Project overview
OURANOS aims to send in high altitude a meteorological balloon embedding a flight computer with various equipment like camera, temperature probes, and a geolocalization system based on a GPS receiver and a GPRS link. The balloon is expected to reach 28,000m (approximately 100,000ft), at this altitude the pressure is so low that the balloon explodes. The payload safely falls with a chute. A main target is to bring back from the high altitude pictures of Earth like former similar projects did. Moreover, another main target is to setup a GPRS link as long as reception is possible, between the balloon and a monitoring station located at the launch site. Data exchanged with the FDAC includes real-time position, altitude and system operation status.
This ambitious project takes part of our last year project creation at EPITA (computer science engineering school in Paris, France), majoring in real-time and embedded systems.
Launch date
Launch is scheduled between 15 and 30 jan. 2008.
Project modules
FDAC: Flight Data and Acquisition Control
The FDAC is the core of the system, it is the bridge between the other modules. For instance, the FDAC receives postion data from the GPS, it handles and repackets the data, and finally transmits the data to the GPRS modem. The FDAC software runs on a dsPIC30F3014 microcontroller.
COM: Communication
The COM module purpose is the transmitting of position and system operation data from the FDAC to the monitoring team. Data are transmitted with a GPRS modem. The modem and the FDAC are linked with an UART.
APRS: Altitude and Position Recovery System
The APRS module gets the realtime position and altitude of the ballloon. The GPS receiver sends the acquired data to the FDAC via an UART link. An issue for choosing the receiver is the altitude limit. At the moment, one receiver fits our needs: the Trimble Lassen iQ can bypass one of the three GPS limits (altitude, speed and acceleration).
EMC: Environement Monitoring and Control
To be continued.
Sponsors and partners
- Bouygues Telecom provides the GPRS link and GPRS handsets in order to monitor the FDAC.
- MultiTech Systems provides the GPRS modem with its development kit.
- Samtec provides connectors for the GPRS modem.
