Digital Launch Controller

I've seen a coded radio launcher somewhere and you could look at the chips whcih support coding on PMR 433 (.92) radio links used for car alarms, garage doors etc.

Lots of ideas you could adapt here:

Halam

I like this idea, launch 4 rockets form your mobile phone by Bluetooth:

Yes. I have forwarded your post to the individual who built it.

IIRC the MARS (NY) launch system works this way. John DeMar designed it when he was still in NY. He did an R&D report on it, which may be available if you contact him.

Thanks for the pointer Bob.

Kurt

In it's latest incarnation, that system has a main console that feeds a distributor box with one cable. Each pad is fed from the distributor box by an extension cable. There is a battery connected to the distributor and and a small one to the console. There isn't any CAT5 in the system - it uses DB25's. I've alsoo spoken to John about going wireless.

Phil

James Macfarlane of MARS (the UK one) has a digital launch controller for hybrids that uses Cat 5. In fact my launch controller is built to follow the same standard that he used for commonality. Basically, some of the cores in the Cat 5 are allotted to plain old analogue switching of relays at the launch pad, and others are allotted for RS-422 which is run via the Cat 5 cable.

The launch controller avoids mains connectors (because they can be confused if someone was daft enough to plug it into the mains), and avoids network connectors (because they are not that weatherproof), and goes with XLR connectors instead. XLR connectors are generally pretty rugged.

All the best,

Richard

here u go kurt:

If you think DB25's suck, trust me on this one, wireless sucks WORSE.

I'm still shaking the bugs out of this, but it's capable of firing 3 pads at > 1000', with 15 continuous amps delivered to each pad simutaneously. It's bidirectional - each of the enable/arm/fire circuits has positive feedback, but not continuity (yet). It also has a remote 110db alert alarm. Both ends have their addresses hard wired, but could easily be switchable for expansion.