follow this with a 'c w' to write the
+ change to the parameter block in the on-board flash on
+ your altimeter board if you want the change to stay in place across reboots.
+ </p><p>
+ To set the apogee delay, use the 'c d' command.
+ As with all 'c' sub-commands, follow this with a 'c w' to write the
+ change to the parameter block in the on-board DataFlash chip.
+ </p><p>
+ To set the main deployment altitude, use the 'c m' command.
+ As with all 'c' sub-commands, follow this with a 'c w' to write the
+ change to the parameter block in the on-board DataFlash chip.
+ </p><p>
+ To calibrate the radio frequency, connect the UHF antenna port to a
+ frequency counter, set the board to 434.550MHz, and use the 'C'
+ command to generate a CW carrier. Wait for the transmitter temperature
+ to stabilize and the frequency to settle down.
+ Then, divide 434.550 MHz by the
+ measured frequency and multiply by the current radio cal value show
+ in the 'c s' command. For an unprogrammed board, the default value
+ is 1186611 for cc1111 based products and 7119667 for cc1120
+ based products. Take the resulting integer and program it using the 'c f'
+ command. Testing with the 'C' command again should show a carrier
+ within a few tens of Hertz of the intended frequency.
+ As with all 'c' sub-commands, follow this with a 'c w' to write the
+ change to the configuration memory.
+ </p><p>
+ Note that the 'reboot' command, which is very useful on the altimeters,
+ will likely just cause problems with the dongle. The *correct* way
+ to reset the dongle is just to unplug and re-plug it.
+ </p><p>
+ A fun thing to do at the launch site and something you can do while
+ learning how to use these units is to play with the radio link access
+ between an altimeter and the TeleDongle. Be aware that you *must* create
+ some physical separation between the devices, otherwise the link will
+ not function due to signal overload in the receivers in each device.
+ </p><p>
+ Now might be a good time to take a break and read the rest of this
+ manual, particularly about the two “modes” that the altimeters
+ can be placed in. TeleMetrum uses the position of the device when booting
+ up will determine whether the unit is in “pad” or “idle” mode. TeleMini
+ enters “idle” mode when it receives a command packet within the first 5 seconds
+ of being powered up, otherwise it enters “pad” mode.
+ </p><p>
+ You can access an altimeter in idle mode from the TeleDongle's USB
+ connection using the radio link
+ by issuing a 'p' command to the TeleDongle. Practice connecting and
+ disconnecting ('~~' while using 'cu') from the altimeter. If
+ you cannot escape out of the “p” command, (by using a '~~' when in
+ CU) then it is likely that your kernel has issues. Try a newer version.
+ </p><p>
+ Using this radio link allows you to configure the altimeter, test
+ fire e-matches and igniters from the flight line, check pyro-match
+ continuity and so forth. You can leave the unit turned on while it
+ is in 'idle mode' and then place the
+ rocket vertically on the launch pad, walk away and then issue a
+ reboot command. The altimeter will reboot and start sending data
+ having changed to the “pad” mode. If the TeleDongle is not receiving
+ this data, you can disconnect 'cu' from the TeleDongle using the
+ procedures mentioned above and THEN connect to the TeleDongle from
+ inside 'ao-view'. If this doesn't work, disconnect from the
+ TeleDongle, unplug it, and try again after plugging it back in.
+ </p><p>
+ In order to reduce the chance of accidental firing of pyrotechnic
+ charges, the command to fire a charge is intentionally somewhat
+ difficult to type, and the built-in help is slightly cryptic to
+ prevent accidental echoing of characters from the help text back at
+ the board from firing a charge. The command to fire the apogee
+ drogue charge is 'i DoIt drogue' and the command to fire the main
+ charge is 'i DoIt main'.
+ </p><p>
+ On TeleMetrum, the GPS will eventually find enough satellites, lock in on them,
+ and 'ao-view' will both auditorily announce and visually indicate
+ that GPS is ready.
+ Now you can launch knowing that you have a good data path and
+ good satellite lock for flight data and recovery. Remember
+ you MUST tell ao-view to connect to the TeleDongle explicitly in
+ order for ao-view to be able to receive data.
+ </p><p>
+ The altimeters provide RDF (radio direction finding) tones on
+ the pad, during descent and after landing. These can be used to
+ locate the rocket using a directional antenna; the signal
+ strength providing an indication of the direction from receiver to rocket.
+ </p><p>
+ TeleMetrum also provides GPS tracking data, which can further simplify
+ locating the rocket once it has landed. (The last good GPS data
+ received before touch-down will be on the data screen of 'ao-view'.)
+ </p><p>
+ Once you have recovered the rocket you can download the eeprom
+ contents using either 'ao-dumplog' (or possibly 'ao-eeprom'), over
+ either a USB cable or over the radio link using TeleDongle.
+ And by following the man page for 'ao-postflight' you can create
+ various data output reports, graphs, and even KML data to see the
+ flight trajectory in Google-earth. (Moving the viewing angle making
+ sure to connect the yellow lines while in Google-earth is the proper
+ technique.)
+ </p><p>
+ As for ao-view.... some things are in the menu but don't do anything
+ very useful. The developers have stopped working on ao-view to focus
+ on a new, cross-platform ground station program. So ao-view may or
+ may not be updated in the future. Mostly you just use
+ the Log and Device menus. It has a wonderful display of the incoming
+ flight data and I am sure you will enjoy what it has to say to you
+ once you enable the voice output!
+ </p></div><div class="appendix"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idm46789024241856"></a>Appendix B. Drill Templates</h1></div></div></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><dl class="toc"><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024240688">1. TeleMega template</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024224000">2. EasyMega template</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024219616">3. TeleMetrum template</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024215232">4. TeleMini v2/EasyMini template</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024210832">5. TeleMini v1 template</a></span></dt></dl></div><p>
+ These images, when printed, provide precise templates for the
+ mounting holes in Altus Metrum flight computers
+ </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024240688"></a>1. TeleMega template</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ TeleMega has overall dimensions of 1.250 x 3.250 inches, and
+ the mounting holes are sized for use with 4-40 or M3 screws.
+ </p><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject" align="center"><a name="TeleMegaTemplate"></a><object type="image/svg+xml" data="telemega.svg" align="middle"></object></div></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024224000"></a>2. EasyMega template</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ EasyMega has overall dimensions of 1.250 x 2.250 inches, and
+ the mounting holes are sized for use with 4-40 or M3 screws.
+ </p><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject" align="center"><a name="EasyMegaTemplate"></a><object type="image/svg+xml" data="easymega.svg" align="middle"></object></div></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024219616"></a>3. TeleMetrum template</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ TeleMetrum has overall dimensions of 1.000 x 2.750 inches, and the
+ mounting holes are sized for use with 4-40 or M3 screws.
+ </p><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject" align="center"><a name="TeleMetrumTemplate"></a><object type="image/svg+xml" data="telemetrum.svg" align="middle"></object></div></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024215232"></a>4. TeleMini v2/EasyMini template</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ TeleMini v2 and EasyMini have overall dimensions of 0.800 x 1.500 inches, and the
+ mounting holes are sized for use with 4-40 or M3 screws.
+ </p><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject" align="center"><a name="MiniTemplate"></a><object type="image/svg+xml" data="easymini.svg" align="middle"></object></div></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024210832"></a>5. TeleMini v1 template</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ TeleMini has overall dimensions of 0.500 x 1.500 inches, and the
+ mounting holes are sized for use with 2-56 or M2 screws.
+ </p><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject" align="center"><a name="TeleMiniTemplate"></a><object type="image/svg+xml" data="telemini.svg" align="middle"></object></div></div></div></div><div class="appendix"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idm46789024206320"></a>Appendix C. Calibration</h1></div></div></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><dl class="toc"><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024204768">1. Radio Frequency</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024200224">2. TeleMetrum, TeleMega and EasyMega Accelerometers</a></span></dt></dl></div><p>
+ There are only two calibrations required for TeleMetrum and
+ TeleMega, and only one for EasyMega, TeleDongle, TeleMini and EasyMini.
+ All boards are shipped from the factory pre-calibrated, but
+ the procedures are documented here in case they are ever
+ needed. Re-calibration is not supported by AltosUI, you must
+ connect to the board with a serial terminal program and
+ interact directly with the on-board command interpreter to
+ effect calibration.
+ </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024204768"></a>1. Radio Frequency</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ The radio frequency is synthesized from a clock based on the
+ crystal on the board. The actual frequency of this oscillator
+ must be measured to generate a calibration constant. While our
+ GFSK modulation
+ bandwidth is wide enough to allow boards to communicate even when
+ their oscillators are not on exactly the same frequency, performance
+ is best when they are closely matched.
+ Radio frequency calibration requires a calibrated frequency counter.
+ Fortunately, once set, the variation in frequency due to aging and
+ temperature changes is small enough that re-calibration by customers
+ should generally not be required.
+ </p><p>
+ To calibrate the radio frequency, connect the UHF antenna
+ port to a frequency counter, set the board to 434.550MHz,
+ and use the 'C' command in the on-board command interpreter
+ to generate a CW carrier. For USB-enabled boards, this is
+ best done over USB. For TeleMini v1, note that the only way
+ to escape the 'C' command is via power cycle since the board
+ will no longer be listening for commands once it starts
+ generating a CW carrier.
+ </p><p>
+ Wait for the transmitter temperature to stabilize and the frequency
+ to settle down. Then, divide 434.550 MHz by the
+ measured frequency and multiply by the current radio cal value show
+ in the 'c s' command. For an unprogrammed board, the default value
+ is 1186611. Take the resulting integer and program it using the 'c f'
+ command. Testing with the 'C' command again should show a carrier
+ within a few tens of Hertz of the intended frequency.
+ As with all 'c' sub-commands, follow this with a 'c w' to write the
+ change to the parameter block in the on-board storage chip.
+ </p><p>
+ Note that any time you re-do the radio frequency calibration, the
+ radio frequency is reset to the default 434.550 Mhz. If you want
+ to use another frequency, you will have to set that again after
+ calibration is completed.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024200224"></a>2. TeleMetrum, TeleMega and EasyMega Accelerometers</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ While barometric sensors are factory-calibrated,
+ accelerometers are not, and so each must be calibrated once
+ installed in a flight computer. Explicitly calibrating the
+ accelerometers also allows us to load any compatible device.
+ We perform a two-point calibration using gravity.
+ </p><p>
+ To calibrate the acceleration sensor, use the 'c a 0' command. You
+ will be prompted to orient the board vertically with the UHF antenna
+ up and press a key, then to orient the board vertically with the
+ UHF antenna down and press a key. Note that the accuracy of this
+ calibration depends primarily on how perfectly vertical and still
+ the board is held during the cal process. As with all 'c'
+ sub-commands, follow this with a 'c w' to write the
+ change to the parameter block in the on-board DataFlash chip.
+ </p><p>
+ The +1g and -1g calibration points are included in each telemetry
+ frame and are part of the header stored in onboard flash to be
+ downloaded after flight. We always store and return raw ADC
+ samples for each sensor... so nothing is permanently “lost” or
+ “damaged” if the calibration is poor.
+ </p><p>
+ In the unlikely event an accel cal goes badly, it is possible
+ that TeleMetrum, TeleMega or EasyMega may always come up in 'pad mode'
+ and as such not be listening to either the USB or radio link.
+ If that happens, there is a special hook in the firmware to
+ force the board back in to 'idle mode' so you can re-do the
+ cal. To use this hook, you just need to ground the SPI clock
+ pin at power-on. This pin is available as pin 2 on the 8-pin
+ companion connector, and pin 1 is ground. So either
+ carefully install a fine-gauge wire jumper between the two
+ pins closest to the index hole end of the 8-pin connector, or
+ plug in the programming cable to the 8-pin connector and use
+ a small screwdriver or similar to short the two pins closest
+ to the index post on the 4-pin end of the programming cable,
+ and power up the board. It should come up in 'idle mode'
+ (two beeps), allowing a re-cal.
+ </p></div></div><div class="appendix"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idm46789024194544"></a>Appendix D. Igniter Current</h1></div></div></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><dl class="toc"><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024193280">1. Current Products</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idm46789024189840">2. Version 1 Products</a></span></dt></dl></div><p>
+ The question "how much igniter current can Altus Metrum products
+ handle?" comes up fairly frequently. The short answer is "more than
+ you're likely to need", the remainder of this appendix provides a
+ longer answer.
+ </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024193280"></a>1. Current Products</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ The FET switches we're using on all of our current products that
+ have pyro channels are the Vishay Siliconix Si7232DN. These parts
+ have exceptionally low Rds(on) values, better than 0.02 ohms! That
+ means they aren't making a lot of heat... and the limit on current
+ is "package limited", meaning it's all about how much you can heat
+ the die before something breaks.
+ </p><p>
+ Cutting to the chase, the Si7232DN specs are 25 amps <span class="emphasis"><em>continuous</em></span> at
+ 20V at a temperature of 25C. In pulsed mode, they're rated for 40A.
+ However, those specs are a little mis-leading because it really is
+ all about the heat generated... you can get something like 85A
+ through one briefly. Note that a typical commercial e-match only
+ needed about 13 microseconds to fire in tests on my bench a couple
+ years ago!
+ </p><p>
+ So a great plan is to use something like an e-match as the initiator
+ and build up pyrogen(s) as required to actually light what you're
+ trying to light... But if you want to use a high-current igniter,
+ we can probably handle it!
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024189840"></a>2. Version 1 Products</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ The FET switches used on TeleMetrum v1 and TeleMini v1 products
+ were Fairchild FDS9926A. The Rds(on) values under our operating
+ conditions are on the order of 0.04 ohms. These parts were rated
+ for a continuous current-carrying capacity of 6.5A, and a pulsed
+ current capacity of 20A.
+ </p><p>
+ As with the more modern parts, the real limit is based on the heat
+ generated in the part during the firing interval. So, while the
+ specs on these parts aren't as good as the ones we use on current
+ products, they were still great, and we never had a complaint about
+ current carrying capacity with any of our v1 boards.
+ </p></div></div><div class="appendix"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idm46789024187504"></a>Appendix E. Release Notes</h1></div></div></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024186864"></a>Version 1.6.1</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ Version 1.6.1 includes support for our updated TeleBT v3.0
+ product and bug fixes in in the flight software for all our boards
+ and ground station interfaces.
+ </p><p>
+ AltOS New Features
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add support for TeleBT v3.0 boards.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add support for uncompressed APRS data, providing support
+ for older APRS receivers. Uncompressed APRS data is less
+ precise, takes more bandwidth and doesn't have integrated
+ altitude data.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ AltOS Fixes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Make TeleDongle and TeleBT more tolerant of data rate
+ variations from transmitting devices.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ AltosUI and TeleGPS New Features
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add map to Monitor Idle display. It's nice to be able to
+ verify that maps are working, instead of needing to use
+ Monitor Flight.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ AltosUI Fixes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Fix frequency configuration to round values instead of
+ truncate them, avoiding a common 1kHz error in the setting.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Turn the Windows stub into a more useful program that can
+ launch the application with parameters so that file manager
+ icons work more reliably.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Force KML export to use a C locale so that numbers are
+ formatted with '.' instead of ',' for a decimal separator in
+ non-US locales.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Preload map tiles based on distance rather than number of
+ tiles; this means you get the same resolution covering the
+ entire area, rather than having high resolution near the
+ center and low resolution further away.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Allow configuration of frequency and callsign in Monitor
+ Idle mode.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Fix layout weirdness when resizing windows on
+ Windows. Windows shouldn't have giant blank spaces around
+ the useful content anymore.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Fix layout weirdness when resizing windows on
+ Windows. Windows shouldn't have giant blank spaces around
+ the useful content anymore.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Use a longer filter for descent speed values. This should
+ provide something more useful on the display, although it
+ will take longer to respond to changes now.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Make Replay Flight run in realtime again. It had been set to
+ run at 10x speed by mistake.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ AltosDroid New Features
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add offline map support using mapping code from AltosUI.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Support TeleDongle (and TeleBT via USB) on devices
+ supporting USB On-The-Go.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Display additional TeleMega pyro channel status in Pad tab.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Switch between metric and imperial units.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Monitor TeleBT battery voltage.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Track multiple devices at the same time, selecting between
+ them with a menu or using the map.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add hybrid, satellite and terrain map types.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ AltosDroid Fixes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Use standard Android display conventions so that a menu
+ button is available in the application title bar.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Adjust layout to work on large and small screens; shrinking
+ the go/no-go lights in smaller environments to try and make
+ everything visible.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Make voice announcements depend on current tab.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Compute adjustment to current travel direction while in
+ motion towards rocket.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024185264"></a>Version 1.6</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ Version 1.6 includes support for our updated TeleDongle v3.0
+ product and bug fixes in in the flight software for all our boards
+ and ground station interfaces.
+ </p><p>
+ AltOS New Features
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add support for TeleDongle v3.0 boards.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ AltOS Fixes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Don't beep out the continuity twice by accident in idle mode.
+ If the battery voltage report takes longer than the initialiation
+ sequence, the igniter continuity would get reported twice.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Record all 32 bits of gyro calibration data in TeleMega and
+ EasyMega log files. This fixes computation of the gyro rates
+ in AltosUI.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Change TeleDongle LED usage. Green LED flashes when valid
+ packet is received. Red LED flashes when invalid packet is
+ received.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Replace LPC11U14 SPI driver with non-interrupt version. The
+ interrupt code would occasionally wedge on long transfers
+ if interrupts were blocked for too long. This affects all
+ released TeleGPS products; if you have a TeleGPS device,
+ you'll want to reflash the firmware.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ AltosUI and TeleGPS New Features
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Compute tilt angle from TeleMega and EasyMega log
+ files. This duplicates the quaternion-based angle tracking
+ code from the flight firmware inside the ground station
+ software so that post-flight analysis can include evaluation
+ of the tilt angle.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Shows the tool button window when starting with a data file
+ specified. This means that opening a data file from the file
+ manager will now bring up the main window to let you operate
+ the whole application.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ AltosUI Fixes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Show the 'Connecting' dialog when using Monitor Idle. Lets
+ you cancel the Monitor Idle startup when connecting over the
+ radio link.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Make 'Monitor Idle' work for TeleGPS devices when connected
+ over USB. It's nice for testing without needing to broadcast
+ over the radio.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Use different Windows API to discover USB devices. This
+ works better on my Windows 7 box, and will be used if the
+ older API fails to provide the necessary information.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Look in more places in the registry to try and identify the
+ installed Java version on Windows. If you install the
+ default 32-bit version of Windows on a 64-bit OS, the Java
+ registry information is hiding \SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node for
+ some reason.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Fix file association on Windows by searching for the
+ javaw.exe program instead of assuming it is in
+ %SYSTEMROOT%. This makes double-clicking on Altus Metrum
+ data files in the file manager work correctly.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ When replaying a file, put 'done' in the Age field when we
+ reach the end of the file, instead of continuing to count forever.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ In the Scan Channels code, wait for five seconds if we see
+ any packet. This is needed because AltOS now sends the
+ callsign, serial number and flight number only once every
+ five seconds these days.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ In the Scan Channels code, reset pending flight state
+ information each time we change channels. This avoids having
+ flight computers appear on multiple frequencies by accident.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024183664"></a>Version 1.5</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ Version 1.5 is a major release. It includes support for our new
+ EasyMega product, new features and bug fixes in in the flight
+ software for all our boards and the AltosUI ground station
+ </p><p>
+ AltOS New Features
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add support for EasyMega boards.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Make the APRS SSID be configurable. This lets you track
+ different rockets on the same receiver without getting
+ things mixed up.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Report extra pyro channel continuity state on EasyMega and
+ TeleMega via the beeper. This lets you easily verify flight
+ readiness on these boards after powering up the electronics
+ on the rail.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add lower telemetry data rates (2400 and 9600 bps) to
+ increase telemetry radio range. This reduces the amount of
+ data received as well as increasing battery consumption in
+ the transmitter.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Change TeleGPS to have only a single log, and append new
+ data to it rather than using seperate per-flight logs. This
+ avoids accidentally filling up log storage by turning
+ TeleGPS on/off several times.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ AltOS Fixes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Increase the maximum range for altitude values from +/-32767m
+ to +/-2147483647m, allowing the flight computers to function
+ correctly above the 32km level.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Continuously test pyro firing conditions during delay stage,
+ inhibiting the pyro channel if the test fails. This prevents
+ firing pyro charges where the conditions were good before
+ the delay, but become bad before the delay expires.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Allow negative numbers in pyro configuration values. This
+ lets you specify things like descending speed or
+ deceleration.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ AltosUI and TeleGPS New Features
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Support telemetry baud rate selection. Adds menus to
+ the flight monitoring and configuration for baud rate
+ selection.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Support APRS SSID configuration.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Integrate with file managers. This provides icons for all of
+ our file types and associates our application with the files
+ so that using a file manager to open a AltOS data file
+ results in launching our application.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ AltosUI Fixes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Make the 'Graph' button on the landed tab work again.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Make tests for Java on Windows a bit smarter, and also
+ provide the user with the option to skip installing Java for
+ cases where we just can't figure out what version is installed.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024182160"></a>Version 1.4.1</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ Version 1.4.1 is a minor release. It fixes install issues on
+ Windows and provides the missing TeleMetrum V2.0 firmware. There
+ aren't any changes to the firmware or host applications at
+ all. All Windows users will want to upgrade to get the signed
+ driver, but Mac and Linux users who do not need the TeleMetrum
+ V2.0 firmware image will not need to upgrade.
+ </p><p>
+ Windows Install Fixes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Provide signed Windows driver files. This should avoid any need to
+ disable driver signature checking on Windows 7 or 8.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Fix Java version detection and download. Previously, the
+ installer would only look for Java 6 or 7 and insist on
+ downloading its own Java bits if there was something else
+ installed. Furthermore, the 64-bit Java link provided didn't
+ work for anyone other than Keith, making it impossible to
+ install AltOS on any machine with Java SE 8 installed.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ Other Fixes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Include 1.4 firmware for TeleMetrum V2.0. None of the
+ installers shipped this file. Now it's included in the AltOS
+ packages for Linux, Mac and Windows.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Include Google Application Key for map downloading. The 1.4
+ release didn't have this key in the released version of the
+ software, making map downloading fail for most people.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024180656"></a>Version 1.4</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ Version 1.4 is a major release. It includes support for our new
+ TeleGPS product, new features and bug fixes in in the flight
+ software for all our boards and the AltosUI ground station
+ </p><p>
+ AltOS New Features
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add support for TeleGPS boards.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Replace the 'dit dit dit' tones at startup with the current
+ battery voltage, measured in tenths of a volt. This lets you
+ check the battery voltage without needing telemetry, which
+ is especially useful on EasyMini.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Change state beeping to "Farnsworth spacing", which means
+ they're quite a bit faster than before, and so they take
+ less time to send.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Make the beeper tone configurable, making it possible to
+ distinguish between two Altus Metrum products in the same ebay.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Make the firing time for extra pyro channels configurable,
+ allowing longer (or shorter) than the default 50ms. Only relevant
+ for TeleMega at this time.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ AltOS Fixes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Fix bug preventing the selection of the 'Flight State After'
+ mode in pyro configuration.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Fix bug where erasing flights would reset the flight number
+ to 2 on TeleMega and TeleMetrum v2.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Fix u-Blox GPS driver to mark course and speed data as being
+ present.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ AltosUI New Features
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add zooming and new content types (terrain and road maps) to
+ map view. Change map storage format from PNG to Jpeg, which
+ saves a huge amount of disk space. You will need to
+ re-download all of your pre-loaded map images.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add a distance measuring device to the maps view. Select
+ this by using any button other than the left one, or by
+ pressing shift or control on the keyboard while using the
+ left button.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add new 'Ignitor' tab to the flight monitor display for
+ TeleMega's extra ignitors.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Increase the width of data lines in the graphs to make them
+ easier to read.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add additional ignitor firing marks and voltages to the
+ graph so you can see when the ignitors fired, along with
+ the ignitor voltages.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add GPS course, ground speed and climb rate as optional
+ graph elements.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ AltosUI Fixes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ When flashing new firmware, re-try opening the device as
+ sometimes it takes a while for the underlying operating
+ system to recognize that the device has rebooted in
+ preparation for the flashing operation.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Hide Tilt Angle in ascent tab for devices that don't have a gyro.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Filter out speed and acceleration spikes caused by ejection
+ charge firing when computing the maximum values. This
+ provides a more accurate reading of those maximums.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Fix EasyMini voltage displays. Early EasyMini prototypes
+ used a 3.0V regulator, and AltosUI still used that value as
+ the basis of the computation. Production EasyMini boards
+ have always shipped with a 3.3V regulator. Also, purple
+ EasyMini boards sensed the battery voltage past the blocking
+ diode, resulting in a drop of about 150mV from the true
+ battery voltage. Compensate for that when displaying the
+ value.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Display error message when trying to configure maximum
+ flight log size while the flight computer still has flight
+ data stored.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Handle TeleMetrum and TeleMini eeprom files generated with
+ pre-1.0 firmware. Those ancient versions didn't report the
+ log format, so just use the product name instead.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ TeleGPS Application
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ New application designed for use with TeleGPS boards.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Shares code with AltosUI, mostly just trimmed down to focus
+ on TeleGPS-related functions.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ Documentation changes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Re-create the drill template images; they should print
+ correctly from Firefox at least. Ship these as individual
+ PDF files so they're easy to print.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add a description of the 'Apogee Lockout' setting, which
+ prevents the apogee charge from firing for a configurable
+ amount of time after boost.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024179152"></a>Version 1.3.2</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ Version 1.3.2 is a minor release. It includes small bug fixes for
+ the TeleMega flight software and AltosUI ground station
+ </p><p>
+ AltOS Firmware Changes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ On TeleMega, limit number of logged GPS status information
+ to 12 satellites. That's all there is room for in the log
+ structure.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Improve APRS behavior. Remembers last known GPS position and
+ keeps sending that if we lose GPS lock. Marks
+ locked/unlocked by sending L/U in the APRS comment field
+ along with the number of sats in view and voltages.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ AltosUI changes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ If the TeleMega flight firmware reports that it has logged
+ information about more than 12 satellites, don't believe it
+ as the log only holds 12 satellite records.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Track the maximum height as computed from GPS altitude
+ data and report that in the flight summary data.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Use letters (A, B, C, D) for alternate pyro channel names
+ instead of numbers (0, 1, 2, 3) in the Fire Igniter dialog.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024177648"></a>Version 1.3.1</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ Version 1.3.1 is a minor release. It improves support for TeleMega,
+ TeleMetrum v2.0, TeleMini v2.0 and EasyMini.
+ </p><p>
+ AltOS Firmware Changes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Improve sensor boot code. If sensors fail to self-test, the
+ device will still boot up and check for pad/idle modes. If
+ in idle mode, the device will warn the user with a distinct
+ beep, if in Pad mode, the unit will operate as best it
+ can. Also, the Z-axis accelerometer now uses the factory
+ calibration values instead of re-calibrating on the pad each
+ time. This avoids accidental boost detect when moving the
+ device around while in Pad mode.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Fix antenna-down mode accelerometer configuration. Antenna
+ down mode wasn't working because the accelerometer
+ calibration values were getting re-computed incorrectly in
+ inverted mode.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Improved APRS mode. Now uses compressed position format for
+ smaller data size, improved precision and to include
+ altitude data as well as latitude and longitude. Also added
+ battery and pyro voltage reports in the APRS comment field
+ so you can confirm that the unit is ready for launch.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ AltosUI changes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Display additional TeleMega sensor values in real
+ units. Make all of these values available for
+ plotting. Display TeleMega orientation value in the Ascent
+ and Table tabs.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Support additional TeleMega pyro channels in the Fire
+ Igniter dialog. This lets you do remote testing of all of
+ the channels, rather than just Apogee and Main.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Limit data rate when downloading satellite images from
+ Google to make sure we stay within their limits so that all
+ of the map tiles download successfully.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024176144"></a>Version 1.3</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ Version 1.3 is a major release. It adds support for TeleMega,
+ TeleMetrum v2.0, TeleMini v2.0 and EasyMini.
+ </p><p>
+ AltOS Firmware Changes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add STM32L processor support. This includes enhancements to
+ the scheduler to support products with many threads.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add NXP LPC11U14 processor support.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Support additional pyro channels. These are configurable
+ through the UI to handle air starts, staging, additional
+ recovery events and external devices such as cameras.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add 3-axis gyro support for orientation tracking. This
+ integrates the gyros to compute the angle from vertical during
+ flight, allowing the additional pyro events to be controlled
+ by this value.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Many more device drivers, including u-Blox Max 7Q GPS,
+ Freescale MMA6555 digital single-axis accelerometer,
+ Invensense MPU6000 3-axis accelerometer + 3 axis gyro,
+ Honeywell HMC5883 3-axis magnetic sensor and the TI CC1120 and
+ CC115L digital FM transceivers
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ AltosUI changes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Support TeleMega, TeleMetrum v2.0, TeleMini v2.0 and EasyMini telemetry and log formats.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Use preferred units for main deployment height configuration,
+ instead of always doing configuration in meters.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ MicroPeak UI changes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add 'Download' button to menu bar.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Save the last log directory and offer that as the default for new downloads
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024174640"></a>Version 1.2.1</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ Version 1.2.1 is a minor release. It adds support for TeleBT and
+ the AltosDroid application, provides several new features in
+ AltosUI and fixes some bugs in the AltOS firmware.
+ </p><p>
+ AltOS Firmware Changes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add support for TeleBT
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ In TeleMini recovery mode (when booted with the outer two
+ debug pins connected together), the radio parameters are also
+ set back to defaults (434.550MHz, N0CALL, factory radio cal).
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add support for reflashing the SkyTraq GPS chips. This
+ requires special host-side code which currently only exists
+ for Linux.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Correct Kalman filter model error covariance matrix. The
+ values used previously assumed continuous measurements instead
+ of discrete measurements.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Fix some bugs in the USB driver for TeleMetrum and TeleDongle
+ that affected Windows users.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Adjusted the automatic gain control parameters that affect
+ receive performance for TeleDongle. Field tests indicate that this
+ may improve receive performance somewhat.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ AltosUI Changes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Handle missing GPS lock in 'Descent' tab. Previously, if the
+ GPS position of the pad was unknown, an exception would be
+ raised, breaking the Descent tab contents.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Improve the graph, adding tool-tips to show values near the
+ cursor and making the displayed set of values configurable,
+ adding all of the flight data as options while leaving the
+ default settings alone so that the graph starts by showing
+ height, speed and acceleration.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Make the initial position of the AltosUI top level window
+ configurable. Along with this change, the other windows will
+ pop up at 'sensible' places now, instead of on top of one
+ another.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add callsign to Monitor idle window and connecting
+ dialogs. This makes it clear which callsign is being used so
+ that the operator will be aware that it must match the flight
+ computer value or no communication will work.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ When downloading flight data, display the block number so that
+ the user has some sense of progress. Unfortunately, we don't
+ know how many blocks will need to be downloaded, but at least
+ it isn't just sitting there doing nothing for a long time.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add GPS data and a map to the graph window. This lets you see
+ a complete summary of the flight without needing to 'replay'
+ the whole thing.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024173136"></a>Version 1.2</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ Version 1.2 is a major release. It adds support for MicroPeak and
+ the MicroPeak USB adapter.
+ </p><p>
+ AltOS Firmware Changes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add MicroPeak support. This includes support for the ATtiny85
+ processor and adaptations to the core code to allow for
+ devices too small to run the multi-tasking scheduler.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ MicroPeak UI changes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Added this new application
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ Distribution Changes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Distribute Mac OS X packages in disk image ('.dmg') format to
+ greatly simplify installation.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Provide version numbers for the shared Java libraries to
+ ensure that upgrades work properly, and to allow for multiple
+ Altus Metrum software packages to be installed in the same
+ directory at the same time.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024171632"></a>Version 1.1.1</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ Version 1.1.1 is a bug-fix release. It fixes a couple of bugs in
+ AltosUI and one firmware bug that affects TeleMetrum version 1.0
+ boards. Thanks to Bob Brown for help diagnosing the Google Earth
+ file export issue, and for suggesting the addition of the Ground
+ Distance value in the Descent tab.
+ </p><p>
+ AltOS Firmware Changes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ TeleMetrum v1.0 boards use the AT45DB081D flash memory part to
+ store flight data, which is different from later TeleMetrum
+ boards. The AltOS v1.1 driver for this chip couldn't erase
+ memory, leaving it impossible to delete flight data or update
+ configuration values. This bug doesn't affect newer TeleMetrum
+ boards, and it doesn't affect the safety of rockets flying
+ version 1.1 firmware.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ AltosUI Changes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Creating a Google Earth file (KML) from on-board flight data
+ (EEPROM) would generate an empty file. The code responsible
+ for reading the EEPROM file wasn't ever setting the GPS valid
+ bits, and so the KML export code thought there was no GPS data
+ in the file.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ The “Landed” tab was displaying all values in metric units,
+ even when AltosUI was configured to display imperial
+ units. Somehow I just missed this tab when doing the units stuff.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ The “Descent” tab displays the range to the rocket, which is a
+ combination of the over-the-ground distance to the rockets
+ current latitude/longitude and the height of the rocket. As
+ such, it's useful for knowing how far away the rocket is, but
+ difficult to use when estimating where the rocket might
+ eventually land. A new “Ground Distance” field has been added
+ which displays the distance to a spot right underneath the
+ rocket.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Sensor data wasn't being displayed for TeleMini flight
+ computers in Monitor Idle mode, including things like battery
+ voltage. The code that picked which kinds of data to fetch
+ from the flight computer was missing a check for TeleMini when
+ deciding whether to fetch the analog sensor data.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024170128"></a>Version 1.1</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ Version 1.1 is a minor release. It provides a few new features in AltosUI
+ and the AltOS firmware and fixes bugs.
+ </p><p>
+ AltOS Firmware Changes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add apogee-lockout value. Overrides the apogee detection logic to
+ prevent incorrect apogee charge firing.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Fix a bug where the data reported in telemetry packets was
+ from 320ms ago.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Force the radio frequency to 434.550MHz when the debug clock
+ pin is connected to ground at boot time. This provides a way
+ to talk to a TeleMini which is configured to some unknown frequency.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Provide RSSI values for Monitor Idle mode. This makes it easy to check radio
+ range without needing to go to flight mode.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Fix a bug which caused the old received telemetry packets to
+ be retransmitted over the USB link when the radio was turned
+ off and back on.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ AltosUI Changes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Fix a bug that caused GPS ready to happen too quickly. The
+ software was using every telemetry packet to signal new GPS
+ data, which caused GPS ready to be signalled after 10 packets
+ instead of 10 GPS updates.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Fix Google Earth data export to work with recent versions. The
+ google earth file loading code got a lot pickier, requiring
+ some minor white space changes in the export code.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Make the look-n-feel configurable, providing a choice from
+ the available options.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add an 'Age' element to mark how long since a telemetry packet
+ has been received. Useful to quickly gauge whether
+ communications with the rocket are still active.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add 'Configure Ground Station' dialog to set the radio
+ frequency used by a particular TeleDongle without having to go
+ through the flight monitor UI.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add configuration for the new apogee-lockout value. A menu provides a list of
+ reasonable values, or the value can be set by hand.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Changed how flight data are downloaded. Now there's an initial
+ dialog asking which flights to download, and after that
+ finishes, a second dialog comes up asking which flights to delete.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Re-compute time spent in each state for the flight graph; this
+ figures out the actual boost and landing times instead of
+ using the conservative values provide by the flight
+ electronics. This improves the accuracy of the boost
+ acceleration and main descent rate computations.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Make AltosUI run on Mac OS Lion. The default Java heap space
+ was dramatically reduced for this release causing much of the
+ UI to fail randomly. This most often affected the satellite
+ mapping download and displays.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Change how data are displayed in the 'table' tab of the flight
+ monitoring window. This eliminates entries duplicated from the
+ header and adds both current altitude and pad altitude, which
+ are useful in 'Monitor Idle' mode.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add Imperial units mode to present data in feet instead of
+ meters.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024168624"></a>Version 1.0.1</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ Version 1.0.1 is a major release, adding support for the TeleMini
+ device and lots of new AltosUI features
+ </p><p>
+ AltOS Firmware Changes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add TeleMini v1.0 support. Firmware images for TeleMini are
+ included in AltOS releases.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Change telemetry to be encoded in multiple 32-byte packets. This
+ enables support for TeleMini and other devices without requiring
+ further updates to the TeleDongle firmware.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Support operation of TeleMetrum with the antenna pointing
+ aft. Previous firmware versions required the antenna to be
+ pointing upwards, now there is a configuration option allowing
+ the antenna to point aft, to aid installation in some airframes.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Ability to disable telemetry. For airframes where an antenna
+ just isn't possible, or where radio transmissions might cause
+ trouble with other electronics, there's a configuration option
+ to disable all telemetry. Note that the board will still
+ enable the radio link in idle mode.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Arbitrary frequency selection. The radios in Altus Metrum
+ devices can be programmed to a wide range of frequencies, so
+ instead of limiting devices to 10 pre-selected 'channels', the
+ new firmware allows the user to choose any frequency in the
+ 70cm band. Note that the RF matching circuit on the boards is
+ tuned for around 435MHz, so frequencies far from that may
+ reduce the available range.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Kalman-filter based flight-tracking. The model based sensor
+ fusion approach of a Kalman filter means that AltOS now
+ computes apogee much more accurately than before, generally
+ within a fraction of a second. In addition, this approach
+ allows the baro-only TeleMini device to correctly identify
+ Mach transitions, avoiding the error-prone selection of a Mach
+ delay.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ AltosUI Changes
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Wait for altimeter when using packet mode. Instead of quicly
+ timing out when trying to initialize a packet mode
+ configuration connection, AltosUI now waits indefinitely for
+ the remote device to appear, providing a cancel button should
+ the user get bored. This is necessary as the TeleMini can only
+ be placed in "Idle" mode if AltosUI is polling it.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add main/apogee voltage graphs to the data plot. This provides
+ a visual indication if the igniters fail before being fired.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Scan for altimeter devices by watching the defined telemetry
+ frequencies. This avoids the problem of remembering what
+ frequency a device was configured to use, which is especially
+ important with TeleMini which does not include a USB connection.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Monitor altimeter state in "Idle" mode. This provides much of
+ the information presented in the "Pad" dialog from the Monitor
+ Flight command, monitoring the igniters, battery and GPS
+ status withing requiring the flight computer to be armed and
+ ready for flight.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Pre-load map images from home. For those launch sites which
+ don't provide free Wi-Fi, this allows you to download the
+ necessary satellite images given the location of the launch
+ site. A list of known launch sites is maintained at
+ altusmetrum.org which AltosUI downloads to populate a menu; if
+ you've got a launch site not on that list, please send the
+ name of it, latitude and longitude along with a link to the
+ web site of the controlling club to the altusmetrum mailing list.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Flight statistics are now displayed in the Graph data
+ window. These include max height/speed/accel, average descent
+ rates and a few other bits of information. The Graph Data
+ window can now be reached from the 'Landed' tab in the Monitor
+ Flight window so you can immediately see the results of a
+ flight.
+ </p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024167120"></a>Version 0.9.2</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ Version 0.9.2 is an AltosUI bug-fix release, with no firmware changes.
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Fix plotting problems due to missing file in the Mac OS install image.
+</p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Always read whole eeprom blocks, mark empty records invalid, display parsing errors to user.
+</p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Add software version to Configure AltosUI dialog
+</p></li></ul></div></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024165616"></a>Version 0.9</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ Version 0.9 adds a few new firmware features and accompanying
+ AltosUI changes, along with new hardware support.
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Support for TeleMetrum v1.1 hardware. Sources for the flash
+ memory part used in v1.0 dried up, so v1.1 uses a different part
+ which required a new driver and support for explicit flight log
+ erasing.
+</p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Multiple flight log support. This stores more than one flight
+ log in the on-board flash memory. It also requires the user to
+ explicitly erase flights so that you won't lose flight logs just
+ because you fly the same board twice in one day.
+</p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Telemetry support for devices with serial number >=
+ 256. Previous versions used a telemetry packet format that
+ provided only 8 bits for the device serial number. This change
+ requires that both ends of the telemetry link be running the 0.9
+ firmware or they will not communicate.
+</p></li></ul></div></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024164112"></a>Version 0.8</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ Version 0.8 offers a major upgrade in the AltosUI
+ interface. Significant new features include:
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Post-flight graphing tool. This lets you explore the behaviour
+ of your rocket after flight with a scroll-able and zoom-able
+ chart showing the altitude, speed and acceleration of the
+ airframe along with events recorded by the flight computer. You
+ can export graphs to PNG files, or print them directly.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Real-time moving map which overlays the in-progress flight on
+ satellite imagery fetched from Google Maps. This lets you see in
+ pictures where your rocket has landed, allowing you to plan
+ recovery activities more accurately.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Wireless recovery system testing. Prep your rocket for flight
+ and test fire the deployment charges to make sure things work as
+ expected. All without threading wires through holes in your
+ airframe.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Optimized flight status displays. Each flight state now has it's
+ own custom 'tab' in the flight monitoring window so you can
+ focus on the most important details. Pre-flight, the system
+ shows a set of red/green status indicators for battery voltage,
+ apogee/main igniter continutity and GPS reception. Wait until
+ they're all green and your rocket is ready for flight. There are
+ also tabs for ascent, descent and landing along with the
+ original tabular view of the data.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Monitor multiple flights simultaneously. If you have more than
+ one TeleDongle, you can monitor a flight with each one on the
+ same computer.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Automatic flight monitoring at startup. Plug TeleDongle into the
+ machine before starting AltosUI and it will automatically
+ connect to it and prepare to monitor a flight.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Exports Google Earth flight tracks. Using the Keyhole Markup
+ Language (.kml) file format, this provides a 3D view of your
+ rocket flight through the Google Earth program.
+ </p></li></ul></div></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idm46789024162608"></a>Version 0.7.1</h2></div></div></div><p>
+Version 0.7.1 is the first release containing our new cross-platform Java-based user interface. AltosUI can:
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 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.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Download logged data from TeleMetrum devices, either through a
+ direct USB connection or over the air through a TeleDongle
+ device.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 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.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 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.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 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.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 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.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 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.
+ </p></li></ul></div></div></div></div></body></html>