attached, which they call a
link:https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9914[JST Jumper 2 Wire Assembly]
+ [WARNING]
Many RC vendors also sell lithium polymer batteries with
this same connector. All that we have found use the opposite
polarity, and if you use them that way, you will damage or
firing when in the Off position. The switch is in-line with
the positive battery terminal.
+ === Understanding Beeps
+
+ Altus Metrum flight computers include a beeper to
+ provide information about the state of the system.
+ ifdef::telemini[]
+ TeleMini doesn't have room for a beeper, so instead it
+ uses an LED, which works the same, except for every
+ beep is replaced with the flash of the LED.
+ endif::telemini[]
+
+ Here's a short summary of all of the modes and the
+ beeping
+ ifdef::telemini[(or flashing, in the case of TeleMini v1)]
+ that accompanies each mode. In the description of the
+ beeping pattern, “dit” means a short beep while "dah"
+ means a long beep (three times as long). “Brap” means
+ a long dissonant tone.
+
+ .AltOS Modes
+ [options="border",cols="1,1,2,2"]
+ |====
+ |Mode Name
+ |Abbreviation
+ |Beeps
+ |Description
+
+ |Startup
+ |S
+ |battery voltage in decivolts
+ |Calibrating sensors, detecting orientation.
+
+ |Idle
+ |I
+ |dit dit
+ |Ready to accept commands over USB
+ ifdef::radio[or radio link.]
+
+ |Pad
+ |P
+ |dit dah dah dit
+ |Waiting for launch. Not listening for commands.
+
+ |Boost
+ |B
+ |dah dit dit dit
+ |Accelerating upwards.
+
+ |Fast
+ |F
+ |dit dit dah dit
+ |Decelerating, but moving faster than 200m/s.
+
+ |Coast
+ |C
+ |dah dit dah dit
+ |Decelerating, moving slower than 200m/s
+
+ |Drogue
+ |D
+ |dah dit dit
+ |Descending after apogee. Above main height.
+
+ |Main
+ |M
+ |dah dah
+ |Descending. Below main height.
+
+ |Landed
+ |L
+ |dit dah dit dit
+ |Stable altitude for at least ten seconds.
+
+
+ |Sensor error
+ |X
+ |dah dit dit dah
+ |Error detected during sensor calibration.
+ |====
+
+ Here's a summary of all of the Pad and Idle mode
+ indications. In Idle mode, you'll hear one of these
+ just once after the two short dits indicating idle
+ mode. In Pad mode, after the dit dah dah dit
+ indicating Pad mode, you'll hear these once every five
+ seconds.
+
+ .Pad/Idle Indications
+ [options="header",cols="1,1,3"]
+ |====
+ |Name |Beeps |Description
+
+ |Neither
+ |brap
+ |No continuity detected on either apogee or main igniters.
+
+ |Apogee
+ |dit
+ |Continuity detected only on apogee igniter.
+
+ |Main
+ |dit dit
+ |Continuity detected only on main igniter.
+
+
+ |Both
+ |dit dit dit
+ |Continuity detected on both igniters.
+
+
+ |Storage Full
+ |warble
+ |On-board data logging storage is full. This will
+ not prevent the flight computer from safely
+ controlling the flight or transmitting telemetry
+ 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.
+ endif::easymega,telemega[]
+
+ |====
+
+ ifdef::radio[]
+ For devices with a radio transmitter, in addition to
+ the digital and APRS telemetry signals, you can also
+ receive audio tones with a standard amateur
+ 70cm FM receiver. While on the pad, you will hear
+ igniter status once every five seconds.
+
+ .Pad Radio Indications
+ [options="header",cols="1,1,3"]
+ |====
+ |Name |Beeps |Description
+
+ |Neither
+ |½ second tone
+ |No continuity detected on either apogee or main igniters.
+
+ |Apogee
+ |dit
+ |Continuity detected only on apogee igniter.
+
+ |Main
+ |dit dit
+ |Continuity detected only on main igniter.
+
+
+ |Both
+ |dit dit dit
+ |Continuity detected on both igniters.
+
+ |====
+
+ During ascent, the tones will be muted to allow the
+ telemetry data to consume the full radio bandwidth.
+
+ During descent and after landing, a ½ second tone will
+ be transmitted every five seconds. This can be used to
+ find the rocket using RDF techniques when the signal
+ is too weak to receive GPS information via telemetry
+ or APRS.
+ endif::radio[]
+
+ === Turning On the Power
+
+ Connect a battery and power switch and turn the switch
+ to "on". The flight computer will signal power on by
+ reporting the battery voltage and then perform an internal self
+ test and sensor calibration.
+
+ Once the self test and calibration are complete, there
+ are two modes that an Altus Metrum flight computer can
+ operate in:
+
+ Flight/Pad::
+ The flight computer is waiting to detect
+ launch and then fly the rocket. In this mode, the USB
+ link is
+ 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. 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. 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,
+ EasyMega and TeleMega), the mode is selected by the
+ orientation of the board during the self test
+ interval. If the board is pointing upwards as if ready
+ to fly, it will enter Flight/Pad mode. Otherwise, it will
+ enter Idle mode.
+ endif::telemetrum,easymega,telemega[]
+
+ ifdef::easymini[]
+ For EasyMini, if the USB cable is connected to a
+ computer, it will enter Idle mode. Otherwise, it will
+ enter Flight/Pad mode.
+ endif::easymini[]
+
+ ifdef::telemini[]
+ For TeleMini v1.0, if a packet link is waiting to
+ connect when the device is powered on, it will enter
+ Idle mode, otherwise it will enter Flight/Pad mode.
+ endif::telemini[]
+
+ You can see in <<_understanding_beeps>>
+ how to tell which mode the flight computer is in.
+
=== Using an External Active Switch Circuit
You can use an active switch circuit, such as the
flight computer. These require three connections, one to
the battery, one to the positive power input on the flight
computer and one to ground. Find instructions on how to
- hook these up for each flight computer below. The follow
+ hook these up for each flight computer below. Then follow
the instructions that come with your active switch to
connect it up.
=== Using a Separate Pyro Battery
- As mentioned above in the section on hooking up pyro
- charges, one lead for each of the pyro charges is connected
- through the power switch directly to the positive battery
- terminal. The other lead is connected to the pyro circuit,
- which connects it to the negative battery terminal when the
- pyro circuit is fired. The pyro circuit on all of the flight
- computers is designed to handle up to 16V.
+ As mentioned above in <<_hooking_up_pyro_charges>>, one
+ lead for each of the pyro charges is connected through
+ the power switch directly to the positive battery
+ terminal. The other lead is connected to the pyro
+ circuit, which connects it to the negative battery
+ terminal when the pyro circuit is fired. The pyro
+ circuit on all of the flight computers is designed to
+ handle up to 16V.
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
terminal, firing the igniter. Specific instructions on how
- to hook this up will be found in each section below.
+ 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 and TeleMini v2 are designed to use either a
+ EasyMini
+ ifdef::telemini[and TeleMini v2 are]
+ ifndef::telemini[is]
+ designed to use either a
lithium polymer battery or any other battery producing
between 4 and 12 volts, such as a rectangular 9V
- battery. TeleMega, EasyMega and TeleMetrum are not designed for this,
- and must only be powered by a lithium polymer battery. Find
- instructions on how to use other batteries in the EasyMini
- and TeleMini sections below.
+ battery.
+
+ ifdef::telemega,easymega,telemetrum[]
+ [WARNING]
+ TeleMega, EasyMega and TeleMetrum are only designed to
+ operate off a single-cell Lithium Polymer battery and
+ cannot be used with any other kind. Connecting a
+ 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.
projects / fw / altos / blobdiff