zortness
Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2013
- Messages
- 36
- Reaction score
- 0
I've been lurking for a while, but this is my first reason to register and post. I started this project a couple of months ago, and now I'm very close to the first working fully encapsulated prototype(s). It's been an interesting journey, since I'm not an electrical engineer, I'm just a software guy.
So here's what we have, an Arduino Mega/Due shield with the following features:
I've open-sourced the hardware designs, if anyone's interested (Eagle files), as well as the software:
https://github.com/zortness/rocket-mega-shield
https://github.com/zortness/rocket-mega-code
I actually just got the first 3 PCBs back from OSHPark yesterday, and my new soldering iron was delivered today. I hope to have a working shield completed by the end of the weekend.
Here are the PCBs next to the original prototype:
This will easily fit in a 2.6" diameter rocket. I plan on launching it with some mid-power engines at very low altitude first, without the computer having to do anything for deployment (just the motor delay charges). Then I plan moving on to some of my larger rockets, running this side-by-side with some commercially available dual deployment altimeters, before finally moving it to be in primary control.
Definitely open to feedback, criticisms, and assistance for developing this. Right now the software is very basic, just enough to log all of the data and make a preliminary attempt at detecting the rocket's state transitions during flight.
Future plans:
- Replace the 5v 55G accelerometer with a 3v one, possibly this 200G. The high-G accelerometer is really only useful for total impulse calculation, since we can use the more sensitive 16G accel for detecting state changes. However, since it's 400Hz and analog, the it's very fast and can be read every program loop. Getting rid of the 5V accel cuts down on several components that exist on the board solely for converting voltages.
- Software for the Due
- Automated guidance? Might try a couple of RC cars and planes first.
So here's what we have, an Arduino Mega/Due shield with the following features:
- Barometric Pressure / Temperature (Altimeter)
- 55G Accelerometer
- GPS
- XBee Radio
- MicroSD for data logging and config
- 3-axis Gyroscope
- 3-axis 16G Accelerometer
- Dual solid-state relays (for dual-deployment)
- Multiple options for serial channel usage
I've open-sourced the hardware designs, if anyone's interested (Eagle files), as well as the software:
https://github.com/zortness/rocket-mega-shield
https://github.com/zortness/rocket-mega-code
I actually just got the first 3 PCBs back from OSHPark yesterday, and my new soldering iron was delivered today. I hope to have a working shield completed by the end of the weekend.
Here are the PCBs next to the original prototype:
This will easily fit in a 2.6" diameter rocket. I plan on launching it with some mid-power engines at very low altitude first, without the computer having to do anything for deployment (just the motor delay charges). Then I plan moving on to some of my larger rockets, running this side-by-side with some commercially available dual deployment altimeters, before finally moving it to be in primary control.
Definitely open to feedback, criticisms, and assistance for developing this. Right now the software is very basic, just enough to log all of the data and make a preliminary attempt at detecting the rocket's state transitions during flight.
Future plans:
- Replace the 5v 55G accelerometer with a 3v one, possibly this 200G. The high-G accelerometer is really only useful for total impulse calculation, since we can use the more sensitive 16G accel for detecting state changes. However, since it's 400Hz and analog, the it's very fast and can be read every program loop. Getting rid of the 5V accel cuts down on several components that exist on the board solely for converting voltages.
- Software for the Due
- Automated guidance? Might try a couple of RC cars and planes first.