Rocket Boom Spin Table

One of my responsibilities at the Space and Atmospheric Instrumentation Lab was to improve the control and monitoring system for a critical component used in the testing of boom deployment on sounding rockets. This project challenged me with subject matter that I was unfamiliar with, compelling me to research  electronics design, wireless communication, and system optimization.

The primary challenge was to develop a wireless communication system that could transmit live readings from an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) to a remote monitoring station. To achieve this, I worked extensively with two Feather microcontrollers equipped with LoRa Radio modules. These microcontrollers acted as the brains of the system, processing data from the IMU and transmitting it wirelessly in real-time.

The system's success depended on the reliability and speed of data transfer. To ensure this, I conducted rigorous testing and optimization. I fine-tuned the communication parameters and hardware settings, aiming for quick and dependable data transmission. This process involved testing the system under various conditions to identify and address potential issues, ultimately achieving an efficient and reliable data transfer mechanism.

Once the new control and monitoring system was fully operational, it replaced the previous system, which had become inoperable due to technical issues. This upgrade significantly improved the efficiency and accuracy of future tests conducted with the spin table. It also provided researchers with improved control and real-time data crucial for analyzing boom deployment on sounding rockets.