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diff --git a/doc/altusmetrum.xsl b/doc/altusmetrum.xsl new file mode 100644 index 00000000..8d4230f8 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/altusmetrum.xsl @@ -0,0 +1,1734 @@ +<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> +<!DOCTYPE book PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.5//EN" + "/usr/share/xml/docbook/schema/dtd/4.5/docbookx.dtd"> +<book> + <title>The Altus Metrum System</title> + <subtitle>An Owner's Manual for TeleMetrum and TeleDongle Devices</subtitle> + <bookinfo> + <author> + <firstname>Bdale</firstname> + <surname>Garbee</surname> + </author> + <author> + <firstname>Keith</firstname> + <surname>Packard</surname> + </author> + <author> + <firstname>Bob</firstname> + <surname>Finch</surname> + </author> + <author> + <firstname>Anthony</firstname> + <surname>Towns</surname> + </author> + <copyright> + <year>2010</year> + <holder>Bdale Garbee and Keith Packard</holder> + </copyright> + <legalnotice> + <para> + This document is released under the terms of the + <ulink url="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"> + Creative Commons ShareAlike 3.0 + </ulink> + license. + </para> + </legalnotice> + <revhistory> + <revision> + <revnumber>0.8</revnumber> + <date>24 November 2010</date> + <revremark>Updated for software version 0.8 </revremark> + </revision> + </revhistory> + </bookinfo> + <acknowledgements> + <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 highy 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 + collaborators, and we certainly appreciate this level of + contribution. + </para> + <para> + Have fun using these products, and we hope to meet all of you + out on the rocket flight line somewhere. + <literallayout> +Bdale Garbee, KB0G +NAR #87103, TRA #12201 + +Keith Packard, KD7SQG +NAR #88757, TRA #12200 + </literallayout> + </para> + </acknowledgements> + <chapter> + <title>Introduction and Overview</title> + <para> + Welcome to the Altus Metrum community! Our circuits and software reflect + our passion for both hobby rocketry and Free Software. We hope their + capabilities and performance will delight you in every way, but by + releasing all of our hardware and software designs under open licenses, + we also hope to empower you to take as active a role in our collective + future as you wish! + </para> + <para> + The focal point of our community is TeleMetrum, a dual deploy altimeter + with fully integrated GPS and radio telemetry as standard features, and + a "companion interface" that will support optional capabilities in the + future. + </para> + <para> + Complementing TeleMetrum is TeleDongle, a USB to RF interface for + communicating with TeleMetrum. 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 + data for analysis and review. + </para> + <para> + More products will be added to the Altus Metrum family over time, and + we currently envision that this will be a single, comprehensive manual + for the entire product family. + </para> + </chapter> + <chapter> + <title>Getting Started</title> + <para> + The first thing to do after you check the inventory of parts in your + "starter kit" is to charge the battery by plugging it into the + corresponding socket of the TeleMetrum and then using the USB A to + mini B + cable to plug the Telemetrum into your computer's USB socket. The + TeleMetrum circuitry will charge the battery whenever it is plugged + in, because the TeleMetrum's on-off switch does NOT control the + charging circuitry. When the GPS chip is initially searching for + satellites, TeleMetrum will consume more current than it can pull + from the usb port, so the battery must be attached in order to get + satellite lock. Once GPS is locked, the current consumption goes back + down enough to enable charging while + running. So it's a good idea to fully charge the battery as your + first item of business so there is no issue getting and maintaining + satellite lock. The yellow charge indicator led will go out when the + battery is nearly full and the charger goes to trickle charge. It + can take several hours to fully recharge a deeply discharged battery. + </para> + <para> + The other active device in the starter kit is the TeleDongle USB to + RF interface. If you plug it in to your Mac or Linux computer it should + "just work", showing up as a serial port device. Windows systems need + driver information that is part of the AltOS download to know that the + existing USB modem driver will work. If you are using Linux and are + having problems, try moving to a fresher kernel (2.6.33 or newer), as + the USB serial driver had ugly bugs in some earlier versions. + </para> + <para> + Next you should obtain and install the AltOS utilities. These include + the AltosUI ground station program, current firmware images for + TeleMetrum 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 sourcecode + and build instructions for some other Linux variants are also available. + The latest version may always be downloaded from + <ulink url="http://altusmetrum.org/AltOS"/>. + </para> + <para> + Both Telemetrum and TeleDongle can be directly communicated + with using USB ports. The first thing you should try after getting + both units plugged into to your computer's usb port(s) is to run + 'ao-list' from a terminal-window to see what port-device-name each + device has been assigned by the operating system. + You will need this information to access the devices via their + respective on-board firmware and data using other command line + programs in the AltOS software suite. + </para> + <para> + To access the device's firmware for configuration you need a terminal + program such as you would use to talk to a modem. The software + authors prefer using the program 'cu' which comes from the UUCP package + on most Unix-like systems such as Linux. An example command line for + cu might be 'cu -l /dev/ttyACM0', substituting the correct number + indicated from running the + ao-list program. Another reasonable terminal program for Linux is + 'cutecom'. The default 'escape' + character used by CU (i.e. the character you use to + issue commands to cu itself instead of sending the command as input + to the connected device) is a '~'. You will need this for use in + only two different ways during normal operations. First is to exit + the program by sending a '~.' which is called a 'escape-disconnect' + and allows you to close-out from 'cu'. The + second use will be outlined later. + </para> + <para> + Both TeleMetrum and TeleDongle share the concept of a two level + command set in their firmware. + The first layer has several single letter commands. Once + you are using 'cu' (or 'cutecom') sending (typing) a '?' + returns a full list of these + commands. The second level are configuration sub-commands accessed + using the 'c' command, for + instance typing 'c?' will give you this second level of commands + (all of which require the + letter 'c' to access). Please note that most configuration options + are stored only in DataFlash memory, and only TeleMetrum has this + memory to save the various values entered like the channel number + and your callsign when powered off. TeleDongle requires that you + set these each time you plug it in, which ao-view can help with. + </para> + <para> + Try setting these config ('c' or second level menu) values. A good + place to start is by setting your call sign. By default, the boards + use 'N0CALL' which is cute, but not exactly legal! + Spend a few minutes getting comfortable with the units, their + firmware, and 'cu' (or possibly 'cutecom'). + For instance, try to send + (type) a 'c r 2' and verify the channel change by sending a 'c s'. + Verify you can connect and disconnect from the units while in your + terminal program by sending the escape-disconnect mentioned above. + </para> + <para> + Note that the 'reboot' command, which is very useful on TeleMetrum, + will likely just cause problems with the dongle. The *correct* way + to reset the dongle is just to unplug and re-plug it. + </para> + <para> + A fun thing to do at the launch site and something you can do while + learning how to use these units is to play with the rf-link access + of the TeleMetrum from the TeleDongle. Be aware that you *must* create + some physical separation between the devices, otherwise the link will + not function due to signal overload in the receivers in each device. + </para> + <para> + Now might be a good time to take a break and read the rest of this + manual, particularly about the two "modes" that the TeleMetrum + can be placed in and how the position of the TeleMetrum when booting + up will determine whether the unit is in "pad" or "idle" mode. + </para> + <para> + You can access a TeleMetrum in idle mode from the Teledongle's USB + connection using the rf link + by issuing a 'p' command to the TeleDongle. Practice connecting and + disconnecting ('~~' while using 'cu') from the TeleMetrum. If + you cannot escape out of the "p" command, (by using a '~~' when in + CU) then it is likely that your kernel has issues. Try a newer version. + </para> + <para> + Using this rf link allows you to configure the TeleMetrum, test + fire e-matches and igniters from the flight line, check pyro-match + continuity and so forth. You can leave the unit turned on while it + is in 'idle mode' and then place the + rocket vertically on the launch pad, walk away and then issue a + reboot command. The TeleMetrum will reboot and start sending data + having changed to the "pad" mode. If the TeleDongle is not receiving + this data, you can disconnect 'cu' from the Teledongle using the + procedures mentioned above and THEN connect to the TeleDongle from + inside 'ao-view'. If this doesn't work, disconnect from the + TeleDongle, unplug it, and try again after plugging it back in. + </para> + <para> + Eventually the GPS will find enough satellites, lock in on them, + and 'ao-view' will both auditorially announce and visually indicate + that GPS is ready. + Now you can launch knowing that you have a good data path and + good satellite lock for flight data and recovery. Remember + you MUST tell ao-view to connect to the TeleDongle explicitly in + order for ao-view to be able to receive data. + </para> + <para> + Both RDF (radio direction finding) tones from the TeleMetrum and + GPS trekking data are available and together are very useful in + locating the rocket once it has landed. (The last good GPS data + received before touch-down will be on the data screen of 'ao-view'.) + </para> + <para> + Once you have recovered the rocket you can download the eeprom + contents using either 'ao-dumplog' (or possibly 'ao-eeprom'), over + either a USB cable or over the radio link using TeleDongle. + And by following the man page for 'ao-postflight' you can create + various data output reports, graphs, and even kml data to see the + flight trajectory in google-earth. (Moving the viewing angle making + sure to connect the yellow lines while in google-earth is the proper + technique.) + </para> + <para> + As for ao-view.... some things are in the menu but don't do anything + very useful. The developers have stopped working on ao-view to focus + on a new, cross-platform ground station program. So ao-view may or + may not be updated in the future. Mostly you just use + the Log and Device menus. It has a wonderful display of the incoming + flight data and I am sure you will enjoy what it has to say to you + once you enable the voice output! + </para> + <section> + <title>FAQ</title> + <para> + The altimeter (TeleMetrum) seems to shut off when disconnected from the + computer. Make sure the battery is adequately charged. Remember the + unit will pull more power than the USB port can deliver before the + GPS enters "locked" mode. The battery charges best when TeleMetrum + is turned off. + </para> + <para> + It's impossible to stop the TeleDongle when it's in "p" mode, I have + to unplug the USB cable? Make sure you have tried to "escape out" of + this mode. If this doesn't work the reboot procedure for the + TeleDongle *is* to simply unplug it. 'cu' however will retain it's + outgoing buffer IF your "escape out" ('~~') does not work. + At this point using either 'ao-view' (or possibly + 'cutemon') instead of 'cu' will 'clear' the issue and allow renewed + communication. + </para> + <para> + The amber LED (on the TeleMetrum/altimeter) lights up when both + battery and USB are connected. Does this mean it's charging? + Yes, the yellow LED indicates the charging at the 'regular' rate. + If the led is out but the unit is still plugged into a USB port, + then the battery is being charged at a 'trickle' rate. + </para> + <para> + There are no "dit-dah-dah-dit" sound like the manual mentions? + That's the "pad" mode. Weak batteries might be the problem. + It is also possible that the unit is horizontal and the output + is instead a "dit-dit" meaning 'idle'. + </para> + <para> + It's unclear how to use 'ao-view' and other programs when 'cu' + is running. You cannot have more than one program connected to + the TeleDongle at one time without apparent data loss as the + incoming data will not make it to both programs intact. + Disconnect whatever programs aren't currently being used. + </para> + <para> + How do I save flight data? + Live telemetry is written to file(s) whenever 'ao-view' is connected + to the TeleDongle. The file area defaults to ~/altos + but is easily changed using the menus in 'ao-view'. The files that + are written end in '.telem'. The after-flight + data-dumped files will end in .eeprom and represent continuous data + unlike the rf-linked .telem files that are subject to the + turnarounds/data-packaging time slots in the half-duplex rf data path. + See the above instructions on what and how to save the eeprom stored + data after physically retrieving your TeleMetrum. Make sure to save + the on-board data after each flight, as the current firmware will + over-write any previous flight data during a new flight. + </para> + </section> + </chapter> + <chapter> + <title>Specifications</title> + <itemizedlist> + <listitem> + <para> + Recording altimeter for model rocketry. + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + Supports dual deployment (can fire 2 ejection charges). + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + 70cm ham-band transceiver for telemetry downlink. + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + Barometric pressure sensor good to 45k feet MSL. + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + 1-axis high-g accelerometer for motor characterization, capable of + +/- 50g using default part. + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + On-board, integrated GPS receiver with 5hz update rate capability. + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + On-board 1 megabyte non-volatile memory for flight data storage. + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + USB interface for battery charging, configuration, and data recovery. + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + Fully integrated support for LiPo rechargeable batteries. + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + Uses LiPo to fire e-matches, support for optional separate pyro + battery if needed. + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + 2.75 x 1 inch board designed to fit inside 29mm airframe coupler tube. + </para> + </listitem> + </itemizedlist> + </chapter> + <chapter> + <title>Handling Precautions</title> + <para> + TeleMetrum is a sophisticated electronic device. When handled gently and + properly installed in an airframe, it will deliver impressive results. + However, like all electronic devices, there are some precautions you + must take. + </para> + <para> + The Lithium Polymer rechargeable batteries used with TeleMetrum have an + extraordinary power density. This is great because we can fly with + much less battery mass than if we used alkaline batteries or previous + generation rechargeable batteries... but if they are punctured + or their leads are allowed to short, they can and will release their + energy very rapidly! + Thus we recommend that you take some care when handling our batteries + and consider giving them some extra protection in your airframe. We + often wrap them in suitable scraps of closed-cell packing foam before + strapping them down, for example. + </para> + <para> + The TeleMetrum barometric sensor is sensitive to sunlight. In normal + mounting situations, it and all of the other surface mount components + are "down" towards whatever the underlying mounting surface is, so + this is not normally a problem. Please consider this, though, when + designing an installation, for example, in a 29mm airframe with a + see-through plastic payload bay. + </para> + <para> + The TeleMetrum barometric sensor sampling port must be able to + "breathe", + both by not being covered by foam or tape or other materials that might + directly block the hole on the top of the sensor, but also by having a + suitable static vent to outside air. + </para> + <para> + As with all other rocketry electronics, TeleMetrum must be protected + from exposure to corrosive motor exhaust and ejection charge gasses. + </para> + </chapter> + <chapter> + <title>Hardware Overview</title> + <para> + TeleMetrum is a 1 inch by 2.75 inch circuit board. It was designed to + fit inside coupler for 29mm airframe tubing, but using it in a tube that + small in diameter may require some creativity in mounting and wiring + to succeed! The default 1/4 + wave UHF wire antenna attached to the center of the nose-cone end of + the board is about 7 inches long, and wiring for a power switch and + the e-matches for apogee and main ejection charges depart from the + fin can end of the board. Given all this, an ideal "simple" avionics + bay for TeleMetrum should have at least 10 inches of interior length. + </para> + <para> + A typical TeleMetrum installation using the on-board GPS antenna and + default wire UHF antenna involves attaching only a suitable + Lithium Polymer battery, a single pole switch for power on/off, and + two pairs of wires connecting e-matches for the apogee and main ejection + charges. + </para> + <para> + By default, we use the unregulated output of the LiPo battery directly + to fire ejection charges. This works marvelously with standard + low-current e-matches like the J-Tek from MJG Technologies, and with + Quest Q2G2 igniters. However, if you + want or need to use a separate pyro battery, you can do so by adding + a second 2mm connector to position B2 on the board and cutting the + thick pcb trace connecting the LiPo battery to the pyro circuit between + the two silk screen marks on the surface mount side of the board shown + here [insert photo] + </para> + <para> + We offer two choices of pyro and power switch connector, or you can + choose neither and solder wires directly to the board. All three choices + are reasonable depending on the constraints of your airframe. Our + favorite option when there is sufficient room above the board is to use + the Tyco pin header with polarization and locking. If you choose this + option, you crimp individual wires for the power switch and e-matches + into a mating connector, and installing and removing the TeleMetrum + board from an airframe is as easy as plugging or unplugging two + connectors. If the airframe will not support this much height or if + you want to be able to directly attach e-match leads to the board, we + offer a screw terminal block. This is very similar to what most other + altimeter vendors provide and so may be the most familiar option. + You'll need a very small straight blade screwdriver to connect + and disconnect the board in this case, such as you might find in a + jeweler's screwdriver set. Finally, you can forego both options and + solder wires directly to the board, which may be the best choice for + minimum diameter and/or minimum mass designs. + </para> + <para> + For most airframes, the integrated GPS antenna and wire UHF antenna are + a great combination. However, if you are installing in a carbon-fiber + electronics bay which is opaque to RF signals, you may need to use + off-board external antennas instead. In this case, you can order + TeleMetrum with an SMA connector for the UHF antenna connection, and + you can unplug the integrated GPS antenna and select an appropriate + off-board GPS antenna with cable terminating in a U.FL connector. + </para> + </chapter> + <chapter> + <title>System Operation</title> + <section> + <title>Firmware Modes </title> + <para> + The AltOS firmware build for TeleMetrum has two fundamental modes, + "idle" and "flight". Which of these modes the firmware operates in + is determined by the orientation of the rocket (well, actually the + board, of course...) at the time power is switched on. If the rocket + is "nose up", then TeleMetrum assumes it's on a rail or rod being + prepared for launch, so the firmware chooses flight mode. However, + if the rocket is more or less horizontal, the firmware instead enters + idle mode. + </para> + <para> + At power on, you will hear three beeps + ("S" in Morse code for startup) and then a pause while + TeleMetrum completes initialization and self tests, and decides which + mode to enter next. + </para> + <para> + In flight or "pad" mode, TeleMetrum turns on the GPS system, + engages the flight + state machine, goes into transmit-only mode on the RF link sending + telemetry, and waits for launch to be detected. Flight mode is + indicated by an audible "di-dah-dah-dit" ("P" for pad) on the + beeper, followed by + beeps indicating the state of the pyrotechnic igniter continuity. + One beep indicates apogee continuity, two beeps indicate + main continuity, three beeps indicate both apogee and main continuity, + and one longer "brap" sound indicates no continuity. For a dual + deploy flight, make sure you're getting three beeps before launching! + For apogee-only or motor eject flights, do what makes sense. + </para> + <para> + In idle mode, you will hear an audible "di-dit" ("I" for idle), and + the normal flight state machine is disengaged, thus + no ejection charges will fire. TeleMetrum also listens on the RF + link when in idle mode for packet mode requests sent from TeleDongle. + Commands can be issued to a TeleMetrum in idle mode over either + USB or the RF link equivalently. + Idle mode is useful for configuring TeleMetrum, for extracting data + from the on-board storage chip after flight, and for ground testing + pyro charges. + </para> + <para> + One "neat trick" of particular value when TeleMetrum is used with very + large airframes, is that you can power the board up while the rocket + is horizontal, such that it comes up in idle mode. Then you can + raise the airframe to launch position, use a TeleDongle to open + a packet connection, and issue a 'reset' command which will cause + TeleMetrum to reboot, realize it's now nose-up, and thus choose + flight mode. This is much safer than standing on the top step of a + rickety step-ladder or hanging off the side of a launch tower with + a screw-driver trying to turn on your avionics before installing + igniters! + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>GPS </title> + <para> + TeleMetrum includes a complete GPS receiver. See a later section for + a brief explanation of how GPS works that will help you understand + the information in the telemetry stream. The bottom line is that + the TeleMetrum GPS receiver needs to lock onto at least four + satellites to obtain a solid 3 dimensional position fix and know + what time it is! + </para> + <para> + TeleMetrum provides backup power to the GPS chip any time a LiPo + battery is connected. This allows the receiver to "warm start" on + the launch rail much faster than if every power-on were a "cold start" + for the GPS receiver. In typical operations, powering up TeleMetrum + on the flight line in idle mode while performing final airframe + preparation will be sufficient to allow the GPS receiver to cold + start and acquire lock. Then the board can be powered down during + RSO review and installation on a launch rod or rail. When the board + is turned back on, the GPS system should lock very quickly, typically + long before igniter installation and return to the flight line are + complete. + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>Ground Testing </title> + <para> + An important aspect of preparing a rocket using electronic deployment + for flight is ground testing the recovery system. Thanks + to the bi-directional RF link central to the Altus Metrum system, + this can be accomplished in a TeleMetrum-equipped rocket without as + much work as you may be accustomed to with other systems. It can + even be fun! + </para> + <para> + Just prep the rocket for flight, then power up TeleMetrum while the + airframe is horizontal. This will cause the firmware to go into + "idle" mode, in which the normal flight state machine is disabled and + charges will not fire without manual command. Then, establish an + RF packet connection from a TeleDongle-equipped computer using the + P command from a safe distance. You can now command TeleMetrum to + fire the apogee or main charges to complete your testing. + </para> + <para> + In order to reduce the chance of accidental firing of pyrotechnic + charges, the command to fire a charge is intentionally somewhat + difficult to type, and the built-in help is slightly cryptic to + prevent accidental echoing of characters from the help text back at + the board from firing a charge. The command to fire the apogee + drogue charge is 'i DoIt drogue' and the command to fire the main + charge is 'i DoIt main'. + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>Radio Link </title> + <para> + The chip our boards are based on incorporates an RF transceiver, but + it's not a full duplex system... each end can only be transmitting or + receiving at any given moment. So we had to decide how to manage the + link. + </para> + <para> + By design, TeleMetrum firmware listens for an RF connection when + it's in "idle mode" (turned on while the rocket is horizontal), which + allows us to use the RF link to configure the rocket, do things like + ejection tests, and extract data after a flight without having to + crack open the airframe. However, when the board is in "flight + mode" (turned on when the rocket is vertical) the TeleMetrum only + transmits and doesn't listen at all. That's because we want to put + ultimate priority on event detection and getting telemetry out of + the rocket and out over + the RF link in case the rocket crashes and we aren't able to extract + 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 + baseband 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! + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>Configurable Parameters</title> + <para> + Configuring a TeleMetrum board for flight is very simple. Because we + have both acceleration and pressure sensors, there is no need to set + a "mach delay", for example. The few configurable parameters can all + be set using a simple terminal program over the USB port or RF link + via TeleDongle. + </para> + <section> + <title>Radio Channel</title> + <para> + Our firmware supports 10 channels. The default channel 0 corresponds + to a center frequency of 434.550 Mhz, and channels are spaced every + 100 khz. Thus, channel 1 is 434.650 Mhz, and channel 9 is 435.550 Mhz. + At any given launch, we highly recommend coordinating who will use + each channel and when to avoid interference. And of course, both + TeleMetrum and TeleDongle must be configured to the same channel to + successfully communicate with each other. + </para> + <para> + To set the radio channel, use the 'c r' command, like 'c r 3' to set + channel 3. + As with all 'c' sub-commands, follow this with a 'c w' to write the + change to the parameter block in the on-board DataFlash chip on + your TeleMetrum board if you want the change to stay in place across reboots. + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>Apogee Delay</title> + <para> + Apogee delay is the number of seconds after TeleMetrum detects flight + apogee that the drogue charge should be fired. In most cases, this + should be left at the default of 0. However, if you are flying + redundant electronics such as for an L3 certification, you may wish + to set one of your altimeters to a positive delay so that both + primary and backup pyrotechnic charges do not fire simultaneously. + </para> + <para> + To set the apogee delay, use the 'c d' command. + As with all 'c' sub-commands, follow this with a 'c w' to write the + change to the parameter block in the on-board DataFlash chip. + </para> + <para> + Please note that the TeleMetrum apogee detection algorithm always + fires a fraction of a second *after* apogee. If you are also flying + an altimeter like the PerfectFlite MAWD, which only supports selecting + 0 or 1 seconds of apogee delay, you may wish to set the MAWD to 0 + seconds delay and set the TeleMetrum to fire your backup 2 or 3 + seconds later to avoid any chance of both charges firing + simultaneously. We've flown several airframes this way quite happily, + including Keith's successful L3 cert. + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>Main Deployment Altitude</title> + <para> + By default, TeleMetrum will fire the main deployment charge at an + elevation of 250 meters (about 820 feet) above ground. We think this + is a good elevation for most airframes, but feel free to change this + to suit. In particular, if you are flying two altimeters, you may + wish to set the + deployment elevation for the backup altimeter to be something lower + than the primary so that both pyrotechnic charges don't fire + simultaneously. + </para> + <para> + To set the main deployment altitude, use the 'c m' command. + As with all 'c' sub-commands, follow this with a 'c w' to write the + change to the parameter block in the on-board DataFlash chip. + </para> + </section> + </section> + <section> + <title>Calibration</title> + <para> + There are only two calibrations required for a TeleMetrum board, and + only one for TeleDongle. + </para> + <section> + <title>Radio Frequency</title> + <para> + The radio frequency is synthesized from a clock based on the 48 Mhz + crystal on the board. The actual frequency of this oscillator must be + measured to generate a calibration constant. While our GFSK modulation + bandwidth is wide enough to allow boards to communicate even when + their oscillators are not on exactly the same frequency, performance + is best when they are closely matched. + Radio frequency calibration requires a calibrated frequency counter. + Fortunately, once set, the variation in frequency due to aging and + temperature changes is small enough that re-calibration by customers + should generally not be required. + </para> + <para> + To calibrate the radio frequency, connect the UHF antenna port to a + frequency counter, set the board to channel 0, and use the 'C' + command to generate a CW carrier. Wait for the transmitter temperature + to stabilize and the frequency to settle down. + Then, divide 434.550 Mhz by the + measured frequency and multiply by the current radio cal value show + in the 'c s' command. For an unprogrammed board, the default value + is 1186611. Take the resulting integer and program it using the 'c f' + command. Testing with the 'C' command again should show a carrier + within a few tens of Hertz of the intended frequency. + As with all 'c' sub-commands, follow this with a 'c w' to write the + change to the parameter block in the on-board DataFlash chip. + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>Accelerometer</title> + <para> + The accelerometer we use has its own 5 volt power supply and + the output must be passed through a resistive voltage divider to match + the input of our 3.3 volt ADC. This means that unlike the barometric + sensor, the output of the acceleration sensor is not ratiometric to + the ADC converter, and calibration is required. We also support the + use of any of several accelerometers from a Freescale family that + includes at least +/- 40g, 50g, 100g, and 200g parts. Using gravity, + a simple 2-point calibration yields acceptable results capturing both + the different sensitivities and ranges of the different accelerometer + parts and any variation in power supply voltages or resistor values + in the divider network. + </para> + <para> + To calibrate the acceleration sensor, use the 'c a 0' command. You + will be prompted to orient the board vertically with the UHF antenna + up and press a key, then to orient the board vertically with the + UHF antenna down and press a key. + As with all 'c' sub-commands, follow this with a 'c w' to write the + change to the parameter block in the on-board DataFlash chip. + </para> + <para> + The +1g and -1g calibration points are included in each telemetry + frame and are part of the header extracted by ao-dumplog after flight. + Note that we always store and return raw ADC samples for each + sensor... nothing is permanently "lost" or "damaged" if the + calibration is poor. + </para> + <para> + In the unlikely event an accel cal that goes badly, it is possible + that TeleMetrum may always come up in 'pad mode' and as such not be + listening to either the USB or radio interfaces. If that happens, + there is a special hook in the firmware to force the board back + in to 'idle mode' so you can re-do the cal. To use this hook, you + just need to ground the SPI clock pin at power-on. This pin is + available as pin 2 on the 8-pin companion connector, and pin 1 is + ground. So either carefully install a fine-gauge wire jumper + between the two pins closest to the index hole end of the 8-pin + connector, or plug in the programming cable to the 8-pin connector + and use a small screwdriver or similar to short the two pins closest + to the index post on the 4-pin end of the programming cable, and + power up the board. It should come up in 'idle mode' (two beeps). + </para> + </section> + </section> + + + + <section> + <title>Updating Device Firmware</title> + <para> + The big conceptual thing to realize is that you have to use a + TeleDongle as a programmer to update a TeleMetrum, and vice versa. + Due to limited memory resources in the cc1111, we don't support + programming either unit directly over USB. + </para> + <para> + You may wish to begin by ensuring you have current firmware images. + These are distributed as part of the AltOS software bundle that + also includes the AltosUI ground station program. Newer ground + station versions typically work fine with older firmware versions, + so you don't need to update your devices just to try out new + software features. You can always download the most recent + version from <ulink url="http://www.altusmetrum.org/AltOS/"/>. + </para> + <para> + We recommend updating TeleMetrum first, before updating TeleDongle. + </para> + <section> + <title>Updating TeleMetrum Firmware</title> + <orderedlist inheritnum='inherit' numeration='arabic'> + <listitem> + Find the 'programming cable' that you got as part of the starter + kit, that has a red 8-pin MicroMaTch connector on one end and a + red 4-pin MicroMaTch connector on the other end. + </listitem> + <listitem> + Take the 2 screws out of the TeleDongle case to get access + to the circuit board. + </listitem> + <listitem> + Plug the 8-pin end of the programming cable to the + matching connector on the TeleDongle, and the 4-pin end to the + matching connector on the TeleMetrum. + Note that each MicroMaTch connector has an alignment pin that + goes through a hole in the PC board when you have the cable + oriented correctly. + </listitem> + <listitem> + Attach a battery to the TeleMetrum board. + </listitem> + <listitem> + Plug the TeleDongle into your computer's USB port, and power + up the TeleMetrum. + </listitem> + <listitem> + Run AltosUI, and select 'Flash Image' from the File menu. + </listitem> + <listitem> + Pick the TeleDongle device from the list, identifying it as the + programming device. + </listitem> + <listitem> + Select the image you want put on the TeleMetrum, which should have a + name in the form telemetrum-v1.0-0.7.1.ihx. It should be visible + in the default directory, if not you may have to poke around + your system to find it. + </listitem> + <listitem> + Make sure the configuration parameters are reasonable + looking. If the serial number and/or RF configuration + values aren't right, you'll need to change them. + </listitem> + <listitem> + Hit the 'OK' button and the software should proceed to flash + the TeleMetrum with new firmware, showing a progress bar. + </listitem> + <listitem> + Confirm that the TeleMetrum board seems to have updated ok, which you + can do by plugging in to it over USB and using a terminal program + to connect to the board and issue the 'v' command to check + the version, etc. + </listitem> + <listitem> + If something goes wrong, give it another try. + </listitem> + </orderedlist> + </section> + <section> + <title>Updating TeleDongle Firmware</title> + <para> + Updating TeleDongle's firmware is just like updating TeleMetrum + firmware, but you switch which board is the programmer and which + is the programming target. + </para> + <orderedlist inheritnum='inherit' numeration='arabic'> + <listitem> + Find the 'programming cable' that you got as part of the starter + kit, that has a red 8-pin MicroMaTch connector on one end and a + red 4-pin MicroMaTch connector on the other end. + </listitem> + <listitem> + Find the USB cable that you got as part of the starter kit, and + plug the "mini" end in to the mating connector on TeleMetrum. + </listitem> + <listitem> + Take the 2 screws out of the TeleDongle case to get access + to the circuit board. + </listitem> + <listitem> + Plug the 8-pin end of the programming cable to the (latching) + matching connector on the TeleMetrum, and the 4-pin end to the + matching connector on the TeleDongle. + Note that each MicroMaTch connector has an alignment pin that + goes through a hole in the PC board when you have the cable + oriented correctly. + </listitem> + <listitem> + Attach a battery to the TeleMetrum board. + </listitem> + <listitem> + Plug both TeleMetrum and TeleDongle into your computer's USB + ports, and power up the TeleMetrum. + </listitem> + <listitem> + Run AltosUI, and select 'Flash Image' from the File menu. + </listitem> + <listitem> + Pick the TeleMetrum device from the list, identifying it as the + programming device. + </listitem> + <listitem> + Select the image you want put on the TeleDongle, which should have a + name in the form teledongle-v0.2-0.7.1.ihx. It should be visible + in the default directory, if not you may have to poke around + your system to find it. + </listitem> + <listitem> + Make sure the configuration parameters are reasonable + looking. If the serial number and/or RF configuration + values aren't right, you'll need to change them. The TeleDongle + serial number is on the "bottom" of the circuit board, and can + usually be read through the translucent blue plastic case without + needing to remove the board from the case. + </listitem> + <listitem> + Hit the 'OK' button and the software should proceed to flash + the TeleDongle with new firmware, showing a progress bar. + </listitem> + <listitem> + Confirm that the TeleDongle board seems to have updated ok, which you + can do by plugging in to it over USB and using a terminal program + to connect to the board and issue the 'v' command to check + the version, etc. Once you're happy, remove the programming cable + and put the cover back on the TeleDongle. + </listitem> + <listitem> + If something goes wrong, give it another try. + </listitem> + </orderedlist> + <para> + Be careful removing the programming cable from the locking 8-pin + connector on TeleMetrum. You'll need a fingernail or perhaps a thin + screwdriver or knife blade to gently pry the locking ears out + slightly to extract the connector. We used a locking connector on + TeleMetrum to help ensure that the cabling to companion boards + used in a rocket don't ever come loose accidentally in flight. + </para> + </section> + </section> + + + + </chapter> + <chapter> + + <title>AltosUI</title> + <para> + The AltosUI program provides a graphical user interface for + interacting with the Altus Metrum product family, including + TeleMetrum and TeleDongle. AltosUI can monitor telemetry data, + configure TeleMetrum and TeleDongle devices and many other + tasks. The primary interface window provides a selection of + buttons, one for each major activity in the system. This manual + is split into chapters, each of which documents one of the tasks + provided from the top-level toolbar. + </para> + <section> + <title>Packet Command Mode</title> + <subtitle>Controlling TeleMetrum Over The Radio Link</subtitle> + <para> + One of the unique features of the Altos Metrum environment is + the ability to create a two way command link between TeleDongle + and TeleMetrum using the digital radio transceivers built into + each device. This allows you to interact with TeleMetrum 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. Simply 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 + channel for packet mode communications. Instead of providing + an interface to specifically configure the channel, it uses + whatever channel 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 channel and then close it + down again. All Packet Command Mode operations will now use + that channel. + </para> + <itemizedlist> + <listitem> + <para> + Save Flight Data—Recover flight data from the rocket without + opening it up. + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + Configure TeleMetrum—Reset apogee delays or main deploy + heights to respond to changing launch conditions. You can + also 'reboot' the TeleMetrum device. Use this to remotely + enable the flight computer by turning TeleMetrum on while + horizontal, then once the airframe is oriented for launch, + you can reboot TeleMetrum 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 airframe. Simply assembly the + rocket as if for flight with the apogee and main charges + loaded, then remotely command TeleMetrum to fire the + igniters. + </para> + </listitem> + </itemizedlist> + <para> + Packet command mode uses the same RF channels as telemetry + mode. Configure the desired TeleDongle channel using the + flight monitor window channel 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> + When packet command mode is enabled, you can monitor the link + by watching the lights on the TeleDongle and TeleMetrum + devices. The red LED will flash each time TeleDongle or + TeleMetrum transmit a packet while the green LED will light up + on TeleDongle while it is waiting to receive a packet from + TeleMetrum. + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>Monitor Flight</title> + <subtitle>Receive, Record and Display Telemetry Data</subtitle> + <para> + Selecting this item brings up a dialog box listing all of the + connected TeleDongle devices. When you choose one of these, + AltosUI will create a window to display telemetry data as + received by the selected TeleDongle device. + </para> + <para> + All telemetry data received are automatically recorded in + suitable log files. The name of the files includes the current + date and rocket serial and flight numbers. + </para> + <para> + The radio channel being monitored by the TeleDongle device is + displayed at the top of the window. You can configure the + channel by clicking on the channel box and selecting the desired + channel. AltosUI remembers the last channel selected for each + TeleDongle and selects that automatically the next time you use + that device. + </para> + <para> + Below the TeleDongle channel selector, the window contains a few + significant pieces of information about the TeleMetrum providing + the telemetry data stream: + </para> + <itemizedlist> + <listitem> + <para>The TeleMetrum callsign</para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para>The TeleMetrum serial number</para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para>The flight number. Each TeleMetrum remembers how many + times it has flown. + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + The rocket flight state. Each flight passes through several + states including Pad, Boost, Fast, Coast, Drogue, Main and + Landed. + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + The Received Signal Strength Indicator value. This lets + you know how strong a signal TeleDongle is receiving. The + radio inside TeleDongle operates down to about -99dBm; + weaker signals may not be receiveable. The packet link uses + error correction and detection techniques which prevent + incorrect data from being reported. + </para> + </listitem> + </itemizedlist> + <para> + Finally, the largest portion of the window contains a set of + tabs, each of which contain some information about the rocket. + They're arranged in 'flight order' so that as the flight + progresses, the selected tab automatically switches to display + data relevant to the current state of the flight. You can select + other tabs at any time. The final 'table' tab contains all of + the telemetry data in one place. + </para> + <section> + <title>Launch Pad</title> + <para> + The 'Launch Pad' tab shows information used to decide when the + rocket is ready for flight. The first elements include red/green + indicators, if any of these is red, you'll want to evaluate + whether the rocket is ready to launch: + <itemizedlist> + <listitem> + <para> + Battery Voltage. This indicates whether the LiPo battery + powering the TeleMetrum has sufficient charge to last for + the duration of the flight. A value of more than + 3.7V is required for a 'GO' status. + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + Apogee Igniter Voltage. This indicates whether the apogee + igniter has continuity. If the igniter has a low + resistance, then the voltage measured here will be close + to the LiPo battery voltage. A value greater than 3.2V is + required for a 'GO' status. + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + Main Igniter Voltage. This indicates whether the main + igniter has continuity. If the igniter has a low + resistance, then the voltage measured here will be close + to the LiPo battery voltage. A value greater than 3.2V is + required for a 'GO' status. + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + GPS Locked. This indicates whether the GPS receiver is + currently able to compute position information. GPS requires + at least 4 satellites to compute an accurate position. + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + GPS Ready. This indicates whether GPS has reported at least + 10 consecutive positions without losing lock. This ensures + that the GPS receiver has reliable reception from the + satellites. + </para> + </listitem> + </itemizedlist> + <para> + The LaunchPad tab also shows the computed launch pad position + and altitude, averaging many reported positions to improve the + accuracy of the fix. + </para> + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>Ascent</title> + <para> + This tab is shown during Boost, Fast and Coast + phases. The information displayed here helps monitor the + rocket as it heads towards apogee. + </para> + <para> + The height, speed and acceleration are shown along with the + maxium values for each of them. This allows you to quickly + answer the most commonly asked questions you'll hear during + flight. + </para> + <para> + The current latitude and longitude reported by the GPS are + also shown. Note that under high acceleration, these values + may not get updated as the GPS receiver loses position + fix. Once the rocket starts coasting, the receiver should + start reporting position again. + </para> + <para> + Finally, the current igniter voltages are reported as in the + Launch Pad tab. This can help diagnose deployment failures + caused by wiring which comes loose under high acceleration. + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>Descent</title> + <para> + Once the rocket has reached apogee and (we hope) activated the + apogee charge, attention switches to tracking the rocket on + the way back to the ground, and for dual-deploy flights, + waiting for the main charge to fire. + </para> + <para> + To monitor whether the apogee charge operated correctly, the + current descent rate is reported along with the current + height. Good descent rates generally range from 15-30m/s. + </para> + <para> + To help locate the rocket in the sky, use the elevation and + bearing information to figure out where to look. Elevation is + in degrees above the horizon. Bearing is reported in degrees + relative to true north. Range can help figure out how big the + rocket will appear. Note that all of these values are relative + to the pad location. If the elevation is near 90°, the rocket + is over the pad, not over you. + </para> + <para> + Finally, the igniter voltages are reported in this tab as + well, both to monitor the main charge as well as to see what + the status of the apogee charge is. + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>Landed</title> + <para> + Once the rocket is on the ground, attention switches to + recovery. While the radio signal is generally lost once the + rocket is on the ground, the last reported GPS position is + generally within a short distance of the actual landing location. + </para> + <para> + The last reported GPS position is reported both by + latitude and longitude as well as a bearing and distance from + the launch pad. The distance should give you a good idea of + whether you'll want to walk or hitch a ride. Take the reported + latitude and longitude and enter them into your handheld GPS + unit and have that compute a track to the landing location. + </para> + <para> + Finally, the maximum height, speed and acceleration reported + during the flight are displayed for your admiring observers. + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>Site Map</title> + <para> + When the rocket gets a GPS fix, the Site Map tab will map + the rocket's position to make it easier for you to locate the + rocket, both while it is in the air, and when it has landed. The + rocket's state is indicated by colour: white for pad, red for + boost, pink for fast, yellow for coast, light blue for drogue, + dark blue for main, and black for landed. + </para> + <para> + The map's scale is approximately 3m (10ft) per pixel. The map + can be dragged using the left mouse button. The map will attempt + to keep the rocket roughly centred while data is being received. + </para> + <para> + Images are fetched automatically via the Google Maps Static API, + and are cached for reuse. If map images cannot be downloaded, + the rocket's path will be traced on a dark grey background + instead. + </para> + </section> + </section> + <section> + <title>Save Flight Data</title> + <para> + TeleMetrum records flight data to its internal flash memory. + This data is recorded at a much higher rate than the telemetry + system can handle, and is not subject to radio drop-outs. As + such, it provides a more complete and precise record of the + flight. The 'Save Flight Data' button allows you to read the + flash memory and write it to disk. + </para> + <para> + Clicking on the 'Save Flight Data' button brings up a list of + connected TeleMetrum and TeleDongle devices. If you select a + TeleMetrum device, the flight data will be downloaded from that + device directly. If you select a TeleDongle device, flight data + will be downloaded from a TeleMetrum device connected via the + packet command link to the specified TeleDongle. See the chapter + on Packet Command Mode for more information about this. + </para> + <para> + The filename for the data is computed automatically from the recorded + flight date, TeleMetrum serial number and flight number + information. + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>Replay Flight</title> + <para> + Select this button and you are prompted to select a flight + record file, either a .telem file recording telemetry data or a + .eeprom file containing flight data saved from the TeleMetrum + flash memory. + </para> + <para> + Once a flight record is selected, the flight monitor interface + is displayed and the flight is re-enacted in real time. Check + the Monitor Flight chapter above to learn how this window operates. + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>Graph Data</title> + <para> + Select this button and you are prompted to select a flight + record file, either a .telem file recording telemetry data or a + .eeprom file containing flight data saved from the TeleMetrum + flash memory. + </para> + <para> + Once a flight record is selected, the acceleration (blue), + velocity (green) and altitude (red) of the flight are plotted and + displayed, measured in metric units. + </para> + <para> + The graph can be zoomed into a particular area by clicking and + dragging down and to the right. Once zoomed, the graph can be + reset by clicking and dragging up and to the left. Holding down + control and clicking and dragging allows the graph to be panned. + The right mouse button causes a popup menu to be displayed, giving + you the option save or print the plot. + </para> + <para> + Note that telemetry files will generally produce poor graphs + due to the lower sampling rate and missed telemetry packets, + and will also often have significant amounts of data received + while the rocket was waiting on the pad. Use saved flight data + for graphing where possible. + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>Export Data</title> + <para> + This tool takes the raw data files and makes them available for + external analysis. When you select this button, you are prompted to select a flight + data file (either .eeprom or .telem will do, remember that + .eeprom files contain higher resolution and more continuous + data). Next, a second dialog appears which is used to select + where to write the resulting file. It has a selector to choose + between CSV and KML file formats. + </para> + <section> + <title>Comma Separated Value Format</title> + <para> + This is a text file containing the data in a form suitable for + import into a spreadsheet or other external data analysis + tool. The first few lines of the file contain the version and + configuration information from the TeleMetrum device, then + there is a single header line which labels all of the + fields. All of these lines start with a '#' character which + most tools can be configured to skip over. + </para> + <para> + The remaining lines of the file contain the data, with each + field separated by a comma and at least one space. All of + the sensor values are converted to standard units, with the + barometric data reported in both pressure, altitude and + height above pad units. + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>Keyhole Markup Language (for Google Earth)</title> + <para> + This is the format used by + Googleearth to provide an overlay within that + application. With this, you can use Googleearth to see the + whole flight path in 3D. + </para> + </section> + </section> + <section> + <title>Configure TeleMetrum</title> + <para> + Select this button and then select either a TeleMetrum or + TeleDongle Device from the list provided. Selecting a TeleDongle + device will use Packet Comamnd Mode to configure remote + TeleMetrum device. Learn how to use this in the Packet Command + Mode chapter. + </para> + <para> + The first few lines of the dialog provide information about the + connected TeleMetrum device, including the product name, + software version and hardware serial number. Below that are the + individual configuration entries. + </para> + <para> + At the bottom of the dialog, there are four buttons: + </para> + <itemizedlist> + <listitem> + <para> + Save. This writes any changes to the TeleMetrum + configuration parameter block in flash memory. If you don't + press this button, any changes you make will be lost. + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + Reset. This resets the dialog to the most recently saved values, + erasing any changes you have made. + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + Reboot. This reboots the TeleMetrum device. Use this to + switch from idle to pad mode by rebooting once the rocket is + oriented for flight. + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + Close. This closes the dialog. Any unsaved changes will be + lost. + </para> + </listitem> + </itemizedlist> + <para> + The rest of the dialog contains the parameters to be configured. + </para> + <section> + <title>Main Deploy Altitude</title> + <para> + This sets the altitude (above the recorded pad altitude) at + which the 'main' igniter will fire. The drop-down menu shows + some common values, but you can edit the text directly and + choose whatever you like. If the apogee charge fires below + this altitude, then the main charge will fire two seconds + after the apogee charge fires. + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>Apogee Delay</title> + <para> + When flying redundant electronics, it's often important to + ensure that multiple apogee charges don't fire at precisely + the same time as that can overpressurize the apogee deployment + bay and cause a structural failure of the airframe. The Apogee + Delay parameter tells the flight computer to fire the apogee + charge a certain number of seconds after apogee has been + detected. + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>Radio Channel</title> + <para> + This configures which of the 10 radio channels to use for both + telemetry and packet command mode. Note that if you set this + value via packet command mode, you will have to reconfigure + the TeleDongle channel before you will be able to use packet + command mode again. + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>Radio Calibration</title> + <para> + The radios in every Altus Metrum device are calibrated at the + factory to ensure that they transmit and receive on the + specified frequency for each channel. You can adjust that + calibration by changing this value. To change the TeleDongle's + calibration, you must reprogram the unit completely. + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>Callsign</title> + <para> + This sets the callsign included in each telemetry packet. Set this + as needed to conform to your local radio regulations. + </para> + </section> + </section> + <section> + <title>Configure AltosUI</title> + <para> + This button presents a dialog so that you can configure the AltosUI global settings. + </para> + <section> + <title>Voice Settings</title> + <para> + AltosUI provides voice annoucements during flight so that you + can keep your eyes on the sky and still get information about + the current flight status. However, sometimes you don't want + to hear them. + </para> + <itemizedlist> + <listitem> + <para>Enable—turns all voice announcements on and off</para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + Test Voice—Plays a short message allowing you to verify + that the audio systme is working and the volume settings + are reasonable + </para> + </listitem> + </itemizedlist> + </section> + <section> + <title>Log Directory</title> + <para> + AltosUI logs all telemetry data and saves all TeleMetrum flash + data to this directory. This directory is also used as the + staring point when selecting data files for display or export. + </para> + <para> + Click on the directory name to bring up a directory choosing + dialog, select a new directory and click 'Select Directory' to + change where AltosUI reads and writes data files. + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>Callsign</title> + <para> + This value is used in command packet mode and is transmitted + in each packet sent from TeleDongle and received from + TeleMetrum. It is not used in telemetry mode as that transmits + packets only from TeleMetrum to TeleDongle. Configure this + with the AltosUI operators callsign as needed to comply with + your local radio regulations. + </para> + </section> + </section> + <section> + <title>Flash Image</title> + <para> + This reprograms any Altus Metrum device by using a TeleMetrum or + TeleDongle as a programming dongle. Please read the directions + for connecting the programming cable in the main TeleMetrum + manual before reading these instructions. + </para> + <para> + Once you have the programmer and target devices connected, + push the 'Flash Image' button. That will present a dialog box + listing all of the connected devices. Carefully select the + programmer device, not the device to be programmed. + </para> + <para> + Next, select the image to flash to the device. These are named + with the product name and firmware version. The file selector + will start in the directory containing the firmware included + with the AltosUI package. Navigate to the directory containing + the desired firmware if it isn't there. + </para> + <para> + Next, a small dialog containing the device serial number and + RF calibration values should appear. If these values are + incorrect (possibly due to a corrupted image in the device), + enter the correct values here. + </para> + <para> + Finally, a dialog containing a progress bar will follow the + programming process. + </para> + <para> + When programming is complete, the target device will + reboot. Note that if the target device is connected via USB, you + will have to unplug it and then plug it back in for the USB + connection to reset so that you can communicate with the device + again. + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>Fire Igniter</title> + <para> + This activates the igniter circuits in TeleMetrum to help test + recovery systems deployment. Because this command can operate + over the Packet Command Link, you can prepare the rocket as + for flight and then test the recovery system without needing + to snake wires inside the airframe. + </para> + <para> + Selecting the 'Fire Igniter' button brings up the usual device + selection dialog. Pick the desired TeleDongle or TeleMetrum + device. This brings up another window which shows the current + continutity test status for both apogee and main charges. + </para> + <para> + Next, select the desired igniter to fire. This will enable the + 'Arm' button. + </para> + <para> + Select the 'Arm' button. This enables the 'Fire' button. The + word 'Arm' is replaced by a countdown timer indicating that + you have 10 seconds to press the 'Fire' button or the system + will deactivate, at which point you start over again at + selecting the desired igniter. + </para> + </section> + </chapter> + <chapter> + <title>Using Altus Metrum Products</title> + <section> + <title>Being Legal</title> + <para> + First off, in the US, you need an <ulink url="http://www.altusmetrum.org/Radio/">amateur radio license</ulink> or + other authorization to legally operate the radio transmitters that are part + of our products. + </para> + <section> + <title>In the Rocket</title> + <para> + In the rocket itself, you just need a <ulink url="http://www.altusmetrum.org/TeleMetrum/">TeleMetrum</ulink> board and + a LiPo rechargeable battery. An 860mAh battery weighs less than a 9V + alkaline battery, and will run a <ulink url="http://www.altusmetrum.org/TeleMetrum/">TeleMetrum</ulink> for hours. + </para> + <para> + By default, we ship TeleMetrum with a simple wire antenna. If your + electronics bay or the airframe it resides within is made of carbon fiber, + which is opaque to RF signals, you may choose to have an SMA connector + installed so that you can run a coaxial cable to an antenna mounted + elsewhere in the rocket. + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>On the Ground</title> + <para> + To receive the data stream from the rocket, you need an antenna and short + feedline connected to one of our <ulink url="http://www.altusmetrum.org/TeleDongle/">TeleDongle</ulink> units. The + TeleDongle in turn plugs directly into the USB port on a notebook + computer. Because TeleDongle looks like a simple serial port, your computer + does not require special device drivers... just plug it in. + </para> + <para> + The GUI tool, AltosUI, is written in Java and runs across + Linux, Mac OS and Windows. There's also a suite of C tools + for Linux which can perform most of the same tasks. + </para> + <para> + After the flight, you can use the RF link to extract the more detailed data + logged in the rocket, or you can use a mini USB cable to plug into the + TeleMetrum board directly. Pulling out the data without having to open up + the rocket is pretty cool! A USB cable is also how you charge the LiPo + battery, so you'll want one of those anyway... the same cable used by lots + of digital cameras and other modern electronic stuff will work fine. + </para> + <para> + If your rocket lands out of sight, you may enjoy having a hand-held GPS + receiver, so that you can put in a waypoint for the last reported rocket + position before touch-down. This makes looking for your rocket a lot like + Geo-Cacheing... just go to the waypoint and look around starting from there. + </para> + <para> + You may also enjoy having a ham radio "HT" that covers the 70cm band... you + can use that with your antenna to direction-find the rocket on the ground + the same way you can use a Walston or Beeline tracker. This can be handy + if the rocket is hiding in sage brush or a tree, or if the last GPS position + doesn't get you close enough because the rocket dropped into a canyon, or + the wind is blowing it across a dry lake bed, or something like that... Keith + and Bdale both currently own and use the Yaesu VX-7R at launches. + </para> + <para> + So, to recap, on the ground the hardware you'll need includes: + <orderedlist inheritnum='inherit' numeration='arabic'> + <listitem> + an antenna and feedline + </listitem> + <listitem> + a TeleDongle + </listitem> + <listitem> + a notebook computer + </listitem> + <listitem> + optionally, a handheld GPS receiver + </listitem> + <listitem> + optionally, an HT or receiver covering 435 Mhz + </listitem> + </orderedlist> + </para> + <para> + The best hand-held commercial directional antennas we've found for radio + direction finding rockets are from + <ulink url="http://www.arrowantennas.com/" > + Arrow Antennas. + </ulink> + The 440-3 and 440-5 are both good choices for finding a + TeleMetrum-equipped rocket when used with a suitable 70cm HT. + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>Data Analysis</title> + <para> + Our software makes it easy to log the data from each flight, both the + telemetry received over the RF link during the flight itself, and the more + complete data log recorded in the DataFlash memory on the TeleMetrum + board. Once this data is on your computer, our postflight tools make it + easy to quickly get to the numbers everyone wants, like apogee altitude, + max acceleration, and max velocity. You can also generate and view a + standard set of plots showing the altitude, acceleration, and + velocity of the rocket during flight. And you can even export a data file + useable with Google Maps and Google Earth for visualizing the flight path + in two or three dimensions! + </para> + <para> + Our ultimate goal is to emit a set of files for each flight that can be + published as a web page per flight, or just viewed on your local disk with + a web browser. + </para> + </section> + <section> + <title>Future Plans</title> + <para> + In the future, we intend to offer "companion boards" for the rocket that will + plug in to TeleMetrum to collect additional data, provide more pyro channels, + and so forth. A reference design for a companion board will be documented + soon, and will be compatible with open source Arduino programming tools. + </para> + <para> + We are also working on the design of a hand-held ground terminal that will + allow monitoring the rocket's status, collecting data during flight, and + logging data after flight without the need for a notebook computer on the + flight line. Particularly since it is so difficult to read most notebook + screens in direct sunlight, we think this will be a great thing to have. + </para> + <para> + Because all of our work is open, both the hardware designs and the software, + if you have some great idea for an addition to the current Altus Metrum family, + feel free to dive in and help! Or let us know what you'd like to see that + we aren't already working on, and maybe we'll get excited about it too... + </para> + </section> + </section> + </chapter> +</book> |