Project Overview:
LEO is a flight computer for amateur rocketry which combines a 10 DOF sensor suite with four pyrotechnic initiator channels to effectively control a flight while logging 39 channels at 40hz.
Hardware -
LEO inherits the RP2040 architecture from Lyra, but descopes the GPS and telemetry to reduce complexity. With this, LEO is 38% smaller than Lyra, at just 40mm in length and 18mm in width. LEO uses MOSFETS to switch the pyrotechnic outputs, each able to supply 1A, a SF of 1.6 over a low current initiator's all fire current. As for sensors, LEO reads a BMI088 6 axis IMU for low G accel a
Software -
The software for LEO was based off of the Lyra flight code, with improvements in the sensor fusion and data logging. It is written in the Arduino framework with C++ and runs on both cores of the RP2040 with one core focusing on data logging and pyro activation, and the other fetching and fusing sensor data. The second core runs a linear Kalman filter alongside a gyroscope integration lo
Integration -
LEO is mounted with two nylon M2 or 2-56 screws. The terminal blocks can be removed in order to reduce the height of the board and fit it into tighter spaces. In the image, the blocks were removed to fit the board into the space between a camera and coupler wall. The board is powered on at the pad with a magnetic switch, which arms the computer to launch detect mode, preparing it for