Reference Seminar

A Seminar Report on
AVIONICS SYSTEM OF SOUNDING ROCKET
By
ASHUTOSH GAME
Seat No: 71926090G
TE Computer Engineering
Under the guidance of
MRS. S. N. BHOSALE
Computer Engineering
Sinhgad College of Engineering,
Vadgaon (Bk.), Pune-411041
Affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune. (One blank space)
2019-20
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the Seminar entitled
AVIONICS SYSTEM OF SOUNDING ROCKET
Submitted by
Ashutosh Game
has successfully completed the Seminar Presentation under the supervision of Prof. S. N. Bhosale
for the partial fulfillment of Bachelor of Engineering—Computer Engineering (specialization) of
Savitribai Phule Pune University. This work has not been submitted elsewhere for the award of
any other degree.
Prof. Shilpa Bhosale Prof. M. P. Wankhade

Guide H. O. D Computer Engineering
Prof. K. G. Shinde Dr. S. D. Lokhande

External Examiner Principal
Abstract
A sounding rocket, sometimes called a research rocket, is an instrument-carrying rocket
designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital flight.
The rockets are used to carry instruments from 48 to 145 km above the surface of the Earth,
the altitude generally between weather balloons and satellites; the maximum altitude for
balloons is about 40 km and the minimum for satellites is approximately 121 km. Our rocket
altitude is about 3000 feet (3 Km). Sounding rockets often use solid state rocket motors.
Avionics are the electronic systems used on rockets, aircraft, artificial satellites, and spacecraft.
Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple
systems, and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to perform individual functions.
Our avionics system is used for sounding rocket tracking and recovering it successfully.
This system includes GPS (global positioning system) for tracking rocket on earth surface in
actual flight duration and recovery. The pressure sensor as altimeter which converts pressure
data into equivalent altitude of rocket. For wireless telemetry system xbee based 900 MHz
modules are used which provide live telemetry to ground station with live altitude and actual
position on earth. This system also includes IR (infra-red) sensor-based feedback system for
checking the the condition of the parachute recovery system that is for checking parachute is
removed or not from the system.
i
Acknowledgements
Words are often less to revel once deep regards. with and understanding that words like this
can never be the outcome of single person. I take this opportunity to express our profound sense
of gratitude and respect to all those who directly or indirectly help us through the duration of
this work.
It gives me great pleasure to present a dissertation on “Avionics system for sounding rocket”.
Therefore, It become my duty to express my gratitude towards themes. I am extremely obliged
to our seminar guide Prof. Shilpa Bhosale in department of Computer Engineering for helping
and providing us with proper guidance. Timely suggestion by this professor made it possible
for us to complete this seminar successfully.
I will fail in my duty if I don't acknowledge a great sense of gratitude to the head of computer
engineering department Prof. M. P. Wankhade and entire staff member of our department for
their cooperation.
Ashutosh Game(71926090G)
ii
List of Tables
Table No. Title Page No.
2.1 Literature Review 07
iii
List of Figures
Figure No. Title Page No.

1.1 Component diagram of Sounding Rocket 02
1.2 Sounding Rocket Recovery. 03
3.3.1 GPS Module 09

3.3.2 Stratologger 10
3.3.3 Xbee pro S3B 10
3.3.4 ATmega328p 11
3.3.5 MPL3115A2 pressure sensor 11
3.3.6 IR sensor 12
3.3.7 Antennas 12
3.4.1 Altimeter Testing 13
3.4.2 Telemetry and GPS prototyping 14

3.5.1 Schamatics in Eagle 14
3.5.2 PCB board designing in Eagle 15
3.5.3 Manufactured PCB 15
3.6.1 Avionics CAD 16
3.6.2 Top view of CAD 16
iv
Contents
Page No.
Certificate
Abstract I
Acknowledgement ii
List of Tables iii
List of Figures iv
Chapter-1 Introduction 1
1.1 Avionics System 1
1.2 Motivation 4
1.3 Objective 4
Chapter-2 Literature Review 5

2.1 Introduction 5
2.2 Literature Survey 6
Chapter-3 Avionics System 8
3.1 Introduction 8
3.2 Requirements of ESRA 8
3.3 Electronics and devices used 9

3.4 Prototyping and testing 13
3.5 Schematics and PCB design 14
3.6 CAD and Mounting 16
Chapter-4 Future Scope 17
4.1 How far System will go 17
Chapter-5 Conclusion 18
Chapter-6 References 19
v
vi
Avionics System for Sounding Rocket
Chapter-1
Introduction
1.1 Sounding Rocket
A sounding rocket, sometimes called a research rocket, is an instrument-carrying rocket

designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital flight.
The rockets are used to carry instruments from 48 to 145 km above the surface of the Earth,
the altitude generally between weather balloons and satellites; the maximum altitude for
balloons is about 40 km and the minimum for satellites is approximately 121 km. Our rocket
altitude is about 3000 feet (3 Km). Sounding rockets often use solid state rocket motors.
Our avionics system is used for sounding rocket tracking and recovering it successfully.
While launching sounding rocket it is necessary to launch it and recover it successfully. The
topic explains the electronic system for the sounding rocket for 10k feet altitude. The sounding
rocket consists of two parachutes that is drogue (which ejected at apogee) and main (Which
ejected at certain distance above earth surface) for recovery. These parachutes are ejected
outside by using electronic system and firing of ejection charge. This is done by calculating
altitude and as altitude is reduced the drogue parachute is fired and as the certain distance from
earth surface is reached the main parachute is fired.
1
SCOE TE (Computer) Pune.
Components of Sounding Rocket
Fig. (1.1) Component diagram of Sounding Rocket
Propulsion system
Propulsion system of rocket includes selection of rocket motor like solid fuel motor or liquid
fuel motor. For selection of this calculation of forces on rocket and thrust required to reduces
this force. The calculation of forces is done by with help of computer software like rock-sim
or openrocket.
Payload
Payload is work given to the rocket that is reason so that rocket is launched. The payload may
be any scientific device that is used to test, any satellite, space probe, or spacecraft carrying
humans, animals, or cargo. For a ballistic missile, the payload is one or more warheads and
related systems; the total weight of these systems is referred to as the throw-weight. In our case
payload is 4 kg that is vibration isolation using MRF and magnetic field.
Recovery
Recovery system includes the assembly of parachutes and ejection charge for firing parachute
outside of rocket body tube for safely recover it back to the earth surface. System consists of
two parachute that is drogue and main parachute. The drogue parachute open at the apogee of
rocket flight and main parachute is opened at the pre decided apogee from ground level.
2
Fig. (1.2) Sounding Rocket Recovery.
Structure
Structure includes design of rocket and manufacturing for the same. The design is done by
different simulations and analysis running on the computer software like ANSYS and Catia.
Avionics
position on earth. This system also includes IR (infrared) sensor-based feedback system for
checking the condition of the parachute recovery system that is for checking parachute is
3
All this information is collected real time in a telemetry software built in C#. Software is
developed separately for windows PC. It is connected to the vehicle and collects data and
displays to the user interface. It also provides tracking mechanism by using offline google maps
API. Graph of altitude and pressure is also plotted in the software.
1.2 MOTIVATION BEHIND THE TOPIC
The organisation like ISRO, NASA and SpaceX are launching their rockets and developing
research in the subject of Aerospace. In India, space exploration started in 1967 when India
launched its first toy rocket RH-75. In India all space activities for the development of space
science are under the control of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). ISRO is an
organization established by government of India to carry out research and developmental
activities related with space science. By following this organization, we decided to establish
interest in subject of aerospace engineering in students so we developing sounding rocket called
APJ 2.0 which going to launch an international rocket competition called Spaceport America
cup which is going to held in June of 2020 in San Francisco US.
1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVE BEHIND WORK
The primary aim of our project is to make and launch the sounding rocket as per the ESRA
(Experimental Sounding Rocket Association) rules and regulation. Following are the
objectives of project.
● Develop and launch best performance sounding rocket.

● Launch the rocket at target apogee 10k feet.
● Develop active live tracking system for rocket vehicle.
● Recovering rocket safe with dual parachute recovery system.
4
Chapter-2
Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
Our developed avionics system is well tested and well-arranged system. This system consists
of dual recovery system and pressure-based altitude measurement system. The avionics system
is made up with our custom build PCB board. This PCB board consists of our custom build
MPL1115A2 barometric pressure sensor-based altimeter. The second redundant recovery
system is made up with commercial altimeter Stratologger CF. The board consists of Ublox
M8Q GPS for live tracking of rocket. The Xbee based 900Mhz wireless module for wireless
transmission system.
2.2. Literature Survey
During the 1960s to 1990s, sounding rockets provided inexpensive management schooling for
space scientists active in several space research disciplines around the World. Those managers
later became the key space scientists, when more sophisticated space research used complex
satellites to study the Universe. Sounding-rocket activities had a similarly beneficial effect on
the creation of a space industry.
When ESRO decided to concentrate from 1972 onwards on scientific and applications
satellites, and on the development of the Ariane launcher and the Spacelab laboratory, and to
discontinue its own sounding-rocket programme, a second phase of European national
sounding-rocket activities devoted to space science proceeded. However, the first European
national-level sounding-rocket programme, that of France, was terminated in the middle of the
1970s, whereas most of the other ESRO/ESA Member States continued their national flight
activities. Sounding-rocket flights are still ongoing today, but since the 1990s the content and
scale of global activity in the space sciences has begun to shrink. In the second half of the
1970s, a new sounding-rocket user discipline emerged, namely the use of the free flying phase
of sounding-rocket flights for research in the materials.
5
Title of paper Author Advantages Disadvantages
Long range radio Tomasz The radiolocation Costly. Power

location system Chelstowski, system presented in the reduction after launch
employing Karol paper can be means so much
autonomous tracking Dobrzyniewicz, successfully used in battery cost.
for sounding rocket Przemyslaw locating sounding After the 14 sec. of
Kant rockets. Three location launch signals
scenarios were tested, become weak.
and the “Range test”, the Single stage
“Fox hunting” and the implementation only.
“Flight test” proved
applicability of the
solution.
Broadband Sounding Jérémie Prades, 869.5 MHz antenna Costly antenna.
Rocket Antenna for Anthony mounted. Useful for only single
Dual Band Telemetric Ghiotto, Antenna was placed in stage rockets.
and Payload Data Eric Kerhervé. nose cone well optional cheap
Transmission designed. technology available.
Reliable for long range
data transmission.
A Sounding Rocket as Matteo Poli, Cost -effective Low range.
a Test Bench for Cost Alberto technology. Only applied for
Effective Maddeona, 1000m rockets.
Measurements. Andrea
Flush-Mounted P.C. Ribeiro 2.5Ghz frequency, Single stage
Telemetry Antenna Filho, A.F. 10000 feet range of recovery.
Design for a Sounding Tinoco-S., D.C. antenna.
Rocket Competition Nascimento, and
J.C. da S. Lavaca
The Avionics System Makoto Kawase, Cost-effective design, Low speed, not
Design Concepts for Koji Sunami, carbon fiber and glass reliable for large data
Makoto Tamura fiber combination. transmission.
6
Experimental Connectivity with base

Sounding Rocket station and Vehicle is
easy.
Table 2.1 Literature Review
7
Chapter-3
Avionics System
3.1 Introduction
position on earth. This system also includes IR (infrared) sensor-based feedback system for
checking the condition of the parachute recovery system that is for checking parachute is
All this information is collected real time in a telemetry software built in C#. Software is
developed separately for windows PC. It is connected to the vehicle and collects data and
displays to the user interface. It also provides tracking mechanism by using offline google maps
API. Graph of altitude and pressure is also plotted in the software.
3.2 Requirements of ESRA
● Develop and launch sounding rocket at 10k feet cots.

● Launch vehicle should contain at least one tracking device.
● Launch vehicle should contain at least one commercial altimeter.
● Rocket should be launched and recovered safely.
● The launch vehicle should contain at 4 Kgs payload.
8
3.3Electronics & devices used
3.3.1 Ublox MTK3339 GPS
The GPS is built around the MTK3339 chipset, high-quality GPS module that can track up to
22 satellites on 66 channels, has an excellent high-sensitivity receiver (-165 dBm), and a built-
in antenna. It can do up to 10 location updates a second for high speed, high sensitivity logging
or tracking. Power usage is incredibly low, only 20 mA during navigation. Which communicate
with microcontroller through serial communication
Fig. (3.3.1) GPS Module(M8Q)
3.3.2 Stratologger CF
Stratologger CF is primary altimeter used for recovery system and flight data logger.
Stratologger CF collects flight data like Altitude temperature and battery voltage with rate of
20 samples per seconds. It retains data about new 16 flights even power is removed. It works
up to 10000 feet apogee above MSL.
9
Fig. (3.3.2) Stratologger CF
3.3.3 Xbee wireless module
Fig. (3.3.3) Xbee PRO S3B
Xbee pro S3B is high performance RF module with 900Mhz frequency range. This
International XBee-PRO 900HP Programmable RF Modules provide best-in-class range
wireless connectivity to devices. They take advantage of the Digi Mesh networking protocol,
featuring dense network operation and support for sleeping routers, and are also available in a
proprietary point-to-multipoint configuration. Supporting RF line-of-sight ranges up to 28
miles (45 Kms) (with high-gain antennas), and data rates of up to 200Kbps, these modules are
ideal for extended-range applications requiring increased data throughput.
10
3.3.4 ATMEGA328P Au Microcontroller
The high-performance Atmel Pico Power 8-bit AVR RISC-based microcontroller combines
32KB ISP flash memory with read-while-write capabilities, 1024B EEPROM, 2KB SRAM,
23 general purpose I/O lines, 32 general purpose working registers, three flexible
timer/counters with compare modes, internal and external interrupts, serial programmable
USART, a byte-oriented 2-wire serial interface, SPI serial port, a 6-channel 10-bit A/D
converter .16 MHz operating clock frequency.
Fig. (3.3.4) ATMega328P.
3.3.5 Barometric pressure sensor
Fig. (3.3.5) MPL3115A2(Pressure Sensor)
11
This pressure sensor from Freescale is a great low-cost sensing solution for precision
measurement of barometric pressure and altitude. The MPL3115A2 has a typical 1.5 Pascal
resolution, which can resolve altitude at 0.3 meter. It has some upsides compared to the
BMP280, such as interrupt outputs for ultra-low power usage, and it's also a heck of a lot easier
to read altitude with a built-in altimeter calculation - no calibration reading and calculating
required. As a bonus, there's even a fairly good temperature sensor with ±1°C typical accuracy.
3.3.6 IR recovery detector
IR sensors are used to detect recovery system feedback sensor for optional parachute recovery
system. This sensor transmits and receive Infrared light which strikes on the bulkhead which
detects the position of bulkhead that is ejected or not.
Fig. (3.3.6) IR Sensor
3.3.7 Antennas
Fig. (3.3.7) Antennas
12
900 MHz ¼ pole antenna which is mounted inside the rocket for data transmission.
1900 MHz high gain Yagi antenna which is connected to ground station computer which
receive data from rocket and send to the computer serial port which can observed by our STES
rocketry software.
3.4 Prototyping and Testing
Fig. (3.4.1) Altimeter Testing.
13
Fig. (3.4.2) Telemetry and GPS Prototyping
3.5 Schematics and PCB designs
Fig. (3.5.1) Schematics in Eagle
14
Fig. (3.5.2) PCB board design in Eagle
Fig. (3.5.3) Manufactured PCB.
15
3.6 Cad & mounting in system
Fig. (3.6.1) Avionics CAD
Fig. (3.6.2) Top view of CAD
16
Chapter-4
Future Scope
This avionics bay is made for the sounding rocket the targeted apogee of this system is about
10k feet. But as the technical datasheet of pressure sensor we can go about 10 km altitude. As
consideration of xbee wireless system we can go up to 45 km range.
17
Chapter-5
Conclusion
The radiolocation system developed can be successfully used in locating sounding rockets.
Three location scenarios were tested, and the “Range test”, the “Fox hunting” and the “Flight
test” proved applicability of the solution. The range of the system can be significantly
increased, in the easiest way, by increasing the power of the transmitting terminal. Dual
deployment system successfully tested. Data is stored and analyse real time using telemetry
software. System works fine for 10000ft as actual highest apogee was 9009ft.
18
Chapter-6
References
[1]http://www.hopirockets.com/handouts.jsp
[2]https://www.adafruit.com/product/790
[3].http://www.perfectflite.com/SLCF.html
[4]https://www.digi.com/products/embedded-systems/rf-modules/sub-1-ghz-modules/xbee-
pro-xsc
[5]R. Albi, and R.E. Zich, "Wrap-around antenna for rocket telemetry," in Proc. IEEE Antennas
Propag. Int. Symp., pp. 1998-1999, 7-13 Jul. 2013.
[6]R. kuhl, C. Gritzner, A. Friker, "Sounding Rocket and Baloon Research Activities Supported
by German Space Programme",2011.
19
20

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A Seminar Report on

AVIONICS SYSTEM OF SOUNDING ROCKET

Under the guidance of

Vadgaon (Bk.), Pune-411041

Affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune. (One blank space)

AVIONICS SYSTEM OF SOUNDING ROCKET

Prof. Shilpa Bhosale Prof. M. P. Wankhade

Prof. K. G. Shinde Dr. S. D. Lokhande

Figure No. Title Page No.

1.2 Sounding Rocket Recovery. 03

3.3.1 GPS Module 09

3.4.2 Telemetry and GPS prototyping 14

Chapter-2 Literature Review 5

3.2 Requirements of ESRA 8

3.3 Electronics and devices used 9

1.1 Sounding Rocket

A sounding rocket, sometimes called a research rocket, is an instrument-carrying rocket

Components of Sounding Rocket

Fig. (1.1) Component diagram of Sounding Rocket

Fig. (1.2) Sounding Rocket Recovery.

1.2 MOTIVATION BEHIND THE TOPIC

1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVE BEHIND WORK

● Develop and launch best performance sounding rocket.

2.2. Literature Survey

Title of paper Author Advantages Disadvantages

Long range radio Tomasz The radiolocation Costly. Power

Experimental Connectivity with base

3.2 Requirements of ESRA

● Develop and launch sounding rocket at 10k feet cots.

3.3Electronics & devices used

3.3.1 Ublox MTK3339 GPS

Fig. (3.3.1) GPS Module(M8Q)

Fig. (3.3.2) Stratologger CF

3.3.3 Xbee wireless module

Fig. (3.3.3) Xbee PRO S3B

3.3.4 ATMEGA328P Au Microcontroller

Fig. (3.3.4) ATMega328P.

3.3.5 Barometric pressure sensor

Fig. (3.3.5) MPL3115A2(Pressure Sensor)

3.3.6 IR recovery detector

Fig. (3.3.6) IR Sensor

Fig. (3.3.7) Antennas

3.4 Prototyping and Testing

Fig. (3.4.1) Altimeter Testing.

Fig. (3.4.2) Telemetry and GPS Prototyping

3.5 Schematics and PCB designs

Fig. (3.5.1) Schematics in Eagle

Fig. (3.5.2) PCB board design in Eagle

Fig. (3.5.3) Manufactured PCB.

3.6 Cad & mounting in system

Fig. (3.6.1) Avionics CAD

Fig. (3.6.2) Top view of CAD

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