The flight computer is a revolutionary advancement in amateur rocketry, offering superior performance at a lower price compared to industry-leading alternatives like the Telemega and Blue Raven. It features full data logging and live telemetry capabilities with 13 sensors (1 x GNSS, 3 x Barometer, 6 x Accelerometer, 3 x Gyroscope), incorporating advanced sensor fusion and extended Kalman filtering.

This project leverages extensive knowledge of high-frequency and RF PCB design to create a highly compact flight computer (3.25 x 1.25 inches) that surpasses all commercially available alternatives in terms of safety, reliability, and features, all at a fraction of the cost. Safety is prioritized through the implementation of 256-bit encryption for all wireless protocols, failsafe procedures, ESD protection, battery over/under voltage protections, and industry-standard triple modular redundancy.

Modularity was a key focus, enabling the flight computer to perform complex control tasks such as active fin stabilization/control, thrust vectoring, liquid engine motorized valve actuation, and solenoid locking pin actuation. These capabilities are enhanced by "hat" boards that stack onto the flight computer, allowing intercommunication via the I2C bus and providing additional functionality. Additionally, multiple flight computers can be stacked to increase redundancy and fault tolerance. WiFi and Bluetooth are implemented to arm the rocket using a phone, replacing the traditional and more dangerous method of listening to a buzzer within the rocket. The 915 MHz live telemetry allows for bidirectional communication between the flight computer and the ground station, enabling command transmission and data reception.

On startup, the flight computer enters a sleep mode to conserve power, which can be deactivated by the ground station sending a 64-byte arming code that includes critical initial conditions such as local gravitational acceleration, target apogee, accelerometer axis mapping coefficients, dry mass, and quaternion initial states. Several "Pyro Channels" are implemented as high-side power switching circuits capable of handling resistive and inductive loads with dual redundancy, continuity, and resistance detection, specifically designed for igniting black powder charges to separate parts of the rocket and deploy parachutes. eMMC storage is featured as a compact method of storing up to 256GB of data in a cost-effective and fast 4-bit interface, with all data accessible post-flight via the USB-C port, which also provides convenient programming access to the two dual-core microcontrollers (ESP32-S3 + STM32H747). Plans include the implementation of further error detection, correction, and security measures, such as dynamic SHA-512 encryption using the onboard cryptographic hash processor, rather than a hardcoded 256-bit encryption key, and the use of hamming codes like parity bits or possibly repetition if the bus can handle significantly higher data rates.

Thank you very much to JLCPCB for sponsoring this board, as without JLCPCB support, fabrication, and assembly, this project would not have been possible.