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Updates

Dashboard Updates

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Changelog

For everyone:

  • 3D Globe Map View (new)
  • Dashboard speedup / fewer queries (page way faster now)
  • Fingerprinting new methods (new)
    • Use nearby windows to look for a variety of frequency references
    • No more default assuming telemetry in Slot 0 is a frequency reference
  • Beta features pulled back
    • Some unfinished features escaped and are now back unreleased

Pro changes:

  • Pro Data Pipeline Control Panel (new)

Testing 1, 2, 3 (Simulator)

Building better testing tools

With new developments, testing by hand is no longer practical!

As a result, I've developed a Simulator which will do all the major testing from now on.

This post is just a show-and-tell because it's a fun tool.

Comprehensive Simulator / Test Harness

Testing now makes use of new Simulator capabilities, such as:

  • Simulating any scenario, directly feeding encoded data into the live Dashboard
    • No need to transmit to test
  • 27,000+ automated tests, across comprehensive input values, midpoints, etc
    • Test every message type (extensible to new)
    • Test pairs of messages (TT+GT, RT1+BT, etc)

Major Features

  • Simulation of "real" data by Simulator, then sent to Jetpack via JSON link
    • Encoding performed ON Jetpack using Jetpack encoder/decoder
    • Encoding performed Simulator using Dashboard encoder/decoder
    • Resulting values compared by Simulator and differences flagged
  • Drawable GPS path on map
    • With comparative view of grid4/grid6 snap-to path
  • Drawable altitude/speed/temperature/voltage values
  • Bulk Comprehensive test scenarios auto-generated
  • Window construction (any messages, any field values, in any slots)
  • Fingerprinting scenarios
    • Multiple sending profiles to operate simultaneously
      • Any band/channel
    • Multiple receiving station profiles to operate simultaneously
      • Any band/freq-offset
  • Solar angle conditions (choose date/time of simulated period)

Other Cool Stuff

  • 2.6 Mbps data throughput between Simulator and Jetpack traffic via JSON link
    • That's 325,000 bytes/sec for write, and another 325,000 bytes/sec for read
    • Reliable high-bandwidth link supports high-volume low-latency testing

More work to be done to move this set of work ahead but now much easier to test and re-test as changes get made to see what works.

New Flight Log and Channel Map functionality

Flight Log (new), with Channel Map and Tracker GUI changes

Flight Log and Flight Log by User

Flight Log supports recording (per-flight, all optional fields):

  • Band / Channel / Start Date / End Date
  • Tracker
  • Flight Identifier (custom to your scheme)
  • Power configuration (eg solar setup, batteries, etc)
  • Free lift
  • Balloon type
  • Payload weight
  • Lift gas
  • UserDefined / VendorDefined configuration
  • Notes
  • Links (list of URLs)

Overview

Flight Log

  • Now exists
  • Has user and global view, with preliminary stats
  • Import/Export

Channel Map

  • Integrates with Flight Log to display last few flights
  • Allows quick-add of new Flight Log entry

Tracker GUI

  • Allows creation of new Flight Log entry from tracker-configured values

New Channel Map and Login Account functionality

Channel Map and Login Account changes

Overview

Channel Map

Changes:

  • Complete re-write and so much easier to extend to new features
  • Much better interface
    • Easier to use
    • Faster
    • Easier to explore other registrations
    • Nicer looking
  • Warns on registration errors (multiple same minute registrations)
  • Supports flushing old reservations
  • Supports new features (coming soon)

See Channel Map Help for details

Initial old channel flushing approach will be decided after a week or two to open up discussion

A new Admin-screen allows freeing registrations when a registration is: - 6+ months old, or - 3+ months old on a busy band (50% or more).

Because old registrations didn't keep track of the time they were made, the default is that migrated registrations "start now."

As in, nothing happens for at least 3 months.

If there's a desire from the group for speeding up the first opportunity for admins to free up registrations, that date can be brought in sooner.

Login Accounts

Changes:

  • Much easier to log in and out
  • Much higher security
  • Supports multiple accounts
  • Supports password reset
  • Supports new features (coming soon)

See Login Accounts FAQ for details

New Website Content

Overview

Solar

There's a new page with a walkthrough using PowerFilm panels.

It's as simple and step-by-step guide that works, hopefully suitable for use in education or beginners.

PowerFilm

Flying / Balloons

There's a new page with walkthroughs for:

  • Getting/Sealing/Attaching balloons
  • Calculating Free Lift

They're simple and step-by-step guides that work, hopefully suitable for use in education or beginners.

Flying / Balloons

New Website Features

Many changes across dashboard, messages, and other tooling

Overview

Messages

3 ET message types in draft (experimental/feedback) form:

  • Heartbeat
  • ExpandedBasicTelemetry
  • HighResLocation

New field encoding type for low-cost expanded value ranges

Slots

Slot renaming to from 1-5 to 0-4, too confusing as-is

Dashboard

2-3x faster load, esp on large datasets

Prettier load screen

Faster more responsive charts

Map has:

  • new controls and help guide
  • better spot popup

New dashboard Data Table Control layout and granularity

Future

Jetpack tracker

  • support gpsValid=0
  • breaking change to support Slot0-4 in url params and tracker config
    • (gui will prompt/guide)

New Website Features

More graphs, map tweak, laps, and filtering insight

Overview

Graphs

  • RxStationCount
  • SpotCountByDate
  • RxDistance Histogram
  • Scatter Plot lets you compare any series against another

Summary

  • Lap Counter

Map

  • Highlight of latest

Filtering

  • Row-by-row filter data under Pro (under Data Table Controls)
  • Flight-wide filter breakdown under Data Table

Introducing Copilot Control

You can now create and send custom messages (and more!)

  • Create and send messages with any available GPS data
  • Create and send messages by using your own sensors (via I2C, ADC)
  • Send up to 5 custom messages in every 10 minute window

Overview

Copilot Control makes makes these new features available, and the Enhanced Telemetry Dashboard will automatically graph and tabulate the data you send.

In addition to lots of documentation explaining the details, there is a Walkthrough that covers the basics in a front-to-back example.

This new functionality does not change the way you use Jetpack today.

Continue to use Jetpack as you have, and use the additional functionality if/when you like.

Maiden Flight

Here (link) is the maiden flight of the new system, using both a BME280 and BMP280, sending 2 custom messages within each 10 minute window, following Basic Telemetry.

GPS Analysis from First Airborne ET Flight

Overview

I wanted to share some very interesting GPS data collected during the first flight of an Extended Telemetry UserDefind message set carrying GPS stats.

The results challenge some of my established beliefs about GPS performance relating to lock time. Some more epxeriments will shed more light on this.

The results have provided new insight and evidence into an ongoing mystery about why my tracker almost always has a 1-hour blackout period on initial launch before transmissions are received.

Major Takeaway Summary

Summary

  • The GPS appears to have a huge problem with getting locks while rising
    • Compared to, say, staying at ground level, or floating at altitude
    • Not seemingly correlated with ground speed
  • There is approximately a 1 hour period of time from launch in my area (NYC area) to first transmission, seemingly due to GPS inability to get a lock
  • The number of Chinese GPS satellites visible in flight rises significantly during flight