<revhistory>
<revision>
<revnumber>1.0</revnumber>
- <date>10 August 2011</date>
+ <date>24 August 2011</date>
<revremark>
Updated for software version 1.0. Note that 1.0 represents a
- telemetry format change, meaning both ends of a link (TeleMetrum/TeleMini and
- TeleDongle) must be updated or communications will fail.
+ telemetry format change, meaning both ends of a link
+ (TeleMetrum/TeleMini and TeleDongle) must be updated or
+ communications will fail.
</revremark>
</revision>
<revision>
<para>
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 has turned into the Getting Started chapter in this
- book. Bob was one of our first customers for a production
- TeleMetrum, and the enthusiasm that led to his contribution of
- this section is immensely gratifying and highly appreciated!
+ Kit" which formed the basis of the original Getting Started chapter
+ in this book. Bob was one of our first customers for a production
+ TeleMetrum, and his continued enthusiasm and contributions
+ are immensely gratifying and highly appreciated!
</para>
<para>
- And thanks to Anthony (AJ) Towns for contributing the
- AltosUI graphing and site map code and documentation. Free
- software means that our customers and friends can become our
+ 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.
+ contribution!
</para>
<para>
Have fun using these products, and we hope to meet all of you
13mm by 38mm (½ inch by 1½ inches) and can fit easily in an 18mm air-frame.
</para>
<para>
- Complementing TeleMetrum and TeleMini is TeleDongle, a USB to RF interface for
- communicating with the altimeters. Combined with your choice of antenna and
+ Complementing TeleMetrum and TeleMini is TeleDongle, a USB to RF
+ interface for communicating with the altimeters. Combined with your
+ choice of antenna and
notebook computer, TeleDongle and our associated user interface software
form a complete ground station capable of logging and displaying in-flight
telemetry, aiding rocket recovery, then processing and archiving flight
ugly bugs in some earlier versions.
</para>
<para>
- Next you should obtain and install the AltOS utilities. These include
+ 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 Debian
- Linux, Microsoft Windows, and recent MacOSX versions. Full source code
- and build instructions for some other Linux variants are also available.
+ 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
<ulink url="http://altusmetrum.org/AltOS"/>.
</para>
complete.
</para>
</section>
+ <section>
+ <title>Packet Command Mode</title>
+ <subtitle>Controlling An Altimeter Over The Radio Link</subtitle>
+ <para>
+ One of the unique features of the Altus Metrum environment is
+ the ability to create a two way command link between TeleDongle
+ and an altimeter using the digital radio transceivers built into
+ each device. This allows you to interact with the altimeter from
+ afar, as if it were directly connected to the computer.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ Any operation which can be performed with TeleMetrum can
+ either be done with TeleMetrum directly connected to the
+ computer via the USB cable, or through the packet
+ link. TeleMini doesn't provide a USB connector and so it is
+ always controlled through the packet link. Select the
+ appropriate TeleDongle device when the list of devices is
+ presented and AltosUI will use packet command mode.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ One oddity in the current interface is how AltosUI selects the
+ frequency for packet mode communications. Instead of providing
+ an interface to specifically configure the frequency, it uses
+ whatever frequency was most recently selected for the target
+ TeleDongle device in Monitor Flight mode. If you haven't ever
+ used that mode with the TeleDongle in question, select the
+ Monitor Flight button from the top level UI, pick the
+ appropriate TeleDongle device. Once the flight monitoring
+ window is open, select the desired frequency and then close it
+ down again. All Packet Command Mode operations will now use
+ that frequency.
+ </para>
+ <itemizedlist>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Save Flight Data—Recover flight data from the rocket without
+ opening it up.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Configure altimeter apogee delays or main deploy heights
+ 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,
+ 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.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Fire Igniters—Test your deployment charges without snaking
+ wires out through holes in the air-frame. Simply assembly the
+ rocket as if for flight with the apogee and main charges
+ loaded, then remotely command the altimeter to fire the
+ igniters.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </itemizedlist>
+ <para>
+ Packet command mode uses the same RF frequencies as telemetry
+ mode. Configure the desired TeleDongle frequency using the
+ flight monitor window frequency selector and then close that
+ window before performing the desired operation.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ TeleMetrum only enables packet command mode 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
+ flight and will not be listening for command packets from TeleDongle.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ TeleMini listens for a command packet for five seconds after
+ first being turned on, if it doesn't hear anything, it enters
+ 'pad' mode, ready for flight and will no longer listen for
+ command packets. The easiest way to connect to TeleMini is to
+ initiate the command and select the TeleDongle device. At this
+ point, the TeleDongle will be attempting to communicate with
+ the TeleMini. Now turn TeleMini on, and it should immediately
+ start communicating with the TeleDongle and the desired
+ operation can be performed.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ When packet command mode is enabled, you can monitor the link
+ by watching the lights on the
+ devices. The red LED will flash each time they
+ transmit a packet while the green LED will light up
+ on TeleDongle while it is waiting to receive a packet from
+ the altimeter.
+ </para>
+ </section>
<section>
<title>Ground Testing </title>
<para>
data later...
</para>
<para>
- We don't use a 'normal packet radio' mode because they're just too
- inefficient. The GFSK modulation we use is just FSK with the
+ 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 good 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 soon, and would
- of course appreciate customer feedback on performance in higher
- altitude flights!
+ 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!
</para>
</section>
<section>
<title>Configurable Parameters</title>
<para>
Configuring an Altus Metrum altimeter for flight is very
- simple. Through the use of a Kalman filter, there is no need
- to set a "mach delay" . The few configurable parameters can
- all be set using a simple terminal program over the USB port
+ 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
+ configurable parameters can all be set using AltosUI over USB or
or RF link via TeleDongle.
</para>
<section>
<para>
The Altus Metrum boards support frequencies in the 70cm
band. By default, the configuration interface provides a
- list of 10 common frequencies -- 100kHz channels starting at
- 434.550MHz. However, you can configure the firmware to use
+ list of 10 common 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 who will use each
frequency and when to avoid interference. And of course, both
</para>
</section>
</section>
- <section>
- <title>Packet Command Mode</title>
- <subtitle>Controlling An Altimeter Over The Radio Link</subtitle>
- <para>
- One of the unique features of the Altus Metrum environment is
- the ability to create a two way command link between TeleDongle
- and an altimeter using the digital radio transceivers built into
- each device. This allows you to interact with the altimeter from
- afar, as if it were directly connected to the computer.
- </para>
- <para>
- Any operation which can be performed with TeleMetrum can
- either be done with TeleMetrum directly connected to the
- computer via the USB cable, or through the packet
- link. TeleMini doesn't provide a USB connector and so it can
- only be controlled through the packet link. Select the
- appropriate TeleDongle device when the list of devices is
- presented and AltosUI will use packet command mode.
- </para>
- <para>
- One oddity in the current interface is how AltosUI selects the
- frequency for packet mode communications. Instead of providing
- an interface to specifically configure the frequency, it uses
- whatever frequency was most recently selected for the target
- TeleDongle device in Monitor Flight mode. If you haven't ever
- used that mode with the TeleDongle in question, select the
- Monitor Flight button from the top level UI, pick the
- appropriate TeleDongle device. Once the flight monitoring
- window is open, select the desired frequency and then close it
- down again. All Packet Command Mode operations will now use
- that frequency.
- </para>
- <itemizedlist>
- <listitem>
- <para>
- Save Flight Data—Recover flight data from the rocket without
- opening it up.
- </para>
- </listitem>
- <listitem>
- <para>
- Configure altimeter apogee delays or main deploy heights
- 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,
- 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.
- </para>
- </listitem>
- <listitem>
- <para>
- Fire Igniters—Test your deployment charges without snaking
- wires out through holes in the air-frame. Simply assembly the
- rocket as if for flight with the apogee and main charges
- loaded, then remotely command the altimeter to fire the
- igniters.
- </para>
- </listitem>
- </itemizedlist>
- <para>
- Packet command mode uses the same RF frequencies as telemetry
- mode. Configure the desired TeleDongle frequency using the
- flight monitor window frequency selector and then close that
- window before performing the desired operation.
- </para>
- <para>
- TeleMetrum only enables packet command mode 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
- flight and will not be listening for command packets from TeleDongle.
- </para>
- <para>
- TeleMini listens for a command packet for five seconds after
- first being turned on, if it doesn't hear anything, it enters
- 'pad' mode, ready for flight and will no longer listen for
- command packets. The easiest way to connect to TeleMini is to
- initiate the command and select the TeleDongle device. At this
- point, the TeleDongle will be attempting to communicate with
- the TeleMini. Now turn TeleMini on, and it should immediately
- start communicating with the TeleDongle and the desired
- operation can be performed.
- </para>
- <para>
- When packet command mode is enabled, you can monitor the link
- by watching the lights on the
- devices. The red LED will flash each time they
- transmit a packet while the green LED will light up
- on TeleDongle while it is waiting to receive a packet from
- the altimeter.
- </para>
- </section>
<section>
<title>Save Flight Data</title>
<para>
projects / fw / altos / blobdiff