Remote model rocket telemetery

Hot Topics:

By Matt Mets
Posted 2009/08/26 @ 9:43 am
Category Electronics

Brad is building this pretty rad GPS/accelerometer tracking device to measure the performance of his model rockets. The telemetry data will also be used to help recover the rocket. His current version uses an ADXL330 accelerometer (also found in the Wii nunchuck), a long-range xBee transmitter, and a PIC 18F microcontroller.

I particularly like the way the surface-mount-only accelerometer chip is mounted.
Update: The chip is mounted in a slotted header, or alternately a DIP component carrier. Thanks!

In the Maker Shed

10 Responses to Remote model rocket telemetery

Anonymous on August 26th, 2009 at 10:19 am said:

DIP Component Carrier

http://www.king-cart.com/phoenixent/product=COMPONENT+CARRIER+HEADER+PLUGS+DIP+%2526+SIP/exact_match=exact

Reply ↓
- Matt Mets on August 26th, 2009 at 10:22 am said:
  
  Cool, thanks!
  
  Reply ↓
Anonymous on August 26th, 2009 at 10:21 am said:

http://digikey.com/scripts/partsearch.dll?Detail&name=16010-42400001000-ND

Slotted Header

Reply ↓
- Matt Mets on August 26th, 2009 at 10:32 am said:
  
  Cool! Too bad they aren’t going to stock them anymore
  
  Reply ↓
  
  iamgeekhearmeroar on August 26th, 2009 at 11:15 am said:
  
  These are also called forked headers. Aries Electronics is one of the manufacturers who makes them.
  
  http://digikey.com/scripts/partsearch.dll?Detail&name=A103-ND
  
  Reply ↓
  
  Simon on August 27th, 2009 at 2:54 am said:
  
  I remember using headers like that back in the 80s to plug into the analog joystick port on the main board of my Apple 2e for a robot I built!
  
  Reply ↓
- japroach on August 27th, 2009 at 12:09 am said:
  
  Did you just link to a $32 dip header? LOL
  
  oh mill-max.. (not to mention digikey for marking it up 2x).
  
  Reply ↓
  
  Matt Mets on August 27th, 2009 at 9:59 am said:
  
  Yep, at that price I guess it is much cheaper just to buy some SMD breakoutboards and solder the thing up properly!
  
  Reply ↓
Jim on August 26th, 2009 at 10:53 am said:

The ADXL330 is only rated for 3g. I think the builder is going to need to switch to a higher rated accelerometer, such as the ADXL278 (78g). Also, I would recommend coating all those solder joints with something such as epoxy. The initial take-off is going to rip those wires off of the solder pads.

Reply ↓
- Matt Mets on August 27th, 2009 at 10:21 am said:
  
  These are excellent suggestions. The author mentions that the 3g accelerometers are for testing, and will be replaced by a higher g version for the actual flights. Encasing the joints in epoxy sounds like an interesting idea, I wonder how the whole thing would stand up to the vibrations incurred in flight!
  
  Reply ↓