Summary
Pyxida is the custom avionics system designed for use in Project Therion, and applied in future projects. The specifications for the original system were picked during the fall 2015 semester and
Revisions
Revision 1:
Pyxida Rev. 1 was the first iteration of the design to have a PCB. It was
Revision 1.1:
Pyxida Rev. 1.1 was a minor upgrade from the original version. It retained the BeagleBone cape form factor of the original revision, but had its own 3.3v power so it run the XBee more reliably and be operated independently from the BeagleBone. It also featured standard headers for connections to other devices instead of the JST connectors used on Rev. 1. This version added continuity checking as well as battery voltage checking, though this feature required the use of the BeagleBone. As IREC 2016 drew closer, it became clear that the BeagleBone added too many complications to justify its place in the system, so it was removed and its software was ported to C++ and added to the firmware of Pyxida itself. This was the configuration used for the IREC 2016 competition flight.
Revision 2:
Pyxida Rev. 2 is the next major revision of the device. It will drop the cape form factor and be a simple rectangular PCB with mounting holes in the corners. It will retain the ability to communicate with devices like the BeagleBone through an expansion port, but it will be fully functional on its own. The most commonly used connectors will be changed from headers to screw terminals, while the less used features will be moved to SATA connectors that can be connected to expansions boards to break them out to larger connectors. It will feature a new GPS from uBlox that handles flight better than old GPS, and will also add an accelerometer with higher-g ratings so it can be used to estimate motor performance.
Firing:
4
5
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7
Continuity:
3
2
1
0