# TeleMetrum
This is a recording dual-deploy altimeter for high power model rocketry
-with integrated telemetry link.
+with integrated GPS and telemetry link.
-<a href="loadedpair.jpg"> <img src="loadedpair-thumb.jpg"></a>
-<a href="rawfront.jpg"> <img src="rawfront-thumb.jpg"></a>
-<a href="rawback.jpg"> <img src="rawback-thumb.jpg"></a>
+These are photos of our current version,
+which includes an integrated GPS receiver and patch antenna:
+
+<a href="v0.2/cimg5164-cropped.jpg"> <img src="v0.2/cimg5164-thumb.jpg"></a>
+<a href="v0.2/cimg5171-cropped.jpg"> <img src="v0.2/cimg5171-thumb.jpg"></a>
+
+And this is a photo of our original board with serial port for off-board GPS,
+without the big off-board 1000uF cap from the original ejection circuit:
+
+<a href="v0.1/loadedpair.jpg"> <img src="v0.1/loadedpair-thumb.jpg"></a>
## Motivation ##
using a different part in the same TI series, that integrated a transceiver
and CPU on the same chip.
It didn't take us long to realize that with such a part we could combine and
-simplify things by building a new altimeter with integrated RF link!
+simplify things by building a new altimeter with integrated RF link! And
+after gaining some experience in 2009 with a first version, we realized we
+always want GPS on board, which lead to our current second generation boards.
## Features ##
* Supports dual deployment (can fire 2 ejection charges)
* 70cm ham-band transceiver for telemetry downlink
* Barometric pressure sensor good to 45k feet MSL
-* Temperature sensor
* 1-axis high-g accelerometer for motor characterization
+* on-board GPS
* On-board non-volatile memory for flight data storage
-* Serial port for attachment of GPS module
* USB for power, configuration, and data recovery
* Integrated support for LiPo rechargeable batteries
-* 2.5 x 1 inch board designed to fit inside 29mm airframe coupler tube
+* Uses LiPo to fire e-matches, optional support for separate pyro battery
+* 2.75 x 1 inch board designed to fit inside 29mm airframe coupler tube
### Developer View ###
* 6 12-bit analog inputs (11 bits with single-ended sensors)
* 2 channels of serial I/O
* digital I/O
-* [Microchip 25LC1024](http://www.microchip.com/wwwproducts/Devices.aspx?dDocName=en520389) CMOS serial EEPROM
- * 128k x 8
+* [Atmel AT45DB081D](http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/product_card.asp?part_id=3819) DataFlash memory
+ * 1M x 8
+ * 256 byte page size
* SPI interface
-* Various Sensors
- * [Freescale MP3H6115A](http://www.freescale.com/webapp/search.partparamdetail.framework?PART_NUMBER=MP3H6115A6U) pressure sensor
- * [Freescale MMA2202EG](http://www.freescale.com/webapp/search.partparamdetail.framework?PART_NUMBER=MMA2202EG) 50g accelerometer. Can use 40-200g variants!
- * [Microchip MCP9700A](http://www.microchip.com/wwwproducts/Devices.aspx?dDocName=en027103) temperature sensor
-* Software Features (planned)
+ * other parts in this Atmel DataFlash series can optionally be used
+* [SkyTraq](http://www.skytraq.com.tw/) Venus634FLPx GPS receiver
+ * on-board passive patch antenna
+ * U.FL connector with 3.3V DC for optional external amplified antenna
+* [Freescale MP3H6115A](http://www.freescale.com/webapp/search.partparamdetail.framework?PART_NUMBER=MP3H6115A6U) pressure sensor
+* [Freescale MMA2202EG](http://www.freescale.com/webapp/search.partparamdetail.framework?PART_NUMBER=MMA2202EG) 50g accelerometer. Can use 40-200g variants!
+* Software Features
* Written mostly in C with some 8051 assembler
* Runs from on-chip flash, uses on-chip RAM, stores flight data to
- serial EEPROM chip
+ serial DataFlash chip
* USB serial emulation for "console" interface
* Tools Used
* [gEDA](http://www.gpleda.org/) for schematic capture and PCB layout
* The hardware is licensed under the [TAPR](http://www.tapr.org) [Open Hardware License](http://www.tapr.org/ohl.html)
* The software is licensed [GPL version 2](http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html)
+### v0.1 Differences ###
+
+* 2.5 x 1 inch board with all parts mounted on one side
+* 4-pin PicoBlade serial port connector for attachment of external GPS module
+* USB connector projected approximately 3mm over the edge of the board
+* Debug connector used 4 IC socket pins on 100 mil centers
+* no companion board interface
+* [Microchip 25LC1024](http://www.microchip.com/wwwproducts/Devices.aspx?dDocName=en520389) CMOS serial EEPROM instead of DataFlash
+ * 128k x 8
+ * SPI interface
+* [Microchip MCP9700A](http://www.microchip.com/wwwproducts/Devices.aspx?dDocName=en027103) temperature sensor instead of using cc1111 on-chip sensor
+* used 1000uF electrolytic capacitor charged to 5V for pyro charges
+
## [Production History](production) ##
## [Flight Logs](flightlogs) ##
Work on the next version proceeds on the master branch, with occasional
temporary branches created when Bdale is making some major / speculative
-change. The 'v0.1' branch and particularly the 'working-v0.1' tag document
-what we're actually flying right now. The 'ground' branch has a cut-down
-schematic used to generate the BOM for partially loading boards to use on
-the ground.
+change. The 'v0.2' and 'v0.1' branches document what we're actually flying
+right now on the two respective PCB revisions. The 'ground' branch has a
+cut-down schematic used to generate the BOM for partially loading v0.1 boards
+to used on the ground. We call the on-the-ground version 'TeleDongle'.
For those who don't have ready access to the gEDA suite, here are pdf snapshots
-of files in more easily readable form. These are all as of the working-v0.1
-tag:
-
-* [schematic](telemetrum.pdf)
-* [pcb artwork](telemetrum.pcb.pdf)
-* [bill of materials](telemetrum.bom)
-
-We have firmware that works well enough that we now routinely allow TeleMetrum
-to control flights by firing ejection charges. We've flown boards in rockets
-exceeding 50g acceleration, above Mach 1, and to altitudes greater than 12k
-feet AGL with great results. Keith wrote a ground station program called
-ao-view that logs telemetry to disk, displays current and max
-values for key parameters during flight, and even includes voice synthesis
+of files in more easily readable form.
+
+* These are from the v0.2 branch:
+ * [schematic](v0.2/telemetrum.pdf)
+ * [pcb artwork](v0.2/telemetrum.pcb.pdf)
+ * [bill of materials](v0.2/partslist.csv)
+* These are as of the working-v0.1 tag:
+ * [schematic](v0.1/telemetrum.pdf)
+ * [pcb artwork](v0.1/telemetrum.pcb.pdf)
+ * [bill of materials](v0.1/telemetrum.bom)
+
+Our [AltOS](../AltOS) firmware works well enough that we now routinely fly
+TeleMetrum with no backup. Rockets with v0.1 boards have exceeded 50g
+acceleration, been above Mach 1, and reached altitudes greater
+than 12k feet AGL with great results. Keith's ground station program
+called ao-view logs telemetry to disk, displays current and max values for
+key parameters during flight, and even includes voice synthesis
during the flight so that our eyes can stay on the rockets! We have post
flight analysis software that makes it easy to extract data from the board,
analyze it, and even generate KML files for viewing flights in GoogleEarth!
## Future Plans ##
-Work is underway on a second revision of TeleMetrum with the following changes:
-
-* stretch board length by 0.25 inches
-* adjust USB connector position to be flush with edge of board
-* eliminate temperature sensor, since baro sensor is already compensated and there's a sensor on the cc1111
-* eliminate serial port connector
-* integrate SkyTraq Venus GPS receiver and patch antenna on-board
-* change debug connector to 4 pin Tyco MicroMaTch
-* add 8 pin Tyco MicroMaTch connector for companion board interface
-* use v_lipo as pyro power, eliminating the huge 1000uF capacitor and instead
- adding ballast capacitance on the 3.3V rail to prevent brownouts
-* move all connectors, beeper, and GPS patch antenna to the "other side" of the board from the surface mount parts
-* add a rectangle of silk screen material for improved serial number labeling
-
-As of early December 2009, the layout work for v0.2 is done and we're busy
-verifying it and deciding exactly how we're going to build them. We hope to
-have first prototypes to test in time to show the new version at LCA in late
-January 2010. If it works out as well as we hope, v0.2 may be made available
-in assembled and tested form to others in the rocketry hobby who have
-expressed interest sometime in 2010.
+As of early February 2010, three prototypes of v0.2 are done and working on
+the bench. We hope to flight test them shortly, then arrange a production
+run in time to make TeleMetrum available in assembled and tested form to
+others in the rocketry hobby who have expressed interest in time for the
+2010 flying season.
+
+Because we understand that not everyone uses Linux, we've started discussing
+the best way to make a cross-platform ground station program for use with
+[AltOS](../AltOS), perhaps in Java...
projects / web / altusmetrum / blobdiff