mDACS USB-IO User Manual
Contents
1. CDM20828 Setup exe from the Missile Works Web Site Download page http www missileworks com downloads This will install the necessary drivers Installing the mDACS Application Software Locate and run the latest mDACS Setup and Installation program from the Missile Works Web Site Downloads page http www missileworks com downloads Click on the app software installation link and either download and run the installer directly on your PC or open and run the installer on the web site After you successfully install your mDACS application you will have a desktop shortcut available to launch the application Double click the shortcut to launch the mDACS app Note If your PC does not currently have the NET 4 0 framework support currently installed the installation program will download and install the necessary support Click yes if the installer detects the absence of NET 4 0 support You will need to have an internet connection to perform this download and install Running mDACS for the first time The mDACS application is designed to provide a very intuitive and user friendly interface Navigation and initiating specific mDACS operations are all launched via a single click Here s what you should see when you first launch the mDACS app p gt 3 v X Flight viewer 7 Flight Simulator Settings Manager T Diagnostic Tools System Preferences Yj RRC3 Host Connect Flight Data x si J Flight File Load 32. RRC3 Rocket Recovery Controller 3 mDACS USB IO User Manual Revision 1 01 Missile Works Corporation PO Box 1725 Lyons CO 80540 www missileworks com mDACS and the USB IO The RRC3 altimeter was developed in conjunction with the mDACS Missile Works Data Acquisition and Configuration Software to provide the Advanced Flyer with the detailed dynamic data captured during your rocket flights The Data items captured during your RRC3 flight are e 20 Hz Pressure Data e 1Hz Altimeter Temperature e 1 Hz Battery Voltage e Drogue Main and Auxiliary Events Using the 20 Hz pressure RRC3 data mMDACS calculates the corresponding rocket altitude and rocket displacement velocity for graphing purposes The RRC3 keeps the last 15 flights in its onboard memory and thereafter writes over the oldest flight You can fly all day and collect data then upload and save each flight to your Windows PC after the launch Each flight records up to a maximum of just over 28 minutes Flight data is acquired from the RRC3 by your Windows PC using the Missile Works USB IO dongle or the PerfectFlite DT2U or DT3U dongles in conjunction with the MWPF Adapter Board mDACS PC Requirements Windows XP Windows 7 or Windows 8 with NET 4 0 framework support 1024 x 768 pixel minimum recommended display resolution USB port USB IO Dongle The USB IO dongle is pictured below You ll notice that it has 2 status LED for communication activity a USB ca
3. 9 S Y sree Graph Controls Flight Summary Cursor Pad Time n Descent Show Cursor Velocity Voltage Alt Smooth za Temp Events Yel Smooth Wi Re a E Zoom rDACs v1 50 Port Status Communication Mode Mone Connection Mode Inactive Firmware Version N A The mDACS application is designed to provide a very intuitive and user friendly interface All Navigation and initiating specific mDACS operations are all launched via a single click Along the top of the mDACS window there are 5 Primary Tabs used for navigation providing access to the following tabbed pages Flight Viewer Page Used to upload display and load save flight data from the RRC3 Flight Simulator Page Simulate a flight virtually to validate RRC3 performance Settings Manager Page Manage review and load save settings to from the RRC3 Diagnostic Tools Page Check all operations of the RRC3 inputs outputs baro sensor System Preferences Page Setup the mDACS application software to your personal preferences Each page also has a Button Bar along the left side of the window The button operations are specific to each tabbed page The Host Connect and Host Disconnect buttons are shared between several pages these are common operations amongst them Along the bottom of the mDACS window is the Status Bar which displays version data and communication status info The first thing you need to set up in the application is the COM po
4. Output Controls RRC3 battery required for output activation power Voltage Monitor No battery no voltage 12 All the Diagnostic Tool groups with the exclusion of the Output Controls are Inputs and thusly are all processed and displayed simultaneously when you run the Manual Monitor or the Auto Loop Monitor operations on the Diagnostic Tools page Note that the Auto Loop Monitor runs continuously until you click the Manual Monitor button The Batch Date query provides the means to display the date that the unit was flashed and tested for operations and can establish the service life of the RRC3 The Output Controls allow you to individually activate each output of the RRC3 IMPORTANT ALWAYS USE EXTREME CAUTION and ensure that you have NO LIVE PYRO CHARGES attached to RRC3 when activating this Output test operation Here s a screenshot of the Diagnostic Tools page Bias Flight viewer eV 4uto Loop Monitor Continuity Monitor Drogue 12 Batch Date Query Aux J up im snr Host Disconnect k Battery required for monitor Temperature Monitor I A 5 Deg F 7 Deg C 82 04 F Voltage Monitor User Input Monitor DIP 4 Battery 8 87 Baro Monitor Milibars 789 3 Prog PB Pressure PSIA Co nN EE gt n 5 Q Simulator Q settings Manager Qo Tools System Preferences Output Controls A Drogue A Main A Aux A Exercise Caution when activating Outputs Battery
5. Required for Output Control rDACS v1 50 Connection Mode Connected Firmware Version N A Port Status v Communication Mode Host mDACS Flight Simulator The Flight Simulator provides a means to fly your altimeter virtually on your bench and directly test and observe its operation during the course of the simulated flight This feature is especially nice to validate the operation of the Aux Output when programmed to provide a specific OCS Output Control Sequence In order to run a simulated flight the RRC3 needs to boot up and establish a Sim Mode connection just like a Host Mode connection Follow the same steps as Host Mode connection except the only difference is you ll be using the Sim Connect button on the Simulator Page 13 The Sim Connect feature is exclusive to the Flight Simulator RRC3 Data Analysis amp ay 5 3 Pas Flight viewer Flight Simulator Settings Manager T Diagnostic Tools System Preferences Vj RRC3 Sim Connect Simulation Flight Profile Jj Sta Altitude Velocity 7 AGL Altitude ft Velocity fps 100 120 Flight Time sec Simulation Controls 1 A Pot V POST Base Elev ft 1000 Burn sec 3 Velocity fps 1000 Descent fps 100 rDACS v1 42 Port Status e Communication Mode Error Connection Mode Inactive Firmware Version N A Along the bottom of the page are two panels Simulation Monitor The indicators in the Simulation Monitor
6. Manager to a PC Settings File When clicked you ll see a standard Windows Save Dialog form All RRC3 Setting Files use the rsf file extension RRC3 Settings File Default Settings This will override all the current settings shown in the Settings Manager with the default settings used by RRC3 Note that settings are not saved to a file or written to RRC3 memory Print Settings Sheet Provides a printed hardcopy of all the settings currently shown in the Settings Manager Use this as a reference sheet on the field or to validate settings Print Legend Sheet This control will open the Legend Sheet Printer Utility All the sheets printed here are intended to provide a supplemental reference for the setup and programming of all RRC3 settings Host Disconnect Terminates the active Host Mode connection session with the RRC3 mDACS Diagnostic Tools These tools provides a comprehensive means of evaluating the overall performance and operation of the RRC3 The barometric and temperature sensor readings can be checked and all inputs and outputs to the RRC3 can also be exercised and validated Some of these tools will require the connection of an external battery to the RRC3 in order to operate and will not function if you re running the RRC3 from the UBS IO dongle power These tool groups are labeled accordingly however the specific tools requiring a battery are Continuity Monitor RRC3 battery required for all continuity status
7. ready in Launch Detect Mode Sim Disconnect Terminates the active Sim Mode connection session with the RRC3 Product Warranty Missile Works Corporation has exercised reasonable care in the design and manufacture of this product and warrants the original purchaser that the RRC3 is free of defects and that it will operate at a satisfactory level of performance for a period of one year from the original date of purchase If the system fails to operate as specified then return the unit or units within the warranty period for repair or replacement at our discretion The system must be returned by the original purchaser and be free of modification or any other physical damage which renders the system inoperable Upon repair of replacement of the unit Missile Works Corporation will return the unit postage paid to the original purchaser Product Disclaimer and Limit of Liability Because the use and application of this equipment are beyond our control the purchaser or user agrees to hold harmless Missile Works Corporation and their agents from any and all claims demands actions debts liabilities judgments costs and attorney fees arising out of claimed on account of or in any manner predicated upon loss or damage to property of or injuries to or the death of any and all persons arising out of the use this equipment Due to the nature of electronic devices and the application and environments for those devices the possibility of failure can n
8. 3 Data Delete Opens the Flight Data Deletion Manager Dialog form allowing you to delete and or all previous flight data residing in the RRC3 memory Flight File Save Allows you to save the currently displayed Flight Data to file This can be what you just uploaded from the RRC3 ora previously saved file that you want to load and rename or annotate with comments When clicked you ll see a standard Windows Save Dialog form All RRC3 Flight Flies use the rff file extension RRC3 Flight File Flight File Load Provides the means to load and display a previously saved Flight File rff When clicked you ll see a standard Windows Load Dialog form All flight data is stored in its raw normalized format so each file load requires a complete regeneration of all the chart data Flight Data Export This utility allows you to export the captured Flight Data to a secondary file using a standard Excel CSV format The items specifically displayed in the chart are the items that are included in the export Time Altitude and Pressure are always exported by default Flight Data Inspect This control will open the Flight Data Inspection window in a easily readable row column format The items displayed in this window are the items currently shown in the chart Time Altitude and Pressure are always shown by default Flight Log Manager This utility provides access to the altimeter resident Flight Log record that is stored and maintained i
9. ata The zoom buttons are a fixed 120 The visibility of data items in the chart also controls which data items are included in the Flight Data Inspection Window and the Flight Data Export file In addition to the preset zoom buttons provided you can select a specific region of the chart for close up inspection Position your mouse pointer in the desired chart region the press the SHIFT key The mouse pointer should change to a magnifying glass Select and highlight the region to zoom by dragging the mouse pointer Once highlighted release the left mouse button and the chart will zoom to the bounds of the highlighted region Once a zoom has been activated the chart will display horizontal and vertical slider bars and the zooming function can also be controlled using your mouse wheel as well Flight Summary This panel contains several pertinent data items derived from Flight Data upload or the Flight File Load from disk It also displays the name of the currently Flight File if applicable There s also a Note button that provides access to Flight Notes Editor where you can add additional comments about this specific flight Cursor If you click the Show Cursor button the Chart will display a vertical line along the X axis along with the corresponding timestamp You can use this cursor to select a specific point of interest on the chart All the data associated with this time stamped data frame are displayed in the cursor pan
10. ble connection a power slide switch and the same COM connector used on the RRC3 PF Cable LED s Power Switch MISSILE WO RRC3 Cable Installing the USB IO Driver The USB IO module requires driver support software in order to operate If you have already installed and run the Featherweight FIP software PerfectFlite DataCap software or any of the BRB tracker support software you already have the necessary drivers installed for your PC If not follow either of the following driver installation steps Your PC will require an active internet connection Windows Update Installation Plug the USB IO dongle and USB cable into your computer A Found New Hardware dialog box will appear Click this dialog for details A dialog box should similar to the following appear Installing device driver software FT232R USB UART Searching Windows Update Obtaining device driver software from Windows Update might take a while Skip obtaining driver software from Windows Update Windows Update will automatically locate and install the latest drivers for the FT232R USB UART hardware When the installation process is complete you should see a dialog box similar to this Your device is ready to use USB Serial Converter wf Ready to use USB Serial Port LOM wf Ready to use Make note of the COM Port Number the above port example is COM3 Manual Driver Installation Alternatively locate and run the file
11. el The following is an example of a 2 stage flight made with the RRC3 e n RRC3 Data Analysis amp Configuration Software aca X Sx f gt Pins Flight viewer 7 Flight Simulator op Settings Manager 7 Diagnostic Tools System Preferences Y RRC3 Host Connect Flight Data J RRES Data Upload 10 _ alt ft Vel fps x RRC3 Data Delete n Temp F Voltage wh Flight File Save Drogue Main Flight File Load ax 3 Flight Data Export JD Flight Data Print Go Flight Data Inspect 9 Flight Log Manager smr Host Disconnect t N 8000 Graph Controls Flight Summary Cursor Velocity F Voltage F Ak Smooth Max Altitude 7634 Power Up Temp 59 0 Pad Time min 2 80 Descent Time 101 10 C Show Cursor Temp Events F Vel Smooth Max Velocity 878 Launch Temp 62 4 Power Up Volts 9 32 Drogue Rate 90 ae Ascent Time 22 1 Low Temp 60 3 Launch Volts 9 24 Main Rate 26 Temp 2 Replot d zoom JE Zoom Fiatrie 2 STAGE WILDMAN MAY 2013 K 515 TO J 430 rff Show Flight Notes 2 Volt rDACS v1 50 Port Status Communication Mode Host Connection Mode Connected Firmware Version N A The Flight Viewer Button Bar provides the following controls RRC3 Host Connect Establishes a Host Mode connection with the RRC3 RRC3 Data Upload Opens the Flight Data Upload Manager Dialog form allowing you to upload and graph save the flight data residing in the RRC3 memory RRC
12. ever be totally ruled out It is the responsibility of the purchaser or user of this equipment to properly test and simulate the actual conditions under which the device is intended to be used to ensure the highest degree of reliability and success 15
13. g The dialog will then display the message Data Upload in Progress and you should also see a solid RX status LED until all the flight data has been acquired from the RRC3 When this occurs the dialog briefly displays a message of Data Upload Complete and the RX status LED will go out The Dialog then displays a final Generating Graph Data message and when the all the calculation processes are finally complete the Data Upload Manager will close mDACS Flight Viewer The Flight Viewer Page is where all Flight Data is presented in a graphical Line Series chart for detailed flight analysis and evaluation At the upper left of the chart is the Legend The units of measure for each item in the legend are established by the System Preferences settings The 3 Flight Events are also depicted here Drogue Main Aux for reference The events are always superimposed on the altitude data series The primary Y scale on left side of the chart is always altitude All other chart Y scales are located on the right hand side of the chart The bottom X scale of the chart is always displayed with a seconds timestamp that represent the specific data frames captured by the RRC3 during flight Along the bottom of the Chart are 3 Control Info panels From left to right they are Graph Controls This collection of controls allow you to define the specific data to display in your chart along with the ability to replot or zoom the chart d
14. n the RRC3 memory The primary purpose of the Flight Log data is to support additional data for users that don t need or don t want to examine the detailed Flight Data obtained by using a PC and the USB IO dongle The items tracked and saved in the Flight Log provide previous flight data that goes beyond the how high did it go question In addition there is a small collection of statistical items that include Total Flights 32767 max Total Flight Time 3276 7 minutes and Total Ascent Elevation 999 999 ft A small collection of Flight Log Data is available to users via the DIP Switch Pushbutton interface or it is fully accessible via the plug in RRC3 LCD Terminal When the Flight Log Manager Form is displayed click on the Read Log button to acquire the Flight Log data You can also reset the statistical items contained in the Flight Log by clicking on the Reset Stats button Here s a sample of the Flight Log Manager Form oJ RRC3 Flight Log Manager Flight Log Data Flight Performance Chute Performance Apogee AGL Drogue Descent Rate 99 Peak Velocity Main Descent Rate g9 Flight Timez Temperature Monitor Fad Time min 358 Power On Temp 56 0 Time to Apogee 44 25 Launch Temp 06 4 Total Descent Time 180 60 Flight Low Temp a4 2 Flight Log Statistics Total Flights Total Flight Minutes ag Total 4scent Elevation 1 600 Read Log 2 wA Reset Stats 10 Host Disconnect Terminates the active Host Mode c
15. nnecting mDACS to the RRC3 in Host Mode The Host Mode connection between mDACS and the RRC3 is the primary means of communication between the altimeter and your PC It s used for all operations except for the Flight Simulator mode Once you have established a Host Mode connection to the RRC3 you can upload flight data download and upload settings or utilize any of the Diagnostic Tools that are available The USB IO dongle can provide logic power to the RRC3 in cases where the altimeter may not have an existing power source and power switch It can also be used passively when the RRC3 does in fact have a power source and switch like when mounted to a complete av bay sled To start a Host Mode connection session ensure all power sources switches are in the off position This includes the USB IO power switch and or your av bay external power source and switch Using the 5 pin 4 wire cable supplied with the USB IO connect the RRC3 COMM port to the mating COMM connector on the USB IO dongle When you re all connected and ready to start click the Host Connect button on the mDACS Button Bar You ll notice the TX LED will begin flashing sending the host connect command Next either slide the USB IO power switch to the ON position or switch your av bay external switch to its ON position The RRC3 should emit the Init tone and when it recognizes the host connect command it should stop beeping and send a c
16. onnection acknowledgement to mDACS Ifa successful Host Mode connection was made your Status Bar should look like this rDACS v1 50 Port Status Communication Mode Host Connection Mode Connected Firmware Version v1 50 The mDACS application will attempt to make the Host connection for up to 15 seconds before it gives up and requires you to intervene Here s what the Connection Failure Dialog looks like rDACS Communication Error RRC3 Connection Fail f Disconnect USB Dongle and Retry Connection E Should you fail to establish a Host Mode session switch off all power sources double check all your connections physically disconnect and reconnect the USB IO dongle then restart the connection sequence again as described above Uploading RRC3 Flight Data to the mDACS Flight Viewer Presuming you have flown the RRC3 physically or virtually flight data will be available to upload to the mDACS Flight Viewer After establishing a Host Mode connection click on the RRC3 Data Upload button The mDACS app will query the RRC3 for available data and then display Upload Manager Dialog form ad RRC3 Flight Data Upload Manager e FRACS Flight Data Flight 2 Select a Flight wy Lipload Flight The Data Upload Manager attempts to pre select the most recent flight you ve made however you can select any available flight from memory When the flight you want is selected click the Upload Flight button in the dialo
17. onnection session with the RRC3 The only time you should require the use of this would be if you wanted to switch between Host and Sim connection modes If you re done interacting with the RRC3 using mDACS just shut down the mDACS app mDACS Settings Manager The Settings Manager is you your portal to reading writing saving and loading of all the settings available in the RRC3 All of the settings and their operations are covered extensively in the RRC3 User Manual so they won t be duplicated here One can choose to display some or all of the settings by checking the associated Show checkbox in the System Preferences All the controls on the Settings Manager page are grayed out until you load a collection of settings into mDACS This can be accomplished by loading a settings file from your PC or by requesting a settings read from an RRC3 connected to mDACS in Host Mode Here s a snapshot of the Settings Manager page once loaded with settings data z Flight viewer Q Flight Simulator S GF Settings Manager T Diagnostic Tools M System Preferences isa RRC3 Setting Write sR Save Settings File GBR Load Settings File r Default Settings L gg Print Setting Sheet 9 Print Legend Sheet sa Host Disconnect rDACS v1 50 Altitude Controls Arming x10 30 Y Main Deploy x100 5 a Y Flight Telemetry Data Controls No Telemetry Aux Output Controls Out
18. panel display the real time data altitude velocity and time while the simulation is active and in progress When the RRC3 has booted up completely and is finally in Launch Detect mode the Simulation Monitor Panel will be enabled Simulation Controls Operating the Slider Bars allows you to create an Altitude and Velocity profile that will be similar in scope to your anticipated flight regime Click the Plot button at any time to see how your slider settings stack up on the graph The POST checkbox allows you to enable or bypass the RRC3 s POST validation should you not wish to wait for it to complete To run a Flight Simulation Boot up the RRC3 and establish a Sim Mode connection A Dialog form will appear advising you the RRC3 is Initializing Click OK Both TX and RX LED s should start to blink repeatedly When the RRC3 is in Launch Detect Mode the Start Simulation button and Monitor is enabled Click on the Start Simulation button to Launch 14 Once the RRC3 has landed in Simulation Mode the mDACS software will automatically disconnect from the RRC3 At this point you can reboot the RRC3 into host mode and upload the captured Simulated Flight Data into the Flight Viewer The Flight Simulator Button Bar provides the following controls RRC3 Sim Connect Establishes a Sim Mode connection with the RRC3 Start Simulation Launches the Simulation Flight when the RRC3 is
19. put Control Sequence OCS Disabled Aux OCS Flow Diagram Port Status Communication Mode Host Miscellaneous Low Yoltage Lockout 2 Piezo Tone 12 Droque Delay sec 1 A Y Pre Launch 0 5 sec Rate Pre Launch 1 sec Rate Disabled Audio Options E Pre Launch Battery Voltage Pre Launch Deploy Mode Pad Audio Power Saver Post Flight Max Velocity Connection Mode E Post Flight Time to Apogee Post Launch 0 5 sec Rate Post Launch 1 sec Rate Disabled Connected Settings File Name Audio LCD T elemetry Units Fi English Imperial Units Yelocity Units Per Hour Timestamp Firmware Version N A Velocity Deployment Mode Primary Dual Deploy Mode Backup Dual Deploy Mode Apogee Only Mode Elevation Temperature Events Note If you set the Aux Output Controls OCS for an operation you will see a corresponding flow diagram appear in the Diagram Group Its purpose is to reinforce this OCS Logic Flow visually 11 The Settings Manager Button Bar provides the following controls RRC3 Host Connect Establishes a Host Mode connection with the RRC3 RRC3 Setting Read Reads all the current settings in the RRC3 memory RRC3 Setting Write Writes all the current settings shown in the Settings Manager to the RRC3 memory Save Settings File Writes all the current settings shown in the Settings
20. rt that is assigned to the USB IO dongle you ll be using with the RRC3 This setting is located on the System Preferences Page Be sure your USB IO or DT2U DT3U dongle is connected to your PC RRC3 Data Analysis amp Configuration Software ON gt E js Pas Flight viewer Q Simulator Settings Manager QD Tools System Preferences Comm Link Altitude Units Velocity Units A Reset App Defaults Feet per Second fps Active Comm Port p Check for Updates Feet AGL Meters per Sec mps Meters AGL Miles per Hour MPH Kilometers per Hour KPH Default Data File Folder Temperature Units Degrees Fahrenheit Degrees Celsius SS Browse For Folder Altitude Calculation Method Viewer Data Smoothing Standard Atmospheric Model Simple Moving Average Triangular Moving Average Geopotential Altitude Model 10 Average Points Settings Manager Options Setting Sheet Legend Sheet preferences J Show Telemetry Settings a dala Font Arial J Show Auxiliary Settings 4 Font Selection Lal Highlight Color id rDACS v1 50 Port Status Communication Mode None Connection Mode Inactive Firmware Version N A Click on the Active Comm Port Drop Down box arrow to display the COM ports available If you had no drivers previously installed use the same COM port that was assigned during your driver installation process as noted above Otherwise if you are already using the PerfectFlite DT2U DT3U hardware
21. select the same COM port used in the DataCap software After you have selected the appropriate COM port your status bar should look like this rDACS v1 50 Port Status Communication Mode Idle Connection Mode Inactive Firmware Version N A mDACS System Preferences The System Preferences items are defined as follows Active Comm Port Establishes the COM port mDACS uses to communicate with the RRC3 Altitude Units Velocity Unit These settings control what units of measure are applied in mDACS Temperature Units Default Data File Folder Specifies where mDACS reads writes Settings and Flight Data defaults to My Documents Altitude Calculation Method Use the Standard Atmospheric Model or Geopotential derivations refer to the Reference section for more info on these methods Viewer Data Smoothing Defines the Flight Viewer Altitude Velocity smoothing operation Settings Manager Options Controls advanced setting visibility and Settings Manager print format The System Preferences Button Bar provides the following controls Reset App Defaults This will restore all the mDACS System Preferences back to defaults and this will reset the mDACS Windows size and position back to original aspects and location Check for Updates This utility will check the Missile Works web site for the availability of a newer version of the mDACS application than you are currently running A working internet connection is required for this Co
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