Guidelines for the Progress Report

And Design Document

Team Name: SINCRON

County:Targu Neamt
PROGRESS REPORT

Project tasks are partially met, as the provision of APRS data has not been completed.
The APRS network operates on the 144,500 Mhz frequency, and in Romania the higher
frequencies and 432,300Mhz respectively require a bandwidth conversion or the
development of a 433Mhz national network.
To use the APRS environment, a special amateur license is required from ANCOM. Due
to the limited financial and financial resources, we have opted for a virtual, online, free
promotion space.
All parts of the satellite were purchased through their own efforts without external
funding

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 New progress statement for team profile
A brief statement (1-2 paragraphs max) to give the general public an idea of
how things are going with your project.
 i. Task list
Work tasks are detailed in Table 1
Table 1
Task Condition
Bonding components Done
Carrying out the casing Done
Performing the parachute Done
Assembling the satellite Done
Connecting to the APRS network In progress
Purchasing the necessary materials Done
Making localization device In progress
 ii. Detailed project status

The project is almost completed, but we just have to find a way to connect the
assembly with the APRS servers and to make the localization device.
One problem is that the information provided on the blog about the supply voltage
does not correspond to the components parameters, so we managed to burn one of
the Arduino micro pro development boards. Another problem was related to
connecting the development board to the PC, and we needed to download a special
library for it to be able to recognize the serial port.
We initially used a LI Po battery, but we found that its autonomy was rather small, so
we switched Li ion batteries in two, connected in parallel.
The housing of the satellite is made of a dose of juice provided with holes in order not
to opt the sensors.
The parachute was made of a piece of hexagon-shaped nylon. As well as difficulties
encountered during the parachute, there were found suitable strings for the corners.
For starters we used the lily, but we found them breaking, so the final version has
some thicker strings.
Meanwhile, we thought about making another version of Arduino nano, but we realized
it was difficult to adapt those sensors
Table of Contents

PROGRESS REPORT.......................................................................2
i. New progress statement for team profile.............................3
ii. Task list.........................................................................4
iii. Detailed project status......................................................5

DESIGN DOCUMENT......................................................................6

1 INTRODUCTION.....................................................................8
1.1 Team organisation and roles..............................................8
1.2 Mission objectives............................................................8

2 CANSAT DESCRIPTION............................................................9
2.1 Mission overview.............................................................9
2.2 Mechanical/ structural design...........................................10
2.3 Electrical design.............................................................11
2.4 Software design.............................................................11
2.5 Recovery system............................................................12
2.6 Ground support Equipment..............................................12

3 PROJECT PLANNING..............................................................13
3.1 Time schedule of the CanSat preparation...........................13
3.2 Resource estimation.......................................................13
3.2.1 Budget................................................................13
3.2.2 External support...................................................13
3.3 Test plan......................................................................13

4 OUTREACH PROGRAMME.......................................................14

5 REQUIREMENTS...................................................................16

APPENDIX 1 THE CANSAT REQUIREMENTS.....................................17

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1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Team organisation and roles

Our project coordinator is Professor Sauciuc Gheorghe. The professor is a member of

the Department of Electronics / Automation / Telecommunications at the Technical
College "Ion Creanga" Tg.Neamt.

The SINCRON team consists of 6 students. The assignments of the pupil are as
follows:
Realization of the satellite chassis - Dascalu Eduard and Apostol Claudiu;
Construction of the parachute - Oana Ionut and Stefanache Andrei;
Attaching connection needles - all team members;
Programming and testing the functioning of CANSAT - Lendea Adrian;
Realizing the Project Blog - Gabriela Ropotica

The works took 2 months, 5 hours a week, within the Excellence Center for electronics
and automation, from Tg. Neamt, on laboratory "Ion Creangă" Technical College Tg.
Neamt.
The working meetings for the project were planned as follows:
S1 - planning of the action and division of workloads
S2- We ordered the kit components
S3-We started the works
S5-We completed the works for the main part of the project
S6- We released testing of the assemblies
S7-We have purchased a type of APRS MICROSAT WX3

1.2 Mission objectives

Our secondary mission is to convert the information transmitted by the 433 MHz radio
into 144 MHz to communicate with the purchased MicroSat WX3 in1 2.0 APRS. This
equipment helps us to load sensor data into APRS servers. In this way, these data are
archived and can be viewed at a short time from anywhere in the world.
This equipment will help us find the satellite more easily, finding out his exact location
2 CANSAT DESCRIPTION

2.1 Mission overview

Microcontrollers can be the solution for monitoring the situation of a region,
such as the degree of pollution, from the air through a camera and a receiver.
These satellites can be autonomous, using photovoltaic panels

Block diagram:

GPS LOGICAL
MODULE CONVERTER

TEMPERATURE Microcontroller
SENSOR Transmitter

PRESSURE
SENSOR

Ground
Station

Fig.1 Block schema CANSAT

2.2 Mechanical/ structural design

Fig.2 Internal Image SINCRON CANSAT which includes the hardware modules
according to the block diagram

1. Logical Converter. This module lowers the 5v voltage supplied by the batteries
to 3.3V making possible the normal operation of the other components
2. Pressure and temperature sensor.
3. Arduino micro pro development board, which makes the assembly possible
4. Voltage lifter from 3.7 to 5v, recovered from a powerbank
5. Li-ion batteries that are connected in parallel for high autonomy
6. Radio transmitter-receiver module, makes possible communication with the
base
7. The transceiver antenna, which was calculated to operate at 433mhz frequency
2.3 Electrical design

CANSAT- is built from the following components:

a. Pro Micro Development Pad - 5V / 16Mhz

Figure 3 illustrates the development board, and Figure 4 details the

meaning of the In / OUT pins

Fig.3 Arduino Pro Micro

It uses ATmega32U4 microcontrollers with built-in USB interface.

- micro-usb port
- 4 analog input pins

- 12 digital pins (5 supports PWM)

- hardware serial port (RX / TX)

It has a voltage regulator and can be powered up to 12V on the RAW pin.

It is compatible with Arduino Leonardo (select this board in Arduino IDE)..

 Fig.4 Description of the Arduino Micro Pro interface pins
There are no digital input pins 11,12,13 and 17 available on the controller board.

 Digital pin 2 is SDA and Digital pin 3 is SCL which supports I2C communication.
 Digital pin 16 is MOSI,15 is MISO and 14 is SCLK (or SCK) supports SPI
communication.
 The AREF input does not exist on the board.
 The Analog pins(A0,A1,A2,A3) can also be configured as digital
pins(D18,D19,D20,D21).
 The Tilt sign(~) represents the PWM pin.

b. temperature and pressure sensor Bmp180 - 0.005W

BMP0180 is a high precision barometric pressure sensor. The BMP0180 can measure
from 300 to 1100 hPa with absolute accuracy of up to 0.02 hPa. This sensor supports
a voltage between 1.8 and 3.6VDC.
c. Radio device: Rfm69-0,016w
RFM69 is a cheap but versatile radio module that operates in the 434MHz band and is
capable of transmitting up to 300kbps with power up to 100mW.
Uses the SPI protocol to communicate with a microcontroller. There are many books
available for Arduino that make using this device very easy.
It supports up to 256 networks and 255 nodes on the network, AES encryption
features to keep your private data and packet data packets up to 66 bytes.

d. Power energy : Li-IOn battery

e. WX3in1 Plus 2.0 APRS-I-GATE

RF -> APRS-IS forwarding (I-Gate)

WX3in1 Plus 2.0 allows you to connect to APRS-IS server network. After logging to selected
server, it is possible to gate data received from the APRS radio network. All packets with correct
format and checksum are forwarded to APRS-IS.

APRS-IS -> RF forwarding

WX3in1 Plus 2.0 allows you to receive packets from APRS-IS server. Then a decision is made
whether to gate a packet to RF or not. It is possible to forward different types of packets based on a
filter defined in device configuration. APRS message packets can be forwarded to stations which
were heard on RF within limited number of digi-hops (local RF), and they are repeated up to 3 times
in case of no ACK packet received from message recipient.

GPS support
WX3in1 Plus 2.0 allows you to connect an optional GPS receiver module to report current position
in APRS and APRS-IS beacons. Therefore it is possible to use it with a moving station and display a
real-time position on the map.

Bluetooth interface support and a KISS TNC operation

Firmware version 1.08 adds a functionality of a KISS protocol TNC allowing to forward received
packets via optional Bluetooth interface connection to an external device (e.g. Android smartphone).
It is also possible to receive packets from Bluetooth and send them to RF. Thereby it is now possible
to use the device as a Bluetooth TNC.
Tests were made with APRSDroid 1.3.0 giving a nice ability to show received packets on the
application map and allowing to send packets from mobile phone to RF.

2.4 Software design

a. The software for CANSAT is from

web: http://doc.open-cosmos.com/Qbcan_software_installation
 Fig. 5 The Arduino IDE interface specifies Arduino 1.8.5 with
temperature, pressure and altitude monitoring

We view the data in the serial monitor. We are going to create a more
"friendly" interface for reading the data. During the measurement, we will use
a screen capture software to avoid losing the data

Fig. 6 Graphical interface with a specific code sequence CANSAT SINCRON

The programming language used is C ++, and as a development environment
we have used the Arduino software.

b. Software for WX3in1 for APRS I-gate (http://microsat.com.pl )

2.5 Recovery system
For a weight CANSAT of 220 grams if it is launched from a height of 1000 m,
then its impact speed with the ground will be without parachute of 140.00 m / s. Time
to impact, if parachute does not open, will be 14.29 s. the energy at impact will be
2126600.00 joules
The recovery system will be a buzzer to which we will attach a sensor so that
when it touches the ground it will activate. As a damping device, we will use a
parachute made by us.

2.6 Ground support Equipment

In the images below are shown the CANSAT transmitter and receiver.

Fig.7 Transmitter-receiver used to monitor the parameters of the SINCRON

CANSAT project

In Figure 7, the specific emitter / receiver parts are as follows:

1. Radio transmitter / receiver - this module makes possible communication with the
433mhz satellite
2. Logical Converter. This module lowers the voltage of 5v supplied by the batteries to
3.3v
3. Pressure and temperature sensor. This module measures temperature and
atmospheric pressure.
4. WX3in1 Plus 2.0
2.7 Time schedule of the CanSat preparation

The sum of time for the preparation of the satellite for the purpose of the
project was 35 hours.

2.8 Resource estimation

2.8.1 Budget

The cost of building CANSAT was 250 €

 Structure: Metallic parts and structural shields = 15€;
 Transmitter board: Only one, as ground stations will not be considered in the
budget = 25€;
 Controller board = 40€;
 Sensor board: Including all the provided sensors and electronic components
=15€;
 Parachute 5€
 APRS WX3in1 Plus 2.0 (http://microsat.com.pl) for I-Gate 129€

2.8.2 External support

For the project we had access to our high school laboratories and we
received the information from the web address:
http://doc.open-
cosmos.com/Qbcan_modular#Software_installation_and_qbcan_library_details

2.9 Test plan

To test the parachute, I attached a weight equal to that of the satellite,

which works well. It was thrown from a tall building.
The test of the transmitter was made about 800m away from the receiver with
obstacles in the way.
Fig.8 Screen capture with parameters provided to the receiver on the ground

Fig.9 Performing satellite tests

3 OUTREACH PROGRAMME

The project blog is:

https://cansat371167460.wordpress.com/

Within this virtual space, we wanted to present images of the stages of satellite
realization, to suggest the software solutions that led to the completion of the project
and to present the optimizations we want to achieve in the future.
4 REQUIREMENTS

The features of SINCRON CANSAT are as follows

Characteristics Figure
Height of the CanSat[mm] 16
Mass of the CanSat[g] 217
Diameter of the CanSat[mm]
Length of the recovery system [mm] 2000mm
Flight time scheduled [s]
Calculated descent rate
Radio frequency used [MHz] 433mhz
Power consumption [W] 0,521
Total cost [€] 90

Signature, place and date

Prof. Gh. Sauciuc

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APPENDIX 1 THE CANSAT REQUIREMENTS

The CanSat hardware and missions must be designed to the following requirements and
constraints:

[1] All the components of the CanSat must fit inside a standard soda can (115 mm height
and 66 mm diameter), with the exception of the parachute. An exemption can be made
for radio antennas and GPS antennas, which can be mounted externally (on the top or
bottom of the can, not on the sides), based on the design.
N.B. The rocket payload area has 4.5 cm of space available per CanSat, along the can’s
axial dimension (i.e. height), which must accommodate all external elements including:
parachute, parachute attachment hardware, and any antennas.
[2] The antennas, transducers and other elements of the CanSat cannot extend beyond the
can’s diameter until it has left the launch vehicle.
[3] The mass of the CanSat must be between 300 grams and 350 grams. CanSats that are
lighter must take additional ballast with them to reach the 300 grams minimum mass limit
required.
[4] Explosives, detonators, pyrotechnics, and flammable or dangerous materials are strictly
forbidden. All materials used must be safe for the personnel, the equipment and the
environment. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) will be requested in case of doubt.
[5] The CanSat must be powered by a battery and/or solar panels. It must be possible for the
systems to be switched on for four continuous hours.
[6] The battery must be easily accessible in case it has to be replaced/recharged.
[7] The CanSat must have an easily accessible master power switch.
[8] Inclusion of a retrieval system (beeper, radio beacon, GPS, etc.) is recommended.
[9] The CanSat should have a recovery system, such as a parachute, capable of being reused
after launch. It is recommended to use bright coloured fabric, which will facilitate
recovery of the CanSat after landing.
[10] The parachute connection must be able to withstand up to 1000 N of force. The strength
of the parachute must be tested, to give confidence that the system will operate
nominally.
[11] For recovery reasons, a maximum flight time of 120 seconds is recommended. If
attempting a directed landing then a maximum of 170 seconds flight time is
recommended.
[12] A descent rate between 8 m/s and 11 m/s is recommended for recovery reasons. In case
of attempting a directed landing, a lower descent rate of 6m/s is recommended.
[13] The CanSat must be able to withstand an acceleration of up to 20 g.
[14] The total budget of the final CanSat model should not exceed 500€. Ground Stations (GS)
and any related non-flying item will not be considered in the budget. More information
regarding the penalties in case of exceeding the stated budget can be found in the next
section.
[15] In case of sponsorship, all the items obtained should be specified in the budget with the
corresponding costs on the market at that moment.
[16] The CanSat must be flight-ready upon arrival to the launch campaign. A final technical
inspection of the CanSats will be done by authorised personnel before launch

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