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Digital Launch Controller

Hi,

Speaking of a sequential launch controller. Has anyone seen any plans or schematics of a digital launch controller where the launch controller box sends digital commands through cat 5 or regular network cable to a decoder box out in the field? This in turn would send the firing signals to the appropriate pad(s) and would have the potential to do sequences, drags or just individual launches. A corollary would be to use a coded radio transmitter. I have seen a few commercial radio controlled digital units but nothing using 4 or 5 conductor network cable.

The advantage of this is one wouldn't have to have a pile of cables running from the LSO's control box out into the field as digital codes could be sent via one cable to the field control box that would send the firing commands to the pads and or launch relays.

Kurt Savegnago

Reply to
Kurt
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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:

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I have not doen business with them so this is an example not a recomendation.)

Halam

Reply to
Halam Rose

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

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Reply to
Halam Rose

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

Reply to
Ken S

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.

Reply to
Bob Kaplow

Thanks for the pointer Bob.

Kurt

Reply to
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

Reply to
Phil Stein

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

Reply to
Richard Osborne

here u go kurt:

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terry dean nar 16158

Reply to
shockwaveriderz

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

Reply to
Gene Costanza

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.

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Hi,

Reply to
AndrewM

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