Project Description
This project will entail the design and implementation of a ground control/launching station for rockets that
utilize any type of solid or liquid fuel. It will be fully computer controlled to enable full automatic or
manual control of rocket launching and/or launch sequencing from the safety of a blockhouse. Will have an easy
to use graphical user interface.
Project Goals
Take ground station atmospheric pressure reading.
Have Automatic Control for launch sequencing of liquid and/or hybrid rocket propulsion systems.
Impliment an LCD screen on launch pad control module for testing/debuging.
Setup a bi-directional RS-232 (or ethernet maybe?) communication to allow for communication between blockhouse PC and launch pad control module.
Have easy to understand/use graphical user interface for blockhouse PC with a wide variety of parameter options.
Implement data aquisition in control software to allow monitoring of rocket systems (tank pressure, battery voltage, flight controller, etc...) while on launch pad.
An ADC will be used for analog signal measurements at the launch pad. This data will be interpreted by the launch pad control module and sent back to the blockhouse PC.
Project Status 7/25/05
The graphical user interface software for the blockhouse PC is being written and is well underway. The software already has full control over manual and timed launches. A countdown timer (you can set this to any time you want in seconds) can be used to have the computer automatically launch the rocket at T=0. The software utilizes feedback from the lanch pad controller to ensure commands are verified and were executed. The next phase will be to implement event sequencing for liquid/hybrid rockets.
1/13/05
The software has been written for serial communication between the launch pad control module and a PC. Currently, commands can be sent through windows hyperterminal to the microcontroller in turn the microcontroller is able to process those commands and send the desired data back to the PC. Future addition will include the graphical user interface to control and send comands to the telemetry computer via a PC inplace of using hyperterminal. 1/12/05
The software drivers for the ADC have been written and successfully tested. In addition, the software was written that will take the battery voltage, read it via the ADC, interpret and display it on the LCD screen. Future addition will include storing that data or mulitplexing it with the telemetry data. Currently, the barometric sensor is being wired in, and software being written to take pressure readings. 12/30/04
The microcontroller chosen for this project is the 8051. It has the capability of serial communication, 32 I/O ports, and has many other desireable features. The LCD screen drivers have been written. Next step is to setup and calibrate the analog to digital converter chip which will multiplex the different sensor readings into the microcontroller. The software drivers for the ADC are currently being written.
