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Another College Project

Old 01-29-2010, 12:34 PM
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Jetdesign
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Default Another College Project

I'm taking the second semester of EE which focuses on building a microcontroller. My idea of course is related to pattern practice:

An accelerometer to detect 'wings level' mounted in the plane, connected to an auxiliary channel. The microcontroller will analyze and send a signal to a wireless transmitter, and the receiver will be on/near my radio with a buzzer.

The idea is to flip a switch and listen for a sound - maybe the sound gets louder as the wings approach level, and the sound pulses or something when the plane is level. Should work for many of the plane's attitudes.

Right now I'm in the process of figuring out what I need for hardware. I have some stuff and some ideas which I can post when I get home. I will probably mount this in a practice plane (Venus 40) and am not concerned with weight right now, as we have to use the "PICkit 2" from Microchip.com for our controller. This is just to make something useful and fun in class, and seems like a pretty cool tool to have.
Old 01-29-2010, 12:37 PM
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LCHelilover
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Default RE: Another College Project

I think that might be a very useful practice tool! Put me on the list for one when you get the production geared up.

G
Old 01-29-2010, 02:36 PM
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Nathan_L
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Default RE: Another College Project

Call me crazy but didn't there used to be a device that did something similar and was used in training.....
Old 01-29-2010, 02:55 PM
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Default RE: Another College Project

I was just reading the AMA Rule book and there is a specific prohibition to devices like that used in competition. It sounds like it would be a great practice tool though. I have seen products that use GPS to record track and altitude. I wouldn't doubt that there are guys using these devices in practice.

I think that another approach would be to use a "gyro" to give feedback on attitude.
Old 01-29-2010, 03:39 PM
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Jetdesign
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Default RE: Another College Project

Yeah I don't plan on using this for competing, just to get an idea of what wings-level really looks like to me.

Shouldn't be too difficult of a project...as long as I can program the accelerometer properly and afford the hardware.
Old 01-29-2010, 04:16 PM
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faulknej
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Default RE: Another College Project

I'd like to have one of those too. Someday, I might even be able to maintain wings level.Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in a while. LOL
Old 01-29-2010, 05:34 PM
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Ryan Smith
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Default RE: Another College Project

What about set it up like a variometer in a glider? Wings level is silent, and for each of the two wing low conditions, have it set up so the tone is high one way, and low the other.

Sounds pretty neat.
Old 01-29-2010, 05:41 PM
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Default RE: Another College Project


ORIGINAL: Ryan Smith

What about set it up like a variometer in a glider? Wings level is silent, and for each of the two wing low conditions, have it set up so the tone is high one way, and low the other.

Sounds pretty neat.
...cool idea.
Old 01-30-2010, 09:12 AM
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Default RE: Another College Project

Silence if level would be less annoying.

Degrees of deviation from horizontal could be indicated by beeps frequency.

The device should work also in nose up and nose down attitudes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attitude_indicator
Old 02-05-2010, 01:45 PM
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jrpav1
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Default RE: Another College Project

Joe,
Freescale has a few development kits with an accellerometer on board:

http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/...08JM16&fsrch=1

http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/...A7360L&fsrch=1


You could use one of these as the basis of your project - just write some new code for the MCU. Can you program in C? There are free compilers for the HCS08 and they work fine for a project like this.

John Pavlick
Team Black Magic, Tech-Aero Designs
Old 02-05-2010, 02:00 PM
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Red B.
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Default RE: Another College Project

A single axis accelerometer based system will not be able to distinguish "wings level" flight from a banked flight path if there is any yaw involved. Most wing leveling systems I am aware of either employ an inertial platform (gyro) or an optical horizon sensing detector, sometimes in combination with accelerometers.

For a simplisitc ""wing leveler system" I would use a good quality piezo electric or SMM rate gyro mounted so that the gyro axis is tilted towards the rear, say 25-30 degrees from vertical. Mounted in this way the gyro would sense components of both roll rate and yaw rate and would provide some degree of stabilization in both roll and yaw. Following a disturbance in roll or yaw, once the Dutch Roll mode has died out, the yaw rate will be proportional to the bank angle.

Come to think of it this setup will work as is without involving any added PIC.
As a brain teaser, what would happen if the gyro axis was tilted forward (towards the nose) instead of backwards as suggested above?
Old 02-11-2010, 12:34 PM
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jrpav1
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Default RE: Another College Project

Yeah well at least it's something to start with (the Freescale board). Remember, he's supposed to be learning something - we can't make it too easy. LOL

Another thought: Why not just hack a helicopter tail-rotor gyro?

John Pavlick
Team Black Magic, Tech-Aero Designs
Old 02-11-2010, 01:35 PM
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Jetdesign
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Default RE: Another College Project

I have to start with this board:
[link=http://www.microchipdirect.com/productsearch.aspx?Keywords=DV164120]PICkit 2[/link]

and hopefully can add an input and output device. I believe we are programming this board in C. I just opened mine and hooked it up the other night, have not started programming yet (first assignment just went out this week).
Old 02-12-2010, 04:07 AM
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Default RE: Another College Project

A VERY cool idea!Silent is wings level, good idea.Then do a version in two axis, wings level and nose vertical.We're all in for a shock.A brilliant idea. Make and sell.

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