I'm just going to start this thread, not that I have an immediate need myself for such an animal, but it might be something our group might be interested in for development purposes.

Do we have any embedded-processor makers and shakers on this forum?

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Craig McGraw

BARCLONE Rocketry -- http://barclone.rocketshoppe.com
BARCLONE Blogsite -- http://barclone.wordpress.com
BARCLONE Forum -- BARCLONE Forum

BARs helping BARs

SAM 0044
AMA 352635

We spent about a year developing two altimeters. 9/11 and the shrinkage of the High Power market made us shelve them and convert over to Low Power.

The first one had a 175 word vocabulary for speech output, three pyro events, accelerometer and barometric sensors with 16 bit accuracy. I could measure height to about 4" accuracy. It was going to have a BASIC interpreter for user programming. Inputs were available for GPS and future expansion.

The second one was accurate to a few feet, used a single AAA battery, and would fit in a ST-7 (BT-20). We were targeting it for around $45 for the LP market.

I did much embedded processor work at Telex and Forvus. Our model rocket engine static test stand uses a PIC processor. We will use multiple PIC's on the engine machine for modularity and distributed intelligence.

It is hard not to attempt to design a processor for TARC that would use AI to stop the rocket at the exact altitude and then control the descent to hit the exact recovery time. If I was 16 again, I would be consumed by that problem.

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Carl McLawhorn
NAR#4717 L2
semroc.com

A lightweight boost-activated beeper makes sense to me for the low-power group. Seems like somebody already offers one of these. Maybe a possibility for an alliance. I detest those beepers that you turn on and then wait for the rocket to launch. How annoying!
James

Ahh, more insight into the SEMROC motor machine!

I subscribe to Steve Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar Ink, and try to keep up with the latest ECs on the market. I've been a reader of his since the BYTE days. Somewhere around here I've got a '51 series board which I never got to work. Which PICs are you working with on the motor machine?

__________________
Craig McGraw

BARCLONE Rocketry -- http://barclone.rocketshoppe.com
BARCLONE Blogsite -- http://barclone.wordpress.com
BARCLONE Forum -- BARCLONE Forum

BARs helping BARs

SAM 0044
AMA 352635

PIC16C771/JW so I can keep erasing it and trying again!

__________________
Carl McLawhorn
NAR#4717 L2
semroc.com