Props for using the Sure 0832 dot matrix display. Those things are awesome.

It kind of bothers me to see people using “arduinos” instead of just building their own MCU boards. Now everyone is referring to an “arduino” as if it is something more than just a generic board containing an MCU. I have even seen really stupid users make fun of those that construct their own MCU circuits, saying things like “why didn’t you use an arduino?”.

I’ll tell you why I don’t use an arduino. I know what the hell I’m doing, that’s why!

look, we say this every time there’s arduino hate. WE USE THEM BECAUSE WE A) DONT HAVE A C&C MILL TO ENGRAVE, B) THE MATERIALS TO ETCH, OR C) THE TIME/SKILL TO DESIGN A CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THESE METHODS.

I think most people do arduino overkill because it is just easier that way, although you don’t need to have a cnc mill nor do you need to etch a circuit to make your own circuits, you can do it all on a breadboard, or you can get prototyping boards from radio shack and do it on that too…. so not having a cnc or the ability to etch is no excuse.

Random concatenation to be used by the flamers:
Arduinoverkill

C&C = Command and Conquer

@Xeracy

There is this thing called a breadboard. They are quite nice, and very useful even if you have an arduino.

@Xeracy: Stripboard or perfboard allows you to knock up a permanent circuit without needing to create your own PCB. For rapid prototyping there are breadboards, of course!

Personally, I’m an advocate of using whatever’s most practical for a project, but keeping your mind open to alternative solutions. :-)

The schematic is pretty good, but I would add a keylock safety switch in the Ignition loop as a backup. Not required, it’s just a nice touch to give who ever hooks up the igniter wires a nice warm fuzzy feeling (or could prevent a nice HOT burning feeling) Having lost a finger from a past rocketry experiment makes me think of things like this.

WTF. You do NOT need a CNC mill nor do you even need etching materials to prototype such a simple circuit. Get some .100″ perf board, and prototype away. Apparently everyone has lost their imaginations, hence more than 50% of the “hacks” the HAD guys find and publish aren’t even hacks. No offense to the HAD guys, they don’t have much to pick from.

So wheres yours Jake

@Osgeld

Whaddaya mean? I have piles of circuits that I’ve built, most of which contain MCU’s, I don’t really have a need for a model rocket launch system…

“And we also didn’t all go nuts with AVR programming hardware a few years back and pick up an STK500 or AVRDragon.”

My first AVR programmer consisted of 6 wires connected to the parallel port + avrdude.
The reason you shouldn’t be using an arduino for one-off projects is because it rots your brain.

@Smoker_Dave:
Yeah, that was true a few years ago, when a hack meant spending time and brain power. Now we live in a world where everything is casual: games, hacks, people. Now you get achievements if you die in a game (and publish it to facebook) and you are a proud hacker if you make a 555 sound like a vuvuzela.
Pfff…. I have an arduino Mega, but I’m not using it at all. I just hate that crappy development environment that can’t even include files properly. If you’re happy to develop your whole program in a single file, it’s ok. Else, you’re screwed! Bleh!

First of all let me say “Woot, I made hackaday”

Ok, so it isn’t a great hack. It’s not an amazing circuit and the software is 90% other peoples work, but the finished item is fun and will hopefully inspire others with it’s uber low bar.

@Jake:
I like to think I know what I’m doing, I’ve been doing it 9-5 for 10 years now. I use an arduino because when I come home from work the last thing I want to do is start again from scratch. I use a cheap mcu, I import the dot matrix library and all I have to do is wire up a relay. This all means I can knock this together in an evening leaving me time to actually get outside and launch some rockets.

HaD this fill-in dos not fill-in for anything

Arduino launch platform – Yawn….

Want to impress? launch a rocket with a arduino rover or lander. Launch that rocket, at apogee release the payload that will safely return to earth and deploy a lander that sends back USEABLE data + video or pictures or a rover.

Launching hobby rockets is old hat. If we start getting builder making real progress by making mini landers, mini rovers, or how about at apogee deploy the payload that then fills a helium balloon to carry a microsattelite.

How about a rocket with arduino guidance? no dumb fire rockets, get servos on the fins to control ascent.

Any fool can build arduino launch platform… That’s stuff for 3rd graders.

“Not everyone knows assembly or C”

What? When did this happen? Do you realize where you ARE?

Gah. Such vitrol….

Two distinct groups here:

There are folks who love arduino(software and all) because it’s easy and it helps accomplish their goal(in this case a rocket launcher and countdown) faster. They know what they want done and want to get there with fast/minimal learning.

And

There are folks who really love making/modifying stuff. It doesn’t matter what the goal of the hardware is, it’s the process of getting there that they love.

Any shortcut of getting to the end just seems like a cop out.

Are these groups compatible? Hardly. Can they tolerate each other? Likely, as they can learn something from each other.

It’s comment threads like these though that make me just want to read hack-a-day from my RSS feed.

Just out of curiosity, do you guys follow UKRA guidelines at all?

I’m just wondering where the kill switch is for when some poor person walks unwittingly into the launch area… That system should have the ability to kill the countdown at any point, yes?

“Whaddaya mean? I have piles of circuits that I’ve built, most of which contain MCU’s, I don’t really have a need for a model rocket launch system…”

@ Jake, so post something, if you dont like the content here then change it instead of moaning about it

Send Arduinos to space. All of them!

@Osgeld

Most of my projects wouldn’t qualify as “hacks”, since they are all projects constructed from scratch. The stuff that I would call a “hack”, like reverse engineering my OTC Genisys automotive scan tool, is something that I’m not really ready to share yet, since as far as I can tell, no one else has done it.

I’m not bashing peoples effort, I’m bashing the “arduino”. I like to see hardware creativity, something that the “arduino” eliminates.

yea its amazing how many people start talking about how their stuff is not ready, held up by nda’s or whatever when I present that challenge to them, say whatever you want it just smell like BS to me

Again we are not making these things for your entertainment, If you dont want to see as many arduino projects, quit sitting on your hands, quit licking the window, finish something, and post it

that way we can all be an arse to you when we disaprove a method, part, or software choice

@Osgeld

Sounds like I struck a vein. You may want to seek some professional suturing, I don’t think a Band-Aid(tm) will help this one ;)

@MSRaynsford
The key is a little better. The person hooking up the wires has the key.
Disconnecting the battery is reliable but you have a humans factors problem. What if someone decides to be helpful and sees the lose wire?
People do the silliest things.

“What if someone decides to be helpful and sees the lose wire?”

Then put the battery in your pocket.

Also, I know I responded to KC8RWR but the post seems to have been deleted. Interesting. Easier to delete a post then respond to it? LOL

@8051

I probably have over 40 hours in to that project, there is no way in hell that I am posting a how-to on the internet for every random idiot to try!

By “hacking” the tool, I also discovered how to activate all of the optional software, some software packages for that tool run more than $1000 each. So no, no one will reap the benefits of my research. I am happy to answer educated questions, but nothing more.

@jake
“I probably have over 40 hours in to that project, there is no way in hell that I am posting a how-to on the internet for every random idiot to try!”

you just disqualified yourself from posting here, idiot.

@jan

I have no problem posting a simple, fun project that lots of people would like. I will not post a project like my Genisys hack because not only do I have an incredible amount of time in to it, but because it also has the potential to financially benefit (and illegitimately so) someone who knows how to do it. Also, think of what happens when you post a successful hack online that NO ONE ELSE has tried – 90% of the internet is populated by “random idiots”. These random idiots will duplicate the hack, and publish it on random idiot blogs as their own work.

So no. Anything that I would potentially share would be something that any electrical hobbyist could easily figure out. Anything more will cost you!!

not one intelligent comment in the whole lot about using an arduino for any type of rocketry. i am glad for the arduino because it is simple, inexpensive and readily available. it is also popular so that when i get the time to try a project, i wont need a college degree to build it. so, come on and someone do something rocketry based with an arduino. i would give my eye teeth to find someone around where i live that would be interested in sending up a project. someone with the knowledge needed to build it. i am tired of buying ready made projects. i live in las vegas if anyone is interested in trying out a project.

@kevin mcguigan

If you think an arduino is cheap, try sampling an MCU from microchip or atmel. Pay shipping, get 12 micros, and you’re set on brains for your next 12 projects for under 10 bucks.

@osgeld

You’re*

I have various programmers that I’ve built with serial, parallel & USB interfaces, plus I have an AVR dragon and one of those Top2005 programmers (lol)… I see no need to buy a pre-built MCU board for much more than it’d cost me to build myself!

I am not trying to slam you, I just get annoyed by lampreys that don’t want to learn by just doing it themselves. I get annoyed by lamers that don’t want to actually understand it, they just want you to tell them how to build it so they can get oohs and aahs from their friends who are deceived into thinking the person actually knows what they are doing. Does it not bother you when someone asks you a question about some project, and you realize that they haven’t even begun to try to do it themselves before asking?!??!?

@Osgeld

Learn to english. You seem to have the “I HATE YOU” attitude, I just think that people should learn instead of leeching.

I’m sorry that you disagree, but I speak from years of experience. I have no patience for lampreys anymore, they have no positive affect on an environment like this. You could compare their behavior to the kids who don’t do their homework, then come to you right before class starts and ask to see your homework so they can copy the answers.

No way, man!!!!

@Osgeld

I have no intent of marketing any product, your assumptions continue to surprise!

Bravo ;)

Arduino can into space.

Jake and Osgeld had an awesome argument lol. All that aside though, I think using the Arduino to launch a rocket was a good idea. Sure you could spend time making your own MCU board Jake, but I think your forgetting that people want to do what is easiest. It is a widely used product now and it helps for people who want to get involved but may not know necessarily where to start. Seeing this article I could simply look at the source code and schematics and then begin a project of my own instead of building my own MCU board.

Given the computing power of the original moon missions, sputnic etc I think the only limitations are monetary!. As for Arduino, for me it was the launch pad to more advanced electronic engineering projects and can prove to be a great little ‘scratch pad’ for testing out the basic concepts before taking the project deeper. Everyone needs to start somewhere and the arduino has now lead me into ARM embedded dev and mechatronics so not all bad. Anything that spurs interest in our hobby arena from the average Joe is really welcome in my opinion!
Im sure many people started with Lego/Meccano before becoming industrial engineers!

Anyway, nice post! bet it was fun to see the first rocket go up and if anyone has an open source LEO collaboration going on drop me a mail! would be happy to put some time into it!