update info on using separate pyro batteries to encourage including a switch

[fw/altos] / doc / usage.inc

diff --git a/doc/usage.inc b/doc/usage.inc
index 25fdd6d32899af59e183f941e7a892e2bfdc3eb9..68d08bad8690a821f8b5649f70d788e187383156 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/usage.inc
+++ b/doc/usage.inc
@@ -167,13 +167,15 @@
                 signals, but no record of the flight will be
                 stored in on-board flash.
 
+               ifdef::easymega,telemega[]
                |Additional Igniters
                |four very short beeps
                |Continuity indication for the four additional pyro
-               |channels on TeleMega and EasyMega. One high tone for
-               |no continuity, one low tone for continuity. These are
-               |produced after the continuity indicators for the two
-               |primary igniter channels.
+                channels on TeleMega and EasyMega. One high tone for
+                no continuity, one low tone for continuity. These are
+                produced after the continuity indicators for the two
+                primary igniter channels.
+               endif::easymega,telemega[]
 
                |====
 
@@ -236,14 +238,16 @@
                ifdef::radio[disabled, and the radio goes into transmit-only mode.]
                ifndef::radio[disabled.]
                The only way to get out of this
-               mode is to power the flight computer down.
+               mode is to power the flight computer down. See below for how to get the flight
+               computer to come up in Flight/Pad mode at power on.
 
                Idle::
                The flight computer is ready to communicate over USB
                ifdef::radio[and in packet mode over the radio.]
                You can configure
                the flight computer, download data or display
-               the current state.
+               the current state. See below for how to get the flight
+               computer to come up in Idle mode at power on.
 
                ifdef::telemetrum,easymega,telemega[]
                For flight computers with accelerometers (TeleMetrum,
@@ -293,7 +297,8 @@
 
                To use a separate pyro battery, connect the negative pyro
                battery terminal to the flight computer ground terminal,
-               the positive battery terminal to the igniter and the other
+               the the switched positive battery terminal to the igniter 
+               and the other
                igniter lead to the negative pyro terminal on the flight
                computer. When the pyro channel fires, it will complete the
                circuit between the negative pyro terminal and the ground
@@ -301,6 +306,12 @@
                to hook this up for each flight computer will be found
                in the section below for that flight computer.
 
+               Note that you must include a switch in the positive lead of 
+               the pyro battery for safety, as the on-board power switch 
+               circuit on our product only controls current flow from the 
+               the primary or system battery!
+
+
        === Using a Different Kind of Battery
 
                EasyMini
@@ -319,3 +330,22 @@
                different kind of battery to any of these will destroy
                the board.
                endif::telemega,easymega,telemetrum[]
+
+       === Using Packet Link Mode
+
+               All AltusMetrum flight computers that have a radio can
+               communicate with the ground station software for
+               configuration and other operations using the Packet
+               Link mode. This uses radio communication instead of a
+               USB cable. To set this up, the ground station software
+               must be configured to the correct data rate, frequency
+               and callsign.
+
+               You can monitor Packet Link mode from TeleBT or
+               TeleDongle by watching the LEDs. Each time the device
+               transmits, the red LED will flash. When the link is
+               busy, or when the link is not working, the device will
+               transmit 10 times per second, so the LED will flash
+               rapidly. When the link is working and there is no data
+               to send, the link will flash once per second, and the
+               LED will flash more slowly.