Kate-3 Transmitter (Mx210)
Firmware Version 7.10 Released: Aug 20, 2024 Download this firmware and save it to your local hard drive. Depending on your browser you may have to right click and select "save as..."
Use the Flight Data Analyzer software to update your transmitter. Simply click 'Tools' on the Flight Data Analyzer menu bar and then select 'Update Firmware'.
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New features included in this release:
- Modified the apogee search algorithm that finds and reports the maximum GPS altitude so that it ignores any rogue GPS readings that come in after apogee due to the rocket tumbling violently during high-speed descent at high altitudes in very thin air (or the vacuum of space).
- Modified the algorithm used to fire the apogee charge after a shred. The new algorithm will now wait up to 15s after a shred for the GPS to resume normal operation provided the altitude indicated by the baro sensor shows it is safe to keep waiting without risking impact with the ground. The previous algorithm only waited a maximum of 8 seconds and then started monitoring the descent rate indicated by the baro sensor. However, the baro sensor readings can get very "noisy" after a shred due to all the spinning and tumbling that occurs and how that affects the external pressure sensing ports. The bottom line here is to wait longer so that the GPS has more time to resume and tell the algorithm what is really going on. If the GPS does not resume normal operation within 15s then it is time to give up and start monitoring the baro sensor descent rate anyway because the GPS may never return if it got damaged during the shred. We also need to make sure we don't keep waiting and building up excessive descent speed while free falling after a shred. Since shreds occur at high speed, there is a lot of excess upward velocity that needs to be scrubbed off before the rocket actually starts falling.
- Adjusted radio settings used during flight to make sure the transmit power level is at least 500 mW right after liftoff. This was done because a recent batch of radio modules from the manufacturer were slightly low using the legacy settings. This change may boost older transmitters to be slightly above 500 mW but that is not an issue. The transmit power level while sitting idle on the launch pad is not changed. It is still 100mW.
Previous version of transmitter firmware (v7.9)