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Meeting Notes - Avionics - 2023-07-16

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Meeting Notes - Avionics - 2023-07-16

Jul 17, 2023

Date

Jul 9, 2023

Attendees

  • @Aaron Chan (RIT Student)

  • @Yevgeniy Gorbachev (RIT Student) 

  • @Chloe Clark (RIT Student) 

  • @Louis Fleisher (RIT Student) 

Goals

  • Talk about backplane errors and get it tasked out

  • Talk about cool new backplane features we can add



Broader Document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JiIO9wGDzHulcxufFffeiabLy4sfvlwOgKgPBwByLmg/edit

Design Improvements

  • More documentation and calculations

  • Software needs to say what they want for hardware

Sensor Module - @Louis Fleisher (RIT Student) 

  • MS5607 takes the complement of the line for address, buried in datasheet, causes address conflict with the BMP388. 

  • A second UART is available for use. Print debugging through SWD is more annoying. 

    • Investigate turning SWD into a UART

  • Conflicting GPIO interrupt pins between LSM and LIS

    • @Aaron Chan (RIT Student) Look into this 

  • E-fuse EN/UVLO pin pulled down too far to enable the chip at 1.2V for off-nominal, board does not power on. Just change a resistor and redo calculations.

  • Do we want to get rid of interrupts?

  • Set priorities for sensors

Improvements

  • Don't know how much more it needs/can do. Already crowded

  • Increase efficiency by redoing layout.

  • SHTC3 not good in software. Already have other temp sensors. More ambient reading than TMP117. Also does humidity (not needed)

    • Need to verify theres a difference with ambient reading. Check accuracy compared to other sensors

    • Don't see need for it to be replaced, but could shop around for interesting sensors. Covered bases with what could be measured in ICs. 

    • A lot of things we can throw on that are nice to have. Think of other interesting sensors we can do.

  • Noticed that BMP581 is available and can replace BMP388. Low power consumption, higher accuracy and similar pricing

  • Look into MS5611 as a replacement to MS5607

  • Investigate using a 9DoF IMU instead of a 6DoF

Radio Module

  • UART Debug line labels are mismatched

  • Ethernet LEDs not attached to anything

    • Copy sensor module Wiznet LED implementation

  • Need to know it works (software). Needs to function our specifications. Does it work and is it useful in its capability?

  • Little improvement for now

Power Module - @James May (RIT Student) 

  • Copy sensor module Wiznet LED implementation

  • Power inductors very difficult to solder by hand, recommend fab house assemble them on future revisions

  • 5V and 3V3 rail voltage drops proportionally with load, up to a ~0.4V drop at 3A this was due to faulty load tester readings, module functions as expected

  • Wiznet LEDs disabled only by desoldering

  • Jim suggests targeting above nominal voltage for 200 mV response to voltage drop?

  • Bulk capacitors causing shorting issues, root cause still unclear

Autopilot Module - @Ben Hyman (RIT Student) 

  • Probably nothing. Not enough known yet

Jim

  • Give us schematics he made

  • Fix the dev module orientation connector. Wrong way.

Software 

  • GitHub Issues page with list of tasks

  • Startup cost is higher for doing Arduino 

    • Having them move from Arduino can be a lot when switching 

  • Should new people immediately use launch-core?

  • Arduino support needs to be implemented so we can use it PROMPT. Could also be used on SCRAP for a variety of payload missions - @Chloe Clark (RIT Student) 

  • RFM needs to be implemented so we can check if the hardware design is good

  • Ground receiver software

  • I could write a book about this

Overall

  • Need keying geometry because connecting stuff properly is hard

Action items