Dev Blog 5 Fixed major errors which didnt allow the battery charging circuit to work thickned traces for power and addedd silkscreen graphics to the front and back :). I belive that the pcb is finshed and ready to be sent to jlcpcb. Now i need to work on the code aspect of this project.
Dev Blog 4 finalised the schematic with the sd card breakout and new sensor. finshed charging circuit. added a servo control and boost circuit to power the servo established rough layout and size for pcb finding it hard to make it compact and route everything but trying to do it to the best of my ability and take my time. :)
Dev blog 3 i found a new solution for the sensors i was planning to use :). While scrolling on aliexpress for parts i found a +-16g IMU that has a built in pressure sensor, these are the two main datapoints that i am trying to collect with this flight computer. because of the part that i found i decided that i will probbably add some type of servo control that can for example deploy the parachute at apogee or something else. the module is called the MPU-9250 and it has a 10dof imu with a bmp280 and digital compass which could show us how the rocket rolls throughout spaceflight. i belive that 16g should be enought for smaller model rockets class d/e from research online so there shouldnt be a bottleneck. i finshed the schematic for the charging module however i am still deciding if i should integrate it into the pcb or solder on a module. the goal is to make it low cost so that anyone can make it as cheaply as possible without any drawbacks on performance. live data transmition isnt in my scopes right now because on short rocket launches it isnt really worth the extra hassle and parts for me at least. maybe in a future revision i will add a gps chip for live tracking however i want to start a prototype first. Next step: order parts and assemble on breadboard.
devblog 2
currently having some problems with the battery charging circuit but trying to overcome it with the help of google gemini and schematics/datasheets off the internet 95% of the charging circuit is done.
next step will be to order a imu rp pico and pressure sensor to hookup and test on a breadboard.
still deciding what exact parts to use. things arent going the best but im learning so thats good :)
DevBlog 1
Im making a datalogger for a model rocket using a raspberry pi pico running off of a lipo battery which can log altitute and g force.
currently i have been doing the battery charging circuit in kicad.
Dev Blog 5
I decided to switch from Dahl DDC to the Arduino Joystick library for ease of use and having the possibility to use it outside of simhub.
I 3D printed the enclousre and it fits without any problems. All holes are perfect size for the buttons and screws and the spacing for the aluminium extrusion mount is correct. Exess pace for the components is also a feature to fit the pico and all wires.
Dev Blog 4
I printed the body and front plate however i accidently ran out of fillament with about a hour left😑 in a 10 hour print.
Optimised the body to print faster and use less material also fixed issues with the front plate with the screw holes and holes for rotary switch and square buttons.
Time to print V2.
Dev blog 3
Cad model is finalized and ready for 3d printing, next i will make a wiring diagram and 3d print then solder all connections and use Dahl Design DDC paired with simhub to turn the raspberry pi pico into a hid device over usb.
Next steps : 3d print enclousre, flash pi with code, wiring diagram, solder connections and assembly.
Dev Blog 2
Layout finalised and rough 3d model made.
Next i need to figure out how i will mount it exactly to my 4080 aluminium extrusion.
Dev Blog 1
When thinking of doing a new project i alwaus try to think of 2 things : a problem and a way to solve it.
The What Why and How always come in mind when brainstorming ideas. A good project is always the best foundation but you also have to have an idea how you will overcome said problem.
I found a problem and that was in my racing simulator where i didnt have enough inputs on my wheel and had to go over to my keyboard by my desk each time i wanted to do something such as press escape or connect and disconect my trailer in euro truck simulator.
First thing i did was find the needed hardware for something like this so rotary encoders switches and buttons come in mind. I had to choose what inputs i was needing the most so when i chose those inputs i picked what hardware would be best for that. I ended up with 4 push buttons a 2 way switch and a 8 way rotary encoder.
Next i made a blueprint on paper and measured all mounting holes and made a prototype drawring to see how the layout will look. With there being 14 total inputs i also have to choose a microcontroller and i think i will choose the rp-pico for this task.
Next step : cad design in onshape.
