Launch Vehicle No. 2 Avionics System
LV2 Avionics System Hardware
FlightComputer: An x86 running Linux 2.4.18, the FC is the core of the avionics system.
- Because of a grant we received, we're re-opening the flight computer search: LvTwoFlightComputerSearch
CAN nodes: The avionics system uses the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus, a 1 Mbps serial multi-master bus, to communicate between the FC and the various nodes. Roughly, each sensor and actuator gets it's own CAN node:
- Generic PIC/SPS front end: the generic PIC, SPS, CAN and ICD2 front end for all nodes
- Amateur TV System: Broadcasts NTSC video with overlay at 1.25 GHz.
- Avionics Power System: power switches, battery and bus monitoring
- GPS: 12 Channel GPS receiver
- Inertial Measurement Unit: inertial sensors (also pressure and temperature sensors)
- Magnetometer: 3D sensing of the Earth's magnetic field
- Recovery Node: Battery backed up 2m radio receiver and pyrotechnic actuators
Avionics Module: the hardware that holds everything together
Launch Tower
- Launch Tower Computer (LTC): A Linux-based x86 PC104 stack with Lucent Orinoco 802.11b card and CAN.
- 24dBi 2.4GHz 802.11b parabolic dish antenna ("BBQ" grill antenna).
- Launch Tower Relay (LTR) board: PIC18F458-based CAN node with four relays and some analog sampling.
- RocketReady Relay (RRR) board: PIC18F458-based board which provides rocketready relay interlock in firing chain.
- Launch Igniter Circuit: igniter circuit for launch igniter.
- Umbilical cord: Connects LV2 to the electronics box. Provides shore power, includes rocketready relay interlock.
- Launch Tower Power System:Solar array, charge controller, and battery
Other:
- Log of the hard-to-find parts of the avionics system.
Firmware
PicCore: An open source application framework in C for the Microchip PIC18Fxxx
LV2 CAN Node Firmware:
- GPS Node Firmware: CanNodeFirmwareGps
- IMU Node Firmware: CanNodeFirmwareImu
- ATV Node Firmware: CanNodeFirmwareAtv
- PYRO Node Firmware: ?CanNodeFirmwarePyro
- PWR Node Firmware: CanNodeFirmwarePwr
The CAN Bus
- CanBusIDs list the data packets for the LV2 CAN bus.
- CanBusUtilization lists the current bandwidth usage of the CAN bus.
- CanDeviceBusTimings for the Philips SJA1000 & Intel 82527 protocol chips.
- CanDatasheets for datasheets, specifications and app notes.
- CanBusLinks for the Controller Area Network Bus.
Avionics Hardware/Software Tools
- RocketNames: Project wide naming conventions for systems, schematics, etc.
- GerberTools
- AvionicsSVNAccess: getting access to the Avionics software itself
- SjaCanTestNode: PIC16F877/SJA1000 based CAN node for testing the FC/LTC
- CANtalope CAN protocol monitor.
- EagleCad: Cadsoft's EAGLE schematic capture/PCB CAD program
- LPKF 91 router information
Meeting Notes
| Date | Comments |
| 2005-08-18 | Packing up over four years worth of work: Avionics System is ready to go! |
| 2004-06-09-avionics | APS (Avionics Power System) design: Li Ion battery charger choice |
| 2004-05-30 | Critical path scheduling and APS |
| Date | Comments |
| 2003-12-30 | Magnetometers. |
| 2003-10-13 | Power measurements on each component of the avionics system. |
| 2003-10-07 | What's next, timelines, task lists |
| 2003-08-26 | To do list, what's critical |
| 2003-07-22 | Non-PDX tasks, Protocols, LTC, Rocketview API, Routers |
| 2003-06-24 | Things to do by August 22nd; Try #6 on Flight Computer State Machine |
| 2003-06-10 | CPA propagation tests at xerox; APS lives! |
| 2003-03-11 | Recovery node design review. Files attached. |
| 2003-01-28 | Workshop on EAGLE PCB CAD tool. |
| 2003-01-07 | 5/4/2003 is freeze and launch call. 1/26 kickoff meeting scheduled. |
| Date | Comments |
| 2002-11-17 | James brain dumps FC infrastructure. FC network setup info. First hack at the whole PSAS 802.11b network architecture. |
| 2002-10-01 | Lecture on the Linux kernel. Beer. Make CAN nodes more hardware like. Create a software team. |
| 2002-09-22 | Launch of LV2! |
|---|---|
| 2002-09-19 | Tuning 1.3GHz and 2.4GHz helical antennas @ the PSU microwave lab. |
| 2002-09-10 | Hardware work @ Andrew's. Software @ FAB CS lounge: telemetry client works. |
| 2002-09-08 | ATV distro board and PicCore @ Andrew's. Software @ FAB CS lounge. |
| 2002-08-27 | GPS CAN node done. Clementine determined to be broken. |
| 2002-08-25 | ATV hardware & distro board designed. Jupiter boards programmed. Ate pizza. |
| 2002-08-20 | PicCore lecture. James starts hacking FC software together. |
| 2002-08-18 | Larry goes it alone working on 2m radio interface. |
| 2002-08-13 | Overview of what needs to be done. James' notes on FC update. |
| 2002-08-11 | Paul and Andrew discuss GPS node processing. |
| 2002-08-06 | ATV and FC node work. |
| 2002-07-21 | More AvionicsToDoList. Got LV1b 2m receiver to work, and tested it. |
| 2002-07-07 | Getting CAN nodes working w/PicCore. |
| 2002-06-25 | Paul and Nate's CAN node dev system finally up and running. |
| 2002-06-18 | Project timeline until the schedule 8/3 launch. |
| 2002-05-28 | James hacks away on FC, Andrew on the beginnings of PicCore. |
| 2002-05-26 | |
| 2002-05-21 | |
| 2002-05-14 | |
| 2002-05-10 | |
| 2002-05-07 | |
| 2002-04-28 | |
| 2002-04-14 | |
| 2002-04-10 | |
| 2002-04-07 | |
| 2002-03-10 | |
| 2002-03-03 | |
| 2002-02-27 | |
| 2002-02-06 | |
| 2002-01-23 | |
| 2002-01-09 |
| Date | Comments |
| 2001-12-16 | |
| 2001-12-11 | Twiki lesson, planning for next launch. |
| 2001-12-04 | OGI Lecture: Intro to Extreme Programming (XP) |
| 2001-11-13 | |
| 2001-09-25 | |
| 2001-09-20 | |
| 2001-09-15 | |
| 2001-09-12 | |
| 2001-10-09 | |
| 2001-09-04 | |
| 2001-08-29 | |
| 2001-08-22 | Flight computer (MOPS520) boots off floppy! |
| 2001-08-21 | |
| 2001-08-15 | |
| 2001-08-07 | |
| 2001-08-02 | |
| 2001-07-25 | |
| 2001-07-17 | |
| 2001-06-27 | Meeting with Jim Binkly of PSU CS on 802.11b. |