MARSA4 Flight Computer User`s Manual
Contents
1. 1000 1000 Ch MARSA4 detected Power on altimeter wait till countdown then hit connect button 800 800 600 600 400 400 200 200 0 0 400 600 800 800 1000 1000 Export 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 LUGAS Marsa sn A6S7W0PB Connection to MARSA4 server successful Connect 1 000 BANK 0 BANK 1 BANK 0 BANK 1 BANK 0 BANK 1 Firmware Update Peak Alt Baro Pyro1 Cont Download Current Load Custom Fw Firmware Accel Zero Peak Alt Accel Pyro2 Cont Launch Time Peak Vel Pyro3 Cont Pyro 1 Fire Peak Accel Pyro4 Cont Pyro 2 Fire Enter rocket diam weights and Motor Analysis Beta Pyro 3 Fire estimate bumout time from plot Rocket Diam in Burnout time Calculate above Note Thrust curve and total Pyro 4 Fre impulse can have up to 20 error Mass at Launch Ib Cd due to non linearities in Cd estimation Use this as a very rough Mass at Burnout Ib Total Impulse estimation of motor performance 17 Version 1 4 18 The circled areas indicate the connection status upon starting MARSA Connect A live internet connection is required for communication with the MARSA server 3 Apply power to the MARSA and wait until the countdown period starts NOTE If the LCD does not display or erratic characters are displayed when connected to the USB port you may need to use the alternate connection procedure below due to individual PC ha2. s programmed event type Each additional joystick move to the right will step through the other event types With the cursor pointing to the desired event type for the channel moving the joystick down will position the cursor to the second line pointing at the first option for the selected event Move the joystick right and left to step through the available options for the event If the event has a second option it can be changed by moving the joystick down to select the third line Moving the joystick right or left changes the value for the third option Repeat the above procedure for the other channels by navigating the cursor back to pointing to ChanX Finally save the program settings by returning the cursor back to Chan Setup gt Chan Setup by simply reversing the joystick navigation Options in the Advanced Setup Menu Adv Setup can be programmed ina similar manner Version 1 4 Using the MARSA54L Programming Presets The Marsa54L programming presets are accessed by through the Quick Start menu There are four available presets The first one is READ ONLY and is programmed with the factory default program The options available for each preset are e Select one of the four presets by moving the cursor to the preset name and moving the cursor down to scroll through the presets e Save the current altimeter program into the preset e Load the program stored in the preset into the altimeter current program e Rename the pre
3. A DOG CC vied ncecieaz T AE venveaucaucalh iad cane abpiedinte SEERE KS SR dail avis clay SSD SES SE ARR ERE SSD STESO 9 AICIEUG Coast sees SPS EST Se txaonnee st Sat SER SEES SNEDE REESE SEE aie Geen Eee ER ER SNE SY MES EDER 9 TIME ian RESEN Rats SETE TRE RENEE a EE iol cist loedee Shad a eugene dame SED NEDRE ERE E EEN ENES ERE ENE NELS 9 im ErENGER pern fe ved an Soe das dag ees up ED ag caves idueeed AW eneatav oles died enlehiveraeedeny ETEEN E E 9 Programming Procedure seini onnen EA EDEN El en a Mia adda ade tend 10 Using the Marsa54L Programming PreSets cccecceeeeeeeeeeteeeea tees aeeeeaeeeeaeeeeaeed 11 Setting the Altimeter Tone Frequency cccceceeceeeee nett eae ee eats eee teats nee aeeea ee aeeed 11 Altitude Lockout Option for AirStarts ccceecceeeeeeee ee eee seers eae eee ne eeeee tees rr rene 11 Diagnostic Features creasing a See a cea ibe ae as ae ee ae 12 Diagnostic Menu enaiis eea vee vonage e a A A EEEa E aa Aa a raaa aa Ea 12 SONSOMS asa a E EAE TOE E EEA E Aae AGTE EEEIEE NEE tes 12 OLDIN oe uE E EE AE A E Rexuehion es re Sets 12 Testing the Output MOSFETS cece eee eee nese rnern nrnna 13 Calibrating the AccelerOMmetel ccceceeeeee ete e tenets entree ERE RER ERE ERE RER ee nee a trernenet 13 Viewing Flight Data on the MARSASAL Display ccccceeecceeeeeeeeeee tessa eeeeaeeeeaaeeeaeeeee 15 PaSt FQ ME 2 cdvect amp A E A ted A E le A ele S 15 Ground Test Feature iwi
4. Cont Launch Time Peak Vel Pyro3 Cont Pyro 1 Fire Peak Accel Pyro4 Cont Pyro 2 Fire Enter rocket diam weights and Motor Analysis Beta estimate burnout time from plot iam i Burnout time Pyro 3 Fire above Note Thrust curve and total Rocket Diam N ae Pyro 4 Fire impulse can have up to 20 error Mass at Launch Ib Cd due to non linearities in Cd estimation Use this as a very rough Mass at Burnout Ib Total Impulse estimation of motor performance Firmware updating procedure Be sure any other programs or windows are closed when updating the firmware of the MARSA Attach the MARSA to the USB port start MARSA Connect and establish the connection to the MARSA 1 Download the firmware file by selecting the Download Current Firmware button 2 When the download is complete a notification message will be in the message box and the Flash Current Firmware button will be enabled 20 Version 1 4 3 Program the MARSA with the new firmware by pushing the Flash Current Firmware button The programming progress will be shown with the status bar under the button 4 After a few moments the MARSA will restart If there is an error that status will be messaged in the message window If the MARSA fails to reboot then the flash process has failed most likely because of an interruption of communication This will likely result in a dead MARSA that will need t
5. by moving the joystick to the right THE SIMULATOR MODE CAN ONLY BE TURNED OFF DURING THE ABORT PROCEDURE OR BY LETTING IT RUN ONCE If you power off the altimeter BEFORE it reaches the Wait for Launch phase it will power up in SIMULATOR mode This is how you use the SIMULATOR MODE for ground testing live deployment configurations After the SIMULATED flight runs the MARSA4 will be reset taken out of simulator mode and the next power up will be in NORMAL mode You will know the MARSA54L is in SIMULATOR MODE if you get the long 5 second beep on power up in case you can t see the display 16 Version 1 4 Connection to a Computer MARSA Connect Program The MARSA Connect program is a Windows program use to retrieve flight data and to update the MARSA54L firmware when updates are available To install MARSA54L Connect first install the USB driver program by running the CDM 2 06 or latest version program on the included CD or download from the MARSA54L website After the USB driver is installed you can install the main program by running the MARSA connect setup program included on the CD disk Connecting to the MARSA54L 1 First connect the MARSAS5AL to any available USB port on your pc Power should not be applied yet to the MARSA54L You PC should recognize the MARSA4 by popping up a brief USB device message on the Windows toolbar 2 Next start the MARSA Connect Software MARSA4 connect Flight Data
6. Eee akan Aides vite wees Mies 16 Procedure to activate the flight SiMUIAtOM 0 eee eee e eee e eee ner n ennen ennen ner 16 Connection to a Compute wisi fascia BA A ig AR A ea 17 MARSA Connect Program ici scotch cca vee sid aaa Ea AA rete alec bedel aa a a e aeaii 17 Connecting to the MARSA54L ssssssssssissrrrerrrstrrstrtsrrterrttrrerrnrtrrtrtrrertnrerr een KE REE ER 17 PRAN SE DERE NE er teins ESPE BES ta beeen waco aes ENESTE SEE EEN SE TESS SS as at aaa Ae saa 19 Updating MARSA FirmWware ccccecceeeene see UDE nea ESEA STEENS 20 2 Version 1 4 Copyright 2014 Marsa Systems Inc www marsa4 com Latest Documentation It is likely that this printed documentation may be out of date Download the most current version of user documentation and software from the MARSA4 website www marsa4 com 3 Version 1 4 Disclaimer of Liability The MARSA series of altimeters are EXPERIMENTAL electronic components The device output features of the altimeter are provided to the user for experimental use only It is the SOLE responsibility of the user experimenter to use proper design and testing practices to safely integrate the altimeter into the test vehicle The experimenter must be aware of potential failure modes of the MARSA altimeter which may include the failure to fire an attached device or fire an attached device prematurely or late and accept those risks It is the responsibility of the experimenter that safety is maintained
7. MARSA54L Flight Computer User s Manual O 53 BESES ss gt ATT eu in he lem ALT a me en aw gt amp an MARSAS F aad o tes piia ity Te HL at LE Ni Version 1 4 Table of Contents MARSASA4L Flight Computer User s Manual c cccceceeeeeeeeeeeee eters ea ee ee eeaeeaeeeaeeaeesaeenees 1 Latest Documentati N dnra awn ee av a a LO a ee a A A E E 3 Disclaimer Of Liability ewer vee ha ee ane Ech aia cake 4 Important Safety InformatiOn ccc eee rer eee eee eater eens sates dete aaeeeeaeeeaes 4 Output Device Selection cece renee eee REE REE ERE E sears rede e ened EAEE e desis 4 Continuity testing haZandsiecsccs ccveccanseon a AR a Tia el ete es ane abe 4 Barometric Sensor Sunlight Sensitivity cece ete e eee e eee eeee ates essa een renen rene 5 Starting motors with the MARSA ceceeeeete kt ERE eee eee eed reenter etait 5 Physical Description of the MARSA54L Hardware cccccceeeeeeeeneeeeeeeeeeaeeeeaeeeeae ees 6 Installation and MOUNTING cece teeter ee eee RER ERE HERE RE RE RER ERR K ERE R ER RE RER 6 Using the MARSASAL Flight COMPUtED cece eee eter ee eee cnet eae reed ERE ERE E ERE ERR ERE ER 7 The MARSA54L Power Up SCQUENCE cceceee eee eee te teen e eee e eee a nets a REE ERE E KEE R ER ERR RE RER 7 Programming the MARSASAL Flight COMputel cece ceeee cece eee e sees eats ker kernen ner 9
8. Outputs Sensors Move the cursor to Sensors and select it by moving the joystick to the right The barometric sensor and accelerometer voltages will be displayed Also the calculated altitude corresponding to the barometric sensor will be displayed on the third line of the display Example Baro 3 940v Accel 2 495v 898 ft If the indicated altitude is reasonable within 500 ft of true then the barometric sensor can be trusted Additionally you can place a straw on the barometric sensor port and suck some vacuum to see if the voltage responds The accelerometer voltage reading should be between 2 4 and 2 6v with the MARSA4 level to the ground and it should vary as you tilt the board up and down Outputs The output menu provides the capability to measure the resistance of any attached devices This is vastly superior to the more common continuity tests used on traditional flight computers In addition the proper operation of the output MOSFETs can be tested Select the Outputs menu by moving the cursor to Outputs and moving the joystick to the right If pyro devices are attached the resistance of the attached devices can be measured by selecting the Continuity menu item By moving the joystick again to the right the electrical resistance of the attached devices will be displayed Example P1 1 30 P2 1 19 P3 N A P4 N A 12 Version 1 4 The resistance should be close to what you expect Testing the Output MOSFETs Mak
9. cel and Setup Chan Fires channel Accel Only Kalman are the when apogee Baro OR Accel recommended has been Baro AND options for flights detected by Accel under 40K MSL the user Kalman Delay is when the selected option channel will fire in tenths of a second after apogee is detected Altitude Alt Delay 1s Timer Fm Launch Delay 0 1s Fm Burnout Alt Up Alt Timer MTR Fm Launch Delay 0 1s Timer MTR is the Fm Burnout same as Timer Alt Up Alt except Timer MTR does not continuity test during POST and will not fire if a fault is detected pre or post launch To save any changes to the event programming you must navigate back to the Chan Setup menu with the cursor pointing to Chan Setup Version 1 4 Programming Procedure 10 10 11 Enter programming mode by a joystick move while in the countdown period of the MARSASAL start up sequence Select the Custom Setup menu With the cursor pointing to Setup gt Setup move the joystick to the right to select the Setup Menu With the cursor pointing to Chan Setup move the cursor to the right to select the Chan Setup Menu The programmed setting for Channel 1 Chan1 will be displayed on the screen With the cursor pointing at Chan1 gt Chan1 moving the cursor down or up will step through the other Channel settings To change a channel s programmed event move the joystick to the right That will move the cursor to point to the channel
10. curely with 4 hardware using the 4 holes provided on the PCB corners The holes are on 1 65 x 3 70 centers The altimeter must be mounted with the long direction parallel with the axis of the rocket It does not matter which end is pointing up Attach the battery leads to the B negative and B positive labeled terminals on the 4 position terminal block Attach the arming switch leads to the SW labeled terminals If you do not use a switch on the altimeter connector connect the battery negative lead to B and the battery positive lead to the right most SW terminal A single 9v alkaline NiMH rechargeable or 2S 7 4 LiPo battery is all that is required to operate the MARSA54L and to reliably power commonly used output devices Battery voltage should be limited to 11v maximum and must never exceed 12v or damage to the onboard power supply may result Use a high quality switch with the MARSA altimeter Dirty bouncy power on and off can cause any altimeter to erratically jump to random program locations and start executing 6 Version 1 4 Using the MARSA5A4L Flight Computer The best way to learn how to use the MARSASAL is to apply power and start playing with the controls WARNING Once you get used to the MARSA54L operating system you will find it very difficult to go back to any traditional altimeters that you may have The MARSA54L Power up Sequence The MARSASAL displays a wealth of information on the LCD display during the p
11. e flight data screens Each joystick move to the right brings up another screen up to 5 total flight data screens The following is a list of the flight data statistics that can be displayed AItB Peak altitude as determined by the barometric sensor AltA Peak altitude as determined by integration of the measured acceleration AltK Peak altitude as determined by Kalman Filter Vel Peak velocity as determined by integration of the measured acceleration ACC Peak positive acceleration in g s Burnout The time from launch when motor burnout was detected seconds BaroAP The time from launch when apogee was detected from pressure AccelAP The time from launch when apogee was detected from integrated acceleration KalmanAP The time from launch when apogee was detected by the Kalman Filter 15 Version 1 4 Ground Test Feature The MARSASAL has a built in flight simulator that can be used to test your intended event programming or to perform a ground test for the evaluation of proper recovery deployment When the simulator is activated the flight computer will simulate a launch approximately 40 seconds after power on The simulated launch is to around 2500 feet Procedure to activate the flight simulator 1 2 Hold the joystick to the left as you apply power to the MARSA54L The MARSA54L will give a long beep for 5 seconds while displaying SIMULATOR MODE on the display During this time you can abort out of the SIMULATOR mode
12. e sure no devices are attached to the outputs or you will turn them on 1 Inthe Outputs menu page set the cursor to the Test Outputs line 2 Move the cursor to the right the display will ask Sure to make sure that you really want to turn the outputs on 3 Move the joystick to the right again and the LED s next to each channel connection should light for 0 5 seconds 4 If any of the LEDs fail to light then that indicates that an output device has failed Also none of the LED s should be lit or even partially lit when no commanded to be on This would indicate that the MOSFET is stuck on or partially on Under no circumstances should an output device be connected to an output in this condition Calibrating the Accelerometer Normally you should not need to ever calibrate the accelerometer Calibrating the MARSA54L accelerometer only teaches the altimeter which way is up You would only calibrate the accelerometer if you get an message from MARSA Connect instructing you to do so To calibrate the accelerometer select Cal Accel from the Setup menu 13 Version 1 4 14 Version 1 4 Viewing Flight Data on the MARSAS54L Display The MARSASAL allows you to view key flight data statistics immediately after your flight without the need of connecting to a computer The flight data is accessible from the Flight Data menu off the main startup menu Last Flight Selecting this option starts the display of th
13. even with these and other potential failure modes Marsa Systems Inc shall not be liable for any special incidental or consequential damage or expense directly or indirectly arising from the customer or anyone s use misuse or inability to use this device either separately or in combination with other equipment or for personal injury or loss or destruction of other property for experiment failure or for any other cause Do not use this device unless you completely understand and agree with all the above statements and conditions First time use of the MARSA4 altimeter signifies the user s acceptance of these terms and conditions Marsa Systems Inc warrants the MARSA altimeter to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for 1 year If the unit fails to operate as specified the unit will be repaired or replaced This warranty excludes any malfunction due to damage from use or flight Important Safety Information Output Device Selection The MARSA4 MARSA54 and MARSA54L works best with moderate current devices The MARSA output circuits are capable of supplying robust current so ultra low current devices are unnecessary not recommended and are generally not as safe as ignition devices with a higher no fire current level Output devices should have a no fire current greater than 0 2 amps and an all fire current less than 2 amps The MJG J Tek is an example of a suitable device for use with the MARSA altimeter line Conti
14. ng to be on guard for an inadvertent output activation The result of the continuity test is displayed Launch Mode Wait for Launch lor2 beeps The MARSA is in launch detect mode 2 repeating beeps mean that the continuity tests have passed 1 repeating beep indicates a problem in one or more channels No Beep in Launch mode means the battery voltage is too low Once the altimeter reaches launch mode it will wait for a launch detect by either a barometric altitude rise of 300 feet or an acceleration of gt 2g s for 300 milliseconds Version 1 4 Programming the MARSA54L Flight Computer Programming the MARSASAL is easy and intuitive with the display and joystick All of the MARSA54L commands are menu driven from the display All the menu s have the same basic operation The MARSASAL is placed into programming mode by moving the joystick while the altimeter is in the countdown period of its start up sequence Each menu page has up to 3 lines of menu items Each line can optionally have 1 or 2 menu options There is a cursor gt that is positioned before the menu item that is active The cursor is movable by the joystick up down left and right to navigate to other menu items or to toggle through menu options The following table lists the events and options that can be programmed for each channel Event Options 1 Options 2 Comments Menu Apogee Baro Only Delay 0 1s Baro OR Ac
15. nuity testing hazards Whenever any altimeter is active in the output circuitry the hazard of an inadvertent firing is elevated The MARSA provides a valuable mode where the device resistance and or live current carrying capability of the output circuit can be measured In this mode a slightly higher current can flow in order to get a more accurate measurement For this reason DO NOT MEASURE DEVICE RESISTANCE IN CONTACT WITH DEPLOYMENT POWDER During the power up launch sequence the altimeter will give 3 long beeps just prior to when the MARSA will be checking the output circuits for continuity This will alert you to be on guard for an inadvertent device firing 4 Version 1 4 Barometric Sensor Sunlight Sensitivity The barometric pressure sensor used in this and many other altimeters is sensitive to bright light especially sunlight DIRECT SUNLIGHT ON THE BAROMETRIC SENSOR DURING FLIGHT MODE IS LIKELY TO TRIGGER A FALSE LAUNCH DETECT AND OUTPUT TURNING ON Be very careful when the altimeter is powered and outside the electronics bay when deployment devices are connected Starting motors with the MARSA NEVER power the MARSA unless the rocket is vertical and stable on the pad when the altimeter is configured to start a motor 5 Version 1 4 Physical Description of the MARSA54L Hardware fin inmi ea e E L D a ne e oad mo av nf MARSAS4L Sea pil Installation and Mounting Mount the altimeter se
16. o returned to us for reprogramming 21 Version 1 4
17. ower up sequence It replays how the channels are programmed as well as communicating the status of several power on self tests POST This detailed information is one of many features that result in a very high system reliability The table below lists the events and information that occurs during the power up sequence Item Display Sound Description Power apply MARSA54L Altimeter 5 5 beeps to indicate that power has Verl Build XX beeps been applied and the computer Flight X has started The display indicates the current firmware version and the number of flights on the MARSA54L Channel Chanl Apogee Each of the 5 channel program programming Baro Only settings will be displayed in turn Delay 0 0s Countdown Start in X The MARSASAL will countdown to zero which at that time the MARSASAL will begin its pre launch sequence Moving the joystick during this countdown places the altimeter into Programming and Diagnostics mode Begin Pre 5 The MARSASAL will beep five times launch beeps at the end of the countdown to sequence indicate it is beginning the pre launch sequence POST Sensors OK Test of the barometric and acceleration sensor I2C W OK Write test of on board memory I2C R OK Read test of on board memory 7 Version 1 4 Continuity Test Output Test Pass Fail 3 long beeps The MARSA will give 3 long beeps just prior to testing the continuity of the attached devices This is a heads up warni
18. rdware issues Once in the countdown period press the Connect button at the top right of the MARSA Connect screen The MARSA display should now read MARSA Connected to confirm that communication has been successfully started Download flight data from MARSA memory by pressing the Get Data button The display altimeter will count up to 500 as pages of memory are transferred from the MARSA to your PC Bank data will be displayed in the text boxes on the MARSA program screen Select the bank you want to plot from the Plot Bank radio buttons Flight data can be saved or retrieved from your computer using the Load or Save buttons Version 1 4 MARSA4 connect 4500 2000 1500 1000 Flight Data Controls to zoom pan and annotate the plots You can also create a jpg file of the plot Marsa sn No MARSA4 detected on USB port Plot Bank1 Connection to MARSA4 server successful BANK 0 BANK 1 Ground Baro 600 72631384 AccelZero 519 65535 Launch Time 721 1 6553 5 Pyro 1 Fire 19 8 Pyro 2 Fire 20 8 0 0 0 0 Pyro 3 Fire 324 6 0 0 Pyro 4 Fire 0 0 19 0 0 Peak Alt Baro Peak Alt Accel Peak Vel Peak Accel BANK 1 65535 65535 65535 655 35 Pyro1 Cont Pyro2 Cont Pyro3 Cont Pyro4 Cont Enter rocket diam weights and estimate burnout time from plot above Note Thrust curve and total impulse can have up
19. set by moving the cursor to each character and scrolling characters by moving the joystick up or down Setting the Altimeter Tone Frequency The Marsa54L beeper s frequency can be adjusted To adjust the tone select the Custom Setup menu then select Set Tones The beeper will beep 3 times The frequency can be adjusted by moving the joystick up or down and changing the number that appears Not only does the tone frequency change but the loudness will also change depending on the resonances of the beeper Altitude Lockout Option for Airstarts When setting a timer for an airstart you can use the AltitudeUp option to set an altitude lockout for airstarts For example if you program a timer for an ignition of 1 sec after motor burnout AND an altitude up value of 1000 feet the channel will only fire if the altitude has been achieved when the timer delay has been reached 11 Version 1 4 Diagnostic Features The MARSA54L has powerful diagnostic health check and output device measurement capabilities not available in other flight computers It is these easy to use features that greatly increase the system reliability achieved with the MARSA4 Diagnostic Menu Enter the diagnostic menu by moving the cursor to the DIAG item and then move the cursor to the right The display will read the battery voltage on the first line followed by Sensors and Outputs on the next two lines gt Power 9 56v Sensors
20. to 20 error due to non linearities in Cd estimation Use this as a very rough estimation of motor performance BANK 0 BANK 1 41 255 35 255 31 255 0 255 Motor Analysis Beta Rocket Diam in Firmware Update Download Current Firmware Connect v1 000 Load Custom Fw File Burnout time Calculate Mass at Launch Ib Mass at Burnout Ib Cd Total Impulse Version 1 4 Updating MARSA Firmware The firmware of the MARSA can be updated with the MARSA Connect software If you run MARSA Connect on a computer that is connected to the Internet the program will automatically determine if your MARSA firmware is up to date If the altimeter needs a firmware update then the most current firmware software can be downloaded and programmed using the buttons in the Firmware Update section of the MARSA Connect program MARSA4 connect Flight Data 1000 000 Cha MARSA4 detected Power on altimeter wait till countdown then hit connect button Get Data 0 200 200 400 400 600 600 800 800 1000 1000 Export 400 500 600 800 1000 Time s Marsa sn A6S7W0PB Fw Version Build 23 Current Firmware build is 22 This g Beta version Connect v1 000 z BANK 0 BANK 1 BANK 0 BANK 1 Firmware Update Ground Baro Peak Alt Baro Pytol Cont Download Current Load Custom Fw Firmware File Accel Zero Peak Alt Accel Pyro2
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