High Altitude Balloon Data Logger for Scientific Payloads

Presented by: Dallas HodgeSpring 2014

2014 Space Grant Symposium

1

Outline

• Background motivation• Conceptual design• Detail design elements• Implementation• Flight results• Ultimate outcome

Background• Embry-Riddle supports the Arizona Near Space Research

(ANSR) organization

• Student teams routinely launchexperimental payloadsinto near space

• Typical altitudeof 100,000 feet above sealevel

3

Background Continued

4

PopBalloon burst

Parachute descent Slow ascent

Fill balloon and launch

Recovery

1

2

3

4

5

Project MotivationNeed expressed for a simple kit or pre-assembled data logger which accomplishes:• Electrical/computer engineering summer camp 2013

• Introduction to applied electronics

• Simple sensor instrumentation exposure

• Reliably collect and save data to a removable memory element

5

Conceptual DesignComposed of microcontroller with input signal conditioning and data storage to an SD card

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Preliminary Design• Atmega328 microcontroller and Arduino development

environment selected.

• Difference op-amp for analog signal conditioning

• Status indicator LED

• Press button for ending data saving upon payload recovery

• Minimize risk of data loss due to system upset

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Project Development

• Build a little, test a little• Subsystems were built up on a breadboard and verified:

a)Microcontroller and micro SD card interface

b)Power supply unit

c)Op-amp signal conditioning

• Circuit simulation

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Difference Amplifier

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Signal shifting and scaling from sensor input to op-amp output

Implementation• Compact through-hole

part solution for ease of student assembly

• Instructions provide desired level of detail behind understanding the principle of operation

• Prototype tested over temperature, pressure, and time

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Usage

• Data loggers initially developed for summer camp

• Data loggers are now an education outreach program feature where surrounding schools learn about the device and fly with ANSR

• Original design intent of providing practical electronics exposure to high school and middle school students

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Flight Results

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0.00220.16110.32000.47890.63780.79670.95561.11441.27331.43221.59111.75001.90892.06782.22672.38562.54442.70330

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

Altitude Flight Profile

Time (Hrs)

Altit

ude

(ft)

Max Altitude: 98,633 ft

Flight Results

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0.0022

0.1061

0.2100

0.3139

0.4178

0.5217

0.6256

0.7294

0.8333

0.9372

1.0411

1.1450

1.2489

1.3528

1.4567

1.5606

1.6644

1.7683

1.8722

1.9761

2.0800

2.1839

2.2878

2.3917

2.4956

2.5994

2.7033

-50.0

-40.0

-30.0

-20.0

-10.0

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

External Temperature (Celsius)

Time (Hrs)

Tem

pera

ture

(C)

Project Outcomes• Embry-Riddle continues to support STEM outreach by

offering the use of the data logger

• Practical electronics design work including:

• System engineering

• Product development management

• Printed circuit board layout skills

• Laboratory testing, troubleshooting, and documentation

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Questions

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