CONTROLLER - PROGRAMMER FOR TELEMETRY SYSTEMS

Abstract

As a national laboratory, one of Sandia’s missions requires the development of airborne telemetry systems for acquisition and transmission of in-flight data and for control of flight vehicle functions. These telemetry systems are usually produced in small numbers and have very limited application. Before the flight test, systems undergo extensive functional and environmental testing. During the flight test, a method of sequencing through a predetermined flight program is required. To aid in the development of these telemetry systems, Controllers and Programmers have been developed. The telemeter uses an external Controller during functional and environmental testing to allow access to various internal telemeter functions. An on-board Programmer is used to manage the predetermined sequence of events throughout the flight test. Previously, such ControllerProgrammer systems have consisted of a single-purpose apparatus with limited scope. These systems would be re-designed with each telemetry system -- necessitating additional expenditures in manpower and hardware. This paper discusses an advanced Controller - Programmer system for telemetry applications. It is adaptable to a variety of telemeters and offers a number of benefits. The Controller has the ability to download flight sequence information to the Programmer via a serial communication link, even when the telemeter is assembled in the test vehicle. It also has the capability to log environmental test data and charge telemetry system batteries. Additionally, the Controller provides a user-friendly, reconfigurable method of command entry and a graphic display of telemetry parameters. The Programmer, in addition to communicating with the Controller, has the capability of flight sequence resumption after complete power failure via non-volatile storage of operating parameters. The programmer can control a virtually unlimited number of flight test functions yielding a high degree of design flexibility, and, being microcontroller based, is also power and space efficient.