-<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"><title>The Altus Metrum System</title><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.78.1"></head><body bgcolor="white" text="black" link="#0000FF" vlink="#840084" alink="#0000FF"><div class="book"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="id
m15749952"></a>The Altus Metrum System</h1></div><div><h2 class="subtitle">An Owner's Manual for TeleMetrum, TeleMini, TeleDongle and TeleBT Devices</h2></div><div><div class="author"><h3 class="author"><span class="firstname">Bdale</span> <span class="surname">Garbee</span></h3></div></div><div><div class="author"><h3 class="author"><span class="firstname">Keith</span> <span class="surname">Packard</span></h3></div></div><div><div class="author"><h3 class="author"><span class="firstname">Bob</span> <span class="surname">Finch</span></h3></div></div><div><div class="author"><h3 class="author"><span class="firstname">Anthony</span> <span class="surname">Towns</span></h3></div></div><div><p class="copyright">Copyright © 2013 Bdale Garbee and Keith Packard</p></div><div><div class="legalnotice"><a name="idp111792"></a><p>
+<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"><title>The Altus Metrum System</title><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.78.1"></head><body bgcolor="white" text="black" link="#0000FF" vlink="#840084" alink="#0000FF"><div class="book"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="id
p26428432"></a>The Altus Metrum System</h1></div><div><h2 class="subtitle">An Owner's Manual for Altus Metrum Rocketry Electronics</h2></div><div><div class="author"><h3 class="author"><span class="firstname">Bdale</span> <span class="surname">Garbee</span></h3></div></div><div><div class="author"><h3 class="author"><span class="firstname">Keith</span> <span class="surname">Packard</span></h3></div></div><div><div class="author"><h3 class="author"><span class="firstname">Bob</span> <span class="surname">Finch</span></h3></div></div><div><div class="author"><h3 class="author"><span class="firstname">Anthony</span> <span class="surname">Towns</span></h3></div></div><div><p class="copyright">Copyright © 2013 Bdale Garbee and Keith Packard</p></div><div><div class="legalnotice"><a name="idp53658176"></a><p>
This document is released under the terms of the
<a class="ulink" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/" target="_top">
Creative Commons ShareAlike 3.0
</a>
license.
- </p></div></div><div><div class="revhistory"><table style="border-style:solid; width:100%;" summary="Revision History"><tr><th align="left" valign="top" colspan="2"><b>Revision History</b></th></tr><tr><td align="left">Revision 1.2.1</td><td align="left">21 May 2013</td></tr><tr><td align="left" colspan="2">
+ </p></div></div><div><div class="revhistory"><table style="border-style:solid; width:100%;" summary="Revision History"><tr><th align="left" valign="top" colspan="2"><b>Revision History</b></th></tr><tr><td align="left">Revision 1.3</td><td align="left">12 November 2013</td></tr><tr><td align="left" colspan="2">
+ Updated for software version 1.3. Version 1.3 adds support
+ for TeleMega, TeleMetrum v2.0, TeleMini v2.0 and EasyMini
+ and fixes bugs in AltosUI and the AltOS firmware.
+ </td></tr><tr><td align="left">Revision 1.2.1</td><td align="left">21 May 2013</td></tr><tr><td align="left" colspan="2">
Updated for software version 1.2. Version 1.2 adds support
for TeleBT and AltosDroid. It also adds a few minor features
and fixes bugs in AltosUI and the AltOS firmware.
Updated for software version 0.9. Note that 0.9 represents a
telemetry format change, meaning both ends of a link (TeleMetrum and
TeleDongle) must be updated or communications will fail.
- </td></tr><tr><td align="left">Revision 0.8</td><td align="left">24 November 2010</td></tr><tr><td align="left" colspan="2">Updated for software version 0.8 </td></tr></table></div></div></div><hr></div><div class="acknowledgements"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp84128"></a>Acknowledgements</h1></div></div></div>
- <p>
- Thanks to Bob Finch, W9YA, NAR 12965, TRA 12350 for writing "The
+ </td></tr><tr><td align="left">Revision 0.8</td><td align="left">24 November 2010</td></tr><tr><td align="left" colspan="2">Updated for software version 0.8 </td></tr></table></div></div></div><hr></div><div class="dedication"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp52772352"></a>Acknowledgments</h1></div></div></div><p>
+ Thanks to Bob Finch, W9YA, NAR 12965, TRA 12350 for writing “The
Mere-Mortals Quick Start/Usage Guide to the Altus Metrum Starter
- Kit" which formed the basis of the original Getting Started chapter
+ Kit” which formed the basis of the original Getting Started chapter
in this manual. Bob was one of our first customers for a production
TeleMetrum, and his continued enthusiasm and contributions
are immensely gratifying and highly appreciated!
- </p>
- <p>
+ </p><p>
And thanks to Anthony (AJ) Towns for major contributions including
the AltosUI graphing and site map code and associated documentation.
Free software means that our customers and friends can become our
collaborators, and we certainly appreciate this level of
contribution!
- </p>
- <p>
+ </p><p>
Have fun using these products, and we hope to meet all of you
out on the rocket flight line somewhere.
</p><div class="literallayout"><p><br>
Keith Packard, KD7SQG<br>
NAR #88757, TRA #12200<br>
</p></div><p>
- </p>
- </div><div class="toc"><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><dl class="toc"><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#idp45792">1. Introduction and Overview</a></span></dt><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#idp49504">2. Getting Started</a></span></dt><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#idp2493720">3. Handling Precautions</a></span></dt><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#idp2765656">4. Hardware Overview</a></span></dt><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#idp2919872">5. System Operation</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp2375600">1. Firmware Modes </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp2284648">2. GPS </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp753536">3. Controlling An Altimeter Over The Radio Link</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp760992">4. Ground Testing </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp762792">5. Radio Link </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp55640">6. Configurable Parameters</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp56488">6.1. Radio Frequency</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp57656">6.2. Apogee Delay</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp59488">6.3. Main Deployment Altitude</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp61128">6.4. Maximum Flight Log</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp64904">6.5. Ignite Mode</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp66248">6.6. Pad Orientation</a></span></dt></dl></dd></dl></dd><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#idp67528">6. AltosUI</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp68608">1. Monitor Flight</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp75208">1.1. Launch Pad</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3850840">1.2. Ascent</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3852992">1.3. Descent</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3856520">1.4. Landed</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3859448">1.5. Site Map</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3861728">2. Save Flight Data</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3864648">3. Replay Flight</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3865896">4. Graph Data</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3869184">5. Export Data</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3870192">5.1. Comma Separated Value Format</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3871768">5.2. Keyhole Markup Language (for Google Earth)</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3872600">6. Configure Altimeter</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3876776">6.1. Main Deploy Altitude</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3877760">6.2. Apogee Delay</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3878800">6.3. Radio Frequency</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3879712">6.4. Radio Calibration</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3880776">6.5. Callsign</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3881512">6.6. Maximum Flight Log Size</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3882376">6.7. Ignite Mode</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3885216">6.8. Pad Orientation</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3887440">7. Configure AltosUI</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3888064">7.1. Voice Settings</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3890336">7.2. Log Directory</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3891560">7.3. Callsign</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3892528">7.4. Imperial Units</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3893432">7.5. Font Size</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3894136">7.6. Serial Debug</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3895048">7.7. Manage Frequencies</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3896032">8. Configure Groundstation</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3899952">8.1. Frequency</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3900936">8.2. Radio Calibration</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3901928">9. Flash Image</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3905000">10. Fire Igniter</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3907104">11. Scan Channels</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3908008">12. Load Maps</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3910136">13. Monitor Idle</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#idp3911008">7. AltosDroid</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3912688">1. Installing AltosDroid</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3913648">2. Connecting to TeleBT</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3914864">3. Configuring AltosDroid</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3915736">4. Altos Droid Flight Monitoring</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3916536">4.1. Pad</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3922504">5. Downloading Flight Logs</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#idp3923520">8. Using Altus Metrum Products</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3923840">1. Being Legal</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3924800">2. In the Rocket</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3926904">3. On the Ground</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3934536">4. Data Analysis</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3936288">5. Future Plans</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#idp3939448">9. Altimeter Installation Recommendations</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3940432">1. Mounting the Altimeter</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3942768">2. Dealing with the Antenna</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3946752">3. Preserving GPS Reception</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3949136">4. Radio Frequency Interference</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3953208">5. The Barometric Sensor</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3955048">6. Ground Testing</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#idp3957184">10. Updating Device Firmware</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3959184">1. Updating TeleMetrum Firmware</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3964528">2. Updating TeleMini Firmware</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3969944">3. Updating TeleDongle Firmware</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#idp3977040">11. Hardware Specifications</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3977360">1. TeleMetrum Specifications</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3983088">2. TeleMini Specifications</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#idp3987896">12. FAQ</a></span></dt><dt><span class="appendix"><a href="#idp3991640">A. Notes for Older Software</a></span></dt><dt><span class="appendix"><a href="#idp4008072">B. Drill Templates</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp4008720">1. TeleMetrum template</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp4016464">2. TeleMini template</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="appendix"><a href="#idp4018112">C. Calibration</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp4019088">1. Radio Frequency</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp4022408">2. TeleMetrum Accelerometer</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="appendix"><a href="#idp4027304">D. Release Notes</a></span></dt></dl></div><div class="chapter"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp45792"></a>Chapter 1. Introduction and Overview</h1></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><dl class="toc"><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#idp52776880">1. Introduction and Overview</a></span></dt><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#idp57459264">2. Getting Started</a></span></dt><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#idp52778544">3. Handling Precautions</a></span></dt><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#idp52784032">4. Altus Metrum Hardware</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp52784704">1. Overview</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58332736">2. TeleMetrum</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58337760">3. TeleMini</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58346160">4. EasyMini</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58350144">5. TeleMega</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58354240">6. Flight Data Recording</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58383072">7. Installation</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#idp58389808">5. System Operation</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58390448">1. Firmware Modes </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58467152">2. GPS </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58469936">3. Controlling An Altimeter Over The Radio Link</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58481232">4. Ground Testing </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58483984">5. Radio Link </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58488672">6. Configurable Parameters</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58490416">6.1. Radio Frequency</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58492464">6.2. Apogee Delay</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58495056">6.3. Main Deployment Altitude</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58496752">6.4. Maximum Flight Log</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58498896">6.5. Ignite Mode</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58501008">6.6. Pad Orientation</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58502704">6.7. Configurable Pyro Channels</a></span></dt></dl></dd></dl></dd><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#idp58525184">6. AltosUI</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58528800">1. Monitor Flight</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58541520">1.1. Launch Pad</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58557152">1.2. Ascent</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58562608">1.3. Descent</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58569472">1.4. Landed</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58575904">1.5. Table</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58579488">1.6. Site Map</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58585152">2. Save Flight Data</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58589632">3. Replay Flight</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58591664">4. Graph Data</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58594048">4.1. Flight Graph</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58598496">4.2. Configure Graph</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58602160">4.3. Flight Statistics</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58605680">4.4. Map</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58609536">5. Export Data</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58611648">5.1. Comma Separated Value Format</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58614000">5.2. Keyhole Markup Language (for Google Earth)</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58615488">6. Configure Altimeter</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58627792">6.1. Main Deploy Altitude</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58629360">6.2. Apogee Delay</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58630976">6.3. Radio Frequency</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58632480">6.4. RF Calibration</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58634128">6.5. Telemetry/RDF/APRS Enable</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58635424">6.6. APRS Interval</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58636928">6.7. Callsign</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58638240">6.8. Maximum Flight Log Size</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58639680">6.9. Ignite Mode</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58646672">6.10. Pad Orientation</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58651888">6.11. Configure Pyro Channels</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58657696">7. Configure AltosUI</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58661200">7.1. Voice Settings</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58666224">7.2. Log Directory</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58668224">7.3. Callsign</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58670464">7.4. Imperial Units</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58671968">7.5. Font Size</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58673248">7.6. Serial Debug</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58674752">7.7. Manage Frequencies</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58676384">8. Configure Groundstation</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58687504">8.1. Frequency</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58689072">8.2. Radio Calibration</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58690704">9. Flash Image</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58692336">10. Fire Igniter</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58697968">11. Scan Channels</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58701824">12. Load Maps</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58707520">13. Monitor Idle</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#idp58709616">7. AltosDroid</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58712000">1. Installing AltosDroid</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58713936">2. Connecting to TeleBT</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58715936">3. Configuring AltosDroid</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58717392">4. AltosDroid Flight Monitoring</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58718704">4.1. Pad</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58732256">5. Downloading Flight Logs</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#idp58733920">8. Using Altus Metrum Products</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58734560">1. Being Legal</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58736464">2. In the Rocket</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58738928">3. On the Ground</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58752240">4. Data Analysis</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58754784">5. Future Plans</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#idp58759168">9. Altimeter Installation Recommendations</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58760624">1. Mounting the Altimeter</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58766032">2. Dealing with the Antenna</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58771600">3. Preserving GPS Reception</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58776384">4. Radio Frequency Interference</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58783952">5. The Barometric Sensor</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58786752">6. Ground Testing</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#idp58789920">10. Updating Device Firmware</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58793936">1.
+ Updating TeleMega, TeleMetrum v2 or EasyMini Firmware
+ </a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58802752">1.1. Recovering From Self-Flashing Failure</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58811728">2. Pair Programming</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58813168">3. Updating TeleMetrum v1.x Firmware</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58826208">4. Updating TeleMini Firmware</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58839600">5. Updating TeleDongle Firmware</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#idp58856144">11. Hardware Specifications</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58856784">1.
+ TeleMega Specifications
+ </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58868016">2.
+ TeleMetrum v2 Specifications
+ </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58878256">3. TeleMetrum v1 Specifications</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58888496">4.
+ TeleMini v2.0 Specifications
+ </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58897328">5.
+ TeleMini v1.0 Specifications
+ </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58906128">6.
+ EasyMini Specifications
+ </a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#idp58914240">12. FAQ</a></span></dt><dt><span class="appendix"><a href="#idp58923088">A. Notes for Older Software</a></span></dt><dt><span class="appendix"><a href="#idp58946464">B. Drill Templates</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58947632">1. TeleMega template</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58963600">2. TeleMetrum template</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58967264">3. TeleMini v2/EasyMini template</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58970944">4. TeleMini v1 template</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="appendix"><a href="#idp58974736">C. Calibration</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58976288">1. Radio Frequency</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58980832">2. TeleMetrum and TeleMega Accelerometers</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="appendix"><a href="#idp58985936">D. Release Notes</a></span></dt></dl></div><div class="list-of-tables"><p><b>List of Tables</b></p><dl><dt>4.1. <a href="#idp52785760">Altus Metrum Electronics</a></dt><dt>4.2. <a href="#idp56763616">Altus Metrum Boards</a></dt><dt>4.3. <a href="#idp58355648">Data Storage on Altus Metrum altimeters</a></dt><dt>5.1. <a href="#idp58391728">AltOS Modes</a></dt><dt>5.2. <a href="#idp58440960">Pad/Idle Indications</a></dt></dl></div><div class="chapter"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp52776880"></a>Chapter 1. Introduction and Overview</h1></div></div></div><p>
Welcome to the Altus Metrum community! Our circuits and software reflect
our passion for both hobby rocketry and Free Software. We hope their
capabilities and performance will delight you in every way, but by
</p><p>
The first device created for our community was TeleMetrum, a dual
deploy altimeter with fully integrated GPS and radio telemetry
- as standard features, and a "companion interface" that will
- support optional capabilities in the future.
+ as standard features, and a “companion interface” that will
+ support optional capabilities in the future. The latest version
+ of TeleMetrum, v2.0, has all of the same features but with
+ improved sensors and radio to offer increased performance.
</p><p>
Our second device was TeleMini, a dual deploy altimeter with
- radio telemetry and radio direction finding. This device is only
- 13mm by 38mm (½ inch by 1½ inches) and can fit easily in an 18mm
- air-frame.
+ radio telemetry and radio direction finding. The first version
+ of this device was only 13mm by 38mm (½ inch by 1½ inches) and
+ could fit easily in an 18mm air-frame. The latest version, v2.0,
+ includes a beeper, USB data download and extended on-board
+ flight logging, along with an improved barometric sensor.
+ </p><p>
+ TeleMega is our most sophisticated device, including six pyro
+ channels (four of which are fully programmable), integrated GPS,
+ integrated gyroscopes for staging/air-start inhibit and high
+ performance telemetry.
+ </p><p>
+ EasyMini is a dual-deploy altimeter with logging and built-in
+ USB data download.
</p><p>
TeleDongle was our first ground station, providing a USB to RF
interfaces for communicating with the altimeters. Combined with
</p><p>
For a slightly more portable ground station experience that also
provides direct rocket recovery support, TeleBT offers flight
- monitoring and data logging using a Bluetooth connection between
- the receiver and an Android device that has the Altos Droid
+ monitoring and data logging using a Bluetooth™ connection between
+ the receiver and an Android device that has the AltosDroid
application installed from the Google Play store.
</p><p>
More products will be added to the Altus Metrum family over time, and
we currently envision that this will be a single, comprehensive manual
for the entire product family.
- </p></div><div class="chapter"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp
49504"></a>Chapter 2. Getting Started</h1></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="chapter"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp
57459264"></a>Chapter 2. Getting Started</h1></div></div></div><p>
The first thing to do after you check the inventory of parts in your
- "starter kit" is to charge the battery.
+ “starter kit” is to charge the battery.
</p><p>
- The TeleMetrum battery can be charged by plugging it into the
- corresponding socket of the TeleMetrum and then using the USB A to
- mini B
- cable to plug the TeleMetrum into your computer's USB socket. The
- TeleMetrum circuitry will charge the battery whenever it is plugged
- in, because the TeleMetrum's on-off switch does NOT control the
+ For TeleMetrum and TeleMega, the battery can be charged by plugging it into the
+ corresponding socket of the device and then using the USB
+ cable to plug the flight computer into your computer's USB socket. The
+ on-board circuitry will charge the battery whenever it is plugged
+ in, because the on-off switch does NOT control the
charging circuitry.
</p><p>
- When the GPS chip is initially searching for
- satellites, TeleMetrum will consume more current than it can pull
- from the USB port, so the battery must be attached in order to get
- satellite lock. Once GPS is locked, the current consumption goes back
- down enough to enable charging while
- running. So it's a good idea to fully charge the battery as your
- first item of business so there is no issue getting and maintaining
- satellite lock. The yellow charge indicator led will go out when the
- battery is nearly full and the charger goes to trickle charge. It
- can take several hours to fully recharge a deeply discharged battery.
+ On TeleMetrum v1 boards, when the GPS chip is initially
+ searching for satellites, TeleMetrum will consume more current
+ than it pulls from the USB port, so the battery must be
+ attached in order to get satellite lock. Once GPS is locked,
+ the current consumption goes back down enough to enable charging
+ while running. So it's a good idea to fully charge the battery
+ as your first item of business so there is no issue getting and
+ maintaining satellite lock. The yellow charge indicator led
+ will go out when the battery is nearly full and the charger goes
+ to trickle charge. It can take several hours to fully recharge a
+ deeply discharged battery.
+ </p><p>
+ TeleMetrum v2.0 and TeleMega use a higher power battery charger,
+ allowing them to charge the battery while running the board at
+ maximum power. When the battery is charging, or when the board
+ is consuming a lot of power, the red LED will be lit. When the
+ battery is fully charged, the green LED will be lit. When the
+ battery is damaged or missing, both LEDs will be lit, which
+ appears yellow.
</p><p>
- The TeleMini battery can be charged by disconnecting it from the
- TeleMini board and plugging it into a standalone battery charger
- such as the LipoCharger product included in TeleMini Starter Kits,
- and connecting that via a USB cable to a laptop or other USB
- power source.
+ The Lithium Polymer TeleMini and EasyMini battery can be charged by
+ disconnecting it from the board and plugging it into a
+ standalone battery charger such as the LipoCharger product
+ included in TeleMini Starter Kits, and connecting that via a USB
+ cable to a laptop or other USB power source.
+ </p><p>
+ You can also choose to use another battery with TeleMini v2.0
+ and EasyMini, anything supplying between 4 and 12 volts should
+ work fine (like a standard 9V battery), but if you are planning
+ to fire pyro charges, ground testing is required to verify that
+ the battery supplies enough current to fire your chosen e-matches.
</p><p>
The other active device in the starter kit is the TeleDongle USB to
RF interface. If you plug it in to your Mac or Linux computer it should
- "just work", showing up as a serial port device. Windows systems need
+ “just work”, showing up as a serial port device. Windows systems need
driver information that is part of the AltOS download to know that the
existing USB modem driver will work. We therefore recommend installing
our software before plugging in TeleDongle if you are using a Windows
- computer. If you are using Linux and are having problems, try moving
- to a fresher kernel (2.6.33 or newer), as the USB serial driver had
- ugly bugs in some earlier versions.
+ computer. If you are using an older version of Linux and are having
+ problems, try moving to a fresher kernel (2.6.33 or newer).
</p><p>
- Next you should obtain and install the AltOS software. These include
- the AltosUI ground station program, current firmware images for
- TeleMetrum, TeleMini and TeleDongle, and a number of standalone
- utilities that are rarely needed. Pre-built binary packages are
- available for Linux, Microsoft Windows, and recent MacOSX versions.
- Full source code and build instructions are also available.
- The latest version may always be downloaded from
+ Next you should obtain and install the AltOS software. The AltOS
+ distribution includes the AltosUI ground station program, current
+ firmware
+ images for all of the hardware, and a number of standalone
+ utilities that are rarely needed. Pre-built binary packages are
+ available for Linux, Microsoft Windows, and recent MacOSX
+ versions. Full source code and build instructions are also
+ available. The latest version may always be downloaded from
<a class="ulink" href="http://altusmetrum.org/AltOS" target="_top">http://altusmetrum.org/AltOS</a>.
</p><p>
- If you're using a TeleBT instead of the TeleDongle, you'll want
- to go install the Altos Droid application from the Google Play
- store. You don't need a data plan to use Altos Droid, but
+ If you're using a TeleBT instead of the TeleDongle, you'll want to
+ install the AltosDroid application from the Google Play store on an
+ Android device. You don't need a data plan to use AltosDroid, but
without network access, the Map view will be less useful as it
won't contain any map data. You can also use TeleBT connected
over USB with your laptop computer; it acts exactly like a
TeleDongle. Anywhere this manual talks about TeleDongle, you can
also read that as 'and TeleBT when connected via USB'.
- </p></div><div class="chapter"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp
2493720"></a>Chapter 3. Handling Precautions</h1></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="chapter"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp
52778544"></a>Chapter 3. Handling Precautions</h1></div></div></div><p>
All Altus Metrum products are sophisticated electronic devices.
When handled gently and properly installed in an air-frame, they
will deliver impressive results. However, as with all electronic
often wrap them in suitable scraps of closed-cell packing foam before
strapping them down, for example.
</p><p>
- The barometric sensors used on both TeleMetrum and TeleMini are
- sensitive to sunlight. In normal TeleMetrum mounting situations, it
+ The barometric sensors used on all of our flight computers are
+ sensitive to sunlight. In normal mounting situations, the baro sensor
and all of the other surface mount components
- are "down" towards whatever the underlying mounting surface is, so
- this is not normally a problem. Please consider this, though, when
- designing an installation, for example, in an air-frame with a
- see-through plastic payload bay. It is particularly important to
- consider this with TeleMini, both because the baro sensor is on the
- "top" of the board, and because many model rockets with payload bays
+ are “down” towards whatever the underlying mounting surface is, so
+ this is not normally a problem. Please consider this when designing an
+ installation in an air-frame with a see-through plastic payload bay. It
+ is particularly important to
+ consider this with TeleMini v1.0, both because the baro sensor is on the
+ “top” of the board, and because many model rockets with payload bays
use clear plastic for the payload bay! Replacing these with an opaque
cardboard tube, painting them, or wrapping them with a layer of masking
tape are all reasonable approaches to keep the sensor out of direct
sunlight.
</p><p>
- The barometric sensor sampling port must be able to "breathe",
+ The barometric sensor sampling port must be able to “breathe”,
both by not being covered by foam or tape or other materials that might
directly block the hole on the top of the sensor, and also by having a
suitable static vent to outside air.
As with all other rocketry electronics, Altus Metrum altimeters must
be protected from exposure to corrosive motor exhaust and ejection
charge gasses.
- </p></div><div class="chapter"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp2765656"></a>Chapter 4. Hardware Overview</h1></div></div></div><p>
- TeleMetrum is a 1 inch by 2.75 inch circuit board. It was designed to
- fit inside coupler for 29mm air-frame tubing, but using it in a tube that
- small in diameter may require some creativity in mounting and wiring
- to succeed! The presence of an accelerometer means TeleMetrum should
- be aligned along the flight axis of the airframe, and by default the 1/4
- wave UHF wire antenna should be on the nose-cone end of the board. The
- antenna wire is about 7 inches long, and wiring for a power switch and
- the e-matches for apogee and main ejection charges depart from the
- fin can end of the board, meaning an ideal "simple" avionics
- bay for TeleMetrum should have at least 10 inches of interior length.
- </p><p>
- TeleMini is a 0.5 inch by 1.5 inch circuit board. It was designed to
- fit inside an 18mm air-frame tube, but using it in a tube that
- small in diameter may require some creativity in mounting and wiring
- to succeed! Since there is no accelerometer, TeleMini can be mounted
- in any convenient orientation. The default 1/4
- wave UHF wire antenna attached to the center of one end of
- the board is about 7 inches long, and wiring for a power switch and
- the e-matches for apogee and main ejection charges depart from the
- other end of the board, meaning an ideal "simple" avionics
- bay for TeleMini should have at least 9 inches of interior length.
- </p><p>
- A typical TeleMetrum or TeleMini installation involves attaching
- only a suitable Lithium Polymer battery, a single pole switch for
- power on/off, and two pairs of wires connecting e-matches for the
- apogee and main ejection charges. All Altus Metrum products are
- designed for use with single-cell batteries with 3.7 volts nominal.
- </p><p>
- The battery connectors are a standard 2-pin JST connector and
- match batteries sold by Spark Fun. These batteries are
- single-cell Lithium Polymer batteries that nominally provide 3.7
- volts. Other vendors sell similar batteries for RC aircraft
- using mating connectors, however the polarity for those is
- generally reversed from the batteries used by Altus Metrum
- products. In particular, the Tenergy batteries supplied for use
- in Featherweight flight computers are not compatible with Altus
- Metrum flight computers or battery chargers. <span class="emphasis"><em>Check
- polarity and voltage before connecting any battery not purchased
- from Altus Metrum or Spark Fun.</em></span>
- </p><p>
- By default, we use the unregulated output of the Li-Po battery directly
- to fire ejection charges. This works marvelously with standard
- low-current e-matches like the J-Tek from MJG Technologies, and with
- Quest Q2G2 igniters. However, if you want or need to use a separate
- pyro battery, check out the "External Pyro Battery" section in this
- manual for instructions on how to wire that up. The altimeters are
- designed to work with an external pyro battery of no more than 15 volts.
- </p><p>
- Ejection charges are wired directly to the screw terminal block
- at the aft end of the altimeter. You'll need a very small straight
- blade screwdriver for these screws, such as you might find in a
- jeweler's screwdriver set.
- </p><p>
- TeleMetrum also uses the screw terminal block for the power
- switch leads. On TeleMini, the power switch leads are soldered
- directly to the board and can be connected directly to a switch.
- </p><p>
- For most air-frames, the integrated antennas are more than
- adequate. However, if you are installing in a carbon-fiber or
- metal electronics bay which is opaque to RF signals, you may need to
- use off-board external antennas instead. In this case, you can
- order an altimeter with an SMA connector for the UHF antenna
- connection, and, on TeleMetrum, you can unplug the integrated GPS
- antenna and select an appropriate off-board GPS antenna with
- cable terminating in a U.FL connector.
- </p></div><div class="chapter"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp2919872"></a>Chapter 5. System Operation</h1></div></div></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><dl class="toc"><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp2375600">1. Firmware Modes </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp2284648">2. GPS </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp753536">3. Controlling An Altimeter Over The Radio Link</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp760992">4. Ground Testing </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp762792">5. Radio Link </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp55640">6. Configurable Parameters</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp56488">6.1. Radio Frequency</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp57656">6.2. Apogee Delay</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp59488">6.3. Main Deployment Altitude</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp61128">6.4. Maximum Flight Log</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp64904">6.5. Ignite Mode</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp66248">6.6. Pad Orientation</a></span></dt></dl></dd></dl></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp2375600"></a>1. Firmware Modes </h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="chapter"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp52784032"></a>Chapter 4. Altus Metrum Hardware</h1></div></div></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><dl class="toc"><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp52784704">1. Overview</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58332736">2. TeleMetrum</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58337760">3. TeleMini</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58346160">4. EasyMini</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58350144">5. TeleMega</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58354240">6. Flight Data Recording</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58383072">7. Installation</a></span></dt></dl></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp52784704"></a>1. Overview</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ Here's the full set of Altus Metrum products, both in
+ production and retired.
+ </p><div class="table"><a name="idp52785760"></a><p class="title"><b>Table 4.1. Altus Metrum Electronics</b></p><div class="table-contents"><table summary="Altus Metrum Electronics" border="1"><colgroup><col align="center" class="Device"><col align="center" class="Barometer"><col align="center" class="Z-axis accelerometer"><col align="center" class="GPS"><col align="center" class="3D sensors"><col align="center" class="Storage"><col align="center" class="RF"><col align="center" class="Battery"></colgroup><thead><tr><th align="center">Device</th><th align="center">Barometer</th><th align="center">Z-axis accelerometer</th><th align="center">GPS</th><th align="center">3D sensors</th><th align="center">Storage</th><th align="center">RF Output</th><th align="center">Battery</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td align="center">TeleMetrum v1.0</td><td align="center"><p>MP3H6115 10km (33k')</p></td><td align="center"><p>MMA2202 50g</p></td><td align="center">SkyTraq</td><td align="center">-</td><td align="center">1MB</td><td align="center">10mW</td><td align="center">3.7V</td></tr><tr><td align="center">TeleMetrum v1.1</td><td align="center"><p>MP3H6115 10km (33k')</p></td><td align="center"><p>MMA2202 50g</p></td><td align="center">SkyTraq</td><td align="center">-</td><td align="center">2MB</td><td align="center">10mW</td><td align="center">3.7V</td></tr><tr><td align="center">TeleMetrum v1.2</td><td align="center"><p>MP3H6115 10km (33k')</p></td><td align="center"><p>ADXL78 70g</p></td><td align="center">SkyTraq</td><td align="center">-</td><td align="center">2MB</td><td align="center">10mW</td><td align="center">3.7V</td></tr><tr><td align="center">TeleMetrum v2.0</td><td align="center"><p>MS5607 30km (100k')</p></td><td align="center"><p>MMA6555 102g</p></td><td align="center">uBlox Max-7Q</td><td align="center">-</td><td align="center">8MB</td><td align="center">40mW</td><td align="center">3.7V</td></tr><tr><td align="center"><p>TeleMini v1.0</p></td><td align="center"><p>MP3H6115 10km (33k')</p></td><td align="center">-</td><td align="center">-</td><td align="center">-</td><td align="center">5kB</td><td align="center">10mW</td><td align="center">3.7V</td></tr><tr><td align="center">TeleMini v2.0</td><td align="center"><p>MS5607 30km (100k')</p></td><td align="center">-</td><td align="center">-</td><td align="center">-</td><td align="center">1MB</td><td align="center">10mW</td><td align="center">3.7-12V</td></tr><tr><td align="center">EasyMini v1.0</td><td align="center"><p>MS5607 30km (100k')</p></td><td align="center">-</td><td align="center">-</td><td align="center">-</td><td align="center">1MB</td><td align="center">-</td><td align="center">3.7-12V</td></tr><tr><td align="center">TeleMega v1.0</td><td align="center"><p>MS5607 30km (100k')</p></td><td align="center"><p>MMA6555 102g</p></td><td align="center">uBlox Max-7Q</td><td align="center"><p>MPU6000 HMC5883</p></td><td align="center">8MB</td><td align="center">40mW</td><td align="center">3.7V</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br class="table-break"><div class="table"><a name="idp56763616"></a><p class="title"><b>Table 4.2. Altus Metrum Boards</b></p><div class="table-contents"><table summary="Altus Metrum Boards" border="1"><colgroup><col align="center" class="Device"><col align="center" class="Connectors"><col align="center" class="Screw Terminals"><col align="center" class="Width"><col align="center" class="Length"><col align="center" class="Tube Size"></colgroup><thead><tr><th align="center">Device</th><th align="center">Connectors</th><th align="center">Screw Terminals</th><th align="center">Width</th><th align="center">Length</th><th align="center">Tube Size</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td align="center">TeleMetrum</td><td align="center"><p>
+ Antenna
+ Debug
+ Companion
+ USB
+ Battery
+ </p></td><td align="center"><p>Apogee pyro Main pyro Switch</p></td><td align="center">1 inch (2.54cm)</td><td align="center">2 ¾ inch (6.99cm)</td><td align="center">29mm coupler</td></tr><tr><td align="center"><p>TeleMini v1.0</p></td><td align="center"><p>
+ Antenna
+ Debug
+ Battery
+ </p></td><td align="center"><p>
+ Apogee pyro
+ Main pyro
+ </p></td><td align="center">½ inch (1.27cm)</td><td align="center">1½ inch (3.81cm)</td><td align="center">18mm coupler</td></tr><tr><td align="center">TeleMini v2.0</td><td align="center"><p>
+ Antenna
+ Debug
+ USB
+ Battery
+ </p></td><td align="center"><p>
+ Apogee pyro
+ Main pyro
+ Battery
+ Switch
+ </p></td><td align="center">0.8 inch (2.03cm)</td><td align="center">1½ inch (3.81cm)</td><td align="center">24mm coupler</td></tr><tr><td align="center">EasyMini</td><td align="center"><p>
+ Debug
+ USB
+ Battery
+ </p></td><td align="center"><p>
+ Apogee pyro
+ Main pyro
+ Battery
+ Switch
+ </p></td><td align="center">0.8 inch (2.03cm)</td><td align="center">1½ inch (3.81cm)</td><td align="center">24mm coupler</td></tr><tr><td align="center">TeleMega</td><td align="center"><p>
+ Antenna
+ Debug
+ Companion
+ USB
+ Battery
+ </p></td><td align="center"><p>
+ Apogee pyro
+ Main pyro
+ Pyro A-D
+ Switch
+ Pyro battery
+ </p></td><td align="center">1¼ inch (3.18cm)</td><td align="center">3¼ inch (8.26cm)</td><td align="center">38mm coupler</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br class="table-break"></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58332736"></a>2. TeleMetrum</h2></div></div></div><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" style="cellpadding: 0; cellspacing: 0;" width="495"><tr><td><img src="telemetrum-v1.1-thside.jpg" width="495"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
+ TeleMetrum is a 1 inch by 2¾ inch circuit board. It was designed to
+ fit inside coupler for 29mm air-frame tubing, but using it in a tube that
+ small in diameter may require some creativity in mounting and wiring
+ to succeed! The presence of an accelerometer means TeleMetrum should
+ be aligned along the flight axis of the airframe, and by default the ¼
+ wave UHF wire antenna should be on the nose-cone end of the board. The
+ antenna wire is about 7 inches long, and wiring for a power switch and
+ the e-matches for apogee and main ejection charges depart from the
+ fin can end of the board, meaning an ideal “simple” avionics
+ bay for TeleMetrum should have at least 10 inches of interior length.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58337760"></a>3. TeleMini</h2></div></div></div><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" style="cellpadding: 0; cellspacing: 0;" width="495"><tr><td><img src="telemini-v1-top.jpg" width="495"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
+ TeleMini v1.0 is ½ inches by 1½ inches. It was
+ designed to fit inside an 18mm air-frame tube, but using it in
+ a tube that small in diameter may require some creativity in
+ mounting and wiring to succeed! Since there is no
+ accelerometer, TeleMini can be mounted in any convenient
+ orientation. The default ¼ wave UHF wire antenna attached to
+ the center of one end of the board is about 7 inches long. Two
+ wires for the power switch are connected to holes in the
+ middle of the board. Screw terminals for the e-matches for
+ apogee and main ejection charges depart from the other end of
+ the board, meaning an ideal “simple” avionics bay for TeleMini
+ should have at least 9 inches of interior length.
+ </p><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" style="cellpadding: 0; cellspacing: 0;" width="495"><tr><td><img src="telemini-v2-top.jpg" width="495"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
+ TeleMini v2.0 is 0.8 inches by 1½ inches. It adds more
+ on-board data logging memory, a built-in USB connector and
+ screw terminals for the battery and power switch. The larger
+ board fits in a 24mm coupler. There's also a battery connector
+ for a LiPo battery if you want to use one of those.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58346160"></a>4. EasyMini</h2></div></div></div><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" style="cellpadding: 0; cellspacing: 0;" width="495"><tr><td><img src="easymini-top.jpg" width="495"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
+ EasyMini is built on a 0.8 inch by 1½ inch circuit board. It's
+ designed to fit in a 24mm coupler tube. The connectors and
+ screw terminals match TeleMini v2.0, so you can easily swap between
+ EasyMini and TeleMini.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58350144"></a>5. TeleMega</h2></div></div></div><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" style="cellpadding: 0; cellspacing: 0;" width="495"><tr><td><img src="telemega-v1.0-top.jpg" width="495"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
+ TeleMega is a 1¼ inch by 3¼ inch circuit board. It was
+ designed to easily fit in a 38mm coupler. Like TeleMetrum,
+ TeleMega has an accelerometer and so it must be mounted so that
+ the board is aligned with the flight axis. It can be mounted
+ either antenna up or down.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58354240"></a>6. Flight Data Recording</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ Each flight computer logs data at 100 samples per second
+ during ascent and 10 samples per second during descent, except
+ for TeleMini v1.0, which records ascent at 10 samples per
+ second and descent at 1 sample per second. Data are logged to
+ an on-board flash memory part, which can be partitioned into
+ several equal-sized blocks, one for each flight.
+ </p><div class="table"><a name="idp58355648"></a><p class="title"><b>Table 4.3. Data Storage on Altus Metrum altimeters</b></p><div class="table-contents"><table summary="Data Storage on Altus Metrum altimeters" border="1"><colgroup><col align="center" class="Device"><col align="center" class="Bytes per sample"><col align="center" class="Total storage"><col align="center" class="Minutes of full-rate"></colgroup><thead><tr><th align="center">Device</th><th align="center">Bytes per Sample</th><th align="center">Total Storage</th><th align="center">Minutes at Full Rate</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td align="center">TeleMetrum v1.0</td><td align="center">8</td><td align="center">1MB</td><td align="center">20</td></tr><tr><td align="center">TeleMetrum v1.1 v1.2</td><td align="center">8</td><td align="center">2MB</td><td align="center">40</td></tr><tr><td align="center">TeleMetrum v2.0</td><td align="center">16</td><td align="center">8MB</td><td align="center">80</td></tr><tr><td align="center">TeleMini v1.0</td><td align="center">2</td><td align="center">5kB</td><td align="center">4</td></tr><tr><td align="center">TeleMini v2.0</td><td align="center">16</td><td align="center">1MB</td><td align="center">10</td></tr><tr><td align="center">EasyMini</td><td align="center">16</td><td align="center">1MB</td><td align="center">10</td></tr><tr><td align="center">TeleMega</td><td align="center">32</td><td align="center">8MB</td><td align="center">40</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br class="table-break"><p>
+ The on-board flash is partitioned into separate flight logs,
+ each of a fixed maximum size. Increase the maximum size of
+ each log and you reduce the number of flights that can be
+ stored. Decrease the size and you can store more flights.
+ </p><p>
+ Configuration data is also stored in the flash memory on
+ TeleMetrum v1.x, TeleMini and EasyMini. This consumes 64kB
+ of flash space. This configuration space is not available
+ for storing flight log data. TeleMetrum v2.0 and TeleMega
+ store configuration data in a bit of eeprom available within
+ the processor chip, leaving that space available in flash for
+ more flight data.
+ </p><p>
+ To compute the amount of space needed for a single flight, you
+ can multiply the expected ascent time (in seconds) by 100
+ times bytes-per-sample, multiply the expected descent time (in
+ seconds) by 10 times the bytes per sample and add the two
+ together. That will slightly under-estimate the storage (in
+ bytes) needed for the flight. For instance, a TeleMetrum v2.0 flight spending
+ 20 seconds in ascent and 150 seconds in descent will take
+ about (20 * 1600) + (150 * 160) = 56000 bytes of storage. You
+ could store dozens of these flights in the on-board flash.
+ </p><p>
+ The default size allows for several flights on each flight
+ computer, except for TeleMini v1.0, which only holds data for a
+ single flight. You can adjust the size.
+ </p><p>
+ Altus Metrum flight computers will not overwrite existing
+ flight data, so be sure to download flight data and erase it
+ from the flight computer before it fills up. The flight
+ computer will still successfully control the flight even if it
+ cannot log data, so the only thing you will lose is the data.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58383072"></a>7. Installation</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ A typical installation involves attaching
+ only a suitable battery, a single pole switch for
+ power on/off, and two pairs of wires connecting e-matches for the
+ apogee and main ejection charges. All Altus Metrum products are
+ designed for use with single-cell batteries with 3.7 volts
+ nominal. TeleMini v2.0 and EasyMini may also be used with other
+ batteries as long as they supply between 4 and 12 volts.
+ </p><p>
+ The battery connectors are a standard 2-pin JST connector and
+ match batteries sold by Spark Fun. These batteries are
+ single-cell Lithium Polymer batteries that nominally provide 3.7
+ volts. Other vendors sell similar batteries for RC aircraft
+ using mating connectors, however the polarity for those is
+ generally reversed from the batteries used by Altus Metrum
+ products. In particular, the Tenergy batteries supplied for use
+ in Featherweight flight computers are not compatible with Altus
+ Metrum flight computers or battery chargers. <span class="emphasis"><em>Check
+ polarity and voltage before connecting any battery not purchased
+ from Altus Metrum or Spark Fun.</em></span>
+ </p><p>
+ By default, we use the unregulated output of the battery directly
+ to fire ejection charges. This works marvelously with standard
+ low-current e-matches like the J-Tek from MJG Technologies, and with
+ Quest Q2G2 igniters. However, if you want or need to use a separate
+ pyro battery, check out the “External Pyro Battery” section in this
+ manual for instructions on how to wire that up. The altimeters are
+ designed to work with an external pyro battery of no more than 15 volts.
+
+ </p><p>
+ Ejection charges are wired directly to the screw terminal block
+ at the aft end of the altimeter. You'll need a very small straight
+ blade screwdriver for these screws, such as you might find in a
+ jeweler's screwdriver set.
+ </p><p>
+ Except for TeleMini v1.0, the flight computers also use the
+ screw terminal block for the power switch leads. On TeleMini v1.0,
+ the power switch leads are soldered directly to the board and
+ can be connected directly to a switch.
+ </p><p>
+ For most air-frames, the integrated antennas are more than
+ adequate. However, if you are installing in a carbon-fiber or
+ metal electronics bay which is opaque to RF signals, you may need to
+ use off-board external antennas instead. In this case, you can
+ replace the stock UHF antenna wire with an edge-launched SMA connector,
+ and, on TeleMetrum v1, you can unplug the integrated GPS
+ antenna and select an appropriate off-board GPS antenna with
+ cable terminating in a U.FL connector.
+ </p></div></div><div class="chapter"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp58389808"></a>Chapter 5. System Operation</h1></div></div></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><dl class="toc"><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58390448">1. Firmware Modes </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58467152">2. GPS </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58469936">3. Controlling An Altimeter Over The Radio Link</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58481232">4. Ground Testing </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58483984">5. Radio Link </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58488672">6. Configurable Parameters</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58490416">6.1. Radio Frequency</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58492464">6.2. Apogee Delay</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58495056">6.3. Main Deployment Altitude</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58496752">6.4. Maximum Flight Log</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58498896">6.5. Ignite Mode</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58501008">6.6. Pad Orientation</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58502704">6.7. Configurable Pyro Channels</a></span></dt></dl></dd></dl></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58390448"></a>1. Firmware Modes </h2></div></div></div><p>
The AltOS firmware build for the altimeters has two
- fundamental modes, "idle" and "flight". Which of these modes
+ fundamental modes, “idle” and “flight”. Which of these modes
the firmware operates in is determined at start up time. For
- TeleMetrum, the mode is controlled by the orientation of the
+ TeleMetrum and TeleMega, which have accelerometers, the mode is
+ controlled by the orientation of the
rocket (well, actually the board, of course...) at the time
- power is switched on. If the rocket is "nose up", then
- TeleMetrum assumes it's on a rail or rod being prepared for
+ power is switched on. If the rocket is “nose up”, then
+ the flight computer assumes it's on a rail or rod being prepared for
launch, so the firmware chooses flight mode. However, if the
rocket is more or less horizontal, the firmware instead enters
- idle mode. Since TeleMini doesn't have an accelerometer we can
- use to determine orientation, "idle" mode is selected when the
- board receives a command packet within the first five seconds
- of operation; if no packet is received, the board enters
- "flight" mode.
+ idle mode. Since TeleMini v2.0 and EasyMini don't have an
+ accelerometer we can use to determine orientation, “idle” mode
+ is selected if the board is connected via USB to a computer,
+ otherwise the board enters “flight” mode. TeleMini v1.0
+ selects “idle” mode if it receives a command packet within the
+ first five seconds of operation.
</p><p>
At power on, you will hear three beeps or see three flashes
- ("S" in Morse code for start up) and then a pause while
+ (“S” in Morse code for start up) and then a pause while
the altimeter completes initialization and self test, and decides
which mode to enter next.
</p><p>
- In flight or "pad" mode, the altimeter engages the flight
- state machine, goes into transmit-only mode to
- send telemetry, and waits for launch to be detected.
- Flight mode is indicated by an "di-dah-dah-dit" ("P" for pad)
- on the beeper or lights, followed by beeps or flashes
- indicating the state of the pyrotechnic igniter continuity.
- One beep/flash indicates apogee continuity, two beeps/flashes
- indicate main continuity, three beeps/flashes indicate both
- apogee and main continuity, and one longer "brap" sound or
- rapidly alternating lights indicates no continuity. For a
+ Here's a short summary of all of the modes and the beeping (or
+ flashing, in the case of TeleMini v1) that accompanies each
+ mode. In the description of the beeping pattern, “dit” means a
+ short beep while "dah" means a long beep (three times as
+ long). “Brap” means a long dissonant tone.
+ </p><div class="table"><a name="idp58391728"></a><p class="title"><b>Table 5.1. AltOS Modes</b></p><div class="table-contents"><table summary="AltOS Modes" border="1"><colgroup><col align="center" class="Mode Name"><col align="center" class="Letter"><col align="center" class="Beeps"><col align="center" class="Description"></colgroup><thead><tr><th align="center">Mode Name</th><th align="center">Abbreviation</th><th align="center">Beeps</th><th align="center">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td align="center">Startup</td><td align="center">S</td><td align="center">dit dit dit</td><td align="center">
+ <p>
+ Calibrating sensors, detecting orientation.
+ </p>
+ </td></tr><tr><td align="center">Idle</td><td align="center">I</td><td align="center">dit dit</td><td align="center">
+ <p>
+ Ready to accept commands over USB or radio link.
+ </p>
+ </td></tr><tr><td align="center">Pad</td><td align="center">P</td><td align="center">dit dah dah dit</td><td align="center">
+ <p>
+ Waiting for launch. Not listening for commands.
+ </p>
+ </td></tr><tr><td align="center">Boost</td><td align="center">B</td><td align="center">dah dit dit dit</td><td align="center">
+ <p>
+ Accelerating upwards.
+ </p>
+ </td></tr><tr><td align="center">Fast</td><td align="center">F</td><td align="center">dit dit dah dit</td><td align="center">
+ <p>
+ Decellerating, but moving faster than 200m/s.
+ </p>
+ </td></tr><tr><td align="center">Coast</td><td align="center">C</td><td align="center">dah dit dah dit</td><td align="center">
+ <p>
+ Decellerating, moving slower than 200m/s
+ </p>
+ </td></tr><tr><td align="center">Drogue</td><td align="center">D</td><td align="center">dah dit dit</td><td align="center">
+ <p>
+ Descending after apogee. Above main height.
+ </p>
+ </td></tr><tr><td align="center">Main</td><td align="center">M</td><td align="center">dah dah</td><td align="center">
+ <p>
+ Descending. Below main height.
+ </p>
+ </td></tr><tr><td align="center">Landed</td><td align="center">L</td><td align="center">dit dah dit dit</td><td align="center">
+ <p>
+ Stable altitude for at least ten seconds.
+ </p>
+ </td></tr><tr><td align="center">Sensor error</td><td align="center">X</td><td align="center">dah dit dit dah</td><td align="center">
+ <p>
+ Error detected during sensor calibration.
+ </p>
+ </td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><p><br class="table-break">
+ </p><p>
+ In flight or “pad” mode, the altimeter engages the flight
+ state machine, goes into transmit-only mode to send telemetry,
+ and waits for launch to be detected. Flight mode is indicated
+ by an “di-dah-dah-dit” (“P” for pad) on the beeper or lights,
+ followed by beeps or flashes indicating the state of the
+ pyrotechnic igniter continuity. One beep/flash indicates
+ apogee continuity, two beeps/flashes indicate main continuity,
+ three beeps/flashes indicate both apogee and main continuity,
+ and one longer “brap” sound which is made by rapidly
+ alternating between two tones indicates no continuity. For a
dual deploy flight, make sure you're getting three beeps or
flashes before launching! For apogee-only or motor eject
flights, do what makes sense.
</p><p>
- If idle mode is entered, you will hear an audible "di-dit" or
- see two short flashes ("I" for idle), and the flight state
+ If idle mode is entered, you will hear an audible “di-dit” or
+ see two short flashes (“I” for idle), and the flight state
machine is disengaged, thus no ejection charges will fire.
The altimeters also listen for the radio link when in idle
mode for requests sent via TeleDongle. Commands can be issued
- to a TeleMetrum in idle mode over either USB or the radio link
- equivalently. TeleMini only has the radio link. Idle mode is
- useful for configuring the altimeter, for extracting data from
- the on-board storage chip after flight, and for ground testing
- pyro charges.
+ in idle mode over either USB or the radio link
+ equivalently. TeleMini v1.0 only has the radio link. Idle
+ mode is useful for configuring the altimeter, for extracting
+ data from the on-board storage chip after flight, and for
+ ground testing pyro charges.
+ </p><p>
+ In “Idle” and “Pad” modes, once the mode indication
+ beeps/flashes and continuity indication has been sent, if
+ there is no space available to log the flight in on-board
+ memory, the flight computer will emit a warbling tone (much
+ slower than the “no continuity tone”)
+ </p><p>
+ Here's a summary of all of the “pad” and “idle” mode indications.
+ </p><div class="table"><a name="idp58440960"></a><p class="title"><b>Table 5.2. Pad/Idle Indications</b></p><div class="table-contents"><table summary="Pad/Idle Indications" border="1"><colgroup><col align="center" class="Name"><col align="center" class="Beeps"><col align="center" class="Description"></colgroup><thead><tr><th align="center">Name</th><th align="center">Beeps</th><th align="center">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td align="center">Neither</td><td align="center">brap</td><td align="center">
+ <p>
+ No continuity detected on either apogee or main
+ igniters.
+ </p>
+ </td></tr><tr><td align="center">Apogee</td><td align="center">dit</td><td align="center">
+ <p>
+ Continuity detected only on apogee igniter.
+ </p>
+ </td></tr><tr><td align="center">Main</td><td align="center">dit dit</td><td align="center">
+ <p>
+ Continuity detected only on main igniter.
+ </p>
+ </td></tr><tr><td align="center">Both</td><td align="center">dit dit dit</td><td align="center">
+ <p>
+ Continuity detected on both igniters.
+ </p>
+ </td></tr><tr><td align="center">Storage Full</td><td align="center">warble</td><td align="center">
+ <p>
+ On-board data logging storage is full. This will
+ not prevent the flight computer from safely
+ controlling the flight or transmitting telemetry
+ signals, but no record of the flight will be
+ stored in on-board flash.
+ </p>
+ </td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><p><br class="table-break">
</p><p>
- One "neat trick" of particular value when TeleMetrum is used with
+ Once landed, the flight computer will signal that by emitting
+ the “Landed” sound described above, after which it will beep
+ out the apogee height (in meters). Each digit is represented
+ by a sequence of short “dit” beeps, with a pause between
+ digits. A zero digit is represented with one long “dah”
+ beep. The flight computer will continue to report landed mode
+ and beep out the maximum height until turned off.
+ </p><p>
+ One “neat trick” of particular value when TeleMetrum or TeleMega are used with
very large air-frames, is that you can power the board up while the
rocket is horizontal, such that it comes up in idle mode. Then you can
raise the air-frame to launch position, and issue a 'reset' command
tower with a screw-driver trying to turn on your avionics before
installing igniters!
</p><p>
- TeleMini is configured via the radio link. Of course, that
+ TeleMini v1.0 is configured solely via the radio link. Of course, that
means you need to know the TeleMini radio configuration values
or you won't be able to communicate with it. For situations
- when you don't have the radio configuration values, TeleMini
+ when you don't have the radio configuration values, TeleMini v1.0
offers an 'emergency recovery' mode. In this mode, TeleMini is
configured as follows:
- </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem">
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
Sets the radio frequency to 434.550MHz
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Sets the radio calibration back to the factory value.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Sets the callsign to N0CALL
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Does not go to 'pad' mode after five seconds.
- </li></ul></div><p>
+
</p></li></ul></div><p>
</p><p>
To get into 'emergency recovery' mode, first find the row of
four small holes opposite the switch wiring. Using a short
together, then power TeleMini up. Once the red LED is lit,
disconnect the wire and the board should signal that it's in
'idle' mode after the initial five second startup period.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
2284648"></a>2. GPS </h2></div></div></div><p>
- TeleMetrum includes a complete GPS receiver. A complete explanation
- of how GPS works is beyond the scope of this manual, but the bottom
- line is that the TeleMetrum GPS receiver needs to lock onto at least
- four satellites to obtain a solid 3 dimensional position fix and know
- what time it is.
- </p><p>
- TeleMetrum provides backup power to the GPS chip any time a
- battery is connected. This allows the receiver to "warm start" on
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58467152"></a>2. GPS </h2></div></div></div><p>
+ TeleMetrum and TeleMega include a complete GPS receiver. A
+ complete explanation of how GPS works is beyond the scope of
+ this manual, but the bottom line is that the GPS receiver
+ needs to lock onto at least four satellites to obtain a solid
+ 3 dimensional position fix and know what time it is.
+ </p><p>
+ The flight computers provide backup power to the GPS chip any time a
+ battery is connected. This allows the receiver to “warm start” on
the launch rail much faster than if every power-on were a GPS
- "cold start". In typical operations, powering up TeleMetrum
+ “cold start”. In typical operations, powering up
on the flight line in idle mode while performing final air-frame
preparation will be sufficient to allow the GPS receiver to cold
start and acquire lock. Then the board can be powered down during
is turned back on, the GPS system should lock very quickly, typically
long before igniter installation and return to the flight line are
complete.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
753536"></a>3. Controlling An Altimeter Over The Radio Link</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58469936"></a>3. Controlling An Altimeter Over The Radio Link</h2></div></div></div><p>
One of the unique features of the Altus Metrum system is the
ability to create a two way command link between TeleDongle
and an altimeter using the digital radio transceivers
altimeter from afar, as if it were directly connected to the
computer.
</p><p>
- Any operation which can be performed with TeleMetrum can
- either be done with TeleMetrum directly connected to the
+ Any operation which can be performed with a flight computer can
+ either be done with the device directly connected to the
computer via the USB cable, or through the radio
- link. TeleMini doesn't provide a USB connector and so it is
+ link. TeleMini v1.0 doesn't provide a USB connector and so it is
always communicated with over radio. Select the appropriate
TeleDongle device when the list of devices is presented and
AltosUI will interact with an altimeter over the radio link.
Save Flight Data—Recover flight data from the rocket without
opening it up.
</p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
- Configure altimeter apogee delays or main deploy heights
+ Configure altimeter apogee delays, main deploy heights
+ and additional pyro event conditions
to respond to changing launch conditions. You can also
'reboot' the altimeter. Use this to remotely enable the
- flight computer by turning TeleMetrum on in "idle" mode,
+ flight computer by turning TeleMetrum or TeleMega on in “idle” mode,
then once the air-frame is oriented for launch, you can
reboot the altimeter and have it restart in pad mode
without having to climb the scary ladder.
</p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Fire Igniters—Test your deployment charges without snaking
- wires out through holes in the air-frame. Simply assembly the
+ wires out through holes in the air-frame. Simply assemble the
rocket as if for flight with the apogee and main charges
loaded, then remotely command the altimeter to fire the
igniters.
the monitor flight tab, then use the frequency selector and
close the window before performing other desired radio operations.
</p><p>
- TeleMetrum only enables radio commanding in 'idle' mode, so
- make sure you have TeleMetrum lying horizontally when you turn
- it on. Otherwise, TeleMetrum will start in 'pad' mode ready for
+ The flight computers only enable radio commanding in 'idle' mode.
+ TeleMetrum and TeleMega use the accelerometer to detect which orientation they
+ start up in, so make sure you have the flight computer lying horizontally when you turn
+ it on. Otherwise, it will start in 'pad' mode ready for
flight, and will not be listening for command packets from TeleDongle.
</p><p>
TeleMini listens for a command packet for five seconds after
lights on the devices. The red LED will flash each time a packet
is transmitted, while the green LED will light up on TeleDongle when
it is waiting to receive a packet from the altimeter.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
760992"></a>4. Ground Testing </h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58481232"></a>4. Ground Testing </h2></div></div></div><p>
An important aspect of preparing a rocket using electronic deployment
for flight is ground testing the recovery system. Thanks
to the bi-directional radio link central to the Altus Metrum system,
- this can be accomplished in a TeleMetrum or TeleMini equipped rocket
+ this can be accomplished in a TeleMega, TeleMetrum or TeleMini equipped rocket
with less work than you may be accustomed to with other systems. It
can even be fun!
</p><p>
Just prep the rocket for flight, then power up the altimeter
- in "idle" mode (placing air-frame horizontal for TeleMetrum or
- selected the Configure Altimeter tab for TeleMini). This will cause
- the firmware to go into "idle" mode, in which the normal flight
+ in “idle” mode (placing air-frame horizontal for TeleMetrum or TeleMega, or
+ selecting the Configure Altimeter tab for TeleMini). This will cause
+ the firmware to go into “idle” mode, in which the normal flight
state machine is disabled and charges will not fire without
manual command. You can now command the altimeter to fire the apogee
or main charges from a safe distance using your computer and
TeleDongle and the Fire Igniter tab to complete ejection testing.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
762792"></a>5. Radio Link </h2></div></div></div><p>
- The chip our boards are based on incorporates an RF transceiver, but
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58483984"></a>5. Radio Link </h2></div></div></div><p>
+ Our flight computers all incorporate an RF transceiver, but
it's not a full duplex system... each end can only be transmitting or
receiving at any given moment. So we had to decide how to manage the
link.
</p><p>
By design, the altimeter firmware listens for the radio link when
- it's in "idle mode", which
+ it's in “idle mode”, which
allows us to use the radio link to configure the rocket, do things like
ejection tests, and extract data after a flight without having to
- crack open the air-frame. However, when the board is in "flight
- mode", the altimeter only
+ crack open the air-frame. However, when the board is in “flight
+ mode”, the altimeter only
transmits and doesn't listen at all. That's because we want to put
ultimate priority on event detection and getting telemetry out of
the rocket through
the radio in case the rocket crashes and we aren't able to extract
data later...
</p><p>
- We don't use a 'normal packet radio' mode like APRS because they're
- just too inefficient. The GFSK modulation we use is FSK with the
- base-band pulses passed through a
- Gaussian filter before they go into the modulator to limit the
- transmitted bandwidth. When combined with the hardware forward error
- correction support in the cc1111 chip, this allows us to have a very
- robust 38.4 kilobit data link with only 10 milliwatts of transmit
- power, a whip antenna in the rocket, and a hand-held Yagi on the
- ground. We've had flights to above 21k feet AGL with great reception,
- and calculations suggest we should be good to well over 40k feet AGL
- with a 5-element yagi on the ground. We hope to fly boards to higher
- altitudes over time, and would of course appreciate customer feedback
- on performance in higher altitude flights!
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp55640"></a>6. Configurable Parameters</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ We don't generally use a 'normal packet radio' mode like APRS
+ because they're just too inefficient. The GFSK modulation we
+ use is FSK with the base-band pulses passed through a Gaussian
+ filter before they go into the modulator to limit the
+ transmitted bandwidth. When combined with forward error
+ correction and interleaving, this allows us to have a very
+ robust 19.2 kilobit data link with only 10-40 milliwatts of
+ transmit power, a whip antenna in the rocket, and a hand-held
+ Yagi on the ground. We've had flights to above 21k feet AGL
+ with great reception, and calculations suggest we should be
+ good to well over 40k feet AGL with a 5-element yagi on the
+ ground with our 10mW units and over 100k feet AGL with the
+ 40mW devices. We hope to fly boards to higher altitudes over
+ time, and would of course appreciate customer feedback on
+ performance in higher altitude flights!
+ </p><p>
+ TeleMetrum v2.0 and TeleMega can send APRS if desired, and the
+ interval between APRS packets can be configured. As each APRS
+ packet takes a full second to transmit, we recommend an
+ interval of at least 5 seconds to avoid consuming too much
+ battery power or radio channel bandwidth.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58488672"></a>6. Configurable Parameters</h2></div></div></div><p>
Configuring an Altus Metrum altimeter for flight is very
- simple. Even on our baro-only TeleMini board, the use of a Kalman
- filter means there is no need to set a "mach delay". The few
+ simple. Even on our baro-only TeleMini and EasyMini boards, the use of a Kalman
+ filter means there is no need to set a “mach delay”. The few
configurable parameters can all be set using AltosUI over USB or
or radio link via TeleDongle.
- </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp5
6488"></a>6.1. Radio Frequency</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp5
8490416"></a>6.1. Radio Frequency</h3></div></div></div><p>
Altus Metrum boards support radio frequencies in the 70cm
band. By default, the configuration interface provides a
- list of 10 "standard" frequencies in 100kHz channels starting at
+ list of 10 “standard” frequencies in 100kHz channels starting at
434.550MHz. However, the firmware supports use of
any 50kHz multiple within the 70cm band. At any given
launch, we highly recommend coordinating when and by whom each
frequency will be used to avoid interference. And of course, both
altimeter and TeleDongle must be configured to the same
frequency to successfully communicate with each other.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp5
7656"></a>6.2. Apogee Delay</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp5
8492464"></a>6.2. Apogee Delay</h3></div></div></div><p>
Apogee delay is the number of seconds after the altimeter detects flight
apogee that the drogue charge should be fired. In most cases, this
should be left at the default of 0. However, if you are flying
or 3 seconds later to avoid any chance of both charges
firing simultaneously. We've flown several air-frames this
way quite happily, including Keith's successful L3 cert.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp5
9488"></a>6.3. Main Deployment Altitude</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp5
8495056"></a>6.3. Main Deployment Altitude</h3></div></div></div><p>
By default, the altimeter will fire the main deployment charge at an
elevation of 250 meters (about 820 feet) above ground. We think this
is a good elevation for most air-frames, but feel free to change this
deployment elevation for the backup altimeter to be something lower
than the primary so that both pyrotechnic charges don't fire
simultaneously.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp61128"></a>6.4. Maximum Flight Log</h3></div></div></div><p>
- TeleMetrum version 1.1 and 1.2 have 2MB of on-board flash storage,
- enough to hold over 40 minutes of data at full data rate
- (100 samples/second). TeleMetrum 1.0 has 1MB of on-board
- storage. As data are stored at a reduced rate during descent
- (10 samples/second), there's plenty of space to store many
- flights worth of data.
- </p><p>
- The on-board flash is partitioned into separate flight logs,
- each of a fixed maximum size. Increase the maximum size of
- each log and you reduce the number of flights that can be
- stored. Decrease the size and TeleMetrum can store more
- flights.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp58496752"></a>6.4. Maximum Flight Log</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ Changing this value will set the maximum amount of flight
+ log storage that an individual flight will use. The
+ available storage is divided into as many flights of the
+ specified size as can fit in the available space. You can
+ download and erase individual flight logs. If you fill up
+ the available storage, future flights will not get logged
+ until you erase some of the stored ones.
</p><p>
- All of the configuration data is also stored in the flash
- memory, which consumes 64kB on TeleMetrum v1.1/v1.2 and 256B on
- TeleMetrum v1.0. This configuration space is not available
- for storing flight log data.
- </p><p>
- To compute the amount of space needed for a single flight,
- you can multiply the expected ascent time (in seconds) by
- 800, multiply the expected descent time (in seconds) by 80
- and add the two together. That will slightly under-estimate
- the storage (in bytes) needed for the flight. For instance,
- a flight spending 20 seconds in ascent and 150 seconds in
- descent will take about (20 * 800) + (150 * 80) = 28000
- bytes of storage. You could store dozens of these flights in
- the on-board flash.
- </p><p>
- The default size, 192kB, allows for 10 flights of storage on
- TeleMetrum v1.1/v1.2 and 5 flights on TeleMetrum v1.0. This
- ensures that you won't need to erase the memory before
- flying each time while still allowing more than sufficient
- storage for each flight.
- </p><p>
- As TeleMini does not contain an accelerometer, it stores
- data at 10 samples per second during ascent and one sample
- per second during descent. Each sample is a two byte reading
- from the barometer. These are stored in 5kB of
- on-chip flash memory which can hold 256 seconds at the
- ascent rate or 2560 seconds at the descent rate. Because of
- the limited storage, TeleMini cannot hold data for more than
- one flight, and so must be erased after each flight or it
- will not capture data for subsequent flights.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp64904"></a>6.5. Ignite Mode</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ Even though our flight computers (except TeleMini v1.0) can store
+ multiple flights, we strongly recommend downloading and saving
+ flight data after each flight.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp58498896"></a>6.5. Ignite Mode</h3></div></div></div><p>
Instead of firing one charge at apogee and another charge at
a fixed height above the ground, you can configure the
altimeter to fire both at apogee or both during
- descent. This was added to support an airframe that has two
- TeleMetrum computers, one in the fin can and one in the
- nose.
+ descent. This was added to support an airframe Bdale designed that
+ had two altimeters, one in the fin can and one in the nose.
</p><p>
Providing the ability to use both igniters for apogee or
main allows some level of redundancy without needing two
flight computers. In Redundant Apogee or Redundant Main
mode, the two charges will be fired two seconds apart.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
66248"></a>6.6. Pad Orientation</h3></div></div></div><p>
- TeleMetrum measures acceleration along the axis of the
- board. Which way the board is oriented affects the sign of
- the acceleration value. Instead of trying to guess which way
- the board is mounted in the air frame, TeleMetrum must be
- explicitly configured for either Antenna Up or Antenna
- Down. The default, Antenna Up, expects the end of the
- TeleMetrum board connected to the 70cm antenna to be nearest
- the nose of the rocket, with the end containing the screw
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
58501008"></a>6.6. Pad Orientation</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ TeleMetrum and TeleMega measure acceleration along the axis
+ of the board. Which way the board is oriented affects the
+ sign of the acceleration value. Instead of trying to guess
+ which way the board is mounted in the air frame, the
+ altimeter must be explicitly configured for either Antenna
+ Up or Antenna Down. The default, Antenna Up, expects the end
+ of the board connected to the 70cm antenna to be nearest the
+ nose of the rocket, with the end containing the screw
terminals nearest the tail.
- </p></div></div></div><div class="chapter"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp67528"></a>Chapter 6. AltosUI</h1></div></div></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><dl class="toc"><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp68608">1. Monitor Flight</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp75208">1.1. Launch Pad</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3850840">1.2. Ascent</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3852992">1.3. Descent</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3856520">1.4. Landed</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3859448">1.5. Site Map</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3861728">2. Save Flight Data</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3864648">3. Replay Flight</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3865896">4. Graph Data</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3869184">5. Export Data</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3870192">5.1. Comma Separated Value Format</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3871768">5.2. Keyhole Markup Language (for Google Earth)</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3872600">6. Configure Altimeter</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3876776">6.1. Main Deploy Altitude</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3877760">6.2. Apogee Delay</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3878800">6.3. Radio Frequency</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3879712">6.4. Radio Calibration</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3880776">6.5. Callsign</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3881512">6.6. Maximum Flight Log Size</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3882376">6.7. Ignite Mode</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3885216">6.8. Pad Orientation</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3887440">7. Configure AltosUI</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3888064">7.1. Voice Settings</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3890336">7.2. Log Directory</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3891560">7.3. Callsign</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3892528">7.4. Imperial Units</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3893432">7.5. Font Size</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3894136">7.6. Serial Debug</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3895048">7.7. Manage Frequencies</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3896032">8. Configure Groundstation</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3899952">8.1. Frequency</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3900936">8.2. Radio Calibration</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3901928">9. Flash Image</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3905000">10. Fire Igniter</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3907104">11. Scan Channels</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3908008">12. Load Maps</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3910136">13. Monitor Idle</a></span></dt></dl></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp58502704"></a>6.7. Configurable Pyro Channels</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ In addition to the usual Apogee and Main pyro channels,
+ TeleMega has four additional channels that can be configured
+ to activate when various flight conditions are
+ satisfied. You can select as many conditions as necessary;
+ all of them must be met in order to activate the
+ channel. The conditions available are:
+ </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Acceleration away from the ground. Select a value, and
+ then choose whether acceleration should be above or
+ below that value. Acceleration is positive upwards, so
+ accelerating towards the ground would produce negative
+ numbers. Acceleration during descent is noisy and
+ inaccurate, so be careful when using it during these
+ phases of the flight.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Vertical speed. Select a value, and then choose whether
+ vertical speed should be above or below that
+ value. Speed is positive upwards, so moving towards the
+ ground would produce negative numbers. Speed during
+ descent is a bit noisy and so be careful when using it
+ during these phases of the flight.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Height. Select a value, and then choose whether the
+ height above the launch pad should be above or below
+ that value.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Orientation. TeleMega contains a 3-axis gyroscope and
+ accelerometer which is used to measure the current
+ angle. Note that this angle is not the change in angle
+ from the launch pad, but rather absolute relative to
+ gravity; the 3-axis accelerometer is used to compute the
+ angle of the rocket on the launch pad and initialize the
+ system. Because this value is computed by integrating
+ rate gyros, it gets progressively less accurate as the
+ flight goes on. It should have an accumulated error of
+ less than 0.2°/second (after 10 seconds of flight, the
+ error should be less than 2°).
+ </p><p>
+ The usual use of the orientation configuration is to
+ ensure that the rocket is traveling mostly upwards when
+ deciding whether to ignite air starts or additional
+ stages. For that, choose a reasonable maximum angle
+ (like 20°) and set the motor igniter to require an angle
+ of less than that value.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Flight Time. Time since boost was detected. Select a
+ value and choose whether to activate the pyro channel
+ before or after that amount of time.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Ascending. A simple test saying whether the rocket is
+ going up or not. This is exactly equivalent to testing
+ whether the speed is > 0.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Descending. A simple test saying whether the rocket is
+ going down or not. This is exactly equivalent to testing
+ whether the speed is < 0.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ After Motor. The flight software counts each time the
+ rocket starts accelerating (presumably due to a motor or
+ motors igniting). Use this value to count ignitions for
+ multi-staged or multi-airstart launches.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Delay. This value doesn't perform any checks, instead it
+ inserts a delay between the time when the other
+ parameters become true and when the pyro channel is
+ activated.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Flight State. The flight software tracks the flight
+ through a sequence of states:
+ </p><div class="orderedlist"><ol class="orderedlist" type="1"><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Boost. The motor has lit and the rocket is
+ accelerating upwards.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Fast. The motor has burned out and the rocket is
+ descellerating, but it is going faster than 200m/s.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Coast. The rocket is still moving upwards and
+ decelerating, but the speed is less than 200m/s.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Drogue. The rocket has reached apogee and is heading
+ back down, but is above the configured Main
+ altitude.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Main. The rocket is still descending, and is below
+ the Main altitude
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Landed. The rocket is no longer moving.
+ </p></li></ol></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ You can select a state to limit when the pyro channel
+ may activate; note that the check is based on when the
+ rocket transitions <span class="emphasis"><em>into</em></span> the state, and so checking for
+ “greater than Boost” means that the rocket is currently
+ in boost or some later state.
+ </p><p>
+ When a motor burns out, the rocket enters either Fast or
+ Coast state (depending on how fast it is moving). If the
+ computer detects upwards acceleration again, it will
+ move back to Boost state.
+ </p></li></ul></div></div></div></div><div class="chapter"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp58525184"></a>Chapter 6. AltosUI</h1></div></div></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><dl class="toc"><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58528800">1. Monitor Flight</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58541520">1.1. Launch Pad</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58557152">1.2. Ascent</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58562608">1.3. Descent</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58569472">1.4. Landed</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58575904">1.5. Table</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58579488">1.6. Site Map</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58585152">2. Save Flight Data</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58589632">3. Replay Flight</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58591664">4. Graph Data</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58594048">4.1. Flight Graph</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58598496">4.2. Configure Graph</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58602160">4.3. Flight Statistics</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58605680">4.4. Map</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58609536">5. Export Data</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58611648">5.1. Comma Separated Value Format</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58614000">5.2. Keyhole Markup Language (for Google Earth)</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58615488">6. Configure Altimeter</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58627792">6.1. Main Deploy Altitude</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58629360">6.2. Apogee Delay</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58630976">6.3. Radio Frequency</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58632480">6.4. RF Calibration</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58634128">6.5. Telemetry/RDF/APRS Enable</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58635424">6.6. APRS Interval</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58636928">6.7. Callsign</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58638240">6.8. Maximum Flight Log Size</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58639680">6.9. Ignite Mode</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58646672">6.10. Pad Orientation</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58651888">6.11. Configure Pyro Channels</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58657696">7. Configure AltosUI</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58661200">7.1. Voice Settings</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58666224">7.2. Log Directory</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58668224">7.3. Callsign</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58670464">7.4. Imperial Units</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58671968">7.5. Font Size</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58673248">7.6. Serial Debug</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58674752">7.7. Manage Frequencies</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58676384">8. Configure Groundstation</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58687504">8.1. Frequency</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58689072">8.2. Radio Calibration</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58690704">9. Flash Image</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58692336">10. Fire Igniter</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58697968">11. Scan Channels</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58701824">12. Load Maps</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58707520">13. Monitor Idle</a></span></dt></dl></div><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" style="cellpadding: 0; cellspacing: 0;" width="495"><tr><td><img src="altosui.png" width="495"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
The AltosUI program provides a graphical user interface for
- interacting with the Altus Metrum product family, including
- TeleMetrum, TeleMini and TeleDongle. AltosUI can monitor telemetry data,
- configure TeleMetrum, TeleMini and TeleDongle devices and many other
+ interacting with the Altus Metrum product family. AltosUI can
+ monitor telemetry data, configure devices and many other
tasks. The primary interface window provides a selection of
- buttons, one for each major activity in the system. This manual
- is split into chapters, each of which documents one of the tasks
+ buttons, one for each major activity in the system. This chapter
+ is split into sections, each of which documents one of the tasks
provided from the top-level toolbar.
- </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
68608"></a>1. Monitor Flight</h2></div><div><h3 class="subtitle">Receive, Record and Display Telemetry Data</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58528800"></a>1. Monitor Flight</h2></div><div><h3 class="subtitle">Receive, Record and Display Telemetry Data</h3></div></div></div><p>
Selecting this item brings up a dialog box listing all of the
connected TeleDongle devices. When you choose one of these,
AltosUI will create a window to display telemetry data as
received by the selected TeleDongle device.
- </p><p>
+ </p><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" style="cellpadding: 0; cellspacing: 0;" width="315"><tr><td><img src="device-selection.png" width="315"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
All telemetry data received are automatically recorded in
suitable log files. The name of the files includes the current
date and rocket serial and flight numbers.
data relevant to the current state of the flight. You can select
other tabs at any time. The final 'table' tab displays all of
the raw telemetry values in one place in a spreadsheet-like format.
- </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
75208"></a>1.1. Launch Pad</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
58541520"></a>1.1. Launch Pad</h3></div></div></div><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" style="cellpadding: 0; cellspacing: 0;" width="495"><tr><td><img src="launch-pad.png" width="495"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
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:
- </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
- Battery Voltage. 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
- 3.7V is required for a 'GO' status.
- </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
- Apogee Igniter Voltage. 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.
- </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
- Main Igniter Voltage. 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.
- </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
- On-board Data Logging. 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.
- </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
- GPS Locked. For a TeleMetrum 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.
- </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
- GPS Ready. For a TeleMetrum 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.
- </p></li></ul></div><p>
- </p><p>
- The Launchpad tab also shows the computed launch pad position
- and altitude, averaging many reported positions to improve the
- accuracy of the fix.
- </p><p>
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp3850840"></a>1.2. Ascent</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p><div class="variablelist"><dl class="variablelist"><dt><span class="term">Battery Voltage</span></dt><dd><p>
+ This indicates whether the Li-Po battery powering the
+ flight computer has sufficient charge to last for
+ the duration of the flight. A value of more than
+ 3.8V is required for a 'GO' status.
+ </p></dd><dt><span class="term">Apogee Igniter Voltage</span></dt><dd><p>
+ 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.
+ </p></dd><dt><span class="term">Main Igniter Voltage</span></dt><dd><p>
+ 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.
+ </p></dd><dt><span class="term">On-board Data Logging</span></dt><dd><p>
+ 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. Most of our flight computers can store multiple
+ flights, depending on the configured maximum flight log
+ size. TeleMini v1.0 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 even if the flight
+ data storage is full.
+ </p></dd><dt><span class="term">GPS Locked</span></dt><dd><p>
+ 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.
+ </p></dd><dt><span class="term">GPS Ready</span></dt><dd><p>
+ 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.
+ </p></dd></dl></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ The Launchpad tab also shows the computed launch pad position
+ and altitude, averaging many reported positions to improve the
+ accuracy of the fix.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp58557152"></a>1.2. Ascent</h3></div></div></div><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" style="cellpadding: 0; cellspacing: 0;" width="495"><tr><td><img src="ascent.png" width="495"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
This tab is shown during Boost, Fast and Coast
phases. The information displayed here helps monitor the
rocket as it heads towards apogee.
answer the most commonly asked questions you'll hear during
flight.
</p><p>
- The current latitude and longitude reported by the TeleMetrum GPS are
+ The current latitude and longitude reported by the GPS are
also shown. Note that under high acceleration, these values
may not get updated as the GPS receiver loses position
fix. Once the rocket starts coasting, the receiver should
Finally, the current igniter voltages are reported as in the
Launch Pad tab. This can help diagnose deployment failures
caused by wiring which comes loose under high acceleration.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
3852992"></a>1.3. Descent</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
58562608"></a>1.3. Descent</h3></div></div></div><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" style="cellpadding: 0; cellspacing: 0;" width="495"><tr><td><img src="descent.png" width="495"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
Once the rocket has reached apogee and (we hope) activated the
apogee charge, attention switches to tracking the rocket on
the way back to the ground, and for dual-deploy flights,
components, but generally range from 15-30m/s on drogue and should
be below 10m/s when under the main parachute in a dual-deploy flight.
</p><p>
- For TeleMetrum altimeters, you can locate the rocket in the
+ With GPS-equipped flight computers, you can locate the rocket in the
sky using the elevation and bearing information to figure
out where to look. Elevation is in degrees above the
horizon. Bearing is reported in degrees relative to true
e-matches are designed to retain continuity even after being
fired, and will continue to show as green or return from red to
green after firing.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
3856520"></a>1.4. Landed</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
58569472"></a>1.4. Landed</h3></div></div></div><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" style="cellpadding: 0; cellspacing: 0;" width="495"><tr><td><img src="landed.png" width="495"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
Once the rocket is on the ground, attention switches to
recovery. While the radio signal is often lost once the
rocket is on the ground, the last reported GPS position is
latitude and longitude and enter them into your hand-held GPS
unit and have that compute a track to the landing location.
</p><p>
- Both TeleMini and TeleMetrum will continue to transmit RDF
+ Our flight computers will continue to transmit RDF
tones after landing, allowing you to locate the rocket by
following the radio signal if necessary. You may need to get
away from the clutter of the flight line, or even get up on
during the flight are displayed for your admiring observers.
The accuracy of these immediate values depends on the quality
of your radio link and how many packets were received.
- Recovering the on-board data after flight will likely yield
+ Recovering the on-board data after flight may yield
more precise results.
</p><p>
To get more detailed information about the flight, you can
click on the 'Graph Flight' button which will bring up a
graph window for the current flight.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp3859448"></a>1.5. Site Map</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp58575904"></a>1.5. Table</h3></div></div></div><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" style="cellpadding: 0; cellspacing: 0;" width="495"><tr><td><img src="table.png" width="495"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
+ The table view shows all of the data available from the
+ flight computer. Probably the most useful data on
+ this tab is the detailed GPS information, which includes
+ horizontal dilution of precision information, and
+ information about the signal being received from the satellites.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp58579488"></a>1.6. Site Map</h3></div></div></div><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" style="cellpadding: 0; cellspacing: 0;" width="495"><tr><td><img src="site-map.png" width="495"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
When the TeleMetrum has a GPS fix, the Site Map tab will map
the rocket's position to make it easier for you to locate the
rocket, both while it is in the air, and when it has landed. The
</p><p>
You can pre-load images for your favorite launch sites
before you leave home; check out the 'Preload Maps' section below.
- </p></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
3861728"></a>2. Save Flight Data</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58585152"></a>2. Save Flight Data</h2></div></div></div><p>
The altimeter records flight data to its internal flash memory.
TeleMetrum data is recorded at a much higher rate than the telemetry
system can handle, and is not subject to radio drop-outs. As
such, it provides a more complete and precise record of the
flight. The 'Save Flight Data' button allows you to read the
- flash memory and write it to disk. As TeleMini has only a barometer, it
- records data at the same rate as the telemetry signal, but there will be
- no data lost due to telemetry drop-outs.
+ flash memory and write it to disk.
</p><p>
Clicking on the 'Save Flight Data' button brings up a list of
- connected TeleMetrum and TeleDongle devices. If you select a
- TeleMetrum device, the flight data will be downloaded from that
+ connected flight computers and TeleDongle devices. If you select a
+ flight computer, the flight data will be downloaded from that
device directly. If you select a TeleDongle device, flight data
- will be downloaded from an altimeter over radio link via the
+ will be downloaded from a flight computer over radio link via the
specified TeleDongle. See the chapter on Controlling An Altimeter
Over The Radio Link for more information.
</p><p>
The file name for each flight log is computed automatically
from the recorded flight date, altimeter serial number and
flight number information.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
3864648"></a>3. Replay Flight</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58589632"></a>3. Replay Flight</h2></div></div></div><p>
Select this button and you are prompted to select a flight
record file, either a .telem file recording telemetry data or a
.eeprom file containing flight data saved from the altimeter
Once a flight record is selected, the flight monitor interface
is displayed and the flight is re-enacted in real time. Check
the Monitor Flight chapter above to learn how this window operates.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
3865896"></a>4. Graph Data</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58591664"></a>4. Graph Data</h2></div></div></div><p>
Select this button and you are prompted to select a flight
record file, either a .telem file recording telemetry data or a
.eeprom file containing flight data saved from
flash memory.
</p><p>
- Once a flight record is selected, a window with four tabs is
- opened. The first tab contains a graph with acceleration
- (blue), velocity (green) and altitude (red) of the flight,
- measured in metric units. The apogee(yellow) and main(magenta)
- igniter voltages are also displayed; high voltages indicate
- continuity, low voltages indicate open circuits. The second
- tab lets you configure which data to show in the graph. The
- third contains some basic flight statistics while the fourth
- has a map with the ground track of the flight displayed.
+ Note that telemetry files will generally produce poor graphs
+ due to the lower sampling rate and missed telemetry packets.
+ Use saved flight data in .eeprom files for graphing where possible.
</p><p>
+ Once a flight record is selected, a window with multiple tabs is
+ opened.
+ </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp58594048"></a>4.1. Flight Graph</h3></div></div></div><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" style="cellpadding: 0; cellspacing: 0;" width="495"><tr><td><img src="graph.png" width="495"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
+ By default, the graph contains acceleration (blue),
+ velocity (green) and altitude (red).
+ </p><p>
The graph can be zoomed into a particular area by clicking and
dragging down and to the right. Once zoomed, the graph can be
reset by clicking and dragging up and to the left. Holding down
control and clicking and dragging allows the graph to be panned.
The right mouse button causes a pop-up menu to be displayed, giving
you the option save or print the plot.
- </p><p>
- Note that telemetry files will generally produce poor graphs
- due to the lower sampling rate and missed telemetry packets.
- Use saved flight data in .eeprom files for graphing where possible.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp3869184"></a>5. Export Data</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp58598496"></a>4.2. Configure Graph</h3></div></div></div><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" style="cellpadding: 0; cellspacing: 0;" width="495"><tr><td><img src="graph-configure.png" width="495"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
+ This selects which graph elements to show, and, at the
+ very bottom, lets you switch between metric and
+ imperial units
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp58602160"></a>4.3. Flight Statistics</h3></div></div></div><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" style="cellpadding: 0; cellspacing: 0;" width="495"><tr><td><img src="graph-stats.png" width="495"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
+ Shows overall data computed from the flight.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp58605680"></a>4.4. Map</h3></div></div></div><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" style="cellpadding: 0; cellspacing: 0;" width="495"><tr><td><img src="graph-map.png" width="495"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
+ Shows a satellite image of the flight area overlaid
+ with the path of the flight. The red concentric
+ circles mark the launch pad, the black concentric
+ circles mark the landing location.
+ </p></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58609536"></a>5. Export Data</h2></div></div></div><p>
This tool takes the raw data files and makes them available for
external analysis. When you select this button, you are prompted to
- select a flight
- data file (either .eeprom or .telem will do, remember that
- .eeprom files contain higher resolution and more continuous
- data). Next, a second dialog appears which is used to select
+ select a flight data file, which can be either a .eeprom or .telem.
+ The .eeprom files contain higher resolution and more continuous data,
+ while .telem files contain receiver signal strength information.
+ Next, a second dialog appears which is used to select
where to write the resulting file. It has a selector to choose
between CSV and KML file formats.
- </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
3870192"></a>5.1. Comma Separated Value Format</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
58611648"></a>5.1. Comma Separated Value Format</h3></div></div></div><p>
This is a text file containing the data in a form suitable for
import into a spreadsheet or other external data analysis
tool. The first few lines of the file contain the version and
the sensor values are converted to standard units, with the
barometric data reported in both pressure, altitude and
height above pad units.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
3871768"></a>5.2. Keyhole Markup Language (for Google Earth)</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
58614000"></a>5.2. Keyhole Markup Language (for Google Earth)</h3></div></div></div><p>
This is the format used by Google Earth to provide an overlay
within that application. With this, you can use Google Earth to
see the whole flight path in 3D.
- </p></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
3872600"></a>6. Configure Altimeter</h2></div></div></div><p>
- Select this button and then select either a TeleMetrum or
+ </p></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58615488"></a>6. Configure Altimeter</h2></div></div></div><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" style="cellpadding: 0; cellspacing: 0;" width="270"><tr><td><img src="configure-altimeter.png" width="270"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
+ Select this button and then select either an altimeter or
TeleDongle Device from the list provided. Selecting a TeleDongle
device will use the radio link to configure a remote altimeter.
</p><p>
individual configuration entries.
</p><p>
At the bottom of the dialog, there are four buttons:
- </p><div class="
itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
- Save. This writes any changes to the
- configuration parameter block in flash memory. If you don't
- press this button, any changes you make will be lost.
-
</p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
- Reset. This resets the dialog to the most recently saved values,
- erasing any changes you have made.
-
</p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
- Reboot. This reboots the device. Use this to
- switch from idle to pad mode by rebooting once the rocket is
- oriented for flight, or to confirm changes you think you saved
- are really saved.
-
</p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
- Close. This closes the dialog. Any unsaved changes will be
- lost.
-
</p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><div class="
variablelist"><dl class="variablelist"><dt><span class="term">Save</span></dt><dd><p>
+ This writes any changes to the
+ configuration parameter block in flash memory. If you don't
+ press this button, any changes you make will be lost.
+
</p></dd><dt><span class="term">Reset</span></dt><dd><p>
+ This resets the dialog to the most recently saved values,
+ erasing any changes you have made.
+
</p></dd><dt><span class="term">Reboot</span></dt><dd><p>
+ This reboots the device. Use this to
+ switch from idle to pad mode by rebooting once the rocket is
+ oriented for flight, or to confirm changes you think you saved
+ are really saved.
+
</p></dd><dt><span class="term">Close</span></dt><dd><p>
+ This closes the dialog. Any unsaved changes will be
+ lost.
+
</p></dd></dl></div><p>
The rest of the dialog contains the parameters to be configured.
- </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
3876776"></a>6.1. Main Deploy Altitude</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
58627792"></a>6.1. Main Deploy Altitude</h3></div></div></div><p>
This sets the altitude (above the recorded pad altitude) at
which the 'main' igniter will fire. The drop-down menu shows
some common values, but you can edit the text directly and
choose whatever you like. If the apogee charge fires below
this altitude, then the main charge will fire two seconds
after the apogee charge fires.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
3877760"></a>6.2. Apogee Delay</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
58629360"></a>6.2. Apogee Delay</h3></div></div></div><p>
When flying redundant electronics, it's often important to
ensure that multiple apogee charges don't fire at precisely
the same time, as that can over pressurize the apogee deployment
Delay parameter tells the flight computer to fire the apogee
charge a certain number of seconds after apogee has been
detected.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
3878800"></a>6.3. Radio Frequency</h3></div></div></div><p>
- This configures which of the configured frequencies to use for both
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
58630976"></a>6.3. Radio Frequency</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ This configures which of the frequencies to use for both
telemetry and packet command mode. Note that if you set this
- value via packet command mode, you will have to reconfigure
- the TeleDongle frequency before you will be able to use packet
- command mode again.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
3879712"></a>6.4. Radio Calibration</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ value via packet command mode, the TeleDongle frequency will
+ also be automatically reconfigured to match so that
+ communication will continue afterwards.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
58632480"></a>6.4. RF Calibration</h3></div></div></div><p>
The radios in every Altus Metrum device are calibrated at the
factory to ensure that they transmit and receive on the
specified frequency. If you need to you can adjust the calibration
the value means, read the appendix on calibration and/or the source
code for more information. To change a TeleDongle's calibration,
you must reprogram the unit completely.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp3880776"></a>6.5. Callsign</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp58634128"></a>6.5. Telemetry/RDF/APRS Enable</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ Enables the radio for transmission during flight. When
+ disabled, the radio will not transmit anything during flight
+ at all.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp58635424"></a>6.6. APRS Interval</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ How often to transmit GPS information via APRS. This option
+ is available on TeleMetrum v2 and TeleMega
+ boards. TeleMetrum v1 boards cannot transmit APRS
+ packets. Note that a single APRS packet takes nearly a full
+ second to transmit, so enabling this option will prevent
+ sending any other telemetry during that time.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp58636928"></a>6.7. Callsign</h3></div></div></div><p>
This sets the call sign included in each telemetry packet. Set this
as needed to conform to your local radio regulations.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
3881512"></a>6.6. Maximum Flight Log Size</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
58638240"></a>6.8. Maximum Flight Log Size</h3></div></div></div><p>
This sets the space (in kilobytes) allocated for each flight
log. The available space will be divided into chunks of this
size. A smaller value will allow more flights to be stored,
a larger value will record data from longer flights.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
3882376"></a>6.7. Ignite Mode</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
58639680"></a>6.9. Ignite Mode</h3></div></div></div><p>
TeleMetrum and TeleMini provide two igniter channels as they
were originally designed as dual-deploy flight
computers. This configuration parameter allows the two
channels to be used in different configurations.
- </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
- Dual Deploy. This is the usual mode of operation; the
- 'apogee' channel is fired at apogee and the 'main'
- channel at the height above ground specified by the
- 'Main Deploy Altitude' during descent.
- </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
- Redundant Apogee. This fires both channels at
- apogee, the 'apogee' channel first followed after a two second
- delay by the 'main' channel.
- </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
- Redundant Main. This fires both channels at the
- height above ground specified by the Main Deploy
- Altitude setting during descent. The 'apogee'
- channel is fired first, followed after a two second
- delay by the 'main' channel.
- </p></li></ul></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp3885216"></a>6.8. Pad Orientation</h3></div></div></div><p>
- Because it includes an accelerometer, TeleMetrum is
- sensitive to the orientation of the board. By default, it
- expects the antenna end to point forward. This parameter
- allows that default to be changed, permitting the board to
- be mounted with the antenna pointing aft instead.
- </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
- Antenna Up. In this mode, the antenna end of the
- TeleMetrum board must point forward, in line with the
- expected flight path.
- </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
- Antenna Down. In this mode, the antenna end of the
- TeleMetrum board must point aft, in line with the
- expected flight path.
- </p></li></ul></div></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp3887440"></a>7. Configure AltosUI</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </p><div class="variablelist"><dl class="variablelist"><dt><span class="term">Dual Deploy</span></dt><dd><p>
+ This is the usual mode of operation; the
+ 'apogee' channel is fired at apogee and the 'main'
+ channel at the height above ground specified by the
+ 'Main Deploy Altitude' during descent.
+ </p></dd><dt><span class="term">Redundant Apogee</span></dt><dd><p>
+ This fires both channels at
+ apogee, the 'apogee' channel first followed after a two second
+ delay by the 'main' channel.
+ </p></dd><dt><span class="term">Redundant Main</span></dt><dd><p>
+ This fires both channels at the
+ height above ground specified by the Main Deploy
+ Altitude setting during descent. The 'apogee'
+ channel is fired first, followed after a two second
+ delay by the 'main' channel.
+ </p></dd></dl></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp58646672"></a>6.10. Pad Orientation</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ Because they include accelerometers, TeleMetrum and
+ TeleMega are sensitive to the orientation of the board. By
+ default, they expect the antenna end to point forward. This
+ parameter allows that default to be changed, permitting the
+ board to be mounted with the antenna pointing aft instead.
+ </p><div class="variablelist"><dl class="variablelist"><dt><span class="term">Antenna Up</span></dt><dd><p>
+ In this mode, the antenna end of the
+ flight computer must point forward, in line with the
+ expected flight path.
+ </p></dd><dt><span class="term">Antenna Down</span></dt><dd><p>
+ In this mode, the antenna end of the
+ flight computer must point aft, in line with the
+ expected flight path.
+ </p></dd></dl></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp58651888"></a>6.11. Configure Pyro Channels</h3></div></div></div><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" style="cellpadding: 0; cellspacing: 0;" width="540"><tr><td><img src="configure-pyro.png" width="540"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
+ This opens a separate window to configure the additional
+ pyro channels available on TeleMega. One column is
+ presented for each channel. Each row represents a single
+ parameter, if enabled the parameter must meet the specified
+ test for the pyro channel to be fired. See the Pyro Channels
+ section in the System Operation chapter above for a
+ description of these parameters.
+ </p><p>
+ Select conditions and set the related value; the pyro
+ channel will be activated when <span class="emphasis"><em>all</em></span> of the
+ conditions are met. Each pyro channel has a separate set of
+ configuration values, so you can use different values for
+ the same condition with different channels.
+ </p><p>
+ Once you have selected the appropriate configuration for all
+ of the necessary pyro channels, you can save the pyro
+ configuration along with the rest of the flight computer
+ configuration by pressing the 'Save' button in the main
+ Configure Flight Computer window.
+ </p></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58657696"></a>7. Configure AltosUI</h2></div></div></div><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" style="cellpadding: 0; cellspacing: 0;" width="225"><tr><td><img src="configure-altosui.png" width="225"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
This button presents a dialog so that you can configure the AltosUI global settings.
- </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
3888064"></a>7.1. Voice Settings</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
58661200"></a>7.1. Voice Settings</h3></div></div></div><p>
AltosUI provides voice announcements during flight so that you
can keep your eyes on the sky and still get information about
the current flight status. However, sometimes you don't want
to hear them.
- </p><div class="
itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>Enable—turns all voice announcements on and off</p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
- Test Voice—Plays a short message allowing you to verify
- that the audio system is working and the volume settings
- are reasonable
-
</p></li></ul></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp3890336"></a>7.2. Log Directory</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p><div class="
variablelist"><dl class="variablelist"><dt><span class="term">Enable</span></dt><dd><p>Turns all voice announcements on and off</p></dd><dt><span class="term">Test Voice</span></dt><dd><p>
+ Plays a short message allowing you to verify
+ that the audio system is working and the volume settings
+ are reasonable
+
</p></dd></dl></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp58666224"></a>7.2. Log Directory</h3></div></div></div><p>
AltosUI logs all telemetry data and saves all TeleMetrum flash
data to this directory. This directory is also used as the
staring point when selecting data files for display or export.
Click on the directory name to bring up a directory choosing
dialog, select a new directory and click 'Select Directory' to
change where AltosUI reads and writes data files.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
3891560"></a>7.3. Callsign</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
58668224"></a>7.3. Callsign</h3></div></div></div><p>
This value is transmitted in each command packet sent from
TeleDongle and received from an altimeter. It is not used in
telemetry mode, as the callsign configured in the altimeter board
is included in all telemetry packets. Configure this
with the AltosUI operators call sign as needed to comply with
your local radio regulations.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp3892528"></a>7.4. Imperial Units</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ Note that to successfully command a flight computer over the radio
+ (to configure the altimeter, monitor idle, or fire pyro charges),
+ the callsign configured here must exactly match the callsign
+ configured in the flight computer. This matching is case
+ sensitive.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp58670464"></a>7.4. Imperial Units</h3></div></div></div><p>
This switches between metric units (meters) and imperial
units (feet and miles). This affects the display of values
- use during flight monitoring, data graphing and all of the
- voice announcements. It does not change the units used when
- exporting to CSV files, those are always produced in metric units.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp3893432"></a>7.5. Font Size</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ use during flight monitoring, configuration, data graphing
+ and all of the voice announcements. It does not change the
+ units used when exporting to CSV files, those are always
+ produced in metric units.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp58671968"></a>7.5. Font Size</h3></div></div></div><p>
Selects the set of fonts used in the flight monitor
window. Choose between the small, medium and large sets.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
3894136"></a>7.6. Serial Debug</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
58673248"></a>7.6. Serial Debug</h3></div></div></div><p>
This causes all communication with a connected device to be
dumped to the console from which AltosUI was started. If
you've started it from an icon or menu entry, the output
will simply be discarded. This mode can be useful to debug
various serial communication issues.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
3895048"></a>7.7. Manage Frequencies</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
58674752"></a>7.7. Manage Frequencies</h3></div></div></div><p>
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.
- </p></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
3896032"></a>8. Configure Groundstation</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58676384"></a>8. Configure Groundstation</h2></div></div></div><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" style="cellpadding: 0; cellspacing: 0;" width="270"><tr><td><img src="configure-groundstation.png" width="270"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
Select this button and then select a TeleDongle Device from the list provided.
</p><p>
The first few lines of the dialog provide information about the
machine will cause settings made here to have no effect.
</p><p>
At the bottom of the dialog, there are three buttons:
- </p><div class="
itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
- Save. This writes any changes to the
- local Java preferences file. If you don't
- press this button, any changes you make will be lost.
-
</p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
- Reset. This resets the dialog to the most recently saved values,
- erasing any changes you have made.
-
</p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
- Close. This closes the dialog. Any unsaved changes will be
- lost.
-
</p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p><div class="
variablelist"><dl class="variablelist"><dt><span class="term">Save</span></dt><dd><p>
+ This writes any changes to the
+ local Java preferences file. If you don't
+ press this button, any changes you make will be lost.
+
</p></dd><dt><span class="term">Reset</span></dt><dd><p>
+ This resets the dialog to the most recently saved values,
+ erasing any changes you have made.
+
</p></dd><dt><span class="term">Close</span></dt><dd><p>
+ This closes the dialog. Any unsaved changes will be
+ lost.
+
</p></dd></dl></div><p>
The rest of the dialog contains the parameters to be configured.
- </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
3899952"></a>8.1. Frequency</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
58687504"></a>8.1. Frequency</h3></div></div></div><p>
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.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
3900936"></a>8.2. Radio Calibration</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
58689072"></a>8.2. Radio Calibration</h3></div></div></div><p>
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.
- </p></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp3901928"></a>9. Flash Image</h2></div></div></div><p>
- This reprograms any Altus Metrum device by using a TeleMetrum
- or TeleDongle as a programming dongle. Please read the
- directions for flashing devices in the Updating Device
- Firmware chapter below.
- </p><p>
- Once you have the programmer and target devices connected,
- push the 'Flash Image' button. That will present a dialog box
- listing all of the connected devices. Carefully select the
- programmer device, not the device to be programmed.
- </p><p>
- Next, select the image to flash to the device. These are named
- with the product name and firmware version. The file selector
- will start in the directory containing the firmware included
- with the AltosUI package. Navigate to the directory containing
- the desired firmware if it isn't there.
- </p><p>
- Next, a small dialog containing the device serial number and
- RF calibration values should appear. If these values are
- incorrect (possibly due to a corrupted image in the device),
- enter the correct values here.
- </p><p>
- Finally, a dialog containing a progress bar will follow the
- programming process.
- </p><p>
- When programming is complete, the target device will
- reboot. Note that if the target device is connected via USB, you
- will have to unplug it and then plug it back in for the USB
- connection to reset so that you can communicate with the device
- again.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp3905000"></a>10. Fire Igniter</h2></div></div></div><p>
- This activates the igniter circuits in TeleMetrum to help test
- recovery systems deployment. Because this command can operate
+ </p></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58690704"></a>9. Flash Image</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ 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.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58692336"></a>10. Fire Igniter</h2></div></div></div><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" style="cellpadding: 0; cellspacing: 0;" width="90"><tr><td><img src="fire-igniter.png" width="90"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
+ 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.
</p><p>
Selecting the 'Fire Igniter' button brings up the usual device
- selection dialog. Pick the desired TeleDongle or TeleMetrum
- device. This brings up another window which shows the current
- continuity test status for both apogee and main charges.
+ selection dialog. Pick the desired device. This brings up another
+ window which shows the current continuity test status for both
+ apogee and main charges.
</p><p>
Next, select the desired igniter to fire. This will enable the
'Arm' button.
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.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
3907104"></a>11. Scan Channels</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58697968"></a>11. Scan Channels</h2></div></div></div><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" style="cellpadding: 0; cellspacing: 0;" width="248"><tr><td><img src="scan-channels.png" width="248"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
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.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
3908008"></a>12. Load Maps</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58701824"></a>12. Load Maps</h2></div></div></div><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" style="cellpadding: 0; cellspacing: 0;" width="495"><tr><td><img src="load-maps.png" width="495"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
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
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 at run-time, so as new sites are sent in, they'll
- get automatically added to this list.
+ downloaded from our server at run-time, so as new sites are sent
+ in, they'll get automatically added to this list.
</p><p>
If the launch site isn't in the list, you can manually enter the lat/lon values
</p><p>
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.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
3910136"></a>13. Monitor Idle</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58707520"></a>13. Monitor Idle</h2></div></div></div><p>
This brings up a dialog similar to the Monitor Flight UI,
- except it works with the altimeter in "idle" mode by sending
+ except it works with the altimeter in “idle” mode by sending
query commands to discover the current state rather than
- listening for telemetry packets.
- </p></div></div><div class="chapter"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp3911008"></a>Chapter 7. AltosDroid</h1></div></div></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><dl class="toc"><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3912688">1. Installing AltosDroid</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3913648">2. Connecting to TeleBT</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3914864">3. Configuring AltosDroid</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3915736">4. Altos Droid Flight Monitoring</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3916536">4.1. Pad</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3922504">5. Downloading Flight Logs</a></span></dt></dl></div><p>
+ 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.
+ </p></div></div><div class="chapter"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp58709616"></a>Chapter 7. AltosDroid</h1></div></div></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><dl class="toc"><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58712000">1. Installing AltosDroid</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58713936">2. Connecting to TeleBT</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58715936">3. Configuring AltosDroid</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58717392">4. AltosDroid Flight Monitoring</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58718704">4.1. Pad</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58732256">5. Downloading Flight Logs</a></span></dt></dl></div><p>
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™. Altos Droid monitors
+ 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.
This manual will explain how to configure AltosDroid, connect
to TeleBT, operate the flight monitoring interface and describe
what the displayed data means.
- </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
3912688"></a>1. Installing AltosDroid</h2></div></div></div><p>
- AltosDroid is included in the Google Play store. To install
- it on your Android device, open 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
+ </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58712000"></a>1. Installing AltosDroid</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ 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.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
3913648"></a>2. Connecting to TeleBT</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58713936"></a>2. Connecting to TeleBT</h2></div></div></div><p>
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
Subsequent connections will not require you to enter that
code, and your 'paired' device will appear in the list without
scanning.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
3914864"></a>3. Configuring AltosDroid</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58715936"></a>3. Configuring AltosDroid</h2></div></div></div><p>
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.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
3915736"></a>4. Altos Droid Flight Monitoring</h2></div></div></div><p>
- Altos Droid is designed to mimic the AltosUI flight monitoring
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58717392"></a>4. AltosDroid Flight Monitoring</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ 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.
- </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
3916536"></a>4.1. Pad</h3></div></div></div><p>
+ </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp
58718704"></a>4.1. Pad</h3></div></div></div><p>
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:
- </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
- Battery Voltage. 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
- 3.7V is required for a 'GO' status.
- </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
- Apogee Igniter Voltage. 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.
- </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
- Main Igniter Voltage. 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.
- </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
- On-board Data Logging. 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.
- </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
- GPS Locked. For a TeleMetrum 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.
- </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
- GPS Ready. For a TeleMetrum 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.
- </p></li></ul></div><p>
- </p><p>
- The Launchpad tab also shows the computed launch pad position
- and altitude, averaging many reported positions to improve the
- accuracy of the fix.
- </p><p>
- </p></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp3922504"></a>5. Downloading Flight Logs</h2></div></div></div><p>
- Altos Droid always saves every bit of telemetry data it
+ </p><div class="variablelist"><dl class="variablelist"><dt><span class="term">Battery Voltage</span></dt><dd><p>
+ 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.
+ </p></dd><dt><span class="term">Apogee Igniter Voltage</span></dt><dd><p>
+ 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.
+ </p></dd><dt><span class="term">Main Igniter Voltage</span></dt><dd><p>
+ 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.
+ </p></dd><dt><span class="term">On-board Data Logging</span></dt><dd><p>
+ 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.
+ </p></dd><dt><span class="term">GPS Locked</span></dt><dd><p>
+ 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.
+ </p></dd><dt><span class="term">GPS Ready</span></dt><dd><p>
+ 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.
+ </p></dd></dl></div><p>
+ </p><p>
+ The Launchpad tab also shows the computed launch pad position
+ and altitude, averaging many reported positions to improve the
+ accuracy of the fix.
+ </p></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58732256"></a>5. Downloading Flight Logs</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ 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.
- </p></div></div><div class="chapter"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp
3923520"></a>Chapter 8. Using Altus Metrum Products</h1></div></div></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><dl class="toc"><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3923840">1. Being Legal</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3924800">2. In the Rocket</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3926904">3. On the Ground</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3934536">4. Data Analysis</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3936288">5. Future Plans</a></span></dt></dl></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp3923840"></a>1. Being Legal</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div></div><div class="chapter"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp
58733920"></a>Chapter 8. Using Altus Metrum Products</h1></div></div></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><dl class="toc"><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58734560">1. Being Legal</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58736464">2. In the Rocket</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58738928">3. On the Ground</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58752240">4. Data Analysis</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58754784">5. Future Plans</a></span></dt></dl></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58734560"></a>1. Being Legal</h2></div></div></div><p>
First off, in the US, you need an <a class="ulink" href="http://www.altusmetrum.org/Radio/" target="_top">amateur radio license</a> or
other authorization to legally operate the radio transmitters that are part
of our products.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp3924800"></a>2. In the Rocket</h2></div></div></div><p>
- In the rocket itself, you just need a <a class="ulink" href="http://www.altusmetrum.org/TeleMetrum/" target="_top">TeleMetrum</a> or
- <a class="ulink" href="http://www.altusmetrum.org/TeleMini/" target="_top">TeleMini</a> board and
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58736464"></a>2. In the Rocket</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ 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 for hours.
- A 110mAh battery weighs less than a triple A battery and will run a TeleMetrum for
- a few hours, or a TeleMini for much (much) longer.
+ 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.
</p><p>
- By default, we ship the altimeters 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 choose to have an SMA connector
- installed so that you can run a coaxial cable to an antenna mounted
- elsewhere in the rocket.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp3926904"></a>3. On the Ground</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ 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.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58738928"></a>3. On the Ground</h2></div></div></div><p>
To receive the data stream from the rocket, you need an antenna and short
feed-line connected to one of our <a class="ulink" href="http://www.altusmetrum.org/TeleDongle/" target="_top">TeleDongle</a> units. If possible, use an SMA to BNC
adapter instead of feedline between the antenna feedpoint and
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.
+ </p><p>
+ 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.
</p><p>
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
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.
</p><p>
- If your TeleMetrum-equipped 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.
+ 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!
</p><p>
- You may also enjoy having a ham radio "HT" that covers the 70cm band... you
+ 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
- and Bdale both currently own and use the Yaesu VX-7R at launches.
+ currently uses a Yaesu VX-7R, Bdale has a Baofung UV-5R
+ which isn't as nice, but was a whole lot cheaper.
</p><p>
So, to recap, on the ground the hardware you'll need includes:
- </p><div class="orderedlist"><ol class="orderedlist" type="1"><li class="listitem">
- an antenna and feed-line or adapter
- </li><li class="listitem">
- a TeleDongle
- </li><li class="listitem">
- a notebook computer
- </li><li class="listitem">
- optionally, a hand-held GPS receiver
- </li><li class="listitem">
- optionally, an HT or receiver covering 435 MHz
- </li></ol></div><p>
+ </p><div class="orderedlist"><ol class="orderedlist" type="1"><li class="listitem"><p>
+ an antenna and feed-line or adapter
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ a TeleDongle
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ a notebook computer
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ optionally, a hand-held GPS receiver
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
+ optionally, an HT or receiver covering 435 MHz
+
</p></li></ol></div><p>
</p><p>
The best hand-held commercial directional antennas we've found for radio
direction finding rockets are from
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.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
3934536"></a>4. Data Analysis</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58752240"></a>4. Data Analysis</h2></div></div></div><p>
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
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.
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp3936288"></a>5. Future Plans</h2></div></div></div><p>
- In the future, we intend to offer "companion boards" for the rocket
- that will plug in to TeleMetrum to collect additional data, provide
- more pyro channels, and so forth.
- </p><p>
- Also under design is a new flight computer with more sensors, more
- pyro channels, and a more powerful radio system designed for use
- in multi-stage, complex, and extreme altitude projects.
- </p><p>
- We are also working on alternatives to TeleDongle. One is a
- a stand-alone, hand-held ground terminal that will allow monitoring
- the rocket's status, collecting data during flight, and logging data
- after flight without the need for a notebook computer on the
- flight line. Particularly since it is so difficult to read most
- notebook screens in direct sunlight, we think this will be a great
- thing to have. We are also working on a TeleDongle variant with
- Bluetooth that will work with Android phones and tablets.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58754784"></a>5. Future Plans</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ 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.
+ </p><p>
+ 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!
</p><p>
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
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="idp
3939448"></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="#idp3940432">1. Mounting the Altimeter</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3942768">2. Dealing with the Antenna</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3946752">3. Preserving GPS Reception</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3949136">4. Radio Frequency Interference</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3953208">5. The Barometric Sensor</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3955048">6. Ground Testing</a></span></dt></dl></div><p>
+ </p></div></div><div class="chapter"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp
58759168"></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="#idp58760624">1. Mounting the Altimeter</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58766032">2. Dealing with the Antenna</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58771600">3. Preserving GPS Reception</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58776384">4. Radio Frequency Interference</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58783952">5. The Barometric Sensor</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58786752">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 oftentimes you find few perfect solutions. This chapter
+ and some creativity and/or compromise may be required. This chapter
contains some suggestions about how to install Altus Metrum
- products into the rocket air-frame, including how to safely and
+ 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="idp
3940432"></a>1. Mounting the Altimeter</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58760624"></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 TeleMetrum, we use
- nylon standoffs and nylon screws; they're good to at least 50G
- and cannot cause any electrical issues on the board. For
- TeleMini, we usually cut small pieces of 1/16" balsa to fit
+ 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">
- Make sure TeleMetrum is aligned precisely along the axis of
- acceleration so that the accelerometer can accurately
- capture data during the flight.
- </li><li class="listitem">
- 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.
- </li></ol></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp3942768"></a>2. Dealing with the Antenna</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </p><div class="orderedlist"><ol class="orderedlist" type="1"><li class="listitem"><p>
+ 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.
+ </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="idp58766032"></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
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 is to be avoided around any antennas.
+ 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
tubing towards the side wall of the rocket and it ends up
consuming very little space.
</p><p>
- If you need to place the antenna at a distance from the
+ 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="idp
3946752"></a>3. Preserving GPS Reception</h2></div></div></div><p>
- The GPS antenna and receiver in TeleMetrum are highly
- sensitive and normally have no trouble tracking enough
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58771600"></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 to
- attenuate the GPS signal.
- </p><div class="orderedlist"><ol class="orderedlist" type="1"><li class="listitem">
- 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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
- 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.
- </li></ol></div><p>
- </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
3949136"></a>4. Radio Frequency Interference</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ 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="idp
58776384"></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
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">
- Keep wires from different circuits apart. Moving circuits
- further apart will reduce RFI.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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
even out distances and reduce RFI. For altimeters, this
includes battery leads, switch hookups and igniter
circuits.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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. Altusmetrum products transmit on the
+ 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 1/4
+ simple ratio of that length; essentially any multiple of ¼
of the wavelength (17.5cm).
-
</li></ul></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp3953208"></a>5. The Barometric Sensor</h2></div></div></div><p>
+
</p></li></ul></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58783952"></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
airflow, have smooth edges, and away from areas of increasing or
decreasing pressure.
</p><p>
- The barometric sensor in the altimeter is 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="idp
3955048"></a>6. Ground Testing</h2></div></div></div><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="idp
58786752"></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
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="idp3957184"></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="#idp3959184">1. Updating TeleMetrum Firmware</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3964528">2. Updating TeleMini Firmware</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3969944">3. Updating TeleDongle Firmware</a></span></dt></dl></div><p>
- The big concept to understand is that you have to use a
- TeleDongle as a programmer to update a TeleMetrum or TeleMini,
- and a TeleMetrum or other TeleDongle to program the TeleDongle
- Due to limited memory resources in the cc1111, we don't support
- programming directly over USB.
+ </p></div></div><div class="chapter"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp58789920"></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="#idp58793936">1.
+ Updating TeleMega, TeleMetrum v2 or EasyMini Firmware
+ </a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58802752">1.1. Recovering From Self-Flashing Failure</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58811728">2. Pair Programming</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58813168">3. Updating TeleMetrum v1.x Firmware</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58826208">4. Updating TeleMini Firmware</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58839600">5. Updating TeleDongle Firmware</a></span></dt></dl></div><p>
+ 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.
</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
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>
- We recommend updating the altimeter first, before updating TeleDongle.
- </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp3959184"></a>1. Updating TeleMetrum Firmware</h2></div></div></div><div class="orderedlist"><ol class="orderedlist" type="1"><li class="listitem">
+ 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.
+ </p><p>
+ Self-programmable devices (TeleMega, TeleMetrum v2 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="idp58793936"></a>1.
+ Updating TeleMega, TeleMetrum v2 or EasyMini Firmware
+ </h2></div></div></div><div class="orderedlist"><ol class="orderedlist" type="1"><li class="listitem"><p>
+ Attach a battery 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' item to check over the configuration.
+ </p></li></ol></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="idp58802752"></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">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></dl></div></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58811728"></a>2. Pair Programming</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ 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.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58813168"></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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Take the 2 screws out of the TeleDongle case to get access
to the circuit board.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Attach a battery to the TeleMetrum board.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Plug the TeleDongle into your computer's USB port, and power
up the TeleMetrum.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Run AltosUI, and select 'Flash Image' from the File menu.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Pick the TeleDongle device from the list, identifying it as the
programming device.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
If something goes wrong, give it another try.
- </li></ol></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp3964528"></a>2. Updating TeleMini Firmware</h2></div></div></div><div class="orderedlist"><ol class="orderedlist" type="1"><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li></ol></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58826208"></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. It's available on the Altus Metrum web store, or
- you can make your own using an 8-pin MicroMaTch connector on
- one end and a set of four pins on the other.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ 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 case to get access
to the circuit board.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
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
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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Attach a battery to the TeleMini board.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Plug the TeleDongle into your computer's USB port, and power
up the TeleMini
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Run AltosUI, and select 'Flash Image' from the File menu.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Pick the TeleDongle device from the list, identifying it as the
programming device.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ 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.
- </
li></ol></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp3969944"></a>3. Updating TeleDongle Firmware</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </
p></li></ol></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58839600"></a>5. Updating TeleDongle Firmware</h2></div></div></div><p>
Updating TeleDongle's firmware is just like updating TeleMetrum or TeleMini
firmware, but you use either a TeleMetrum or another TeleDongle as the programmer.
- </p><div class="orderedlist"><ol class="orderedlist" type="1"><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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 or TeleDongle.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ plug the “mini” end in to the mating connector on TeleMetrum or TeleDongle.
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Take the 2 screws out of the TeleDongle case to get access
to the circuit board.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Attach a battery to the TeleMetrum board if you're using one.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Plug both the programmer and the TeleDongle into your computer's USB
ports, and power up the programmer.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Run AltosUI, and select 'Flash Image' from the File menu.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Pick the programmer device from the list, identifying it as the
programming device.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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
- serial number is on the "bottom" of the circuit board, and can
+ 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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Hit the 'OK' button and the software should proceed to flash
the TeleDongle with new firmware, showing a progress bar.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
If something goes wrong, give it another try.
- </li></ol></div><p>
+ </
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="idp3977040"></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="#idp3977360">1. TeleMetrum Specifications</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp3983088">2. TeleMini Specifications</a></span></dt></dl></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp3977360"></a>1. TeleMetrum Specifications</h2></div></div></div><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ </p></div></div><div class="chapter"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp58856144"></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="#idp58856784">1.
+ TeleMega Specifications
+ </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58868016">2.
+ TeleMetrum v2 Specifications
+ </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58878256">3. TeleMetrum v1 Specifications</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58888496">4.
+ TeleMini v2.0 Specifications
+ </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58897328">5.
+ TeleMini v1.0 Specifications
+ </a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58906128">6.
+ EasyMini Specifications
+ </a></span></dt></dl></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58856784"></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="idp58868016"></a>2.
+ 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 ham-band transceiver for telemetry down-link.
+ 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="idp58878256"></a>3. 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>
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="idp3983088"></a>2. TeleMini Specifications</h2></div></div></div><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
+ </p></li></ul></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58888496"></a>4.
+ 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="idp58897328"></a>5.
+ 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 ham-band transceiver for telemetry down-link.
+ 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>
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><div class="chapter"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp3987896"></a>Chapter 12. FAQ</h1></div></div></div><p>
- TeleMetrum seems to shut off when disconnected from the
- computer. Make sure the battery is adequately charged. Remember the
+ </p></li></ul></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58906128"></a>6.
+ 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="idp58914240"></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
+ GPS enters “locked” mode. The battery charges best when TeleMetrum
is turned off.
</p><p>
- It's impossible to stop the TeleDongle when it's in "p" mode, I have
- to unplug the USB cable? Make sure you have tried to "escape out" of
+ <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.
+ 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>
- The amber LED (on the TeleMetrum) lights up when both
- battery and USB are connected. Does this mean it's charging?
+ <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>
- There are no "dit-dah-dah-dit" sound or lights like the manual mentions?
- That's the "pad" mode. Weak batteries might be the problem.
- It is also possible that the TeleMetrum 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.
+ <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>
- How do I save flight data?
+ <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
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="idp
3991640"></a>Appendix A. Notes for Older Software</h1></div></div></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="appendix"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp
58923088"></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
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
+ 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.
+ 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
+ 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
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
+ 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
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="idp
4008072"></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="#idp4008720">1. TeleMetrum template</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp4016464">2. TeleMini template</a></span></dt></dl></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="appendix"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp
58946464"></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="#idp58947632">1. TeleMega template</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58963600">2. TeleMetrum template</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58967264">3. TeleMini v2/EasyMini template</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58970944">4. 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="idp4008720"></a>1. TeleMetrum template</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </p><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58947632"></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"><a name="TeleMegaTemplate"></a><object type="image/svg+xml" data="telemega-outline.svg"></object></div></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58963600"></a>2. 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="mediaobject"><a name="TeleMetrumTemplate"></a><object type="image/svg+xml" data="telemetrum.svg"></object></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp4016464"></a>2. TeleMini template</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </p><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><a name="TeleMetrumTemplate"></a><object type="image/svg+xml" data="telemetrum.svg"></object></div></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58967264"></a>3. 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"><a name="MiniTemplate"></a><object type="image/svg+xml" data="easymini-outline.svg"></object></div></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58970944"></a>4. 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="mediaobject"><a name="TeleMiniTemplate"></a><object type="image/svg+xml" data="telemini.svg"></object></div></div></div><div class="appendix"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp4018112"></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="#idp4019088">1. Radio Frequency</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp4022408">2. TeleMetrum Accelerometer</a></span></dt></dl></div><p>
- There are only two calibrations required for a TeleMetrum board, and
- only one for TeleDongle and TeleMini. 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="idp4019088"></a>1. Radio Frequency</h2></div></div></div><p>
- The radio frequency is synthesized from a clock based on the 48 MHz
+ </p><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><a name="TeleMiniTemplate"></a><object type="image/svg+xml" data="telemini.svg"></object></div></div></div></div><div class="appendix"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="idp58974736"></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="#idp58976288">1. Radio Frequency</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#idp58980832">2. TeleMetrum and TeleMega Accelerometers</a></span></dt></dl></div><p>
+ There are only two calibrations required for TeleMetrum and
+ TeleMega, and only one for 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="idp58976288"></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
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 TeleMetrum, this is best done over USB. For TeleMini,
- 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.
+ 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
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 DataFlash chip.
+ 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="idp4022408"></a>2. TeleMetrum Accelerometer</h2></div></div></div><p>
- The TeleMetrum accelerometer we use has its own 5 volt power
- supply and
- the output must be passed through a resistive voltage divider to match
- the input of our 3.3 volt ADC. This means that unlike the barometric
- sensor, the output of the acceleration sensor is not ratio-metric to
- the ADC converter, and calibration is required. Explicitly
- calibrating the accelerometers also allows us to load any device
- from a Freescale family that includes at least +/- 40g, 50g, 100g,
- and 200g parts. Using gravity,
- a simple 2-point calibration yields acceptable results capturing both
- the different sensitivities and ranges of the different accelerometer
- parts and any variation in power supply voltages or resistor values
- in the divider network.
+ </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58980832"></a>2. TeleMetrum and TeleMega 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
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.
+ 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 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="idp4027304"></a>Appendix D. Release Notes</h1></div></div></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp4027664"></a>Version 1.21</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ that TeleMetrum or TeleMega 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="idp58985936"></a>Appendix D. Release Notes</h1></div></div></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58986576"></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="idp58988176"></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><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
Add support for TeleBT
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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).
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Correct Kalman filter model error covariance matrix. The
values used previously assumed continuous measurements instead
of discrete measurements.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Fix some bugs in the USB driver for TeleMetrum and TeleDongle
that affected Windows users.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li></ul></div><p>
+ </
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><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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li></ul></div><p>
- </p></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
4028224"></a>Version 1.2</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </
p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58989776"></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><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.
- </li></ul></div><p>
+ </
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><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
Added this new application
- </li></ul></div><p>
+ </
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><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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li></ul></div><p>
- </p></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
4028784"></a>Version 1.1.1</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </
p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58991280"></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
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><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
configuration values. This bug doesn't affect newer TeleMetrum
boards, and it doesn't affect the safety of rockets flying
version 1.1 firmware.
- </li></ul></div><p>
+ </
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><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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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
eventually land. A new “Ground Distance” field has been added
which displays the distance to a spot right underneath the
rocket.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li></ul></div><p>
- </p></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
4029344"></a>Version 1.1</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </
p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58992784"></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><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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Fix a bug where the data reported in telemetry packets was
from 320ms ago.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li></ul></div><p>
+ </
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><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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Make the look-n-feel configurable, providing a choice from
the available options.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Add Imperial units mode to present data in feet instead of
meters.
- </li></ul></div><p>
- </p></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
4029904"></a>Version 1.0.1</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </
p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58994288"></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><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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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
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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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
allows the baro-only TeleMini device to correctly identify
Mach transitions, avoiding the error-prone selection of a Mach
delay.
- </li></ul></div><p>
+ </
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><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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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
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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li></ul></div><p>
- </p></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
4030464"></a>Version 0.9.2</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </
p></li></ul></div><p>
+ </p></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp
58995792"></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><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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+</p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Always read whole eeprom blocks, mark empty records invalid, display parsing errors to user.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+</p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
Add software version to Configure AltosUI dialog
-
</li></ul></div></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp4031024"></a>Version 0.9</h2></div></div></div><p>
+
</p></li></ul></div></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58997296"></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><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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+</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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+</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.
-
</li></ul></div></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp4031584"></a>Version 0.8</h2></div></div></div><p>
+
</p></li></ul></div></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp58998800"></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><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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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
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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </
li></ul></div></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp4032144"></a>Version 0.7.1</h2></div></div></div><p>
+ </
p></li></ul></div></div><div class="simplesect"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp59000304"></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><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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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.
- </li><li class="listitem">
+ </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
range information to try and help you find your rocket in the
air. Once on the ground, the direction and distance are
reported.
- </li></ul></div></div></div></div></body></html>
+ </p></li></ul></div></div></div></div></body></html>
projects / web / altusmetrum / blobdiff