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SummaryThe large field ground station was developed for the 2019 IREC, to monitor the rocket and payload during flight. It can receive and display telemetry and live video on its 6 screens, as well as provide power to other ground systems from its large internal batteries.
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ConstructionThe large field ground station is built into a Pelican 1440 case for ease of transport. The internal structure of both the base and lid are made of high temperature 3D printed material, with a plywood top on both for ease of painting.
The workhorse of the large field ground station is 4 Raspberry Pi 3s, that each independently receive data and display it, serving as redundant data collection. They can be interacted with through 16 USB ports, and are cooled by 2 80mm fans.
Data is displayed on 6 TFT screens that are optimized for working in high-light environments. There are also 2 LCD screens present that can display video from the rocket and payload. A series of 8 red LEDs above the monitors can also be used to display flight events. Data is sent from the base to the top panel through 8 RJ45 connectors.
The base contains 2 12V 12AH sealed lead-acid batteries, that provide the main power to the system. They can be charged through an external charging system by 120V AC or 12V DC power. Power can be distributed to other ground equipment through one of the 16 Pi USB connectors, 2 high-current USB connectors, or a 12V "cigarette lighter" jack.
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AestheticsThe plywood covers on the top and base are painted for each specific mission with the mission name and insignia, and labels for the critical information.
To the right is the large field ground station, painted for the IREC 2019, along with the small ground tracking station.
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