Hyperion (GSE DAQ/Control)

Mounted inside the Ground Operations Device (G.O.D.) box, Hyperion is the main ground support board. Through a point-to-point WiFi connection, ground support commands are relayed through a terminal computer to Hyperion, where Hyperion is able to control valves accordingly. In addition, Hyperion also acquires data during testing and fueling. This raw data from sensors is converted to digital data, then stored on the terminal computer in the G.O.D. box. Data sources include load cells (for thrust and fuel tank measurements), pressure transducers (for engine chamber and oxidizer tank measurements), as well as several thermocouples mounted on various parts of the ground support equipment and vehicle.

Once fueling is complete, the ground software waits for confirmation to continue. When confirmed, it then initiates an auto-sequence through Hyperion. This auto-sequence tells the system how to go about actuating valves, igniting electronic matches to set off explosive bolts to disconnect gas lines, and initiating the ignition sequence that's overseen by the vehicle's onboard electronics.

In order to operate all the elements of the ground support system, and leave room for future expansion of the system, Hyperion has the ability to control 8 servos with positional feedback, supply 4 solenoids with up to 8 amps of current, set off 6 electric matches, take raw data from up to 24 bridge sensors (used as load cells or pressure transducers) and 16 thermocouples and covert all the analog data to digital. This has to be handled in real time so that there is live control of the rocket during the fill and other pre-ignition steps, as well as live data streams to the base camp. Hyperion communicates through UART to a USB interface with the G.O.D. computer, sampling and saving each of the data inputs at 100 Hz, with a live data stream back to the base camp at 10 Hz.