The Raven altimeter... - Northern Colorado Rocketry

This topic has 11 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 8 months ago by Adrian.

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October 31, 2009 at 9:57 pm #40826
Adrian
Participant
…is now available.

After months of alpha testing and a successful round 1 of beta testing, I have the first production batch of Ravens just about done. Since the first round of beta testing, I have added a lot of features, and there have been major updates to the user’s manual and Featherweight Interface Program, so you should consider these first altimeters as Raven Beta test round 2. They’re discounted $10 off, available for only $139.

Highlights:
-Only 1.75″ long and 0.8″ wide
-4 high-current, programmable outputs
-Digital-output baro sensor is super accurate up to 100,000 feet and over a wide range of temperatures
-70g axial accel recorded at 500 Hz
-35g lateral accel recorded at 23 Hz
-All 4 continuity voltages recorded at 23 Hz throughout the flight
-Deployment current recorded at 46 Hz
-Professionally-written, GUI-based interface program
-On-board flight simulation for ground testing
-Operates either end up
-Apogee beeped out after the flight, based on a sophisticated apogee detection algorithm that is insensitive to deployment transients

Comparison to other full-featured altimeters:

For more info and to place an order, go to
http://www.featherweightaltimeters.com/The_Raven.php

Thanks
-Adrian
October 31, 2009 at 11:40 pm #51548
Warren B. Musselman
Moderator
I still haven’t figured out all I can do with the Parrot yet and I want one already. Are they calibrated to NIST-traceable standards?

Warren
November 1, 2009 at 3:43 am #51549
Adrian
Participant
I still haven’t figured out all I can do with the Parrot yet and I want one already. Are they calibrated to NIST-traceable standards?

Warren

Thanks Warren. Yes, the sensor is is calibrated at the chip factory, and since it has the whole analog chain included on the chip, there aren’t any other error sources that could come from the rest of the board to affect the readings. It is basically the same sensor you wrote about earlier, with the same error curves.

I flew 5 of them together in a big Bertha earlier this summer, and I was happy to find that the recorded altitude from all 5 was right on top of each other throughout the flight.
November 1, 2009 at 5:54 am #51550
Chris LaPanse
Very nice.
November 4, 2009 at 4:23 pm #51551
mule
Participant
Can’t wait for Saturday….. E-bay is sitting waiting for it to arrive….
November 5, 2009 at 3:57 pm #51552
Adrian
Participant
Can’t wait for Saturday….. E-bay is sitting waiting for it to arrive….

I’ll have a bunch of Ravens with me all boxed up and ready to go. Now will I have my BALLS sustainer fixed up for an altitude attempt? We’ll see. Might depend on how much sleep I want to get on Friday.
November 5, 2009 at 6:17 pm #51553
mule
Participant
Can’t wait for Saturday….. E-bay is sitting waiting for it to arrive….

I’ll have a bunch of Ravens with me all boxed up and ready to go. Now will I have my BALLS sustainer fixed up for an altitude attempt? We’ll see. Might depend on how much sleep I want to get on Friday.

So did it get mailed out this week or are you bringing it with you? I got the email from paypay that it was mailed monday. I may have to come to work tomorrow if it doesn’t come today.
November 8, 2009 at 5:41 pm #51554
Adrian
Participant
Thanks to John Wilke’s helpful redlines, I updated the Raven’s user manual. It’s available here:
http://www.featherweightaltimeters.com/uploads/Raven_Users_Manual_09Nov8.pdf

Raven link:
http://www.featherweightaltimeters.com/The_Raven.php
November 8, 2009 at 7:20 pm #51555
John A. Wilke
Participant
What really happened is I said “Adrian, I’m a bit of an idiot on electronics sometimes and I need you to essplain some of this stuff to me” 😀 In all sincerity, thanks for spending some time with me on it. I was amazed to see how small it was… I knew it would be, but seeing it was nonetheless enlightening. It isn’t much bigger than a postage stamp….
November 8, 2009 at 11:06 pm #51556
mule
Participant
See what happens when an English major get his hands on a paper… I’m glad you made this up Adrian. Geologists can only be tech savvy to a point – as you saw earlier. 😳

Had to add this in now that I have been able to check it out.

WOW! I like it. It’s so easy to use and understand, plus, this thing does all kinds of cool things. I really like having 4 channels. I can foresee more in my inventory.

I’m still trying to figure out how to unlock my car doors with it, there has to be a function in it somewhere…. 😆

Oh yeah, mine’s even in your picture – good ol #30
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