Ok, so a little over a week ago in the previous update I wrote about the steps I would take next. In this update we’ll talk about the things that happened between then and now, the work that has been done and the current status. Launch Pad
Focus for now has shifted a little towards the launch pad. I’ve purchased some raw materials that will be used to build the first version. I drafted an initial design and I’ve come across some minor improvements that I would like to tackle before I start building it.
The breadboard has also been cleaned up a bit and at this point includes the nRF8001 Bluetooth LE transceiver and a quad LED display which gives room for 4 alphanumeric characters. This should be readable from a safe distance during launch procedure. The display will show the current status of the pad, and will display the countdown procedure once it’s initiated.
On the software side, I’ve made some steps in raising the code quality by migrating both RocketOS and the PadOS code base to use PlatformIO. It was a bit of a struggle in the beginning to both set up and managing dependencies but I think I have a solid base to work with now. Mobile App
I started to create the Simply Rockets mobile app for iOS (to begin with). I’m still experimenting with connecting and communicating between the app, and the BLE chip connected to the launch computer. Still figuring out how to do some things in C++ as well as Swift. I am already starting to think about a simple protocol that I can use for communication between the app, the launch pad and ultimately the rocket. What’s next?
I hope to get communication working between the App and the launch pad. Coming up with a simple protocol to efficiently and reliably send data between the pad and the app. After that focus will shift toward designing the integration between the rocket and the pad. Priority will be to designing launch clamps, and a mechanism to attach to the bottom of the rockets’ airframe. This will help to hold the rocket for a little after ignition, which will overcome the initial spike in the thrust curve of the motor.
Also, a little teaser for Patrons of level Liftoff. I’m still waiting for some custom-made Simply Rockets merchandise, so expect more on this in a separate update 😉
