TeleGPS Owner's Manual

A recording GPS tracker

Keith Packard

+TeleGPS Owner's Manual

TeleGPS Owner's Manual

A recording GPS tracker

Keith Packard

This document is released under the terms of the Creative Commons ShareAlike 3.0 @@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ Minor release fixing some installation bugs. Revision 1.413 June 2014 Initial release -

Acknowledgements

Have fun using these products, and we hope to meet all of you out on the rocket flight line somewhere.

@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@ NAR Keith Packard, KD7SQG
NAR #88757, TRA #12200

Table of Contents

1. Quick Start Guide

2. Handling Precautions

3. TeleGPS Hardware

1. Hooking Up Lithium Polymer Batteries
2. On-board Data Recording
3. Installation

4. System Operation

1. GFSK Telemetry

2. APRS

3. Configurable Parameters

3.1. Radio Frequency
3.2. Callsign
3.3. Telemetry/RDF/APRS Enable
3.4. APRS Interval
3.5. Maximum Flight Log
3.6. Logging Trigger Motion
3.7. Position Reporting Interval

5. TeleGPS Application

1. Telemetry Monitoring

1.1. Map
1.2. Location
1.3. Status
1.4. Table

2. TeleGPS Menus

2.1. New Window
2.2. Graph Data
2.3. Export Data
2.4. Load Maps
2.5. Preferences
2.6. Close
2.7. Exit
2.8. Connect Device
2.9. Disconnect
2.10. Scan Channels
2.11. Download Data
2.12. Configure Device
2.13. Flash Device

6. Updating Device Firmware

1. Updating TeleGPS Firmware -

7. Technical Information

1. GPS Receiver
2. Micro-controller
3. Lithium Polymer Battery
4. Mechanical Considerations
5. On-board data storage

A. Release Notes

List of Tables

4.1. Altus Metrum APRS Comments

Chapter 1. Quick Start Guide

7. Technical Information

1. GPS Receiver
2. Micro-controller
3. Lithium Polymer Battery
4. Mechanical Considerations
5. On-board data storage

A. Release Notes

List of Tables

4.1. Altus Metrum APRS Comments

Chapter 1. Quick Start Guide

TeleGPS is designed to be easy to use. Requiring no external components, flying takes just a few steps.

@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ NAR Connect TeleDongle to your computer and start TeleGPS or start AltosDroid on your android device and connect to TeleBT. Set the frequency to match the TeleGPS and you should be receiving telemetry. -

Chapter 2. Handling Precautions

All Altus Metrum products are sophisticated electronic devices. When handled gently and properly installed in an air-frame, they will deliver impressive results. However, as with all electronic @@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ NAR As with all other rocketry electronics, Altus Metrum devices must be protected from exposure to corrosive motor exhaust and ejection charge gasses. -

Chapter 3. TeleGPS Hardware

Table of Contents

1. Hooking Up Lithium Polymer Batteries
2. On-board Data Recording
3. Installation

1. Hooking Up Lithium Polymer Batteries

Chapter 3. TeleGPS Hardware

Table of Contents

1. Hooking Up Lithium Polymer Batteries
2. On-board Data Recording
3. Installation

1. Hooking Up Lithium Polymer Batteries

TeleGPS has a two pin JST PH series connector to connect up a single-cell Lithium Polymer cell (3.7V nominal). You can purchase matching batteries from the Altus Metrum store, or @@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ NAR this same connector. All that we have found use the opposite polarity, and if you use them that way, you will damage or destroy TeleGPS. -

2. On-board Data Recording

TeleGPS logs GPS data at a user-configurable rate. Data are logged to a 2MB on-board flash memory part, which can be partitioned into several equal-sized blocks, one for each @@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ NAR before it fills up. TeleGPS will still report telemetry even if memory is full, so the only thing you will lose is the on-board data log. -

3. Installation

The battery connectors are a standard 2-pin JST connector and match batteries sold by Spark Fun. These batteries are single-cell Lithium Polymer batteries that nominally provide 3.7 @@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ NAR transmission with the system installed and all other electronics powered up to verify signal reception and make sure there isn't any interference from other systems. -

Chapter 4. System Operation

Table of Contents

1. GFSK Telemetry

2. APRS

3. Configurable Parameters

3.1. Radio Frequency
3.2. Callsign
3.3. Telemetry/RDF/APRS Enable
3.4. APRS Interval
3.5. Maximum Flight Log
3.6. Logging Trigger Motion
3.7. Position Reporting Interval

1. GFSK Telemetry

Chapter 4. System Operation

Table of Contents

1. GFSK Telemetry

2. APRS

3. Configurable Parameters

3.1. Radio Frequency
3.2. Callsign
3.3. Telemetry/RDF/APRS Enable
3.4. APRS Interval
3.5. Maximum Flight Log
3.6. Logging Trigger Motion
3.7. Position Reporting Interval

1. GFSK Telemetry

TeleGPS's native telemetry system doesn't use a 'normal packet radio' mode like APRS because it's not very efficient. The GFSK modulation we use is FSK with the base-band pulses passed @@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ NAR should be good to well over 40k feet AGL with a 5-element yagi on the ground with our 10mW units and over 100k feet AGL with the 40mW devices. -

2. APRS

TeleGPS can send APRS if desired, and the interval between APRS packets can be configured. As each APRS packet takes a full second to transmit, we recommend an @@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ NAR arbitrary text in it. AltOS uses this to send status information about the flight computer. It sends four fields as shown in the following table. -

Table 4.1. Altus Metrum APRS Comments

Field	Example	Description
1	L	GPS Status U for unlocked, L for locked
2	6	Number of Satellites in View
3	B4.0	Battery Voltage

Table 4.1. Altus Metrum APRS Comments

Field	Example	Description
1	L	GPS Status U for unlocked, L for locked
2	6	Number of Satellites in View
3	B4.0	Battery Voltage

Here's an example of an APRS comment showing GPS lock with 6 satellites in view and a battery at 4.0V.

@@ -177,13 +177,13 @@ NAR
 	that the GPS status character switches from 'L' to 'U'. Before
 	GPS has locked, APRS will transmit zero for latitude,
 	longitude and altitude.
-

3. Configurable Parameters

Configuring TeleGPS is very simple; the few configurable parameters can all be set using the TeleGPS application over USB. Read the Configure TeleGPS section in the TeleGPS Software chapter below for more information. -

3.1. Radio Frequency

Altus Metrum boards support radio frequencies in the 70cm band. By default, the configuration interface provides a list of 10 “standard” frequencies in 100kHz channels starting at @@ -193,19 +193,19 @@ NAR frequency will be used to avoid interference. And of course, both TeleGPS and the receiver must be configured to the same frequency to successfully communicate with each other. -

3.2. Callsign

This sets the callsign used for telemetry and APRS to identify the device. -

3.3. Telemetry/RDF/APRS Enable

You can completely disable the radio, if necessary, leaving TeleGPS only logging data to internal memory. -

3.4. APRS Interval

This selects how often APRS packets are transmitted. Set this to zero to disable APRS without also disabling the regular telemetry and RDF transmissions. As APRS takes a full second to transmit a single position report, we recommend sending packets no more than once every 5 seconds. -

3.5. Maximum Flight Log

Changing this value will set the maximum amount of flight log storage that an individual flight will use. The available storage is divided into as many flights of the @@ -213,14 +213,14 @@ NAR download and erase individual flight logs. If you fill up the available storage, future flights will not get logged until you erase some of the stored ones. -

3.6. Logging Trigger Motion

If TeleGPS moves less than this distance over a long period of time, it will not log that location, saving storage space. -

3.7. Position Reporting Interval

This sets how often TeleGPS reports position information via telemetry and to the on-board log. Reducing this value will save power and logging memory consumption. -

Chapter 5. TeleGPS Application

Table of Contents

1. Telemetry Monitoring

1.1. Map
1.2. Location
1.3. Status
1.4. Table

2. TeleGPS Menus

2.1. New Window
2.2. Graph Data
2.3. Export Data
2.4. Load Maps
2.5. Preferences
2.6. Close
2.7. Exit
2.8. Connect Device
2.9. Disconnect
2.10. Scan Channels
2.11. Download Data
2.12. Configure Device
2.13. Flash Device

Chapter 5. TeleGPS Application

Table of Contents

1. Telemetry Monitoring

1.1. Map
1.2. Location
1.3. Status
1.4. Table

2. TeleGPS Menus

2.1. New Window
2.2. Graph Data
2.3. Export Data
2.4. Load Maps
2.5. Preferences
2.6. Close
2.7. Exit
2.8. Connect Device
2.9. Disconnect
2.10. Scan Channels
2.11. Download Data
2.12. Configure Device
2.13. Flash Device

The TeleGPS application provides a graphical user interface for interacting with the Altus Metrum product family. TeleGPS can monitor telemetry data, configure devices and many other @@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ NAR tasks available from the main window menu bar. This chapter is split into sections, each of which documents one of the tasks provided from the top-level toolbar. -

1. Telemetry Monitoring

This is the window brought up when you start the application. If you have a TeleDongle device connected to the computer, it will automatically be selected for telemetry monitoring @@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ NAR tabs, each of which contain some information about the TeleGPS board. The final 'table' tab displays many of the raw telemetry values in one place in a spreadsheet-like format. -

1.1. Map

The Map tab shows the TeleGPS track over time on top of map data making it easy to locate the device.

@@ -291,16 +291,16 @@ NAR

You can pre-load images for your favorite launch sites before you leave home; check out the 'Preload Maps' section below. -

1.2. Location

The Location tab shows the raw GPS data received from TeleGPS. -

1.3. Status

The Status tab shows data relative to the location of TeleGPS when the application first received telemetry from it. -

1.4. Table

The Table tab shows detailed information about the GPS receiver -

2. TeleGPS Menus

TeleGPS has three or four menus at the top of the window:

File: New Window, Graph Data, Export Data, Load Maps, Preferences, Close and Exit @@ -316,26 +316,26 @@ NAR only shown when the TeleGPS application is connected to a TeleDongle or TeleBT device.

2.1. New Window

This creates another telemetry monitoring window, in case you have multiple TeleDongle devices connected to the computer. -

2.2. Graph Data

This brings up a file dialog to load a saved log, either a .telem file of recorded telemetry or .eeprom of saved data from on-board memory. It looks a bit like the flight monitoring window, using a selection of tabs to show different views of the saved data. -

2.2.1. Graph

The Graph tab shows a plot of the the GPS data collected. The X axis is time in seconds; there are a variety of Y axes available for different kinds of data. -

2.2.2. Configure Graph

This selects which graph elements to show, and, at the bottom, lets you switch between metric and imperial units -

2.2.3. Statistics

Shows overall data computed from the flight. -

2.2.4. Map

Shows a map of the area overlaid with the GPS track. As with the telemetry monitoring window, you can select the style of map and zoom level using buttons along the side; @@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ NAR the left button and you can draw a line to measure distances using either the left button with the shift key, or any other button. -

2.3. Export Data

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 data file, which can be either a .eeprom or .telem. @@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ NAR 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. -

2.3.1. Comma Separated Value Format

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 @@ -366,11 +366,11 @@ NAR the sensor values are converted to standard units, with the barometric data reported in both pressure, altitude and height above pad units. -

2.3.2. Keyhole Markup Language (for Google Earth)

This is the format used by Google Earth to provide an overlay within that application. With this, you can use Google Earth to see the whole flight path in 3D. -

2.4. Load Maps

Before using TeleGPS, you can use Load Maps to load map data in case you don't have access to the internet while receiving telemetry. @@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ NAR once, so if you load more than one launch site, you may get some gray areas in the map which indicate that Google is tired of sending data to you. Try again later. -

2.5. Preferences

2.5.1. Voice Settings

2.5. Preferences

2.5.1. Voice Settings

AltosUI provides voice announcements 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 @@ -424,7 +424,7 @@ NAR Plays a short message allowing you to verify that the audio system is working and the volume settings are reasonable -

2.5.2. Log Directory

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. @@ -432,7 +432,7 @@ NAR 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. -

2.5.3. Callsign

This value is transmitted in each command packet sent from TeleDongle and received from an altimeter. It is not used in telemetry mode, as the callsign configured in the altimeter board @@ -445,51 +445,51 @@ NAR the callsign configured here must exactly match the callsign configured in the flight computer. This matching is case sensitive. -

2.5.4. Imperial Units

This switches between metric units (meters) and imperial units (feet and miles). This affects the display of values use during flight monitoring, configuration, data graphing and all of the voice announcements. It does not change the units used when exporting to CSV files, those are always produced in metric units. -

2.5.5. Serial Debug

This causes all communication with a connected device to be dumped to the console from which AltosUI was started. If you've started it from an icon or menu entry, the output will simply be discarded. This mode can be useful to debug various serial communication issues. -

2.5.6. Font Size

Selects the set of fonts used in the flight monitor window. Choose between the small, medium and large sets. -

2.5.7. Look & Feel

Adjust the style of the windows. By default, the TeleGPS application attempts to blend in with the native style. -

2.5.8. Manage Frequencies

This brings up a dialog where you can configure the set of frequencies shown in the various frequency menus. You can add as many as you like, or even reconfigure the default set. Changing this list does not affect the frequency settings of any devices, it only changes the set of frequencies shown in the menus. -

2.6. Close

This closes the current window, leaving any other windows open and the application running. -

2.7. Exit

This closes all TeleGPS windows and terminates the application. -

2.8. Connect Device

Selecting this item brings up a dialog box listing all of the connected TeleDongle devices. When you choose one of these, AltosUI will display telemetry data as received by the selected TeleDongle device. -

2.9. Disconnect

Disconnects the currently connected TeleDongle or TeleBT -

2.10. Scan Channels

Scans the configured set of frequencies looking for telemetry signals. A list of all of the discovered signals is show; selecting one of those and clicking on 'Monitor' will select that frequency in the associated TeleGPS application window. -

2.11. Download Data

TeleGPS records data to its internal flash memory. On-board data is recorded at the same rate as telemetry but is not subject to radio drop-outs. As @@ -510,7 +510,7 @@ NAR The file name for each data log is computed automatically from the recorded date, altimeter serial number and flight number information. -

2.12. Configure Device

Select this button and then select any connected TeleGPS device from the list provided.

@@ -536,13 +536,13 @@ NAR lost.

The rest of the dialog contains the parameters to be configured. -

2.12.1. Frequency

This configures which of the frequencies to use for both telemetry and packet command mode. Note that if you set this value via packet command mode, the TeleDongle frequency will also be automatically reconfigured to match so that communication will continue afterwards. -

2.12.2. RF Calibration

The radios in every Altus Metrum device are calibrated at the factory to ensure that they transmit and receive on the specified frequency. If you need to you can adjust the calibration @@ -550,11 +550,11 @@ NAR the value means, read the appendix on calibration and/or the source code for more information. To change a TeleDongle's calibration, you must reprogram the unit completely. -

2.12.3. Telemetry/RDF/APRS Enable

Enables the radio for transmission during flight. When disabled, the radio will not transmit anything during flight at all. -

2.12.4. APRS Interval

How often to transmit GPS information via APRS (in seconds). When set to zero, APRS transmission is disabled. This option is available on TeleMetrum v2 and @@ -562,26 +562,26 @@ NAR packets. Note that a single APRS packet takes nearly a full second to transmit, so enabling this option will prevent sending any other telemetry during that time. -

2.12.5. Callsign

This sets the call sign included in each telemetry packet. Set this as needed to conform to your local radio regulations. -

2.12.6. Maximum Log Size

This sets the space (in kilobytes) allocated for each data log. The available space will be divided into chunks of this size. A smaller value will allow more logs to be stored, a larger value will record data for longer times. -

2.12.7. Logging Trigger Motion

If TeleGPS moves less than this distance over a long period of time, it will not log that location, saving storage space. -

2.12.8. Position Reporting Interval

This sets how often TeleGPS reports position information via telemetry and to the on-board log. Reducing this value will save power and logging memory consumption. -

2.13. Flash Device

This reprograms TeleGPS devices with new firmware. Please read the directions for flashing devices in the Updating Device Firmware chapter below. -

Chapter 6. Updating Device Firmware

Table of Contents

1. +

Chapter 6. Updating Device Firmware

Table of Contents

1. Updating TeleGPS Firmware

TeleGPS is programmed directly over its USB connectors. @@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ NAR 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 http://www.altusmetrum.org/AltOS/. -

1. +
1. Updating TeleGPS Firmware
Attach a battery and power switch to the target @@ -620,24 +620,24 @@ NAR
Verify that the device is working by using the 'Configure Altimeter' item to check over the configuration. -

Chapter 7. Technical Information

Table of Contents

1. GPS Receiver
2. Micro-controller
3. Lithium Polymer Battery
4. Mechanical Considerations
5. On-board data storage

1. GPS Receiver

Chapter 7. Technical Information

Table of Contents

1. GPS Receiver
2. Micro-controller
3. Lithium Polymer Battery
4. Mechanical Considerations
5. On-board data storage

1. GPS Receiver

TeleGPS uses the u-Blox Max-7Q GPS receiver. -

2. Micro-controller

TeleGPS uses an NXP LPC11U14 micro-controller. This tiny CPU contains 32kB of flash for the application and 4kB of RAM for temporary data storage. -

3. Lithium Polymer Battery

Shipping restrictions may prevent us from including a battery battery with TeleGPS. -

4. Mechanical Considerations

TeleGPS is designed to be rugged enough for typical rocketry applications. The 4 mounting holes on the board are sized for use with 4-40 or M3 screws. -

5. On-board data storage

TeleGPS has 2MB of non-volatile storage, separate from the code storage memory. The TeleGPS firmware uses this to log information during flight. -

Appendix A. Release Notes

Version 1.6

Appendix A. Release Notes

Version 1.6

Version 1.6 includes support for our updated TeleDongle v3.0 product and bug fixes in in the flight software for all our boards and ground station interfaces. @@ -719,7 +719,7 @@ NAR information each time we change channels. This avoids having flight computers appear on multiple frequencies by accident.

Version 1.4.1

Version 1.4.1 is a minor release. It fixes install issues on Windows and provides the missing TeleMetrum V2.0 firmware. There aren't any changes to the firmware or host applications at @@ -750,7 +750,7 @@ NAR release didn't have this key in the released version of the software, making map downloading fail for most people.

Version 1.4

Version 1.4 is a major release. It includes support for our new TeleGPS product, new features and bug fixes in in the flight software for all our boards and the AltosUI ground station -- cgit v1.2.3