Launch Controller Design: Difference between revisions

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'''Nominal resistance''' is just the resistance of the starter, including its leads. '''No-fire current''' is the ''maximum'' current that can be passed through the starter (to check continuity) when ignition is ''not'' intended. '''All-fire current''' is the ''minimum'' current that should be passed through the starter when ignition is intended. Therefore, the continuity circuit deliver less than the no-fire current to all starter types, and the ignition circuit must deliver more than the all-fire current to all starter types. Note that proper continuity circuit design is ''much more critical'' from a safety standpoint; too little current from the ignition circuit just means the rocket doesn't launch, but too much current from the continuity circuit can cause unintended ignition! In general, test current should be the minimum required to activate whatever lamp or sound device you're using to signal continuity (for instance, [https://www.adafruit.com/product/297 this LED] specifies 30 mA maximum, and [https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/cui-devices/CEP-2242/412374 this alarm element] only requires 7 mA).
'''Nominal resistance''' is just the resistance of the starter, including its leads. '''No-fire current''' is the ''maximum'' current that can be passed through the starter (to check continuity) when ignition is ''not'' intended. '''All-fire current''' is the ''minimum'' current that should be passed through the starter when ignition is intended. Therefore, the continuity circuit deliver less than the no-fire current to all starter types, and the ignition circuit must deliver more than the all-fire current to all starter types. Note that proper continuity circuit design is ''much more critical'' from a safety standpoint; too little current from the ignition circuit just means the rocket doesn't launch, but too much current from the continuity circuit can cause unintended ignition! In general, test current should be the minimum required to activate whatever lamp or sound device you're using to signal continuity (for instance, [https://www.adafruit.com/product/297 this LED] specifies 30 mA maximum, and [https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/cui-devices/CEP-2242/412374 this alarm element] only requires 7 mA).
There are still lots of blank cells in the table below - if you know where to find data on these, or would like to do some testing on your own and report your results, please contact [mailto:danno@danno.org Danno].


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
!Starter Type!!Nominal resistance!!No-fire current!!All-fire current
!Starter Type!!Nominal resistance!!No-fire current!!All-fire current
|-
|AeroTech Copperhead||||||
|-
|-
|AeroTech First Fire||||||
|AeroTech First Fire||||||
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|Estes Sonic||1.6 ohms<ref name="apogee-estes-sonic-motor-starter />||1.25 amps<ref name="apogee-estes-sonic-motor-starter />||3.80 amps<ref name="apogee-estes-sonic-motor-starter />
|Estes Sonic||1.6 ohms<ref name="apogee-estes-sonic-motor-starter />||1.25 amps<ref name="apogee-estes-sonic-motor-starter />||3.80 amps<ref name="apogee-estes-sonic-motor-starter />
|-
|-
|Firewire Initiator||0.8 - 1.2 ohms<ref name="apogee-firewire" />||0.3 amps (less than 0.04 amps recommended)<ref name="apogee-firewire" />||0.6 amps (1 amp recommended)<ref name="apogee-firewire" />
|Firewire||0.8 - 1.2 ohms<ref name="apogee-firewire" />||0.3 amps (less than 0.04 amps recommended)<ref name="apogee-firewire" />||0.6 amps (1 amp recommended)<ref name="apogee-firewire" />
|-
|-
|Firewire Mini Initiator||0.8 - 1.2 ohms<ref name="apogee-firewire-mini" />||0.3 amps (less than 0.04 amps recommended)<ref name="apogee-firewire-mini" />||0.6 amps (1 amp recommended)<ref name="apogee-firewire-mini" />
|Firewire Mini||0.8 - 1.2 ohms<ref name="apogee-firewire-mini" />||0.3 amps (less than 0.04 amps recommended)<ref name="apogee-firewire-mini" />||0.6 amps (1 amp recommended)<ref name="apogee-firewire-mini" />
|-
|-
|MJG e-match (dip-your-own)||0.8 - 1.3 ohms<ref name="apogee-mjg-ematch" />||0.3 amps<ref name="apogee-mjg-ematch" />||0.7 amps<ref name="apogee-mjg-ematch" />
|MJG e-match (dip-your-own)||0.8 - 1.3 ohms<ref name="apogee-mjg-ematch" />||0.3 amps<ref name="apogee-mjg-ematch" />||0.7 amps<ref name="apogee-mjg-ematch" />
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|Quest First Fire Micro||||||
|Quest First Fire Micro||||||
|-
|-
|Wildman Big-Uns motor lighter||||||
|Quickburst Twiggy||1 - 2 ohms<ref name="apogee-quickburst-twiggy"||||
|-
|Quickburst Slim Gem||1 - 2 ohms<ref name="apogee-quickburst-slimgem"||||
|-
|Quickburst Fat Boy||1 - 2 ohms<ref name="apogee-quickburst-fatboy"||||
|-
|Quickburst Super Fat Boy||||||
|-
|-
|Wildman Little-Uns motor lighter||||||
|Wildman Big-Uns||||||
|-
|-
|Wildman Tiny motor lighter||||||
|Wildman Little-Uns||||||
|-
|-
|Wildman ejection lighter||||||
|Wildman Tiny||||||
|}
|}


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<ref name="apogee-firewire-mini">https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Motors/Motor-Starters/Firewire-Mini-Initiator-6-pk (1/18/2021)</ref>
<ref name="apogee-firewire-mini">https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Motors/Motor-Starters/Firewire-Mini-Initiator-6-pk (1/18/2021)</ref>
<ref name="apogee-mjg-ematch">https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Motors/Motor-Starters/E-match-Starter-Kit (1/18/2021)</ref>
<ref name="apogee-mjg-ematch">https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Motors/Motor-Starters/E-match-Starter-Kit (1/18/2021)</ref>
<ref name="apogee-quickburst-twiggy">https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket_Motors/Motor_Starters/Twiggy_Starter (1/18/2021)</ref>
<ref name="apogee-quickburst-slimgem">https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket_Motors/Motor_Starters/Slim_Gem_Starters (1/18/2021)</ref>
<ref name="apogee-quickburst-fatboy">https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket_Motors/Motor_Starters/Fat_Boy_Starters (1/18/2021)</ref>
</references>
</references>

Revision as of 21:22, 18 January 2021

Motor starters (igniters)

The purpose of a launch controller is to ignite a motor starter, and thus ignite a motor. There are several different kinds of starters, so in designing a launch controller, it is important to know which types it will and will not accommodate.

Nominal resistance is just the resistance of the starter, including its leads. No-fire current is the maximum current that can be passed through the starter (to check continuity) when ignition is not intended. All-fire current is the minimum current that should be passed through the starter when ignition is intended. Therefore, the continuity circuit deliver less than the no-fire current to all starter types, and the ignition circuit must deliver more than the all-fire current to all starter types. Note that proper continuity circuit design is much more critical from a safety standpoint; too little current from the ignition circuit just means the rocket doesn't launch, but too much current from the continuity circuit can cause unintended ignition! In general, test current should be the minimum required to activate whatever lamp or sound device you're using to signal continuity (for instance, this LED specifies 30 mA maximum, and this alarm element only requires 7 mA).

There are still lots of blank cells in the table below - if you know where to find data on these, or would like to do some testing on your own and report your results, please contact Danno.

Starter Type Nominal resistance No-fire current All-fire current
AeroTech Copperhead
AeroTech First Fire
AeroTech First Fire Jr.
AeroTech First Fire Mini
Estes Model Rocket Starter 0.5 - 2 ohms[1] 1 amp[1]
Estes Sonic 1.6 ohms[2] 1.25 amps[2] 3.80 amps[2]
Firewire 0.8 - 1.2 ohms[3] 0.3 amps (less than 0.04 amps recommended)[3] 0.6 amps (1 amp recommended)[3]
Firewire Mini 0.8 - 1.2 ohms[4] 0.3 amps (less than 0.04 amps recommended)[4] 0.6 amps (1 amp recommended)[4]
MJG e-match (dip-your-own) 0.8 - 1.3 ohms[5] 0.3 amps[5] 0.7 amps[5]
Quest First Fire Micro
Quickburst Twiggy 1 - 2 ohmsCite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many

[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] </references>

  1. ↑ a b Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named apogee-estes-motor-starter
  2. ↑ a b c d https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket_Motors/Igniters/Estes_Sonic_Starter (1/18/2021)
  3. ↑ a b c d https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Motors/Motor-Starters/Firewire-Initiator-6-pk (1/18/2021)
  4. ↑ a b c d https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Motors/Motor-Starters/Firewire-Mini-Initiator-6-pk (1/18/2021)
  5. ↑ a b c d https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Motors/Motor-Starters/E-match-Starter-Kit (1/18/2021)
  6. ↑ https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket_Motors/Motor_Starters/Twiggy_Starter (1/18/2021)
  7. ↑ https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket_Motors/Motor_Starters/Slim_Gem_Starters (1/18/2021)
  8. ↑ https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket_Motors/Motor_Starters/Fat_Boy_Starters (1/18/2021)
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