National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Balloon Program

2009 Bridging the Gap to Space The Micro-Instrumentation Package: A Solution for Lightweight Ballooning

Created by Jill JuneauPresented by Dwayne Orr

Consolidated Instrumentation Package (CIP)

• Used for systems in range of Line of Sight (LOS) lasting hours up to a few days

• Battery powered, lasting up to several days

• TM Uplink– 1200 Baud UHF Uplink– 77 Discrete Relay Drivers– 16 Bit Parallel Data Word

• TM Downlinks– VCO’s IRIG 7, 8, 9, B, E, HH– GPS Position / Pressure Altitude– FAA Transponder– L/S Band Transmitters

• NTSC Video• Up to 1Mbit Bi-phase Science Data

• ≈ 100 pounds with the termination system

Support Instrumentation Package (SIP)

• Used for Long Duration flights needing Over the Horizon Communications

• Line Of Sight Communications– Telemetry Transmitter up to 1 Mbps

• Over the Horizon Communications– NASA’s TDRSS – 6 kbps Omni Antenna– NASA’s TDRSS – 92 kbps High Gain Antenna– Iridium – 2kbps through dialup

• Solar Panel Power System and Backup Batteries • ≈ 400 lbs with solar panel and termination system

What is the MIP?

• The MIP is a lightweight Over the Horizon telemetry and termination system that in its full up configuration can provide safe operation of a balloon flight including data downlink/uplink, termination, parachute cutaway, and ballasting

Benefits of a Lightweight Cost Effective Telemetry System

• The Micro Instrumentation Package (MIP) is great for scientists who: – Want to use a lightweight payload on small balloons for lower costs and/or

disposable flights– Want to use a lightweight payload on a large balloon for higher altitudes– Need a NASA approved Over the Horizon lightweight telemetry system to

safely operate the balloon flight

• The MIP does have very limited data rates compared with CSBF’s other telemetry systems - the trade off is weight and cost

History of the MIP development and test flights

• Early 2006 - First electronic development started

• During summer and fall of 2007 – 3 piggyback flights on CSBF flights and 7 test flights conducted using 3000 gram balloons that burst at 100k feet

• Spring 2008 - Two full up test flights with full flight trains

• After the 2 successful full up test flights, the MIP was qualified as a NASA flight system

MIP Test Flights

Microcontroller PCB – The central unit of the MIP

MICROCONTROLLERPCB

RS232COMMANDS

PRIMARY LOSTRANSCEIVER

LOS ANTENNA

IRIDIUM SBDCOMMANDS IRIDIUM

LBT

IRIDIUM ANTENNA

IRIDIUM SBDDATA PACKETS

GPS RECEIVER

GPS ANTENNA

ISO SCIENCEDATA

ISO SCIENCECOMMAND

SCIENCE PACKAGE

AARTINTERFACE STACK

RS232 DIAGNOSTICPORT

22 - ANALOGINPUTS

TEMPERATURES&

POWER MONITORS

16 - DIGITAL INPUTS

30 COMMANDOUTPUTS

RELAY PCBRELAY STATUS

COMMANDS

SCIENCE

MIP RELAYS

RELAY DRIVERPCB

• Designed by CSBF• Uses Microchip Pic18F8722• Programmed in C• Features located on board

– 22 Analog inputs– 16 digital inputs– 30 digital outputs– 6 serial ports

• Line Of Sight port • Iridium port• GPS port • Cross over commanding or

external stack input• Diagnostics port• Science data port

Microcontroller PCB – The central unit of the MIP

• Advantages of microcontroller board– Inexpensive parts (microcontroller costs

$10)– Low power – 120 mA at 9 V with GPS

unit running– Board footprint is small (4.25” x 4.25”)– Can be used for many different CSBF

applications– Many timers and parameters are

programmable during flight– Operates over wide range of

temperatures and performs well in a vacuum environment

MIP Configurations – Antarctica Pathfinder

• Used to verify satellite derived wind data acting as an Over the Horizon sonde

• Provides basic GPS information and temperature data

• Consists of CSBF Microcontroller PCB, Iridium SBD modem 9601, and battery

• System has been used successfully the last 2 seasons in Antarctica

MIP Configurations – Antarctica Pathfinder

• Steady State power = 1.2 Watts• The 9601 Iridium modem uses Short Burst Data only• To save power Iridium modem is put into power standby when not used• In Previous flights the system weighed 4 pounds and lasted for 5 days with

once every 30 minute transmission• New configuration will weigh less than 5 pounds and provide for 10 days

of flight with once every 30 minute transmission rates

Video of a Pathfinder Launch

MIP Configurations – Backup Navigation System

• Used as the third redundant GPS system on long duration flights with a Support Instrumentation Package (SIP)

• Provides basic GPS information and SIP critical housekeeping parameters

• Consists of CSBF Microcontroller PCB, Iridium SBD modem, DC/DC Converter and is powered from the SIP

MIP Configurations – Full Up System Functions

• Redundant Microcontroller Boards with crossover commanding

• Redundant LOS Transceivers• Redundant SBD Iridium Units• Dial-Up capability on one modem • Redundant GPS receivers• Redundant DC/DC converter Boards• 3 MKS Pressure Sensors

• 1 for each range• 2 Science Interface Ports

MIP Configurations – Full Up System Functions

• Burst Detect and Minimum Altitude Circuits• Ballast Valve Circuit controlled independent

of software• Each microcontroller board redundantly

monitors termination, parachute cutaway, and valve information

• Redundant termination firing circuits and Helium Valve

• Parachute Cutaway System

MIP Data Rates

LOS• LOS transceiver UHF frequency• MIP packet once every 15 seconds• Science packet up to 255 bytes once every 30 seconds• Commands can be received at any time• Science can add LOS telemetry transmitter (up to 1 Mbps) with tradeoff

of more batteries OTH• Iridium Short Burst Data• MIP packet once a minute• Commands received when packet is sent • Science packet up to 255 bytes once every few minutes• Future capability to have dial up available for science data

Comparison of Data Rates for CSBF systems

Description (Data Types) Consolidated Instrumentation Package (CIP)

Support Instrumentation Package (SIP)

Micro-Instrumentation Package (MIP)

LOS Data Rate Up to 1 Mbps (Continuous)

Up to 1 Mbps (Continuous) 255 bytes once every 30 secs.(Option for Up to 1 Mbps-Continuous)

Iridium Short Burst (OTH) N/A 255 byte packet once every 15 minutes

255 byte packet once every few minutes (programmable)

Iridium Dial Up (OTH) N/A Up to 2 kbps(Continuous)250 bytes per second

Development not completed for science data

TDRSS Omni Antenna (OTH)

N/A Up to 6kbps(Continuous)750 bytes per second

N/A

TDRSS High Gain Antenna(OTH)

N/A Up to 92kbps(Continuous)11,500 bytes per second

N/A

MIP Power Consumption and Weight• MIP Enclosure steady state power 28V@.5A = 14W• When transmitting LOS Current spikes shortly above 1A• When Dialed up Iridium current spikes up to .75A• Can achieve lower power consumption depending on the

configuration• Can operate on batteries or solar panel system• The MIP electronic enclosure weighs 20 pounds without

batteries• A 10 lb. 30 amp hour battery pack will last approximately 2

days• 6 day flight – 50 lbs. of electronics and batteries

Science Interface

Success with the Full Up MIP System - Summer 2008

• Super Pressure Balloon Test Flight • Launched in Ft. Sumner, New Mexico• 2 million cubic feet balloon• MIP provided telemetry of the balloon location and

termination of the flight

Success with the Full Up MIP System - Summer 2008

• Flight from Sweden to Canada lasting 4 days 9 hours• 11 million cubic feet balloon • MIP operated termination and parachute cutaway• System powered from batteries• Science Interface used to transmit science payload charge

controller information

Success with the Full Up MIP System - Winter 2008 - 2009

• Super Pressure Balloon Test Flight – Launched from McMurdo Station, Antarctica– Flight Duration: over 54 days– 7 million cubic feet balloon– MIP powered by small solar panel system– MIP operated flight including flight termination and parachute cutaway

Video of SPB launch

Success with the Full Up MIP System - Summer 2009

• Flight from Sweden to Canada lasting 4 days 11 hours• 39 million cubic feet balloon • MIP operated termination and parachute cutaway• System powered from batteries• Science Interface used to transmit science payload charge

controller information

Upcoming campaigns Antarctica 2009-2010

• BARREL – MIP Pathfinder with terminate firing circuit used as a redundant method

of balloon communication and cut down– 5 Test flights using .3 million cubic feet size balloon– Total payload weight 70 lbs. – MIP powered from BARREL solar panel system and backup battery– Hand launch system

Video of BARREL Test Launch

Thank you for your attendanceQuestions and Comments?

Video Of LEE launch