Introducing MicroPeak by AltusMetrum
Micropeak is a barometric logging altimeter for precision model rocketry altitude measurements.
Data download is available using the MicroPeak USB adapter.
Documentation
The MicroPeak manual is available in html and pdf formats.
Software
The MicroPeak application runs on Linux, Mac OS X and Windows. It communicates with the MicroPeak USB adapter to download and analyze flight data. It's written in Java and offers the same functionality and interface on all three platforms. It uses the FTDI USB Serial drivers to communicate with the hardware. If you're running Mac OS X or Windows, a compatible version of those drivers is included with the software. You can also install a different from from the FTDI Driver page.
MicroPeak is part of the larger AltOS suite of software, which also includes a dedicated TeleGPS application.
Available Versions
Release Notes for Version 1.9.16
Release Notes for Version 1.9.16
Version 1.9.16
AltOS
-
Add TeleGPS v3.0 support
AltosUI & TeleGPS application
-
Add TeleGPS v3.0 support
- Available Files:
Release Notes for Version 1.9.15
Release Notes for Version 1.9.15
Version 1.9.15
AltOS
-
Add TeleMega v6.0 support
-
Add TeleMetrum v4.0 support
-
Fix sign of IMU values for TeleMega v5 boards in the 'across' axis. This affects IMU acceleration and gyro reports for that axis, but has no effect on in-flight operation of the tilt computation.
- Available Files:
Release Notes for Version 1.9.14
Release Notes for Version 1.9.14
Version 1.9.14
AltOS
-
Fix 1.9.13 regression in TeleLCO startup sequence that detects available TeleFire units.
- Available Files:
Release Notes for Version 1.9.13
Release Notes for Version 1.9.13
Version 1.9.13
AltOS
-
Add option to beep max height in feet after landing
-
Fix APRS reports to be sent at the correct time and spacing.
-
Fix possible barometric sensor communication failure when the CPU is busy talking to the radio at the same time. This would cause loss of telemetry and failure to track the state of the rocket during flight. This was aggrevated by the APRS reports getting sent more often than they should.
-
Change EasyMotor v3 code to base logging on motor pressure rather than the accelerometer. This allows use of EasyMotor v3 in a static test stand.
AltosUI
-
Add support for configuring the units used to report height after landing on the beeper.
- Available Files:
Release Notes for Version 1.9.12
Release Notes for Version 1.9.12
Version 1.9.12
AltOS
-
Add EasyMini v3.0 and EasyMotor v3.0 support
-
Fix TeleMetrum v2.0 configuration. Saving config would crash the board.
AltosUI
-
Add EasyMotor log parsing and graphing.
- Available Files:
Release Notes for Version 1.9.11
Release Notes for Version 1.9.11
Version 1.9.11
AltOS
-
Make Apogee Delay work again.
-
Allow TX power to be limited to 10mW for compliance with some uses under UK regulations.
-
Fix numerous minor issues with 16- vs 32- bit time values.
AltosUI
-
Support M1-based Macs, follow AdoptOpenJDK to Adoptium
AltosDroid
-
Handle Bluetooth permissions reliably.
-
Fix some screen rotation bugs.
- Available Files:
Release Notes for Version 1.9.10
Release Notes for Version 1.9.10
Version 1.9.10
This release contains a couple of bug fixes for ground station software.
AltosUI
-
Rework the windows DLL build to make AltosUI run on more instances of Windows 10.
AltosDroid
-
Adapt to Android security changes which prevent AltosDroid from storing flights in /storage/emulated/0/AltusMetrum. Now, flights are stored in /storage/emulated/0/media/org.altusmetrum.AltosDroid/AltusMetrum instead. Also, AltosDroid will display an error message if flight data cannot be logged.
- Available Files:
Release Notes for Version 1.9.9
Release Notes for Version 1.9.9
Version 1.9.9
This release contains a critical bug fix for a problem introduced in version 1.9.8 for TeleMega and EasyMega boards. This problem occurs when using the stored configuration from 1.9.7 or earlier.
If you are running 1.9.8 or are upgrading from 1.9.8 on any version of TeleMega or EasyMega, you must reconfigure all pyro channels, recalibrate accelerometers, reset the APRS interval, adjust the beep tone and reset the pyro time.
AltOS
-
Fix EasyMega and TeleMega upgrade process from 1.9.7 or earlier. 1.9.8 introduced larger delay values, which required modifying the configuration in-place, and the 1.9.8 version had a flaw which broke the pyro channel config and all of the config values beyond that in memory, including APRS interval, IMU accel calibation, beep tone and pyro time.
-
Fix TeleMega v5.0 mag sensor driver. This driver was quite broken due to developing it in the presence of the magnetic beeper on the board. Because of that beeper, the values this sensor records are not accurate. Fortunately, they are not used for controlling the flight.
AltosUI
-
Parse TeleMega v5.0 log files. A missing check in the code meant that the TeleMega v5.0 log files would cause an error when attempting to load them. Logs saved with AltosUI 1.9.8 were not affected, only the presentation of the data was broken.
- Available Files:
Release Notes for Version 1.9.8
Release Notes for Version 1.9.8
Version 1.9.8
AltOS
-
Add support for TeleMega v5.0
-
Extend extra pyro channel times to support delay > 327 seconds
AltosUI
-
Support ARM devices in Linux binary release
-
Add support for TeleMega v5.0
AltosDroid
-
Show tilt angle in pad and flight tabs
-
Show altitude as well as height (useful for TeleGPS)
-
Support devices without GPS receivers
MicroPeak GUI
-
Show error dialog if device open fails
- Available Files:
Release Notes for Version 1.9.7
Release Notes for Version 1.9.7
Version 1.9.7
AltOS
-
Fix TeleGPS logging so that new data are appended to an existing log correctly
AltosUI
-
Support Mac OS X 11 (Big Sur)
-
Support Monitor Idle on Easy Timer
-
Fix TeleMega v4.0 and TeleMetrum v3.0 configuration in Antenna Down mode
-
Show launch sites in Load Maps view
-
Add IMU header names to CSV files
-
Clean up TeleGPS log corruption due to firmware bugs during firmware update
AltosDroid
-
Support older devices back to Android version 5.1
-
Fix a number of issues that could result in app crashes
- Available Files:
Hardware Features
- Measure ground pressure and peak altitude pressure.
- Logs 48 seconds of flight data
- Orange LED blinks out maximum height in decimeters.
- 18mm x 14mm. 1.9g including battery.
- Power switch.
The CR1025 battery holder is mounted on the back side of the board, so there are no external wires or batteries to manage.
Software features
- Saves last flight data to non-volatile memory.
- Reports previous flight on power-on.
- Automatically shuts down on landing to preserve battery.
Battery Holder
MicroPeak includes an integrated battery holder on the back side of the circuit board.
Developer View
Here's a close-up view of the hardware
Hardware Features
- ATMEL ATtiny85 Microcontroller
- 8K flash
- 512B RAM
- 512B EEPROM
- SPI/I2C interface
- Measurement Specialties MS5607 Micro Altimeter Module
- Wide range — 120kPa to 1kPa (approximately -1500m to 31000m)
- High precision — 2.4Pa resolution (approximately 20cm at sea level)
- Factory calibrated.
- CR1025 Lithium Battery
- 30mAh. Runs MicroPeak for more than 40 hours on the pad or in flight
- OSRAM LO T67K orange LED
- Standard 6-pin AVR programming interface.
- ATMEL ATtiny85 Microcontroller
Software Features
- Written in C
- Samples pressure every 96ms
- Delay 30s after power-on to finish airframe prep
- Detect boost with 30m altitude change
- Exponential averaging filter to minimize transient effects.
Tools Used
Licenses
- The hardware is licensed under the TAPR Open Hardware License
- The software is licensed GPL version 2