Getting Started - Terrapin-Rocket-Team/SRAD-Avionics GitHub Wiki

Home/Getting Started

Getting Started

For information about our setup and standards, see the Avionics Setup page.

Getting Started with Code

If you are new to TRT and/or new to coding for Arduino/Embedded Systems, start here.

If you are coming from another subteam, and are familiar with C++, start here.

If you already know the basics and are looking for documentation on specific features, go here.

Getting started with Hardware:

If you are new to TRT and/or new to PCB design or CAD work, check out some of the trainings on the Google Drive.

If you know how to use that software but need help navigating git or GitHub, go here.

Helpful Acronyms

  • APRS: Automatic Packet Reporting System (a radio telemetry system)

  • CAD: Computer Aided Design

  • COTS: Commercial Off-The-Shelf (as opposed to SRAD)

  • FC: Flight Computer

  • GPS: Global Positioning System

  • I2C: Inter-Integrated Circuit (a communication protocol used by various components)

  • IMU: Inertial Measurement Unit (a fancy accelerometer)

  • MC or uC: Microcontroller (the brain of the flight computer)

  • PCB: Printed Circuit Board

  • PIO: PlatformIO

  • PSRAM: Pseudo Static Random Access Memory (a type of volatile memory that is very fast)

  • RTC: Real Time Clock (a very accurate clock)

  • SAC: Spaceport America Cup (the competition we go to every year)

  • SD: Secure Digital (a type of memory card)

  • SI: International System of Units (meters, kilograms, seconds, etc.)

  • SPI: Serial Peripheral Interface (a different communication protocol used by various components)

  • SRAD: Student Researched and Developed (our Spaceport America Cup rocket category, as opposed to COTS)

  • TRAv: TRT Avionics (I'm making this one up because I'm tired of typing "Avionics subteam")

  • TRT: Terrapin Rocket Team

  • VSCode: Visual Studio Code

Glossary of Terms

  • Avionics: The electronics and software that control a plane or rocket. In our case, it only records telemetry data, and does not control the rocket's flight.

  • Bus: The hardware that allows multiple devices to communicate with each other.

  • COM Port: Short for Communication Port. Almost always refers to a USB port on a computer.

  • Flight Computer: The microcontroller and associated sensors that record telemetry data.

  • Git: A version control system that allows multiple people to work on the same codebase.

  • Ground Station: The computer and radio that receives telemetry data from the flight computer.

  • Kalman Filter: A mathematical algorithm that fuses data from multiple sensors to get a more accurate estimate of the rocket's state.

  • Microcontroller: A small computer that is used to control other devices.

  • Motor: The part of the rocket that burns to propel it into the air.

  • Payload: The device that the rocket carries into the air. The reason the rocket is flying (beyond the competition).

  • State: The position, velocity, acceleration, orientation, stage, and time of the rocket. This is what the flight computer records.

  • STM32: A type of microcontroller that we are considering replacing the Teensy with.

  • Teensy: A brand of microcontroller that we use as the brain of our flight computers.

  • Telemetry: Data about the rocket's flight, such as position, velocity, and acceleration.