# 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 ##
The hardware design current gEDA files are available from
[git.gag.com](http://git.gag.com) in the project
[hw/telemetrum](http://git.gag.com/?p=hw/telemetrum;a=summary).
-The 'working-v0.1' tag on the master branch indicates what we're actually
-flying right now. The v0.1 PCB artwork, and schematic updated to include
-the parts Bdale loads for a functional board including the two cuts and jumps
-and two added resistors plus ground leads required as rework. The 'nextcut'
-branch is work towards our next PCB revision. The 'ground' branch has a
-cut-down schematic used to generate the BOM for partially loading boards
-to use in the matching [TeleTerra](../TeleTerra) ground station design.
-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:
+Work on the next version proceeds on the master branch, with occasional
+temporary branches created when Bdale is making some major / speculative
+change. The 'v0.2' 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'.
-* [schematic](telemetrum.pdf)
-* [pcb artwork](telemetrum.pcb.pdf)
-* [bill of materials](telemetrum.bom)
-
-
-We have firmware that is working well enough that we're starting to allow
-TeleMetrum to fire ejection charges. Keith has also written a ground station
-program called aoview that logs telemetry to disk, displays current and max
+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 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)
+
+We have firmware that works well enough that we now routinely allow TeleMetrum
+to control flights by firing ejection charges. We've flown v0.1 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
-during the flight so that our eyes can stay on the rockets! The source to all
-this is available from [git.gag.com](http://git.gag.com) in the project
-[fw/altos](http://git.gag.com/?p=fw/altos;a=summary). This repository includes
-sources for the firmware, ground station program, and related utilities. Note
-that actually building these sources requires a modifified version of sdcc,
-for which we have not published diffs since they are in the process of being
-accepted upstream. Watch this space for more details.
+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!
+More details on the software, including full source code and pre-built packages
+can be found on the [AltOS](../AltOS) page on this site.
## Future Plans ##
* stretch board length by 0.25 inches
* adjust USB connector position to be flush with edge of board
-* eliminate beeper
* eliminate temperature sensor, since baro sensor is already compensated and there's a sensor on the cc1111
* eliminate serial port connector
-* integrate MN5010HS GPS receiver and chip antenna on-board
-* change debug connector to 4 pin 1.25mm connector as was used for serial port
-* add 7 pin 1.25mm connector for companion board interface
+* 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 capacitors on the 3.3V rail to prevent brownouts
+ 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
-We hope to build and fly prototypes of this version in late 2009. If it works
-out as well as we hope, this version may be made available in assembled and
-tested form to others in the rocketry hobby who have expressed interest.
+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.
projects / web / altusmetrum / blobdiff