Pygmy

This project is a rocket flight computer design for my TRA L1 certification flight. The name is a play on the fact that it's designed to be small and also runs on a Pi (Py) chip. Yes, that means you can program it with MicroPython (Py).

The flight computer also has a sibling ground station receiver, the Pygmy GS.

Motivation

I am a computer systems engineer who has designed avionics for my university's rocketry team for several years. I like the challenge of designing, building and programming embedded systems for unique environments, like the inside of a rocket. Although my L1 flight won't have the same challenges as my university's rockets (which fly up to 30k feet and have hit Mach 1.89), it will still have challenges. It is, differently, entirely my own design to mess with and do as I please!

My L1, as far as I'm concerned, is to be a relatively standard L1 rocket build (not a kit, still my own) outside of this flight computer. That way I can get my cert while having a rocket which meets my primary goal: being a vessel for my flight computer.

Usage

To learn how to use the Pygmy, please check the manual under the docs/ sub-directory. This manual contains both the user guide for operation and a detailed developer guide.

Both guides are currently under construction.

Other Goodies

Along with the Pygmy and PygmyGS E-CAD design files and free, open-source software, there is additionally parametric CAD enclosure designs included in this repository.

The PygmyGS case can be found under ground-station/enclosure, along with an assembly file so you can see the PygmyGS mounted inside it with all the fasteners.

A sample avionics bay for the Pygmy flight computer can be found under flight-computer/enclosure, along with an assembly file so you can see the Pygmy mounted in the bay with a battery and arming switch. This design is also fully parametric so you can modify it to the body tube diameter of your rocket, different battery size, etc. This design is largely based off of the configuration I flew in my L1 certification flight, so feel free to fully change it depending on your constraints and desires! It is by no way the recommended configuration for the Pygmy, just one possible design.