+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>Manage Frequencies</title>
+ <para>
+ This brings up a dialog where you can configure the set of
+ frequencies shown in the various frequency menus. You can
+ add as many as you like, or even reconfigure the default
+ set. Changing this list does not affect the frequency
+ settings of any devices, it only changes the set of
+ frequencies shown in the menus.
+ </para>
+ </section>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>Configure Groundstation</title>
+ <informalfigure>
+ <mediaobject>
+ <imageobject>
+ <imagedata fileref="configure-groundstation.png" width="3.1in" scalefit="1"/>
+ </imageobject>
+ </mediaobject>
+ </informalfigure>
+ <para>
+ Select this button and then select a TeleDongle Device from the list provided.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ The first few lines of the dialog provide information about the
+ connected device, including the product name,
+ software version and hardware serial number. Below that are the
+ individual configuration entries.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ Note that the TeleDongle itself doesn't save any configuration
+ data, the settings here are recorded on the local machine in
+ the Java preferences database. Moving the TeleDongle to
+ another machine, or using a different user account on the same
+ machine will cause settings made here to have no effect.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ At the bottom of the dialog, there are three buttons:
+ </para>
+ <variablelist>
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>Save</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ This writes any changes to the
+ local Java preferences file. If you don't
+ press this button, any changes you make will be lost.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>Reset</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ This resets the dialog to the most recently saved values,
+ erasing any changes you have made.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>Close</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ This closes the dialog. Any unsaved changes will be
+ lost.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ </variablelist>
+ <para>
+ The rest of the dialog contains the parameters to be configured.
+ </para>
+ <section>
+ <title>Frequency</title>
+ <para>
+ This configures the frequency to use for both telemetry and
+ packet command mode. Set this before starting any operation
+ involving packet command mode so that it will use the right
+ frequency. Telemetry monitoring mode also provides a menu to
+ change the frequency, and that menu also sets the same Java
+ preference value used here.
+ </para>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>Radio Calibration</title>
+ <para>
+ The radios in every Altus Metrum device are calibrated at the
+ factory to ensure that they transmit and receive on the
+ specified frequency. To change a TeleDongle's calibration,
+ you must reprogram the unit completely, so this entry simply
+ shows the current value and doesn't allow any changes.
+ </para>
+ </section>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>Flash Image</title>
+ <para>
+ This reprograms Altus Metrum devices with new
+ firmware. TeleMetrum v1.x, TeleDongle, TeleMini and TeleBT are
+ all reprogrammed by using another similar unit as a
+ programming dongle (pair programming). TeleMega, TeleMetrum v2
+ and EasyMini are all programmed directly over their USB ports
+ (self programming). Please read the directions for flashing
+ devices in the Updating Device Firmware chapter below.
+ </para>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>Fire Igniter</title>
+ <informalfigure>
+ <mediaobject>
+ <imageobject>
+ <imagedata fileref="fire-igniter.png" width="1.2in" scalefit="1"/>
+ </imageobject>
+ </mediaobject>
+ </informalfigure>
+ <para>
+ This activates the igniter circuits in the flight computer to help
+ test recovery systems deployment. Because this command can operate
+ over the Packet Command Link, you can prepare the rocket as
+ for flight and then test the recovery system without needing
+ to snake wires inside the air-frame.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ Selecting the 'Fire Igniter' button brings up the usual device
+ selection dialog. Pick the desired device. This brings up another
+ window which shows the current continuity test status for all
+ of the pyro channels.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ Next, select the desired igniter to fire. This will enable the
+ 'Arm' button.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ Select the 'Arm' button. This enables the 'Fire' button. The
+ word 'Arm' is replaced by a countdown timer indicating that
+ you have 10 seconds to press the 'Fire' button or the system
+ will deactivate, at which point you start over again at
+ selecting the desired igniter.
+ </para>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>Scan Channels</title>
+ <informalfigure>
+ <mediaobject>
+ <imageobject>
+ <imagedata fileref="scan-channels.png" width="3.2in" scalefit="1"/>
+ </imageobject>
+ </mediaobject>
+ </informalfigure>
+ <para>
+ This listens for telemetry packets on all of the configured
+ frequencies, displaying information about each device it
+ receives a packet from. You can select which of the three
+ telemetry formats should be tried; by default, it only listens
+ for the standard telemetry packets used in v1.0 and later
+ firmware.
+ </para>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>Load Maps</title>
+ <informalfigure>
+ <mediaobject>
+ <imageobject>
+ <imagedata fileref="load-maps.png" width="5.2in" scalefit="1"/>
+ </imageobject>
+ </mediaobject>
+ </informalfigure>
+ <para>
+ Before heading out to a new launch site, you can use this to
+ load satellite images in case you don't have internet
+ connectivity at the site. This loads a fairly large area
+ around the launch site, which should cover any flight you're likely to make.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ There's a drop-down menu of launch sites we know about; if
+ your favorites aren't there, please let us know the lat/lon
+ and name of the site. The contents of this list are actually
+ downloaded from our server at run-time, so as new sites are sent
+ in, they'll get automatically added to this list.
+ If the launch site isn't in the list, you can manually enter the lat/lon values
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ There are four different kinds of maps you can view; you can
+ select which to download by selecting as many as you like from
+ the available types:
+ <variablelist>
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>Hybrid</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ A combination of satellite imagery and road data. This
+ is the default view.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>Satellite</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Just the satellite imagery without any annotation.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>Roadmap</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Roads, political boundaries and a few geographic features.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>Terrain</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Contour intervals and shading that show hills and
+ valleys.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ </variablelist>
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ You can specify the range of zoom levels to download; smaller
+ numbers show more area with less resolution. The default
+ level, 0, shows about 3m/pixel. One zoom level change
+ doubles or halves that number.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ The Tile Radius value sets how large an area around the center
+ point to download. Each tile is 512x512 pixels, and the
+ 'radius' value specifies how many tiles away from the center
+ will be downloaded. Specify a radius of 0 and you get only the
+ center tile. A radius of 1 loads a 3x3 grid, centered on the
+ specified location.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ Clicking the 'Load Map' button will fetch images from Google
+ Maps; note that Google limits how many images you can fetch at
+ once, so if you load more than one launch site, you may get
+ some gray areas in the map which indicate that Google is tired
+ of sending data to you. Try again later.
+ </para>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>Monitor Idle</title>
+ <para>
+ This brings up a dialog similar to the Monitor Flight UI,
+ except it works with the altimeter in “idle” mode by sending
+ query commands to discover the current state rather than
+ listening for telemetry packets. Because this uses command
+ mode, it needs to have the TeleDongle and flight computer
+ callsigns match exactly. If you can receive telemetry, but
+ cannot manage to run Monitor Idle, then it's very likely that
+ your callsigns are different in some way.
+ </para>
+ </section>
+ </chapter>
+ <chapter>
+ <title>AltosDroid</title>
+ <para>
+ AltosDroid provides the same flight monitoring capabilities as
+ AltosUI, but runs on Android devices and is designed to connect
+ to a TeleBT receiver over Bluetooth™. AltosDroid monitors
+ telemetry data, logging it to internal storage in the Android
+ device, and presents that data in a UI the same way the 'Monitor
+ Flight' window does in AltosUI.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ This manual will explain how to configure AltosDroid, connect
+ to TeleBT, operate the flight monitoring interface and describe
+ what the displayed data means.
+ </para>
+ <section>
+ <title>Installing AltosDroid</title>
+ <para>
+ AltosDroid is available from the Google Play store. To install
+ it on your Android device, open the Google Play Store
+ application and search for “altosdroid”. Make sure you don't
+ have a space between “altos” and “droid” or you probably won't
+ find what you want. That should bring you to the right page
+ from which you can download and install the application.
+ </para>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>Connecting to TeleBT</title>
+ <para>
+ Press the Android 'Menu' button or soft-key to see the
+ configuration options available. Select the 'Connect a device'
+ option and then the 'Scan for devices' entry at the bottom to
+ look for your TeleBT device. Select your device, and when it
+ asks for the code, enter '1234'.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ Subsequent connections will not require you to enter that
+ code, and your 'paired' device will appear in the list without
+ scanning.
+ </para>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>Configuring AltosDroid</title>
+ <para>
+ The only configuration option available for AltosDroid is
+ which frequency to listen on. Press the Android 'Menu' button
+ or soft-key and pick the 'Select radio frequency' entry. That
+ brings up a menu of pre-set radio frequencies; pick the one
+ which matches your altimeter.
+ </para>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>AltosDroid Flight Monitoring</title>
+ <para>
+ AltosDroid is designed to mimic the AltosUI flight monitoring
+ display, providing separate tabs for each stage of your rocket
+ flight along with a tab containing a map of the local area
+ with icons marking the current location of the altimeter and
+ the Android device.
+ </para>
+ <section>
+ <title>Pad</title>
+ <para>
+ The 'Launch Pad' tab shows information used to decide when the
+ rocket is ready for flight. The first elements include red/green
+ indicators, if any of these is red, you'll want to evaluate
+ whether the rocket is ready to launch:
+ <variablelist>
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>Battery Voltage</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ This indicates whether the Li-Po battery
+ powering the TeleMetrum has sufficient charge to last for
+ the duration of the flight. A value of more than
+ 3.8V is required for a 'GO' status.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>Apogee Igniter Voltage</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ This indicates whether the apogee
+ igniter has continuity. If the igniter has a low
+ resistance, then the voltage measured here will be close
+ to the Li-Po battery voltage. A value greater than 3.2V is
+ required for a 'GO' status.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>Main Igniter Voltage</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ This indicates whether the main
+ igniter has continuity. If the igniter has a low
+ resistance, then the voltage measured here will be close
+ to the Li-Po battery voltage. A value greater than 3.2V is
+ required for a 'GO' status.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>On-board Data Logging</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ This indicates whether there is
+ space remaining on-board to store flight data for the
+ upcoming flight. If you've downloaded data, but failed
+ to erase flights, there may not be any space
+ left. TeleMetrum can store multiple flights, depending
+ on the configured maximum flight log size. TeleMini
+ stores only a single flight, so it will need to be
+ downloaded and erased after each flight to capture
+ data. This only affects on-board flight logging; the
+ altimeter will still transmit telemetry and fire
+ ejection charges at the proper times.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>GPS Locked</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ For a TeleMetrum or TeleMega device, this indicates whether the GPS receiver is
+ currently able to compute position information. GPS requires
+ at least 4 satellites to compute an accurate position.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>GPS Ready</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ For a TeleMetrum or TeleMega device, this indicates whether GPS has reported at least
+ 10 consecutive positions without losing lock. This ensures
+ that the GPS receiver has reliable reception from the
+ satellites.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ </variablelist>
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ The Launchpad tab also shows the computed launch pad position
+ and altitude, averaging many reported positions to improve the
+ accuracy of the fix.
+ </para>
+ </section>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>Downloading Flight Logs</title>
+ <para>
+ AltosDroid always saves every bit of telemetry data it
+ receives. To download that to a computer for use with AltosUI,
+ simply remove the SD card from your Android device, or connect
+ your device to your computer's USB port and browse the files
+ on that device. You will find '.telem' files in the TeleMetrum
+ directory that will work with AltosUI directly.
+ </para>
+ </section>
+ </chapter>
+ <chapter>
+ <title>Using Altus Metrum Products</title>
+ <section>
+ <title>Being Legal</title>
+ <para>
+ First off, in the US, you need an <ulink url="http://www.altusmetrum.org/Radio/">amateur radio license</ulink> or
+ other authorization to legally operate the radio transmitters that are part
+ of our products.
+ </para>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>In the Rocket</title>
+ <para>
+ In the rocket itself, you just need a flight computer and
+ a single-cell, 3.7 volt nominal Li-Po rechargeable battery. An
+ 850mAh battery weighs less than a 9V alkaline battery, and will
+ run a TeleMetrum or TeleMega for hours.
+ A 110mAh battery weighs less than a triple A battery and is a good
+ choice for use with TeleMini.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ By default, we ship flight computers with a simple wire antenna.
+ If your electronics bay or the air-frame it resides within is made
+ of carbon fiber, which is opaque to RF signals, you may prefer to
+ install an SMA connector so that you can run a coaxial cable to an
+ antenna mounted elsewhere in the rocket. However, note that the
+ GPS antenna is fixed on all current products, so you really want
+ to install the flight computer in a bay made of RF-transparent
+ materials if at all possible.
+ </para>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>On the Ground</title>
+ <para>
+ To receive the data stream from the rocket, you need an antenna and short
+ feed-line connected to one of our <ulink url="http://www.altusmetrum.org/TeleDongle/">TeleDongle</ulink> units. If possible, use an SMA to BNC
+ adapter instead of feedline between the antenna feedpoint and
+ TeleDongle, as this will give you the best performance. The
+ TeleDongle in turn plugs directly into the USB port on a notebook
+ computer. Because TeleDongle looks like a simple serial port, your computer
+ does not require special device drivers... just plug it in.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ The GUI tool, AltosUI, is written in Java and runs across
+ Linux, Mac OS and Windows. There's also a suite of C tools
+ for Linux which can perform most of the same tasks.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ Alternatively, a TeleBT attached with an SMA to BNC adapter at the
+ feed point of a hand-held yagi used in conjunction with an Android
+ device running AltosDroid makes an outstanding ground station.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ After the flight, you can use the radio link to extract the more detailed data
+ logged in either TeleMetrum or TeleMini devices, or you can use a mini USB cable to plug into the
+ TeleMetrum board directly. Pulling out the data without having to open up
+ the rocket is pretty cool! A USB cable is also how you charge the Li-Po
+ battery, so you'll want one of those anyway... the same cable used by lots
+ of digital cameras and other modern electronic stuff will work fine.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ If your rocket lands out of sight, you may enjoy having a hand-held
+ GPS receiver, so that you can put in a way-point for the last
+ reported rocket position before touch-down. This makes looking for
+ your rocket a lot like Geo-Caching... just go to the way-point and
+ look around starting from there. AltosDroid on an Android device
+ with GPS receiver works great for this, too!
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ You may also enjoy having a ham radio “HT” that covers the 70cm band... you
+ can use that with your antenna to direction-find the rocket on the ground
+ the same way you can use a Walston or Beeline tracker. This can be handy
+ if the rocket is hiding in sage brush or a tree, or if the last GPS position
+ doesn't get you close enough because the rocket dropped into a canyon, or
+ the wind is blowing it across a dry lake bed, or something like that... Keith
+ currently uses a Yaesu VX-7R, Bdale has a Baofung UV-5R
+ which isn't as nice, but was a whole lot cheaper.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ So, to recap, on the ground the hardware you'll need includes:
+ <orderedlist inheritnum='inherit' numeration='arabic'>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ an antenna and feed-line or adapter
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ a TeleDongle
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ a notebook computer
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ optionally, a hand-held GPS receiver
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ optionally, an HT or receiver covering 435 MHz
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </orderedlist>
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ The best hand-held commercial directional antennas we've found for radio
+ direction finding rockets are from
+ <ulink url="http://www.arrowantennas.com/" >
+ Arrow Antennas.
+ </ulink>
+ The 440-3 and 440-5 are both good choices for finding a
+ TeleMetrum- or TeleMini- equipped rocket when used with a suitable
+ 70cm HT. TeleDongle and an SMA to BNC adapter fit perfectly
+ between the driven element and reflector of Arrow antennas.
+ </para>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>Data Analysis</title>
+ <para>
+ Our software makes it easy to log the data from each flight, both the
+ telemetry received during the flight itself, and the more
+ complete data log recorded in the flash memory on the altimeter
+ board. Once this data is on your computer, our post-flight tools make it
+ easy to quickly get to the numbers everyone wants, like apogee altitude,
+ max acceleration, and max velocity. You can also generate and view a
+ standard set of plots showing the altitude, acceleration, and
+ velocity of the rocket during flight. And you can even export a TeleMetrum data file
+ usable with Google Maps and Google Earth for visualizing the flight path
+ in two or three dimensions!
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ Our ultimate goal is to emit a set of files for each flight that can be
+ published as a web page per flight, or just viewed on your local disk with
+ a web browser.
+ </para>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>Future Plans</title>
+ <para>
+ We've designed a simple GPS based radio tracker called TeleGPS.
+ If all goes well, we hope to introduce this in the first
+ half of 2014.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ We have designed and prototyped several “companion boards” that
+ can attach to the companion connector on TeleMetrum and TeleMega
+ flight computers to collect more data, provide more pyro channels,
+ and so forth. We do not yet know if or when any of these boards
+ will be produced in enough quantity to sell. If you have specific
+ interests for data collection or control of events in your rockets
+ beyond the capabilities of our existing productions, please let
+ us know!
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ Because all of our work is open, both the hardware designs and the
+ software, if you have some great idea for an addition to the current
+ Altus Metrum family, feel free to dive in and help! Or let us know
+ what you'd like to see that we aren't already working on, and maybe
+ we'll get excited about it too...
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ Watch our
+ <ulink url="http://altusmetrum.org/">web site</ulink> for more news
+ and information as our family of products evolves!
+ </para>
+ </section>
+ </chapter>
+ <chapter>
+ <title>Altimeter Installation Recommendations</title>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <section>
+ <title>Mounting the Altimeter</title>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <orderedlist inheritnum='inherit' numeration='arabic'>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Make sure accelerometer-equipped products like TeleMetrum and
+ TeleMega are aligned precisely along the axis of
+ acceleration so that the accelerometer can accurately
+ capture data during the flight.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </orderedlist>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>Dealing with the Antenna</title>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>Preserving GPS Reception</title>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ <orderedlist inheritnum='inherit' numeration='arabic'>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </orderedlist>
+ </para>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>Radio Frequency Interference</title>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ Voltages are induced when radio frequency energy is
+ transmitted from one circuit to another. Here are things that
+ influence the induced voltage and current:
+ </para>
+ <itemizedlist>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Keep wires from different circuits apart. Moving circuits
+ further apart will reduce RFI.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 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).
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </itemizedlist>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>The Barometric Sensor</title>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>Ground Testing</title>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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!
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ </section>
+ </chapter>
+ <chapter>
+ <title>Updating Device Firmware</title>
+ <para>
+ TeleMega, TeleMetrum v2 and EasyMini are all programmed directly
+ over their USB connectors (self programming). TeleMetrum v1, TeleMini and
+ TeleDongle 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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 <ulink url="http://www.altusmetrum.org/AltOS/"/>.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ If you need to update the firmware on a TeleDongle, 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ Self-programmable devices (TeleMega, TeleMetrum v2 and EasyMini)
+ are reprogrammed by connecting them to your computer over USB
+ </para>
+ <section>
+ <title>
+ Updating TeleMega, TeleMetrum v2 or EasyMini Firmware
+ </title>
+ <orderedlist inheritnum='inherit' numeration='arabic'>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Attach a battery and power switch to the target
+ device. Power up the device.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Using a Micro USB cable, connect the target device to your
+ computer's USB socket.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Run AltosUI, and select 'Flash Image' from the File menu.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Select the target device in the Device Selection dialog.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Hit the 'OK' button and the software should proceed to flash
+ the device with new firmware, showing a progress bar.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Verify that the device is working by using the 'Configure
+ Altimeter' item to check over the configuration.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </orderedlist>
+ <section>
+ <title>Recovering From Self-Flashing Failure</title>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <variablelist>
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>TeleMega</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 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 <emphasis>not</emphasis> 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.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>TeleMetrum v2</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 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 <emphasis>not</emphasis> 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.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>EasyMini</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+ </variablelist>
+ <para>
+ Once you've located the right pins:
+ </para>
+ <orderedlist inheritnum='inherit' numeration='arabic'>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Turn the altimeter power off.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Connect a battery.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Connect the indicated terminals together with a short
+ piece of wire. Take care not to accidentally connect
+ anything else.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Connect USB
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Turn the board power on.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ The board should now be visible over USB as 'AltosFlash'
+ and be ready to receive firmware.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Once the board has been powered up, you can remove the
+ piece of wire.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </orderedlist>
+ </section>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>Pair Programming</title>
+ <para>
+ The big concept to understand is that you have to use a
+ TeleMega, TeleMetrum or TeleDongle 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.
+ </para>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>Updating TeleMetrum v1.x Firmware</title>
+ <orderedlist inheritnum='inherit' numeration='arabic'>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Take the 2 screws out of the TeleDongle case to get access
+ to the circuit board.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Plug the 8-pin end of the programming cable to the
+ matching connector on the TeleDongle, 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.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Attach a battery to the TeleMetrum board.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Plug the TeleDongle into your computer's USB port, and power
+ up the TeleMetrum.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Run AltosUI, and select 'Flash Image' from the File menu.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Pick the TeleDongle device from the list, identifying it as the
+ programming device.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Hit the 'OK' button and the software should proceed to flash
+ the TeleMetrum with new firmware, showing a progress bar.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ If something goes wrong, give it another try.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </orderedlist>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>Updating TeleMini Firmware</title>
+ <orderedlist inheritnum='inherit' numeration='arabic'>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ Take the 2 screws out of the TeleDongle case to get access
+ to the circuit board.
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ Plug the 8-pin end of the programming cable to the matching
+ connector on the TeleDongle, 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.
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ Attach a battery to the TeleMini board.
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ Plug the TeleDongle into your computer's USB port, and power
+ up the TeleMini
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ Run AltosUI, and select 'Flash Image' from the File menu.
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ Pick the TeleDongle device from the list, identifying it as the
+ programming device.
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ Hit the 'OK' button and the software should proceed to flash
+ the TeleMini with new firmware, showing a progress bar.
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ If something goes wrong, give it another try.
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ </orderedlist>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>Updating TeleDongle Firmware</title>
+ <para>
+ Updating TeleDongle's firmware is just like updating TeleMetrum or TeleMini
+ firmware, but you use either a TeleMetrum or another TeleDongle as the programmer.
+ </para>
+ <orderedlist inheritnum='inherit' numeration='arabic'>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ 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 or TeleDongle.
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ Take the 2 screws out of the TeleDongle case to get access
+ to the circuit board.
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ 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.
+ 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.
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ Attach a battery to the TeleMetrum board if you're using one.
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ Plug both the programmer and the TeleDongle into your computer's USB
+ ports, and power up the programmer.
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ Run AltosUI, and select 'Flash Image' from the File menu.
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ Pick the programmer device from the list, identifying it as the
+ programming device.
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ Select the image you want put on the TeleDongle, 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.
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ 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
+ 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.
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ Hit the 'OK' button and the software should proceed to flash
+ the TeleDongle with new firmware, showing a progress bar.
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ Confirm that the TeleDongle 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.
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ <listitem>
+<para>
+ If something goes wrong, give it another try.
+ </para>
+</listitem>
+ </orderedlist>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ </section>
+ </chapter>
+ <chapter>
+ <title>Hardware Specifications</title>
+ <section>
+ <title>
+ TeleMega Specifications
+ </title>
+ <itemizedlist>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Recording altimeter for model rocketry.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Supports dual deployment and four auxiliary pyro channels
+ (a total of 6 events).
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 70cm 40mW ham-band transceiver for telemetry down-link.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Barometric pressure sensor good to 100k feet MSL.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 1-axis high-g accelerometer for motor characterization, capable of
+ +/- 102g.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 9-axis IMU including integrated 3-axis accelerometer,
+ 3-axis gyroscope and 3-axis magnetometer.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ On-board, integrated uBlox Max 7 GPS receiver with 5Hz update rate capability.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ On-board 8 Megabyte non-volatile memory for flight data storage.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ USB interface for battery charging, configuration, and data recovery.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Fully integrated support for Li-Po rechargeable batteries.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Can use either main system Li-Po or optional separate pyro battery
+ to fire e-matches.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 3.25 x 1.25 inch board designed to fit inside 38mm air-frame coupler tube.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </itemizedlist>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>
+ TeleMetrum v2 Specifications
+ </title>
+ <itemizedlist>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Recording altimeter for model rocketry.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Supports dual deployment (can fire 2 ejection charges).
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 70cm, 40mW ham-band transceiver for telemetry down-link.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Barometric pressure sensor good to 100k feet MSL.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 1-axis high-g accelerometer for motor characterization, capable of
+ +/- 102g.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ On-board, integrated uBlox Max 7 GPS receiver with 5Hz update rate capability.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ On-board 8 Megabyte non-volatile memory for flight data storage.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ USB interface for battery charging, configuration, and data recovery.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Fully integrated support for Li-Po rechargeable batteries.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Uses Li-Po to fire e-matches, can be modified to support
+ optional separate pyro battery if needed.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 2.75 x 1 inch board designed to fit inside 29mm air-frame coupler tube.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </itemizedlist>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>TeleMetrum v1 Specifications</title>
+ <itemizedlist>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Recording altimeter for model rocketry.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Supports dual deployment (can fire 2 ejection charges).
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 70cm, 10mW ham-band transceiver for telemetry down-link.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Barometric pressure sensor good to 45k feet MSL.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 1-axis high-g accelerometer for motor characterization, capable of
+ +/- 50g using default part.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ On-board, integrated GPS receiver with 5Hz update rate capability.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ On-board 1 megabyte non-volatile memory for flight data storage.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ USB interface for battery charging, configuration, and data recovery.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Fully integrated support for Li-Po rechargeable batteries.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Uses Li-Po to fire e-matches, can be modified to support
+ optional separate pyro battery if needed.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 2.75 x 1 inch board designed to fit inside 29mm air-frame coupler tube.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </itemizedlist>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>
+ TeleMini v2.0 Specifications
+ </title>
+ <itemizedlist>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Recording altimeter for model rocketry.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Supports dual deployment (can fire 2 ejection charges).
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 70cm, 10mW ham-band transceiver for telemetry down-link.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Barometric pressure sensor good to 100k feet MSL.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ On-board 1 megabyte non-volatile memory for flight data storage.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ USB interface for configuration, and data recovery.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Support for Li-Po rechargeable batteries (using an
+ external charger), or any 3.7-15V external battery.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Uses Li-Po to fire e-matches, can be modified to support
+ optional separate pyro battery if needed.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 1.5 x .8 inch board designed to fit inside 24mm air-frame coupler tube.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </itemizedlist>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>
+ TeleMini v1.0 Specifications
+ </title>
+ <itemizedlist>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Recording altimeter for model rocketry.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Supports dual deployment (can fire 2 ejection charges).
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 70cm, 10mW ham-band transceiver for telemetry down-link.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Barometric pressure sensor good to 45k feet MSL.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ On-board 5 kilobyte non-volatile memory for flight data storage.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ RF interface for configuration, and data recovery.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Support for Li-Po rechargeable batteries, using an external charger.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Uses Li-Po to fire e-matches, can be modified to support
+ optional separate pyro battery if needed.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 1.5 x .5 inch board designed to fit inside 18mm air-frame coupler tube.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </itemizedlist>
+ </section>
+ <section>
+ <title>
+ EasyMini Specifications
+ </title>
+ <itemizedlist>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Recording altimeter for model rocketry.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Supports dual deployment (can fire 2 ejection charges).
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Barometric pressure sensor good to 100k feet MSL.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ On-board 1 megabyte non-volatile memory for flight data storage.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ USB interface for configuration, and data recovery.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Support for Li-Po rechargeable batteries (using an
+ external charger), or any 3.7-15V external battery.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Uses Li-Po to fire e-matches, can be modified to support
+ optional separate pyro battery if needed.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ 1.5 x .8 inch board designed to fit inside 24mm air-frame coupler tube.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </itemizedlist>
+ </section>
+ </chapter>
+ <chapter>
+ <title>FAQ</title>
+ <para>
+ <emphasis>TeleMetrum seems to shut off when disconnected from the
+ computer.</emphasis> <?linebreak?>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ <emphasis>It's impossible to stop the TeleDongle when it's in “p” mode, I have
+ to unplug the USB cable? </emphasis><?linebreak?>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ <emphasis>The amber LED (on the TeleMetrum) lights up when both
+ battery and USB are connected. Does this mean it's charging?
+ </emphasis><?linebreak?>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ <emphasis>There are no “dit-dah-dah-dit” sound or lights like the manual
+ mentions?</emphasis><?linebreak?>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ <emphasis>How do I save flight data?</emphasis><?linebreak?>
+ 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...
+ </para>
+ </chapter>
+ <appendix>
+ <title>Notes for Older Software</title>
+ <para>
+ <emphasis>
+ 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.
+ </emphasis>
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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):
+ <programlisting>
+ R = F / S * C
+ </programlisting>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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'.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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'.)
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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.)
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ 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!
+ </para>
+ </appendix>
+ <appendix>
+ <title>Drill Templates</title>
+ <para>
+ These images, when printed, provide precise templates for the
+ mounting holes in Altus Metrum flight computers
+ </para>