altos: Add EasyMega v2.0 to default build

[fw/altos] / doc / pyro-channels.inc

diff --git a/doc/pyro-channels.inc b/doc/pyro-channels.inc
index 0da7db25eae136316664445b56582ba7e2f1c397..ab5baef0e37cc68d7bca8c24e59a22c28d9bd0a1 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/pyro-channels.inc
+++ b/doc/pyro-channels.inc
@@ -1,33 +1,28 @@
 
 

-Acceleration:: 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.
-
-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
+Vertical Acceleration:: Select a value, and then choose whether
+acceleration away from the ground 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.
+
+Ascent rate:: Select a value, and then choose whether ascent rate
+should be above or below that value. Ascent rate is positive upwards,
+so moving towards the ground would produce negative numbers. Ascent
+rate during descent is a bit noisy and so be careful when using it

 during these phases of the flight.
 
 during these phases of the flight.
 

-Height:: Select a value, and then choose
-whether the height above the launch pad should
-be above or below that value.
+Height above pad:: Select a value, and then choose whether the height
+above the launch pad should be above or below that value.

 
 

-Orientation:: TeleMega and EasyMega contain 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.
+Orientation:: TeleMega and EasyMega contain a 3-axis gyroscope and
+accelerometer which is used to compute the orientation of the
+rocket. A record of orientations over the last 0.64 seconds is kept
+and the largest value within this period is compared with the
+specified value. Note that the tilt 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.

 
   [NOTE]
   ====
 
   [NOTE]
   ====


@@ -47,64 +42,78 @@ pad and initialize the system.
   of less than that value.
   ====
 
   of less than that value.
   ====
 

-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.
+Flight Time:: Time since launch. Select a value and choose whether to
+activate the pyro channel before or after that amount of time.

 
 

-Ascending:: A simple test saying whether the
-rocket is going up or not. This is exactly
-equivalent to testing whether the speed is
-> 0.
+[WARNING]
+Firmware versions older than 1.8.6 have a bug which resets the time
+since launch to zero each time a motor starts burning. Update firmware
+to get the correct behavior.

 
 

-Descending:: A simple test saying whether the
-rocket is going down or not. This is exactly
-equivalent to testing whether the speed is
-< 0.
+Ascending:: A deprecated configuration value which was the same as
+setting Ascent rate > 0. Existing configurations using this will be
+cleared and must be reconfigured by the user.

 
 

-After Motor:: The flight software counts each
-time the rocket starts accelerating and then
-decelerating (presumably due to a motor or
-motors burning). Use this value for
-multi-staged or multi-airstart launches.
+Descending:: A deprecated configuration value which was the same as
+setting Ascent rate < 0. Existing configurations using this will be
+cleared and must be reconfigured by the user.

 
 

-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.
+After Motor:: The flight software counts each time the rocket starts
+accelerating and then decelerating (presumably due to a motor or
+motors burning). Use this value for multi-staged or multi-airstart
+launches. As of version 1.8.6 firmware, this checks to make sure at
+least this many motors have burned. Before version 1.8.6, this checked
+to make sure that exactly this many motors had burned.
+
+Delay:: Once the other parameters all become true, a timer is
+started for the specified amount of time. While the timer is running,
+the other parameters are checked repeatedly and if any of them become
+false, then the pyro channel is disabled and will not fire. If the
+timer expires and all of the other parameters have remained true for
+the entire time, then the pyro channel is fired.

 
 Flight State:: The flight software tracks the flight
 through a sequence of states:
 
  * Boost. The motor has lit and the rocket is
 
 Flight State:: The flight software tracks the flight
 through a sequence of states:
 
  * Boost. The motor has lit and the rocket is

-   accelerating upwards.
+   accelerating upwards. Ascent rate will be greater than zero.
+   Vertical acceleration will be greater than zero.

 
  * Fast. The motor has burned out and the
    rocket is decelerating, but it is going
 
  * Fast. The motor has burned out and the
    rocket is decelerating, but it is going

-   faster than 200m/s.
+   faster than 200m/s. Ascent rate will be greater than zero. Vertical
+   acceleration will be less than zero.

 
  * Coast. The rocket is still moving upwards
 
  * Coast. The rocket is still moving upwards

-   and decelerating, but the speed is less
-   than 200m/s.
+   and decelerating, but the Ascent rate is less
+   than 200m/s. Ascent rate will greater than zero. Vertical
+   acceleration will be less than zero.

 
  * Drogue. The rocket has reached apogee and
    is heading back down, but is above the
 
  * Drogue. The rocket has reached apogee and
    is heading back down, but is above the

-   configured Main altitude.
+   configured Main altitude. Ascent rate will be less than zero during
+   this state. Vertical acceleration will be negative until the rocket
+   reaches a terminal descent rate, at which point Vertical
+   acceleration will be zero. Both Ascent rate and Vertical
+   acceleration are very noisy in this state, so be careful when
+   trying to use them to control pyro channels.

 
  * Main. The rocket is still descending, and
 
  * Main. The rocket is still descending, and

-   is below the Main altitude
+   is below the Main altitude. Ascent rate will be less than zero
+   during this state. Vertical acceleration may be briefly less than
+   zero as the rocket slows from drogue descent to main descent, but
+   it will settle down to a zero value once the rocket has reached the
+   terminal velocity under the main chute. Ascent rate and Vertical
+   acceleration should be much less noisy once the main chute has
+   deployed.

 
  * Landed. The rocket is no longer moving.
 
 
  * Landed. The rocket is no longer moving.
 

-You can select a state to limit when the pyro
-channel may activate; note that the check is
-based on when the rocket transitions *into*
-the state, and so checking for “greater than
-Boost” means that the rocket is currently in
-boost or some later state.
-
-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.
+You can select a state to limit when the pyro channel may activate;
+note that the check is based on when the rocket transitions *into* the
+state, and so checking for “greater than Boost” means that the rocket
+is currently in boost or some later state.
+
+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.