The software behind a thrust vector controlled (TVC) rocket - a rocket able to change its thrust direction based on attitude (orientation in 3D space).
The program has four main steps:
- Estimate attitude from an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and barometer by advanced sensor-fusion algorithms: Madgwick filter and Kalman filter. Uses quaternions to represent 3D orientation.
- Proportional – Integral – Derivative (PID) controller actuating servo motors in TVC mount (changing direction of thrust)
- Live wireless flight data transmission to ground station
- Parachute ejection at apogee
The software is to be run on a rocket flight computer — main.cc. An STM microcontroller (Teensy 4.1) was used during this project.
Requirements:
- Hardware: Flight computer with CPU, IMU, barometer, and 3 servo motors
- Attitude estimation: https://github.com/xioTechnologies/Fusion