The LV0 payload was the PSU AESS's first attempt at a launch vehicle payload. This payload was designed to be a scaled down "proof of concept" design from the original LV1's specifications. Being Rocket Ignoramuses, we thought this was a fine idea.
Basically, the LV0 payload has a B&W CCD video camera which broadcasts its image down to earth over an ?Amateur TV transmitter. Although the video camera had a microphone, we removed it and used the ATV transmitter's audio channel to send down data from our science payload.
The science payload was slightly pathetic but a valiant first effort. A solid-state accelerometer was digitized by a PIC16C73A microcontroller (Thanks to Micro Sales, Inc. in Beaverton, OR for the PICs!) and spit out through it's built in UART at a whopping 300bps. This serial signal was ?modulated into two audio tones, and was sent down the audio channel of the ATV transmitter for decoding on the ground.
We also had a commercially available logging altimeter (thanks to James Ward for the loaner). The altimeter used a 68HC11 microcontroller and a 12bit A/D converter to log the rocket's altitude using a pressure sensor onto serial EEPROMs.
The power supply was two 6V Lithium Ion batteries in series to make 12V. We had a SPDT power switch to switch the payload off, use battery power, or use external ("Shore") power.
LV0 Block Diagram
For more information on all of this junk, feel free to contact us at info@psas.pdx.edu!