ElphelWiki - User contributions [en]

Talk:Optical tracking system for amateur rockets

2009-04-20T14:03:42Z

TRoll:

Did you consider using camera CPU to control H-bridges? With 10369 board you can use any of i2c or usb to control the motors. There are several GP I/O going directly to the FPGA available, so you can flip those bits by software initially and then add some FPGA module (i.e. PWM) so these outputs will be run w/o CPU overhead.

It is also possible to design custom extension board to sit right on the 10353 board - in that case you have all the 12 FPGA I/O available (still it is better leave 2 of them for i2c that is used to read board identification EEPROM

We have some un-populated 10369 boards that you may use for prototyping.--[[User:Andrey.filippov|Andrey.filippov]] 17:47, 12 March 2009 (CDT)

-------------------
Hi Andrey,

Sure, using the camera CPU and FPGA can be the ultimate goal in integration.
But I have some concerns about the real-time capability of the CPU running
a general purpose Linux.

I'm the most capable member of the team concerning hardware and low-level
software and I must admit I'm a little afraid by the idea of developing FPGA
code, it's something I've never done. And, in the same time, it is quite tempting!

About the 10 FPGA available GPIO, it may be just enough because we need :
- 2 x 2 inputs for motor quadrature decoders,
- 2 x 3 outputs for H-bridge driving (PWM, 2 enables 1 for each half bridge)
and, in this case, I make the assumption the GND is available as a common output pin.

Well, while writing this comment, I must admit your proposition seems to be the way
to go.
First step would be full software handling, but meaning driver development for quadrature
decoder.
Then little by little replacing software modules by FPGA module.

I'll discuss about this solution with the team.

So after discussion and some mail exchange with Alexandre,
we will use the FPGA and implement some functionnalities by hard :
- the PWM generation
- the quadrature decoders for position and speed
- may be the PID filter but later...

--[[User:TRoll|TRoll]] 10:43:33, 2009-03-14 (CDT)

How about just use one motor other than 2 motor? it seems only the tilt movement is critical for tracking, pan movement maybe not necessary for this application. and the burden of micro controller can be half.

Larry Liang

Hi Larry,

well, due to the zoom level (field of view is about 1.5° x 2°), it is needed to track the rocket on both axes.
For a rocket at 1 km, this means a picture of about 26 m x 35 m,
whereas the total excursion is 2000 m high and several kilometres on side if under parachute.

--[[User:TRoll|TRoll]]

Optical tracking system for amateur rockets

2009-04-16T17:53:37Z

TRoll: /* 'Live' history */

The [http://troll.le.club.free.fr TRoll] French amateur rocketry association is developping [http://troll.le.club.free.fr/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=14&Itemid=14 KEOPS] an optical tracking system to pursue its and others amateur rockets.

All of our software, hardware, and electronics designs are/will be licensed under the GNU GPLv3 and are available from our subversion server. Access is granted on request by sending me an email at yXanXn_XgoXuy@yahoo.fr (suppress all the X).

== Hardware ==

The hardware will be simple but robust as the system has to be deployed and manipulated in harsh environment.
It is mainly a 2-axis system with a equipment casing at the bottom holding the electronics.

== Electronic ==

As in our rockets, we'll use a microcontroler from [http://www.atmel.com/products/AVR/ ATMEL], we are currently discussing to obtain samples of their brand new XMega but a recovery solution is the ATMega32.
Driving 2 motors via H-bridges and coupled to a W5100 for communication, it is in charge of controling the position and/or the speed of the Elphel camera.

== Software ==

The software is composed of 2 parts :
* the embedded part is coded in C using the AVR port of gcc.
* on the PC side, the code is in python using the openCV library.

== Principle ==

The camera films the rocket and the sky beyond it.
A picture is retreived and the rocket is extracted.
The tracking algorithm ensures to keep the rocket centered in the picture.
If not, commands are sent to the microcontroler to adjust the camera position.

== Schedule ==

* First of all, take control over the camera!
That means to acquire pictures with as low latency as possible and to configure the image size on the fly from the python script.

* Second, acquire some test case pictures and videos.
The creation of the first pictures will be probably gives some quite funny "making off" videos (we'll post them) if we respect what we have intended.
The videos will be done during the "Festiciels PACA" regional launch campaign on the 28th and 29th of May, 2009 at Eyguière, near Salon-de-Provence. We have agreements to position the camera in the take-off field to be as representative as the intended situation : the national launch campaign.

* Check the algorithm capability and execution time on one side but also build the 2-axis system and the electronics.

* Final integration and tests
If everything runs without any problem (absolutely any problem) we could be ready this year national campaign, end of August.
If not, we'll have a full year to optimize and to higher integrate the whole system.

== 'Live' history ==

Today, the 16th of April 2009, I received the camera.
Here is the very first picture I took :

[[Image:Première_photo.jpg], http://wiki.elphel.com/images/7/7d/Première_photo.png]

Yes, it's my rocket TRoy!

and then immediately after a picture of the Mediterranean Sea
because we are from the Côte d'Azur

[[Image:La_mer.jpg], http://wiki.elphel.com/images/e/e6/La_mer.png]

File:La mer.png

2009-04-16T17:48:52Z

TRoll: the Mediterranean Sea by a very cloudy day well, the French Riviera is not always sunny after all...

the Mediterranean Sea by a very cloudy day
well, the French Riviera is not always sunny after all...

Optical tracking system for amateur rockets

2009-04-16T17:48:11Z

TRoll: /* 'Live' history */

The [http://troll.le.club.free.fr TRoll] French amateur rocketry association is developping [http://troll.le.club.free.fr/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=14&Itemid=14 KEOPS] an optical tracking system to pursue its and others amateur rockets.

All of our software, hardware, and electronics designs are/will be licensed under the GNU GPLv3 and are available from our subversion server. Access is granted on request by sending me an email at yXanXn_XgoXuy@yahoo.fr (suppress all the X).

== Hardware ==

The hardware will be simple but robust as the system has to be deployed and manipulated in harsh environment.
It is mainly a 2-axis system with a equipment casing at the bottom holding the electronics.

== Electronic ==

As in our rockets, we'll use a microcontroler from [http://www.atmel.com/products/AVR/ ATMEL], we are currently discussing to obtain samples of their brand new XMega but a recovery solution is the ATMega32.
Driving 2 motors via H-bridges and coupled to a W5100 for communication, it is in charge of controling the position and/or the speed of the Elphel camera.

== Software ==

The software is composed of 2 parts :
* the embedded part is coded in C using the AVR port of gcc.
* on the PC side, the code is in python using the openCV library.

== Principle ==

The camera films the rocket and the sky beyond it.
A picture is retreived and the rocket is extracted.
The tracking algorithm ensures to keep the rocket centered in the picture.
If not, commands are sent to the microcontroler to adjust the camera position.

== Schedule ==

* First of all, take control over the camera!
That means to acquire pictures with as low latency as possible and to configure the image size on the fly from the python script.

* Second, acquire some test case pictures and videos.
The creation of the first pictures will be probably gives some quite funny "making off" videos (we'll post them) if we respect what we have intended.
The videos will be done during the "Festiciels PACA" regional launch campaign on the 28th and 29th of May, 2009 at Eyguière, near Salon-de-Provence. We have agreements to position the camera in the take-off field to be as representative as the intended situation : the national launch campaign.

* Check the algorithm capability and execution time on one side but also build the 2-axis system and the electronics.

* Final integration and tests
If everything runs without any problem (absolutely any problem) we could be ready this year national campaign, end of August.
If not, we'll have a full year to optimize and to higher integrate the whole system.

== 'Live' history ==

Today, the 16th of April 2009, I received the camera.
Here is the very first picture I took :

[[Image:Première_photo.jpg]]

Yes, it's my rocket TRoy!

and then immediately after a picture of the Mediterranean Sea
because we are from the Côte d'Azur

[[Image:La_mer.jpg]]

File:Première photo.png

2009-04-16T17:42:28Z

TRoll: very first picture taken by the TRoll

very first picture taken by the TRoll

Optical tracking system for amateur rockets

2009-04-16T17:39:25Z

TRoll: /* Schedule */

The [http://troll.le.club.free.fr TRoll] French amateur rocketry association is developping [http://troll.le.club.free.fr/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=14&Itemid=14 KEOPS] an optical tracking system to pursue its and others amateur rockets.

All of our software, hardware, and electronics designs are/will be licensed under the GNU GPLv3 and are available from our subversion server. Access is granted on request by sending me an email at yXanXn_XgoXuy@yahoo.fr (suppress all the X).

== Hardware ==

The hardware will be simple but robust as the system has to be deployed and manipulated in harsh environment.
It is mainly a 2-axis system with a equipment casing at the bottom holding the electronics.

== Electronic ==

As in our rockets, we'll use a microcontroler from [http://www.atmel.com/products/AVR/ ATMEL], we are currently discussing to obtain samples of their brand new XMega but a recovery solution is the ATMega32.
Driving 2 motors via H-bridges and coupled to a W5100 for communication, it is in charge of controling the position and/or the speed of the Elphel camera.

== Software ==

The software is composed of 2 parts :
* the embedded part is coded in C using the AVR port of gcc.
* on the PC side, the code is in python using the openCV library.

== Principle ==

The camera films the rocket and the sky beyond it.
A picture is retreived and the rocket is extracted.
The tracking algorithm ensures to keep the rocket centered in the picture.
If not, commands are sent to the microcontroler to adjust the camera position.

== Schedule ==

* First of all, take control over the camera!
That means to acquire pictures with as low latency as possible and to configure the image size on the fly from the python script.

* Second, acquire some test case pictures and videos.
The creation of the first pictures will be probably gives some quite funny "making off" videos (we'll post them) if we respect what we have intended.
The videos will be done during the "Festiciels PACA" regional launch campaign on the 28th and 29th of May, 2009 at Eyguière, near Salon-de-Provence. We have agreements to position the camera in the take-off field to be as representative as the intended situation : the national launch campaign.

* Check the algorithm capability and execution time on one side but also build the 2-axis system and the electronics.

* Final integration and tests
If everything runs without any problem (absolutely any problem) we could be ready this year national campaign, end of August.
If not, we'll have a full year to optimize and to higher integrate the whole system.

== 'Live' history ==

Today, the 16th of April 2009, I received the camera.
Here is the very first picture I took :

[[Image:première photo.jpg]]

and then immediately after a picture of the Mediterranean Sea
because we are from the Côte d'Azur

[[Image:la mer.jpg]]

User:TRoll

2009-03-14T16:58:41Z

TRoll:

[http://troll.le.club.free.fr TRoll] is a french amateur rocket association.

Space is the future of mankind, so let's contribute at our level.

User talk:TRoll

2009-03-14T16:55:31Z

TRoll:

Please use and abuse of this page!

Optical tracking system for amateur rockets

2009-03-14T16:14:48Z

TRoll:

Talk:Optical tracking system for amateur rockets

2009-03-14T15:44:38Z

TRoll:

Talk:Optical tracking system for amateur rockets

2009-03-14T15:43:33Z

TRoll:

Talk:Optical tracking system for amateur rockets

2009-03-14T15:41:58Z

TRoll:

UserProjects

2009-03-12T18:47:58Z

TRoll: /* optical tracking system for amateur rockets */

== Research Projects ==
There are several research and educational projects that use Elphel cameras. Some are already active, others just starting or only in planning stage. We believe that scientific research is the application area where the open nature of our products is the most beneficial. The shortage of the powerful and at the same time open and flexible hardware was that "itch" that led me to start Elphel.

This page is started to provide resources to those who already uses or plans to use Elphel cameras. This is wiki, so please feel free to add you project description/link below.--[[User:Andrey.filippov|Andrey.filippov]] 14:59, 29 April 2007 (CDT)

=== [[SCINI: Submersible Capable of under Ice Navigation and Imaging]] ===

=== [[Rose-Hulman Robotics Team]] ===

=== [[Public Primary School Rosa Boekdrukker ]] ===

=== [[AHAB2: High altitude balloon payload]] ===

=== [[Desert Star Systems]] ===

=== [[OSMCAM]] - http://OpenStreetMap.org camera integration ===

=== [[Spectral images of the Chilean strawberry]] ===

=== [[Antibiotic sensitivity diagrams]] ===

=== [[Optical tracking system for amateur rockets]] ===

== [[Qualified projects]] ==
This page list the projects that were qualified to get a free of charge hardware from Elphel. <br/>
===[[Frednet | Frednet ]]===
An OPEN SPACE project competeting on the Google Lunar X-Prize

Optical tracking system for amateur rockets

2009-03-12T18:46:51Z

TRoll: KEOPS : TRoll optical tracking system

Optical tracking system for amateur rockets

2009-03-12T18:45:47Z

TRoll:

UserProjects

2009-03-12T17:54:36Z

TRoll: /* Research Projects */

== Research Projects ==
There are several research and educational projects that use Elphel cameras. Some are already active, others just starting or only in planning stage. We believe that scientific research is the application area where the open nature of our products is the most beneficial. The shortage of the powerful and at the same time open and flexible hardware was that "itch" that led me to start Elphel.

This page is started to provide resources to those who already uses or plans to use Elphel cameras. This is wiki, so please feel free to add you project description/link below.--[[User:Andrey.filippov|Andrey.filippov]] 14:59, 29 April 2007 (CDT)

=== [[SCINI: Submersible Capable of under Ice Navigation and Imaging]] ===

=== [[Rose-Hulman Robotics Team]] ===

=== [[Public Primary School Rosa Boekdrukker ]] ===

=== [[AHAB2: High altitude balloon payload]] ===

=== [[Desert Star Systems]] ===

=== [[OSMCAM]] - http://OpenStreetMap.org camera integration ===

=== [[Spectral images of the Chilean strawberry]] ===

=== [[Antibiotic sensitivity diagrams]] ===

=== [[optical tracking system for amateur rockets]] ===

== [[Qualified projects]] ==
This page list the projects that were qualified to get a free of charge hardware from Elphel. <br/>
===[[Frednet | Frednet ]]===
An OPEN SPACE project competeting on the Google Lunar X-Prize