CanSat Kit User Manual V2014

CanSat Kit User
Manual
The T-Minus Engineering B.V. CanSat kit V2014 user manual
Reference:
Date:
CSKIT-0001
13/01/2014
Version:
1.0
CanSat Kit User Manual

Reference: CSKIT-0001
Version: 1.0
Page ii
Preface
This document is part of the T-Minus CanSat kit V2014. The CanSat kit is produced by T-Minus
Engineering B.V. for the European Space Agency (ESA).The kit is the product of an extended development
period, during which it was subjected to extensive testing by high school students, teachers and
specialists. The CanSat kit is a very versatile experimentation set, and provides a basis for an almost
unlimited variety of missions. Yet it is still very easy to get acquainted with the working principles, and to
prepare the set for its first mission. The complexity of the project is defined by the goals that the CanSat
team sets for itself.
The developers of this kit sincerely hope that it provides the team insight into scientific missions, that the
team will learn and develop skills that are needed during the project and above all: that the team will
have a great time and a lot of fun working on the project!

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Contents
1
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................1
1.1
The T-Minus main controller board .....................................................................................................................3
1.2
The sensor board ........................................................................................................................................................4
1.3
The Transmitter and receiver .................................................................................................................................6
1.4
Battery ............................................................................................................................................................................7
1.5
Mechanical components ..........................................................................................................................................8
Starting with the C board ................................................................................................................................................9

2.1
Connecting and installing the C board .............................................................................................................9
2.2
Writing a first program .............................................................................................................................................9
2.3
MCU communication .............................................................................................................................................. 13
Electrical design ................................................................................................................................................................. 15

3.1
Design warning ........................................................................................................................................................ 15
3.2
Electrical schematics .............................................................................................................................................. 16
3.3
Components............................................................................................................................................................... 17
3.4
Making the connections ........................................................................................................................................ 31
Having hardware and software work together ........................................................................................................ 35

4.1
Sensor readout.......................................................................................................................................................... 35
4.2
Using the transmitter ............................................................................................................................................. 37
Building the CanSat .......................................................................................................................................................... 41

5.1
Building the stack .................................................................................................................................................... 41
5.2
The Outer shell ......................................................................................................................................................... 42
5.3
Parachute design ..................................................................................................................................................... 42
5.4
Launch loads ............................................................................................................................................................. 47
Appendix ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 48
A.
Licence information ..................................................................................................................................................... 48
B.
T-Minus C board ......................................................................................................................................................... 49
C.
T-Minus transceivers ................................................................................................................................................... 51
D.
Driver installation summary ...................................................................................................................................... 52
E.
Installing Arduino ......................................................................................................................................................... 52
F.
Batteries and power system ...................................................................................................................................... 54
G.
Datasheets and USB memory ................................................................................................................................... 58

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1 Introduction
The CanSat Kit User Manual was developed in cooperation with ESAs Education Office to accompany the
T-Minus CanSat kit. The CanSat kit forms the basis of the CanSat project. During this project, a scientific
mission is designed and all systems needed to accomplish this mission are built such that they fit in a
standard soda can. All information necessary to establish a basic CanSat mission with the contents of the
kit is provided in this manual. This document comprises the full description of the hardware components
included, and a method of assembling the CanSat kit. When this is mastered, the mission can be
extended, broadened or even changed completely as desired by the CanSat team. It is advised to quickly
read through the entire document before starting actual work: this helps in identifying where to look for
information on each step of the building process.
Figure 1 the T-Minus Engineering B.V. CanSat kit

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The CanSat kit contains:
The T-Minus micro controller (C) board
The sensor board and its components
The radio transmission system (consisting of 2 identical boards)
A 9V battery and battery connector
The mechanical components of the CanSat
A USB 2.0 cable
USB memory stick with the required documentation
Not included in the kit are the parachute and the outer shell.
The reason the parachute is not included is that its design is highly dependent on competition
requirements. More information on parachute design can be found in section 5.3 on page 42. The outer
shell is not included as soft drink cans are abundantly available.
This first chapter provides an introduction of the components in the CanSat kit to allow the
understanding of their functions. The other chapters are a guide to understand the steps required for
building a CanSat.
Chapter 2 of this document describes the software side of the C board and how it can be used. In
Chapter 3, information on designing electrical circuits (hardware) is provided and the electrical
components of the kit are discussed. Chapter 4 describes the interface between hardware and software.
Chapter 5 helps in putting the CanSat together by discussing the mechanical components, including
guidelines on how to make a parachute.

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1.1 The T-Minus main controller board

The T-minus main controller board (C) is the brain of the CanSat. The board houses the ATmega2560
micro controller and the hardware required to operate the micro controller. The extra hardware is
comprised of a power supply and a USB communication/programming interface.
Figure 2: The T-Minus micro controller board

The power supply provides two input options for powering the device either using a USB connection or
an external power supply (battery). The CanSat can be powered via the USB connection during the testing
and programming and by a battery during full system tests and the actual launch. The main software
development environment used to programme the CanSat is Arduino. Arduino offers a simple method for
programming the device, although it limits some of the functions of the microcontroller. Any type of
battery can be used to connect to the power input, as long as the battery voltage is between 5.5 and 15V.
The board can be set to run on 5V (default) or 3.3V. The operating voltage can be chosen depending on
the components that are connected to the board. The board can deliver up to 800mA when using a
battery and up to 500mA when connected via USB.
Information on all the connections of the C board is located in appendix B: T-Minus C board.

1.1.1
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Arduino
Arduino is an open source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and
software. Most of the information regarding programming using this environment can be found on the
Arduino website ( www.arduino.cc ) and on dedicated forums. See appendix A for license information.
1.2 The sensor board

The primary mission of a CanSat is to measure pressure and temperature to determine altitude. To be
able to do this, it uses sensors. To connect these to the C board, a dedicated sensor board was designed
to provide flexibility to the user. The solderable holes are each at 2.54 mm apart - the most widely used
standard distance between the feet of electrical components. More PCB material is readily available:
search for europrint or eurocard in electronic shops. The sensor board is placed on the C board with 3
connectors of 20 pins. These connectors have 16 data lines and 2 positive and 2 negative power supply
lines.
Figure 3: An empty CanSat kit sensor board

1.2.1
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Measuring the Temperature
For the temperature measurement the kit provides two sensors, one is a thermistor and the other is an
integrated circuit. The two sensors use different methods to read the temperature.
Sensor 1: The thermistor
A thermistor is a resistor where the resistance depends on the temperature of the component.
The CanSat kit uses a negative temperature coefficient, or NTC thermistor (the resistance of the
thermistor decreases when the temperature rises) manufactured by VISHAY BC Components, model
NTCLE203E3103GB0. The datasheet, attached in appendix G and in the datasheets folder on the USB
memory stick, shows the value of the resistor at several temperatures.
Figure 4: The thermistor (source: nl.farnell.com)
Sensor 2: the integrated circuit

The second temperature sensor is an integrated circuit manufactured by Texas Instruments, model LM35.
The datasheet of the LM35 sensor is attached in appendix G and can be found in the datasheet folder on
the USB memory stick. This sensor is simpler to use, but give less insight in how the measurements are
performed. Care has to be taken when connecting active components like the LM35. As this is an active
component, and reversing the power supply will damage the device or even destroy it. The NTC in
contrast is a passive component and does not break when connected in reverse.
Figure 5: The LM35 temperature sensor (source nl.farnell.com)

1.2.2
Pressure sensor
For the pressure measurement, the kit contains a MPX4115 sensor, produced by Freescale
Semiconductor. This absolute pressure sensor has a pressure range of 15 to 115 kPA, which is sufficient
for the measurements required during the CanSat competition. The MPX4115 is an active component like

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the LM35: take care when connecting this device. More information on the sensor can be found in the
datasheet that is added in appendix G or can be found in the datasheet folder on the USB memory stick.
Figure 6: The MPX4115A pressure sensor (source nl.farnell.com)
1.3 The Transmitter and receiver

The transmitter and receiver are two identical boards called transceivers. The T-Minus transceiver
delivered with the CanSat kit has two methods for connecting the board. One method uses the 3 20-pins
headers on the board to connect with the C board. The other method uses the USB connector to connect
with a computer. This allows the board to be used in a flexible way without the need for extra
components.
Figure 7 T-Minus transceiver board

The transceivers are provided with a wire antenna soldered on to the antenna connection. This allows
immediate use of the two transceivers. An SMA connector is provided to allow the connection of external
antennas like high-gain Yagi antennas. Information on this subject can be found in chapter 3.3 on page
17.

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The transceiver operates around the 434 MHz frequency with an output power of up to 13 dBm. Using
frequency shift keying as modulation method allows the transceivers to operate in sounding rocket
applications. Frequency, transmit power and data rates can be changed using the Graphical User Interface
(GUI) provided on the USB memory stick. The default settings of all the boards are identical, allowing the
immediate use of the transceivers. During the CanSat competition, different operating frequencies will be
appointed to different teams to prevent interference.
1.4 Battery
The 9V battery provided with the CanSat kit can be used to start working with the CanSat from the
moment the box is opened. With the 9V battery clip of the kit, these batteries can be connected easily. It
is advised to always connect a new battery before launching the CanSat. It would be unfortunate and
unnecessary if there is no data from the CanSat because of an empty battery.
Figure 8 Battery and battery connector

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1.5 Mechanical components

The CanSat kit contains several components to make the structure of the CanSat and fit it inside a soda
can. The round end plates can be used as top and bottom for the CanSat using the M3 treaded rods and
nuts for fitting the electronics. The M5 eyebolt can be used to connect the parachute.
Figure 9 mechanical components of the CanSat kit

The USB cable, a standard USB 2.0 cable from USB A plug to USB micro B plug, can be used to connect
the C board or one of the transceivers to a computer. These cables are widely available, as most modern
mobile phones use the same cable. The USB memory stick contains all the required information to use
the CanSat kit.

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2 Starting with the C board

The C board is the brain of the CanSat. In space systems engineering, this is mostly referred to as master
control unit or MCU. The T-Minus C board has 3 20-pins headers that can be used to connect other
components. These headers provide 46 general inputs and outputs and 2 analogue outputs. For details on
the functions of each pin see appendix B: T-Minus C board.
This chapter explains the necessary steps to program the C board and provide a guide for writing a first
program. The first program has similar functionality as the famous "hello world" used by website
designers. The main reason for such a program is that it provides a quick and basic check if all the
interfaces are working.
2.1 Connecting and installing the C board

The C board is connected to the computer with a USB cable. This connection can be used to program the
micro controller. It also provides the option to communicate between the computer and the C board.
This communication can be used to test the program code that is made. The program that is present on
the micro controller upon delivery of the CanSat kit blinks all the 8 LED's when powering the board via
USB or the external power supply.
When connecting the board to a computer for the first time a driver need to be installed. This driver can
be found on the USB memory stick, under: "programs/ (your operating system)". The driver will require
administrator rights on the computer to allow installation. Read through appendix D: Driver installation
for more information on driver installation. After successful installation, the driver will create a serial com
port. The number of this port will be between 1 and 10 for most computers, but can have any number up
to 256. The transceiver board uses the same driver as the C board, dese drivers only need to be installed
once. License information on the drivers and board firmware can be found in appendix A: Under Licence
information.
2.2 Writing a first program

The software development environment used to write the software for the micro controller is Arduino, as
mentioned before. A version of Arduino can be found on the USB memory stick, but the newest version
can also be found on the Arduino website, www.arduino.cc. Installing Arduino is done by unpacking the
zip file located in the folder indicating your operating system, or using the .exe file for windows.

2.2.1
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T-Minus variant
To use the T-Minus C board in Arduino, it has to be installed first. To install the T-Minus variant and
several examples for using the T-Minus boards, several steps have to be completed. The USB memory
stick has all required files in a zip file, located in "programs/T-Minus files for Arduino.zip". This
installation is independent of the operating system used.
Follow these installation steps carefully:
Finding the sketchbook location.

o
Run Arduino
Go to file->preferences
Get the Sketchbook location
Close Arduino
o
IMPORTANT, since this is the first time Arduino is closed, the Sketchbook
location folder is created at this moment
Open a file explorer

o
Go to the Sketchbook location
Extract "T-Minus files for Arduino.zip" to the Sketchbook location
Run Arduino
Go to "Tools->boards" and select "Tminus1" as board
Go to "Tools->Serial port" and select the serial port used by the T-Minus board
o
The bottom right of the screen will now indicate "Tminus1 on comX" where X is
the selected com port.
For a more elaborate explanation on installing the T-Minus variant see appendix E: Installing Arduino.
2.2.2
Initial program
In order to determine if the device works and verify that you can program it, you have to run a small
program. To do this, the program shown in Figure 10 can be written to the C board. It uses C as
programming language. This Arduino program is on the micro controller when it is delivered.

Figure 10: The Arduino program on the board when it is delivered.
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2.2.3
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Step by step explanation of the program
The top of the screen indicates BlinkAll_TMinus | Arduino 1.0.2. These are the file name given to the
initial program and the version of Arduino, in this case Arduino version 1.0.2.
The bottom right of the screen shows TMinus1 on COM4 This indicates that in this case the TMinus1
board is used and that it is connected to COM4. The number of the com port used will be different on
every computer.
The program is comprised of two parts: the "setup' and the "loop" part. The setup part of the program is
run only once. This part is used to setup the controller and define initial values for variables. In the case
of the original program, this is used to set the micro controller outputs of the LED allowing turning the
LEDs on and off.
The lines pinMode(xx, OUTPUT); is the call to function pinMode which is pre-defined in Arduino. The
pinMode function is used to determine if a pin of the microcontroller is used as input or output. The
number is a reference to the digital pin number defined in the Arduino variant being used. In appendix B:
T-Minus C board, a list of the functionality of each micro controller pin is given. Pins 16 to 23 are
connected to the LEDs. The last part reads OUTPUT. This tells the micro controller to control this pin as
output, allowing the user to set them at either "high" or "low" state. The low state is set by default.
The loop part is run continuously by the micro controller from top to bottom. There are two functions
used in this loop. The first is digitalWrite(xx, HIGH/LOW); used to set the voltage for the pin at 5V (high)
or 0V (low). The LEDs will turn on when the pin is set as digital output low. The reason for this is a choice
in board design. The second function is delay(xxxx); this makes the micro controller wait for a number
of milliseconds, depending on the value that is given as the parameter between brackets.
2.2.4
Verify and programming your initial program
The Arduino software has the ability to verify if the program you wrote is in compliance with the
programming rules. This verification checks if the syntax, or programming language, has been followed.
The verification does not check if the program will do what you want. For this reason, programming
should be done in small steps. Verification is done by pressing the "verify" button in Arduino (indicated by
the checkmark).
When there are no problems, the program can be uploaded to the micro controller. To start this process,
press the Upload button, indicated by the right pointing arrow. The status bar in the bottom of the screen
will show "Verifying", followed by "Uploading".

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The T-Minus C board has a jumper, as shown in appendix B: T-Minus C board. This jumper enables the
easy programming using Arduino. This also means that the micro controller is reset when USB
communication between the controller and computer is initialized. If this reset is unwanted, the jumper
can be removed. In this case, programming via Arduino is not possible.
2.3 MCU communication

Communication is one of the most important parts of the software. While the LEDs provide basic
feedback that the device is working and that your program is uploaded correctly, they cannot be used as
for reading out the sensors. A serial communication link will be used to send extra information to the
computer and in a later stage also to send data to the transmitter.
There are many forms of communication that can be used by the micro controller on the T-minus board.
There are 2 main groups of serial communication used in microcontrollers: synchronous and
asynchronous. In synchronous communication, a clock line will tell the receiver when to read the data
from the data line. In asynchronous communication, there is no clock line available, so the timing
between the data bits is important to allow for correct readout.
The basic communication method of Arduino is a UART connection to the computer. The UART, or
Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter, is a serial communication system with separate transmit
and receive lines. On the computer, this is connected to the com port. During installation of the drivers, a
virtual com port is created for this purpose.
As UART is an asynchronous communication protocol, the timing of the line needs to be (almost) identical
for the transmitter and receiver. This timing is called baud rate, or the amount of digital bits transmitted
per second.
2.3.1
Setting up the UART communication
To setup the micro controller for sending communication to the computer the following function is used
in the setup part of the program:
Serial.begin(9600);
Serial.begin is the function setting up the communication and 9600 is the baud rate at which the
communication will run.

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The next step in sending information is telling the program what to send. This can be done in the loop
part of the program or in the setup part (while not above the "Serial.begin" function). There are two
different functions for this:
Serial.print();
Serial.println();
The difference between the two is that the ln stands for "line", indicating that the program will send the
commands for new line at the end after the printing. The data transmitted is between the brackets. The
text to be sent is placed between , such as text to be send. To send the value of a variable, place the
name of the variable between the brackets, like (variable).
Serial.print(text to be send);
Serial.print(variable);
The last part is having the computer monitor the communication via the com port. Arduino has a socalled serial monitor built in. The same com-port that was used for programming is monitored here. To
open the serial monitor, click on the serial monitor button.
At the bottom right of the screen, a drop down menu allows the selection of the baud rate. Setting this to
the same value as used in de program will show the data that is sent. Try sending text and variables with
and without new lines to get a feeling for operation of the UART communication.
2.3.2
Other UART options and the transmitter
The T-Minus C board has not only one, but 4 UART connections. One of these is connected to the USB
port that was used previously. To use the other UART ports, simply replace the "Serial" part in the
program to "Serial1", "Serial2" or "Serial3", representing UART ports 1, 2 and 3:
Serial1.begin(9600);
Serial1.print(text to be send);
When the transmitter is connected to the bottom of the C board it is automatically connected to UART
port 1, or "Serial1".
The pins that are used for Serial1, 2 and 3 can be found in Appendix B: pin functions

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3 Electrical design
Now that the MCU is working, it is time to think about connecting other components like sensors and
transmitters. All components needed for the system used for the primary CanSat mission are provided, but
they need to be built together. Next to that, there are many options for secondary missions, of which most
require additional electrical circuits. This chapter provides a short description of electrical circuits and the
basics of designing and building them.
An electrical circuit is a network of electrical components, designed to fulfil a specific task. There are
many different types of electrical circuits, like your computer or a telephone. More simple circuits are for
example the light above the dinner table, or a flash light. The flash light circuit contains three
components: a battery, a switch and a light bulb.
Switch
Battery
Lamp
Figure 11: schematic diagram of a flash light

Figure 11 shows a schematic representation of the flash light circuit. In a schematic circuit diagram, the
components are represented by symbols. Many different components have a dedicated symbol but there
are also components that do not. The meaning of the symbols depends on the system used. There are two
widely used systems: the American and the European. The reason symbols are used in circuit diagrams is
to make it more readable. Search on the internet for Electrical circuit symbols to find more. The
components are connected to each other by electrical wires. In an electrical circuit, the wires are normally
not called components but connections. In the above picture they are represented by the lines connecting
the components. These lines indicate an electrical connection with very low resistance. In most systems,
copper wire is used for the connection but other options are possible as well.
3.1 Design warning

When starting with a design, it is wise to work in small steps. While the manual describes al similar
components at the same time, it is advised to switch between building hardware and software regularly.
This helps in spotting any problems early on. Testing regularly and building with small modifications
helps to speed up the building process in the end.

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3.2 Electrical schematics

In properly drawn schematics, there are three rules applied to make the circuit readable. The first is
reading from left to right. This means inputs are placed on the left side of the circuit and outputs on the
right. In the flash light circuit, the battery is the input and the light bulb is the output. The second rule is
to work from top to bottom. For electrical schematics this means high voltages are on the top of the
diagram and low voltages are on the bottom. The positive supply of the battery is drawn at the top and
indicated by the longer line and the plus sign.
The last rule is the way the connections are drawn.
Label
Label
Label
Label
Not connected
junction
Connected
junction
Use of labels
Use of labels
Figure 12: schematic diagram of connected and not connected wires. The labelled wires are connected
In the simple schematic of the flash light there are only 3 connections in only one loop. The simplicity of
this circuit makes it very clear. In more complicated circuits there are many more connections. Figure 12
shows how to draw connected and unconnected crossings. The two lines are connected when they are
drawn with an offset, and not connected when they cross. The power lines in an electrical circuit are
normally connected to many components. To prevent the situation where the drawing contains too many
lines, which would make the diagram difficult to read, labels are used. As shown in the Figure 13, all
connections with 3V are connected together. The same holds for the 0V connections. However, for the
flash light circuit, using only labels does not make the schematic more readable. Finding a balance
between labels and lines is dependent on many aspects and on the choice of the designer.
3V
3V
Battery
Line2
Switch
0V
Line2
Lamp
0V
Figure 13: different schematic representation of the flash light. Using labels does not necessarily make the diagram more readable.

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3.3 Components
Many different electronic components are available. The core of every CanSat is built up with a few basic
components. These components are:
A micro controller
A power supply
some sensors
A transmitter
In this manual, the T-Minus CanSat kit is used as reference. The same principles apply to other
components.
3.3.1
Micro controller
The micro controller is the main controlling and calculating component of the CanSat. There are many
manufacturers of micro controllers, which all make almost infinitely many different versions. All of these
controllers are based on a sequential processor, surrounded by several hardware interfaces. These
interfaces include systems like memory, analogue-to-digital converters and digital communication
systems.
Figure 14 Schematic view of the ATmega88PA micro controller. The schematic is divided into an input/output part (U5A) and a
power supply part (U5B). The ATmega88PA is pictured as the ATmega2560 has much more pins the principle is identical.
As the micro controller is a part that has many connections (sometimes up to 144 pins!), a discussion of
all connections is not part of this document. Detailed information can be found in the datasheet of the
manufacturer. For the Atmel micro controller of Figure 14, 3 different types of inputs that will be
discussed.

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The first type of connection is the general input/output or GIO. In the Atmel micro controller, all
input/output pins can be used in this manner. Connections starting with PB, PC, or PD are GIO pins. A GIO
pin can be used as input, where it will read a logical 0 or 1, depending on the voltage that is applied to it.
The GIO can also be set as output, so that the software determines if the pin is held high or low. If the pin
is held high, it will supply the same voltage as is being supplied at the VCC pin(s). When the GIO pin is
held low it will drain current such that the voltage is kept at 0V.
The second type of connection is the analogue-to-digital converter (ADC). Many micro controllers have
ADCs on-board. These can be used to measure a voltage between 0V and the supply voltage. The
precision of the measurement depends on the amount of bits the ADC provides. Most ADCs in
microcontrollers are 10 bit. A 10 bit ADC divides the voltage range in 2^10 = 1024 different steps, where
0 is the minimum value and 1023 is the maximum value. The ADC inputs of the micro controller can be
recognised by the labels ADC0 to ADC5, for the micro controller of Figure 14
Figure 15 Basic principle of an ADC (source: wiki.ulcape.org)

The T-Minus C board contains 2 Digital to analogue converters (DAC). These converters work in the
same as the ADC's it but then in reverse. The two DAC's on the board are the MCP4725A0T-E/CH and are
controlled via I2C communication. More information on I2C can be found on the Arduino website.
Information on the MCP4725A0T-E/CH can be found online, search for MCP4725A0T-E/CH and datasheet.
The 7 bits address of the DAC is "1100000" for analogue output 0 and "1100001" for analogue output 1.

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The last connection of the micro controller that will be discussed in this document is the UART
connection that was discussed in section 2.3.
Figure 16 basics of UART communication

For a UART connection, the output of one device is connected to the input of a different device. In Figure
16 the basic protocol is shown. The connection is held high by the transmitter before the communication
starts. The transmitter starts the communication by making the line low for a predetermined time. This is
done to tell the receiver that data will be transmitted. After this start bit, one or several data bits are
transmitted. At the end of the transmission, a stop bit is sent to make the line high again. Normally, 8 bits
or 1 byte are transmitted between a start and stop signal. UART connections consist of a transmitter and
a receiver. For two way communication 2 separate lines are required, where the transmitter of one system
is connected to the receiver of the other.
The schematic representation of the C board is different than the representation of just a micro
controller. The connections of the schematic should only show the connections that can be made to the
board. A typical schematic will be presented after the power supply is described, as the microcontroller
board also provides the power supply.
3.3.2
Power supply
The power supply in the CanSat kit is a combination of the battery and the voltage converter located on
the C board. For information on battery selection see appendix F: Batteries and power system. The
battery is connected to the green screw connector with the positive side located at the plus sign. Reverse
connection of the battery will not damage the device, but the C board will not turn on. The board

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provides power for the external components on 12 pins: 6 times a 5V or 3.3V and 6 times the 0V (ground)
reference.
Figure 17 C board Schematic

As seen in the above figure, the schematic of the C board can be divided into 4 parts. Three times a 20pin header and the battery connector. The USB connector is not placed in this schematic as it is not used
as part of the CanSat. Note that the method to draw this schematic is not unique. This is only one way to
present it, given as an example.
Linking the board schematic to the hardware of the board is very important to prevent any mistakes in
building the electronics. The most common reference between schematic and physical components is the
use of pin numbers. This is especially useful in components with many pins as it makes counting to the
correct pin easy. In the above schematic of the C port, there are 3 20-pin connecters which all start
counting at pin 1. The name of the header points to the correct header and pin 1 is indicated on the board
by the "1" (on the sensor board, a square solder pad is used to indicate pin number 1).
The schematic in Figure 17 does not show the LED's as they cannot be connected in any other way. The
LEDs are connected to digital pins 16 to 23. Logic high ("1") turns the LED's off and logic low ("0") turns
them on. The reason for this is for power purposes, most micro controllers can sink (pulling a line low)
more power than they can provide (pushing a line high).
3.3.3
Sensors
Sensors can be used to measure many different things in many different ways. All sensors can be divided
into two groups: digital sensors and analogue sensors. Analogue sensors alter an electrical quantity, like
voltage, current or resistance, which can then be measured. Digital sensors have this measurement
incorporated in their design, and use a digital communication protocol to send their data to a

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microcontroller. In this document, only analogue sensors are described, as it is easier to understand the
basic principles with this type of sensors.
All sensors provide their output within certain limits and under certain conditions. All sensors need at
least two connections to work. The first is the output connection and the second is the power connection.
For the power connection, this includes both the positive and negative connections. The datasheet of the
component provides information on how to connect and use the sensor.
3.3.4
Pressure sensor
Starting with the MPX4115 pressure sensor the important parts of the datasheet will be discussed after
which the procedure for making the connections is described. The complete datasheet can be found in
appendix G. The first important part of a datasheet is the list of operational characteristics. These
characteristics describe properties like sensitivity, accuracy, maximum and minimum operating voltages
and current consumption.
Table 1 characteristics sheet of the MPX4115 Datasheet
Characteristic
Pressure Range(1)
Supply Voltage(2)
Supply Current
Minimum Pressure Offset(3) (0 to 85C)
@ VS = 5.1 Volts
Full Scale Output(4) (0 to 85C)
@ VS = 5.1 Volts
Full Scale Span(5) (0 to 85C)
@ VS = 5.1 Volts
Accuracy(6) (0 to 85C)
Sensitivity
Response Time(7)
Output Source Current at Full Scale Output
Warm-Up Time(8)
Offset Stability(9)
Symbol
Pop
Vs
Io
Voff
Min
15
4.85
0.135
Typ
5.1
7
0.204
Max
115
5.35
10
0.273
Unit
kPa
Vdc
mAdc
Vdc
Vfso
4.725
4.794
4.863
Vdc
Vfss
4.59
Vdc
V/P
tR
Io+
-
46
1.0
0.1
20
0.5
1.5
-
%Vfss
mV/kPa
ms
mAdc
mSec
%Vfss
Starting at the top of the Table 1, the pressure range is the range of pressures the device can measure.
The supply voltage indicates the voltage required on the Vs pin in reference to the GND pin to use the
sensor. The board provided with the CanSat kit has a 5V power supply, which is within the range
indicated in the table. The supply current of this device is normally 7 mA with a maximum of 10 mA. This
current can be used in calculations on required power supply or the expected battery life. The next lines
describe how the Vout pin reacts to the applied pressure. This part will be required during calibration and
analysis of the signal. For this part it is important to note that the output is an analogue voltage, with a
sensitivity of 46mV/kPa.

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Now that the information on what the component does is gathered, it is important to find out how to
make the required connections.
Figure 18: part of the datasheet from the MPX4115 pressure sensor (source Motorola)
The MPX4115A pressure sensor has 6 electrical contacts. The datasheet of the sensor describes the
function of each pin. As seen in Figure 18, pin 1 is Vout, pin 2 is GND, pin 3 is Vs the other pins are N/C or
not connect pins. For this component, there is no predefined symbol is available, which means we have
to make one ourselves. Since there are only 3 connections used, the symbol will only contain 3 pins. Vout,
or output voltage, is an output, so it is placed on the right side of the symbol. GND is ground, or negative
power supply and is therefore placed at the bottom of the symbol. Vs, or supply voltage, is the positive
power supply and will be placed at the top.
Figure 19: self-made symbol for the MPX4115

Combining the schematics of the pressure sensor with the C board results in the connection scheme
required to use the pressure sensor. The output of the sensor is connected to an ADC input of the micro
controller. The Vs and GND pins are connected to power supply of the C board. Figure 20 indicates 1 of

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the options that can be used to connect the pressure sensor. In this schematic pin number 1 and 2 of the
analog connector are used to power the pressure sensor. This connection can be made to any of the
power pins on any connector. Using a power supply located close to the component when placed results
in better performance.
Figure 20 connected pressure sensor

3.3.5
Temperature sensor
The CanSat kit contains two temperature sensors based around two different measurement setups. The
first to be discussed is a thermistor, the second is the LM35.
A thermistor is a temperature dependent resistor. To measure the temperature with a thermistor two
basic setups are possible: on can either put a voltage across the thermistor and measure the current, or
send a current trough the thermistor and measure the voltage. This principle follows from Ohm's law:
U=IxR, where U is the voltage over the resistor, I is the current through it and R is its resistance.
A
R(T) thermistor
Voltage
Source
+
-
R(T)
Current
Source
R(T)
Figure 21: thermistor symbol and the measurement options.

The methods shown in Figure 21 either need a current source or current measurement. The simplest
current measurement is the use of a resistor with a fixed and predefined resistance, to convert current in
voltage. The drawback of this approach is that the calculation of the temperature becomes more difficult.

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5V
R(T)
A1
Analogue input
of the micro
controller
R 10k
0V
Figure 22: readout of the thermistor

Together with the resistor, the thermistor can be connected like the pressure sensor, in order to read the
output voltage.
( )
( )
The above formula describes the relation between measured voltage and the resistance of the thermistor.
With this resistance the, temperature can be calculated from the thermistor datasheet. The
NTCLE203E3103GB0 thermistor made by VISHAY BC Components is part of the CanSat kit. The complete
datasheet can be found in appendix G. This is a negative temperature coefficient thermistor, which means
that the resistance decreases with increasing temperature.
Table 2: part of the table describing the relation between temperature and resistance from the thermistors datasheet
Temperature
resistance
32.56
25.34
10
19.87
15
15.70
20
12.49
25
10.00
30
8.059
35
6.535
40
5.330
The datasheet of the thermistor shows a table of the relation between temperature and resistance, of
which Table 2 is a part. Using this relation, the acquired resistance can be calculated back into
temperature.

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The LM35 temperature sensor works different then the thermistor as it is an active component. The
datasheet of the LM35 can be found in appendix G. The LM35 has 3 pins: an analogue output, a positive
power pin and a negative power pin. The schematic is very similar to the MPX4115.
Figure 23 schematic and physical representation of the LM35

3.3.6
Transceivers
The T-Minus transceiver boards, or RF boards in short, can be treated as one component. Although the
board has 3 times 20 pins headers, only 4 pins are required to be connected to the C board the other
pins of the RF board are not connected. Placing the RF board beneath the C board will automatically
create the correct connections. By means of the USB connection cable, the RF board can be connected to
the computer no other connections are required in this method.
Figure 24 Transceiver connected with the C board

When the transmitter board is connected directly to the C board all required connections are made in
the correct manner. Nevertheless it is important to understand what connections need to be made for the
transceiver to work.

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Figure 25 the transceiver board and its schematic representation

Figure 25 shows the board and the schematic of the transceiver. A note of importance is that the
connections indicated in the schematic are all located on the 20 pins Bus connector. The TX and RX are
connected the other way around then they were at the C board: the transmit (TX) pin of the RF board
connected to the receive (RX) oin of the C board and vice versa. This is required for the UART
communication to work properly.
Radio communication is the sending of information from one place to another- using electromagnetic
waves, also called radio waves. Electromagnetic waves are generated at an antenna when an alternating
electric current is connected to it. The antenna transforms the electric current into electromagnetic
waves. At the receiving end of the communication the waves are transformed again in-to electric current
by a receive antenna.
Using the radio waves to transfer information means this information needs to be added to the radio
frequency used. Adding this information is called modulation. This can be realised in several ways. The
most basic form is to transmit a (carrier) frequency or not. This is so-called continuous wave (CW)
communication. The most used form of CW is Morse code. The most important drawback of this form of
modulation is that the information transfer rate or baud rate is very low.
There are many other forms of modulation, like AM and FM. These are used by radio stations. With AM the
information is included by changing the amplitude of the carrier frequency. In FM the frequency of the
carrier is changed,. As depicted in Figure 26. The advantage of FM over AM is that the signal strength
does not interfere with reception.

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Figure 26 the difference between AM and FM modulation (source: www.scriptasylum.com)

The CanSat kit has a transmitter working with Frequency Shift Keying (FSK). This means it is transmitting
at a certain frequency when a logic 0 is transmitted and at different frequency if a logic 1 is transmitted,
as depicted in Figure 27. There are many other forms of modulation like QPSK where two bits are
transmitted simultaneously.
Figure 27: frequency shift keying FSK (source: en.wikipedia.org)

The quality of the radio link depends mainly on three aspects the transmit power, the receiver sensitivity
and the antennas used. The only aspect that can be influenced by the CanSat team is the antenna. The

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other aspects can be influenced, but a different transmitter and receiver are required for this, which is
beyond the scope of this document.
Two antennas are used for receiving the information from the CanSat. The first is the antenna on board
the CanSat the second is the antenna used at the ground station. The antennas need to be made with
different requirements although the frequency of operation is similar to both antennas. The antenna on
board the CanSat needs to be isotropic (as much as possible). This means that it transmits the same
amount of power in all directions, allowing the reception of the CanSat independent of its orientation.
The antenna connected to the ground station can be made high-gain, directional antenna. This means
that it receives more electromagnetic waves from one direction then from another. This antenna needs to
be pointed at the CanSat during the mission, ensuring that maximum power is received.
Figure 28: an Arrow which is a Yagi antenna for operation at 2 different frequencies (source: purplesage.biz)
Figure 28 shows a directional Yagi antenna that operates at two different frequencies. The antenna has a
7 elements Yagi for 433 MHz and a 3 elements Yagi for 145 MHz. For receiving the CanSat, using a Yagi
antenna might be a very good option, since it can be constructed relative easily, using wood and copper
tubes. More than enough information on how to build a Yagi antenna is available on the internet. Google
for "Yagi antenna" or go to "http://makeprojects.com/Project/Homemade+Yagi+Antenna/623/1".
To connect the ground station antenna the SMA connector provided in the kit can be used. To install the
connector, the wire antenna needs to be removed. Three options are available for placing the SMA
connector, as shown in the following figures.

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Figure 29 Options for placing the SMA connector

Warning when placing the SMA connector on the top of the board: "this will prevent the board from being
placed underneath the C board". If the SMA connector is not an option for the ground station, then the
wire can be soldered directly onto the PCB. Make sure to connect both cables of a coaxial cable, the inner
cable to the inner part of the board and the outer cable to the outside. Use a multimeter to measure if the
wires are not shorted.
The CanSat antenna needs to be robust to survive the launch on a rocket. A so-called quarter wave wire
antenna works very well for this. The term "quarter wave" describes the length of the antenna in
reference to the operation frequency. The transmitter of the CanSat kit operates at around 434 MHz. the
precise frequency depends a bit on what team you are in. This is done to protect each other from
interference.
(
(
)
)
The formula shows that the length of the antenna should be around 17.3cm. The wire can be soldered to
the antenna contact of the transmitter board directly, or when using a coaxial cable, the antenna can be
placed some distance away from the board. When using a coaxial cable, the last 17.3cm of the outer
conductor needs to be removed to form the actual antenna. Be sure to protect the insulation material
since electric contact with metal surfaces might damage the transmitter.
3.3.7
Complete sensor schematic
With all the sensors described, a complete schematic can be drawn with all the sensors and components.
However, before this is done, one more subject needs to be discussed: sensor noise. Analogue sensors are
more perceptible to noise then digital ones. The main reason for this comes from the basic operation
principle of the sensor. Analogue sensors change their output relative to the measured quantity. A small
change in measured quantity only results in a small change in output voltage. However, other external
factors, such as electromagnetic interference or fluctuations in the power supply, may also vary the
output voltage. This effect is called sensor noise. The difference between noise and change in
measurement cannot be determined very easily, since noise is random in nature. Digital sensors negate

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this effect, since the signal is not dependent on small changes in output voltage. Noise therefore has less
of an effect.
Two simple methods exist to reduce the noise. The first is the use of capacitors in the connection on
between the sensor and its power supply. These capacitors decrease the fluctuations in the power supply
and therefore decrease the noise the sensor produces. Capacitors could also be used at the output of the
sensor but care must be taken that the sensor can handle the extra output capacitance. In the total
schematic of Figure 30 capacitors are added between the power connections of all the sensors. The
second method to reduce noise will be discussed in paragraph 3.4.
Figure 30 Complete schematic of the CanSat kit

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3.4 Making the connections

The schematic in Figure 30 shows which pins should be connected together. When building the circuit, it
is very important to create exactly what is represented in the schematic. The circuits are built by placing
the components on the board and then using wires to connect them. These wires need to be placed such
that the schematic diagram and built circuit are the same. Using short wires is better than long wires. The
longer a wire, the more resistance it has and the more noise it will pick up. Long wires will influence the
circuit and result in unwanted behaviour.
Figure 31: an empty CanSat kit sensor board (courtesy of T-Minus)

The PCB (printed circuit board) provided with the kit for the building of the primary mission is a semispecific PCB. The PCB is designed in the shape of the main board with the solderable holes aligned such
that they can connect to the connectors of the main PCB. All the connections that go to the main board
have an extra hole connected to them to make connecting wires easier. Looking closely at the board, the
lines that make these connections can be seen.
Placing the components is a puzzle where the complexity is dependent on the amount of components
and your personal demands on circuit size. Placing the components close together makes the design
harder, but less board space is used. Leaving room for the wires will ease the soldering later while the
board space required is increased. Building a PCB is planning ahead.
Designing a specialized PCB is a method to make soldering much simpler and creates less of a hassle
with wires to connect all components together. Making a dedicated PCB design provides more flexibility
in the components that can be used. On the general PCB the grid is 2.54 mm while many modern

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components are much smaller than that. A large variety of programs is available for designing PCBs. One
that has a free licence for non-commercial use is the computer programme Eagle. After the PCB is
designed in such a program it needs to be fabricated. Many companies exist that are specialized in PCB
manufacturing.
3.4.1
Soldering
Soldering is needed to connect the components electrically and mechanically. To solder the components,
they need to be heated and then solder needs to be added. The required soldering temperature is
depending on the type of solder used. Solder made for electrical circuits melts at around 183 degrees
Celsius for leaded versions or around 230 degrees Celsius for lead free solders.
For making a good solder joint, it is important that both surfaces are heated to a higher temperature than
the melting point of the solder. If one of the surfaces is not hot enough, the solder will not make a good
connection, resulting in a non-functioning electric circuit.
Figure 32: the anatomy of a good solder joint

The tip of the soldering iron is around 350 degrees. This is hot enough to destroy almost all components.
Luckily it takes quite some time to heat up the actual component to this level during soldering. The time
needed to make a good solder joint is much less, although some time is required to heat up the
solderable surfaces sufficiently. Generally speaking it takes between 1 and 2 seconds to make a good
solder joint. Below are several pictures of good and bad solder joints

Figure 33: drawing of good and bad solder joint
Figure 34: photographs of bad soldering (courtesy of T-Minus)
Figure 35: photographs of good soldering (courtesy of T-Minus)
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When placing the components, it is good practice to start with the headers as this is an easy way to get
the feeling of soldering. The black parts of the headers need to be placed at the top side of the board (the
side with the white lines, as in Figure 36). If the headers are placed on the wrong side the positive and
negative voltage are reversed,
Figure 36 CanSat sensor shield with headers.

Before placing the other components, make a plan where to place the components and how to connect
them. Placing all the components in the board before making a solder connection makes planning easier.
From here there are several options. A good advice is to go step by step and test every connection if
possible before continuing with the next. As example the MPX4115 can be soldered and tested before the
other components are placed.

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4 Having hardware and software work together

In most modern electrical systems the hardware and software needs to work together. The CanSat has
two important parts that can be identified, readout of the sensors and using the transmitter.
4.1 Sensor readout

To use the sensors, several steps need to be taken. The readout of the sensor is done by measuring the
voltage provided by the sensor. This voltage measured is converted in to a digital value that represents
this voltage. The difficulty is mainly the calculation back from the measured digital value to the actual
measured quantity. In case of the pressure sensor, the binary value (an integer value between 0 and 1023)
needs to be converted back in to the pressure.
4.1.1
Analogue read
The function used to get the binary value is "analogRead( )". This function requires two things to work: a
variable in which to place the binary value, and an indication of which analogue port to read. The variable
needs to be defined before it can be used. This is done in the following line:
int Analog0; // this is a variable definition of a variable called Analoge0
Next, the port of which the value should be read has to be put in the function as a parameter:
Analog0 = analogRead(A0); // the analogue voltage of port A0 is stored in Analog0 in binary form
The port needs to represent one of the analogue ports of the microcontroller. The T-Minus C board has
12 analogue ports ranging from A0 to A11. The value now placed in Analog0 is a value between 0 and
1023. Were 0 represents a measured value of 0 volts and 1023 represents a measured value of 5V (or 3.3V
if the C board works on 3.3V). Any value between 0 and 1023 represents a value between 0 and 5V.
The micro controller can be used to convert this binary value in-to the voltage, and even in-to the
corresponding pressure. However, this can be done on a computer of the ground station during the
mission, or even after the mission. It is up to the CanSat teams to determine which part of the calculation
is to be performed by which part of the system. One reason for choosing on board computing is discussed
later in this chapter.

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Making calculations in the program can be done the same way as the analogread() function. While
calculations can be done with integers (the variable Analog0 is an integer) most measured voltages
cannot be represented as integer. To make the calculation easier to read the value can be converted in to
a floating point variable, which can represent values with decimal points.
float Analog0float; // the float version of analog0
float Analog0withcalc; // a float to place the calculation done to analoge0
Analog0float = (float)Analog0; // converting Analog0 to floating point variable
Analog0withcalc = Analog0float * 2 / 1012; // calculating with variables
In this example a new variable is created for every new step. The creation of all these variables is actually
not required as the answer of a calculation can also be placed in the variable used as input. This reuse of
variables makes more efficient use of the micro controller's memory. However, this is only true if the
answer and input variable are of the same type; integers cannot be placed in floating point variables.
Sending the values to the computer to be able to read them can be done by using the Serial.print() and
Serial.println() functions.
Serial.println(Analog0);
Serial.println(Analog0float);
Serial.print(Analog0withcalc);
These lines send the values of the variables. Good practice is to start with trying what the different print
functions will provide.
4.1.2
Calibration
An important step in measuring with sensors is to determine the formula used to convert the measured,
digital value into the real measured quantity. This formula is called the calibration function. Determining
this function is called calibration of the system. Calibration is required, because each system, even each
sensor, is different. Therefore, each system reacts slightly different to a measured quantity: it deviates
from the calibration curve given in the datasheet.

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Two categories can be used to indicate the deviation sources, static sources and dynamic sources. The
static sources can be determined once, while the dynamic sources vary over time, and therefore need to
be updated regularly.
Static sources can be:
Manufacturing differences in the sensor
Differences in power supply (every board has a slightly different voltage level)
The offset of the ADC used in the microcontroller board
Dynamic sources can be:
Temperature
Weather (high and low pressure area's)
General noise sources
If we take the measurement of the pressure as example the step from binary value to voltage and from
voltage to pressure can be calibrated relatively well. The calculation of altitude as reference to the
pressure is highly dependent on the weather. On a clear day the pressure at ground level is different to
the pressure on a rainy day, hence the offset of the measurements will vary significantly.
Calibrating a sensor can be done in various ways. A method for calibrating a temperature sensor, for
example, would be to place it in an oven together with a pre-calibrated thermometer. Let the
temperature of the oven rise slowly and at predefined intervals, note the digital reading of the CanSat
and the temperature indicated on the thermometer. With a number of these measurements, a relation
between measured temperature and digital reading value can be established.
4.2 Using the transmitter

After the measurements and calculations are made, the next step is transmitting the data to the ground
station. During transmission it is important to use a clear and understandable transmission sequence. The
transceiver provided with the CanSat kit uses the same type of UART connection as the connection with
the USB cable. The difference is the UART port that is used. In case of the transceiver, we use UART port
1:
Serial1.begin(19200); // init Serial port for transmitter (default baud rate is 19200)
Serial1.println("Transmitting this message"); // sending a message to the transmitter.
When making a transmission the data needs to be packaged in a way that can be recognized. This
requires a starting identifier and an ending identifier. The above message can be used, but does not
provide much information. A good way to start is by sending the team name for instance. Once this initial

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identifier is sent it is time to send the variables. During the transmission of the variables it might be a
good idea to clearly identify each variable.
Serial1.println("T-Minus ");
Serial1.print("Analog0: ");
Serial1.println(Analog0);
Serial1.print("Floating point version of Analog0: ");
Serial1.println(Analog0float);
Serial1.print("making a calculation: ");
Serial1.print(Analog0withcalc);
Serial1.println(" equals Analog0 * 2 / 1012");
Serial1.println("");
The communication that is sent using the transmitter can be identical to the transmission made to the
USB port. A good practice is to first try to send every calculation using the USB port, before using the
transmitter to send all the data. When starting with the transmitter start by just sending an identifier.
4.2.1
Transceiver as ground station
One of the RF boards included in the CanSat kit can be used as a ground station, by using its USB
connection. The driver is identical to the driver used for the C board. The transceiver can be used to
receive data on a computer and also to send data from the computer. Similar to the C board a com port
will be created. Any program that can read the com port can be used. The Arduino program can be used
to read out the receiver. The downside of Arduino is that it does not allow logging of the received data.
As option the program "putty", which can be found on the internet, can be used as it has a logging
function.

4.2.2
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Changing the Settings of the transceiver
When using the transmitter for the first time every transmitter is set to a default value:
Frequency: 432.99MHz
Air baud rate: 19200
Power setting: 13dbm
UART baud rate; 19200
To change the settings the T-Minus RF GUI v1 is used. The program can be found on the USB stick under
"programs\Radio module changing settings\T-Minus RF GUI only runs on Windows/T-Minus RF GUI
v1.exe". Unfortunately the GUI only works under windows at this time. Before using the program, 3
important steps have to be carried out:
Install ".net framework 4.5" or newer

o
Can be found on internet on the Microsoft website
Connect the transceiver
Start the GUI
If the transceiver is not connected when the program starts an error message might occur. This error
occurs when there are no available com ports.
Figure 37 the T-Minus GUI

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The GUI as shown in Figure 37 has several options for changing the transceiver settings. Going from top
to bottom:
Select Com Port

o
The pull down menu shows a list of the available com ports.
To update the list, use the "update list" button. This is automatically done at the
start of the program
Check board connection

o
Is used to check whether a correct board is connected
The answer shows the board and software version of the board
Frequency
o
A pull down menu with the available frequencies
Baud rate air

o
A pull down menu with the available baud rates for the link between two
transceivers
Transmit power
o
A pull down menu with the available power settings
Baud rate UART

o
The UART baud rate needs to be set equal to the setting on the C board,
defined in the Arduino program
Command information
o
Read button
o
Reads the settings currently located in the transceiver
Write button
o
Shows information about commands that have been send
Writes the current selection in to the transceiver
Read write information box

o
Shows whether the read or write option has been successful

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5 Building the CanSat

Now we have electronics that work but this does not make a CanSat. To complete the CanSat several
things are still required:
Putting all the components of the CanSat together in such a way that they will fit inside
the soda can.
Creation of an outer shell to protect the internal components of the CanSat.
The last and most important part is the creation of a parachute required to keep the
CanSat working even after landing back on the ground.
5.1 Building the stack

There are many different ways to create a CanSat. For the T-Minus CanSat we decided to place all the
PCB's on top of each other. The boards are created in such a way that this is possible. Of course the
boards could also be placed in any other direction that fits within the soda can.
Figure 38 possible build of the T-Minus CanSat

When building the stack there are several things to consider. The most important of these is that the
CanSat will be shaken violently during launch. This shaking might damage any components that are not
connected in a very sturdy manner. The basic idea is that components and wires are not able to move.
Any movement might break a connection and in case of wires a short circuit might occur. Other things to

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consider are placement of the battery, to allow easy replacement, adding an ON/OFF switch to increase
battery life and the placement of extra or other type of antennas.
The mechanical components provided with the CanSat kit can be used to create the stack structure. In
Figure 39 this stack is shown. The main focus of the structure is guiding the launch and deployment
loads. The hook used to connect the parachute is very important. The loads on the parachute can exceed
40G of deceleration requiring a strong connection between the hook and other parts of the can.
Figure 39 possible build of the mechanical components
5.2 The Outer shell

An outer shell is not strictly required, but it is a good thing to create some protection for the internal
components. The project is called CanSat, based on a satellite in a soda can. It is however not required to
use a soda can as outer shell. The CanSat does need to fit within the size of a soda can. Using a soda can
will make sure that this is the case.
5.3 Parachute design

In order to slow down your CanSat you will need some sort device which helps it to land. This can be
done in numerous ways, but two types of recovery mechanisms are highlighted in this chapter:
A drag parachute
A lift parachute
The drag parachute is by far the simplest way to creates drag in order to reduce the speed of a falling
object. The most commonly known drag device is a parachute. A parachute is a piece of fabric and cables
which create enough aerodynamic drag to slow the object down to a lower descent velocity

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Figure 40: a simple parachute, as used to slow humans down

A lift parachute is much more complex than a drag device. This is basically a system which creates lift by
moving through the air. The air moves over and under the cleverly shaped lifting surface which results in
a big lifting force and a small drag force. A good example of a lift device would be an aircraft wing or ram
air parachute. The big advantage of this type of parachute is that is it potentially steerable, when trimmed
correctly. The disadvantage is that they are highly complex to build, difficult to trim and are less reliable
in deploying correctly in the air.
Figure 41: a ram-air parachute, as modern parachutists use

Version: 1.0
Page 44
The physics behind the drag parachute and the lift parachute are similar in nature. The formulas
connected to the drag parachute are:
Where:
Fdrag is the drag force from the parachute
is the density of air
[kg/m3]
V is the airspeed of the parachute
[m/s]
Cd is the drag coefficient
[-]
S is the surface area of the parachute
[m2]
[N]
The cd or drag coefficient is a dimensionless number which depends on the shape of an object. Basically it
is a number which indicates how easy air, or any other fluid is flowing around a shape. If the object is
very aerodynamic, like an aeroplane or a car, this number is fairly low (for example 0.2). If the shape is
not so aerodynamic, such as a simple plate or a parachute shape, the C d will be very high, for example
(0.8 or higher).
Of course these numbers are empirical and based on a certain area where this drag coefficient is
calculated over.
For a normal circular parachute the drag coefficient will be in the range of 0.75 over the flat surface of a
parachute. The flat surface of a parachute is the surface area when put a parachute flat on a table top.
The density of dry air can be calculated using the ideal gas law.
Where:
is the air density
[kg/m3]
p is absolute pressure
[Pa]
Rspecific is the specific gas constant for dry air
The specific gas constant for normal dry air is 287.058
T is absolute temperature at that altitude.
[J/(kgK)]
[K]
Under normal circumstances the air density at sea level (15C) is approximately 1.225 kg/m3.
The temperature at altitude depends of course on the weather and the ground temperature. As a general
rule it can be stated that in the troposphere the air temperature decreases with approximately 6.5 K per
kilometre.

Version: 1.0
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Figure 42: constant descent velocity: equilibrium between forces

In case of constant descent velocity it can be stated that the weight of the drop mass (or CanSat in this
case) + parachute is equal to the drag force of the parachute. This means that the following is true:
Where:
m is the mass of the total system
g is the gravitational acceleration of 9.80665 m/s2
[m/s2]
is the air density
[kg/m3]
V is the airspeed of the parachute
[m/s]
cd is the drag coefficient
[-]
S is the surface area of the parachute
[kg]
[m2]
By combining these formulas we can calculate how big the parachute should be in order to have the
desired descend time. Furthermore, by dimensioning the parachute, you can also predict the impact
velocity of your CanSat, by taking the air density as the value of ISA sea-level of 1.225 kg/m3.

5.3.1
Version: 1.0
Page 46
Lifting parachute
A lifting parachute is a much more complex device than a normal drag parachute. The device is basically
the same as an airplane wing but it is inflated into its correct shape by the incoming air. The wing will
generate lift by the air which is flowing around the wing. A small added problem with this lift is that it
will come at a small price, namely drag.
Because a lot of formulas go way further then the scope of this CanSat project and go deep into
aerospace engineering. The most important factor is the ratio between lift and drag. This ratio, which is
for simple lifting ram-air parachutes around 3 to 5, is also known as the glide ratio. Basically this
corresponds with the amount of horizontal distance can be obtained per vertical distance.
Figure 43: the difference between a high glide ratio and a low glide ratio
In order to steer with a lifting parachute some steering-lines can be attached to the leading edge of each
side of the wing. When one of these lines is pulled inwards, the wing has more drag on that side than on
the other side of the wing. This difference in drag causes the wing to rotate and can therefore be used to
steer the wing into the proper direction.
If the parachute is not properly trimmed the wing can stall. This means that the wing will stop flying
because the air not flowing smoothly around the wing anymore. Try to trim the wing forward again in
order to reduce this stall tendency.
It must be noted again that this type of parachute is definitely not recommended for beginners and is
very difficult to produce, deploy and fly.

Version: 1.0
Page 47
Figure 44: a CanSat with a ram air lifting parachute
5.4 Launch loads

Most CanSat competitions use a rocket to deploy the CanSat at the desired altitude. This means that the
CanSat is subjected to high accelerations (up to 30 Gs) and vibrations during launch. This has severe
consequences on the structural and mechanical design of the CanSat.
First of all, the design should be strong. Sufficiently strong to carry 30 times its own weight. Next to that,
all connections, both electrical and mechanical, should be able to withstand vibrations. This means that
cables need to be supported by the structure, nuts have to be self-locking or secured with loctite or glue,
and heavy electronic components have to be glued to the PCB where possible. Make the construction
sufficiently stiff, so that it does not deform severely under load.

Version: 1.0
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Appendix
A. Licence information
ATMEL Licence
Software running on the Atmel micro controllers is based on the Atmel Software framework. Under the
following copy write notice.
Copyright (c) 2009-2013 Atmel Corporation. All rights reserved.
License
Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided
that the following conditions are met:
1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of
conditions and the following disclaimer.
2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of
conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials
provided with the distribution.
3. The name of Atmel may not be used to endorse or promote products derived from this
software without specific prior written permission.
4. This software may only be redistributed and used in connection with an Atmel
microcontroller product.
THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY ATMEL "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT
NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND
NON-INFRINGEMENT ARE EXPRESSLY AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL ATMEL BE LIABLE FOR
ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT
LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS
INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT
LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS
SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
Arduino licence
The Arduino program and information about the program comes from the Arduino website, at
"arduino.cc". This information is released by Arduino as "Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0".
More information on this can be found at "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode".

Version: 1.0
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B. T-Minus C board
Figure 45 The T-Minus Engineering B.V. C board pin layout

The T-Minus C board uses an Atmega 2560 micro controller. For more information on this micro
controller the datasheet can be found on the Atmel website. Table 3 shows which pin of the board is
connected to what pin of the micro controller.

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Table 3 Pin names and numbers of the C board

Arduino
digital pin
numbers
DP0
DP 1
DP 2
DP 3
DP 4
DP 5
DP 6
DP 7
DP 8
DP 9
DP 10
DP 11
DP 12
DP 13
DP 14
DP 15
DP 16
DP 17
DP 18
DP 19
DP 20
DP 21
DP 22
DP 23
DP 24
DP 25
DP 26
DP 27
DP 28
DP 29
Atmel
pin
number
PH0
PH1
PH2
PH3
PH4
PH5
PH6
PH7
PL0
PL1
PL2
PL3
PL4
PL5
PL6
PL7
PA0
PA1
PA2
PA3
PA4
PA5
PA6
PA7
PB3
PB2
PB1
PB0
PD7
PB7
connected to
connector
function
Digital
Digital
Digital
Digital
Digital
Digital
Digital
Digital
Digital
Digital
Digital
Digital
Digital
Digital
Digital
Digital
Onboard LED
Onboard LED
Onboard LED
Onboard LED
Onboard LED
Onboard LED
Onboard LED
Onboard LED
BUS
BUS
BUS
BUS
BUS
BUS
digital I/O
digital I/O
digital I/O
digital I/O/ PWM
digital I/O/ PWM
digital I/O/ PWM
digital I/O/ PWM
digital I/O
digital I/O
digital I/O
digital I/O
digital I/O/ PWM
digital I/O/ PWM
digital I/O/ PWM
digital I/O
digital I/O
MISO
MOSI
SCK
/SS
T0
OC0A
Arduino
digital pin
numbers
DP 30
DP 31
DP 32
DP 33
DP 34
DP 35
DP 36
DP 37
DP 38
DP 39
DP 40
DP 41
DP 42
DP 43
DP 44
DP 45
DP 46
DP 47
DP 48
DP 49
DP 50
DP 51
DP 52
DP 53
DP 54
DP 55
Atmel
pin
number
PD6
PB5
PD1
PD0
PD2
PD3
PD5
PJ0
PJ1
PJ2
PF0
PF1
PF2
PF3
PK0
PK1
PK2
PK3
PK4
PK5
PK6
PK7
PE2
PE3
PE0
PE1
connected
to
connector
BUS
BUS
BUS
BUS
BUS
BUS
BUS
BUS
BUS
BUS
Analog
Analog
Analog
Analog
Analog
Analog
Analog
Analog
Analog
Analog
Analog
Analog
Analog
Analog
USB
USB
function
T1
PWM
SDA
SCL
RXD1
TXD2
XCK1
RXD3
TXD3
XCK3
A8
A9
A10
A11
A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
A6
A7
AIN0
PWM/AIN1
TXD0
RXD0

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C. T-Minus transceivers
The transceiver requires 4 connections to work from an external controller or the use of the USB
connector. The use of both connections results in USB mode operation, and negates any data from the
UART connection. The board operates from 3.3V to 5.5V when using the 20 pin connector to operate.

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D. Driver installation summary

This appendix describes the installation of the proper software to program and communicate with the
microcontroller via a computer. The procedure is written for the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system,
but a similar method can be followed on other platforms.
For the microcontroller board and transceivers to communicate with the computer, the appropriate
drivers have to be installed first. These drivers are included in the programs section of the USB stick.
First, connect the C board to a free USB port of the computer. A pop-up will appear in the lower right
corner, indicating that the board is connected and that the computer will search for appropriate drivers.
Since the drivers are not by default included in the database, the drivers will not be detected
automatically; hence they have to be installed manually.
To do this, open the device manager (in the start menu, right-click computer, click properties and then
in the upper part of the left menu, click Device manager). You will find that the T-Minus board is in the
device list, with an exclamation mark next to it. Right-click the exclamation mark and click update
driver. In the window that appears, click the bottom-most option: search my computer for drivers.
Browse to the USB stick, to the folder programs\windows\T-Minus board driver. Click ok. Click next.
Now, the appropriate driver will be installed.
E. Installing Arduino
Now, we want to be able to program the microcontroller. This is done in the Arduino programming
environment.
The
Arduino
program
has
to
be
installed.
On
the
USB
stick,
we
go
to
programs\windows\Arduino and start the Arduino installer, which is an executable. This will install the
Arduino programming environment onto the computer. The Arduino programming environment can be
opened by using the shortcut on the desktop.
Installing T-Minus Variants
The T-Minus board variant is not installed by standard in the Arduino environment. We have to do this
manually. We first have to find out where Arduino stores the examples and board configuration files. This
is done in the Sketchbook location. We can find it by selecting File in the menu bar, followed by
preferences. In the screen that appears, select the path indicated in the top textbox and copy it to the
clipboard <Ctrl+C>. Now close the Arduino program.
Now open a new explorer window, go to the USB stick location and open the file programs\T-Minus files
for Arduino.zip. Unzip or extract the content to the sketchbook location <Ctrl+V>.
If we open Arduino now, the T-Minus examples should be available. Go to File-> Examples>TMinus_examples and open the example Blinkall_TMinus. This will give you the code of the Blinkall

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program. To select the T-Minus board, go to Tools->board and select the TMinus1 entry. In the menu
Tools->Serial Port, select the COM port to which the T-Minus board is connected. Now press the upload
button:
The status bar at the bottom of the screen should indicate Compiling followed by Uploading and
Upload completed.
This completes the installation of the programming environment for the C board.

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F. Batteries and power system

In order to provide power to your CanSat, you need to have an electrical power system. There are
numerous ways to power your CanSat, but the most sensible way is to incorporate a battery. Other
options, such as photovoltaic cells (solar cells) can be explored but are outside the scope of this chapter.
Battery types
A battery is a device which consists of one or more electrochemical cells which produce electricity by
converting the stored chemical energy into electrical energy.
Batteries are available in two types:
Primary cells or single-use batteries, which are cheap and can be bought in the
supermarket or hardware store. The chemical energy in this type of battery is
incorporated in the battery at the manufacturing process. This type of battery CANNOT
be recharged.
Figure 46: a single use 9V battery, which can be bought at any local supermarket (source AFGA)
Secondary cells or rechargeable batteries, which can be recharged by special charging

equipment. It is absolutely necessary to use the proper charging equipment. The use of
the improper charging equipment can result in fire and toxic fumes. An example of this
type of battery is a lithium polymer battery which can be seen in Figure 47.

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Figure 47: a lithium polymer battery, which is rechargeable with special balanced-charging equipment. (source Wikimedia.org)
Advantages and disadvantages
The rechargeable battery has several advantages and disadvantages with respect to a single use battery.
It depends on the requirements you have on a battery which battery you will need for your CanSat.
Some considerations for choosing a battery type may be:
A rechargeable battery can obviously be recharged during the project, which could result
in a cost saving, because you do not need to buy new single-use batteries all the time.
The energy density of a rechargeable battery is higher than a single use battery. This
means that for example 100 grams of rechargeable battery can contain more energy
than 100 grams of single use battery. This is a very important factor in aerospace
engineering, where every gram counts!
The disadvantage of the rechargeable battery is that you will need special charging
equipment to charge your battery. This can be (very) expensive. Charging a battery can
be dangerous, so always charge your battery on a non-combustible surface and never let
it be unsupervised.
Note: ALWAYS come to the launch site with fully charged batteries, or a fresh single use
battery.
Calculations with a battery

The ESA CanSat kit needs voltages between 5.5V and 15V and has a power requirement of approximately
80 mA depending on the operation and the connected sensors.
When a device which needs 80 mA is connected to for example a battery of 550 mAh, this means that it
can run for
. Of course, this will just be a rough estimation, since other factors, like
resistance, current, battery internal resistance, battery temperature, etc. influence the actual battery
lifetime. In general, the battery output voltage will drop during the lifetime of the battery. This is highly

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dependent on the amount of current that is consumed. Battery datasheets provide good reference for
several types of current loading.
The standard CanSat kit is powered by a simple single use 9V primary cell, of which specifications can be
found in Figure 48.
Battery tips and tricks
Having a good, stable and reliable voltage supply is absolutely essential for having a good and reliable
CanSat. The CanSat electronics will only work when they are supplied with enough power. If the voltage
drops only a fraction of a second under the 5.5V, strange things can happen, such as resetting
microcontrollers or loss of signal. Make sure that the battery of the CanSat is fixed properly in the CanSat
so that the battery leads are not momentarily disconnected when the rocket is accelerating, or the
parachute is deployed with a high shock.
Other things that could happen is that some subsystems of your CanSat use a lot of power. Due to this
power consumption the voltage that the battery supplies to the system drops, which can result for
instance in a reset of one or more microcontrollers.

Version: 1.0
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Figure 48: typical datasheet of a zinc manganese-dioxide battery, which is supplied by the kit. (source AFGA)
It is definitely not recommended to use the provided battery for flight. It is a simple test-battery to be
used just for that: testing the CanSat on the ground.

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G. Datasheets and USB drive content

Three datasheets are related to this document.
MPX4115
LM35
NTC thermistor
This document, its datasheets and the required programs are also located on the USB memory stick. The
documents of the memory stick are placed in the following folder structure:
T-Minus CanSat Kit USB

o Programs
INSTALATION of T-Minus files for Arduino.txt
T-Minus files for Arduino.zip
Linux
Arduino
o arduino-1.0.5-linux32.tgz
o arduino-1.0.5-linux32.tgz
Mac
Arduino
o arduino-1.0.5-macosx.zip
Radio module changing settings
T-Minus RF GUI only runs on Windows
o IMPORTANT info on T-Minus GUI.txt
o T-Minus RF GUI v1.exe
Windows
Arduino
o arduino-1.0.5-windows.exe
o arduino-1.0.5-windows.zip
T-Minus board_driver
o atmel_devices_cdc.cat
o atmel_devices_cdc.inf
o Documentation
CanSat kit User Manual.pdf
CanSat kit component datasheets
LM35.pdf
MPX5115.pdf
NTC thermistor.pdf
Printouts
component connecting aid.pdf
Processor board pin layout.pdf
Processor board pin description.pdf
Freescale Semiconductor
Technical Data
Document Number: MPX4115

Rev 5, 08/2006
Integrated Silicon Pressure Sensor

Altimeter/Barometer Pressure Sensor
On-Chip Signal Conditioned,
Temperature Compensated and
Calibrated
MPX4115
SERIES
OPERATING OVERVIEW
INTEGRATED
PRESSURE SENSOR
15 to 115kPa
(2.18 to 16.7 psi)
0.2 to 4.8 Volts Output
The MPX4115 series is designed to sense absolute air pressure in an altimeter

or barometer (BAP) applications. Freescale's BAP sensor integrates on-chip,
bipolar op amp circuitry and thin film resistor networks to provide a high level
analog output signal and temperature compensation. The small form factor and
high reliability of on-chip integration makes the Freescale BAP sensor a logical
and economical choice for application designers.
MPX4115A
CASE 867-08
Features
1.5% Maximum Error over 0 to 85

Ideally suited for Microprocessor or Microcontroller-Based Systems
Available in Absolute, Differential and Gauge Configurations
Durable Epoxy Unibody Element
Easy-to-Use Chip Carrier Option
MPX4115AP
CASE 867B-04
Typical Applications
Altimeter
Baromete
ORDERING INFORMATION(1)
Device
Options
Case No.
MPX Series
Order No.
Marking
Basic Element
Absolute, Element
Only
Case 867-08
MPX4115A
MPX4115A
Ported
Elements
Absolute, Ported
Case 867B-04
MPX4115AP
MPX4115AP
Absolute, Stove
Pipe Port
Case 867E-03
MPX4115AS
MPX4115A
Absolute, Axial
Port
Case 867F-03
MPX4115ASX
MPX4115A
1. The MPX4115A BAP Sensor is available in the Basic Element package or with pressure
port fittings that provide mounting ease and barbed hose connections.
MPX4115AS
CASE 867E-03
MPX4115ASX
CASE 867F-03
PIN NUMBERS
1
VOUT(1)
N/C(2)
GND
N/C(2)
VS
N/C(2)
1. Pin 1 is noted by the notch in the lead.

2. Pins 4, 5, and 6 are internal device
connections. Pin 1 is noted by the notch in
the Lead. Do not connect to external
circuitry or ground.
Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., 2006. All rights reserved.
VS
Thin Film
Temperature
Compensation
and
Gain Stage #1
Sensing
Element
Gain Stage #2
and
Ground
Reference
Shift Circuitry
VOUT
Pins 4, 5, and 6 are NO CONNECTS

GND
Figure 1. Integrated Pressure Sensor Schematic

Table 1. Maximum
Ratings(1)
Parametrics
Symbol
Value
Unit
Overpressure(2) (P1 > P2)
Pmax
400
kPa
Burst Pressure(2) (P1 > P2)
Pburst
1000
kPa
Storage Temperature
Tstg
-40 to +125
Operating Temperature
TA
-40 to +125
1. TC = 25C unless otherwise noted.

2. Exposure beyond the specified limits may cause permanent damage or degradation to the device.
MPX4115 SERIES
2
Sensors
Table 2. Operating Characteristics

(VS = 5.1 Vdc, TA = 25C unless otherwise noted, P1 > P2 Decoupling circuit shown in Figure 3 required to meet electrical
specifications.)
Characteristic
Symbol
Min
Typ
Max
Unit
POP
15
115
kPa
Supply Voltage(2)
VS
4.85
5.1
5.35
Vdc
Supply Current
Io
7.0
10
mAdc
Pressure Range
(1)
Minimum Pressure Offset(3)

@ VS = 5.1 Volts
(0 to 85C)
Voff
0.135
0.204
0.273
Vdc
Full Scale Output(4)
(0 to 85C)
VFSO
4.725
4.794
4.863
Vdc
(0 to 85C)
VFSS
4.59
Vdc
(0 to 85C)
1.5
%VFSS
@ VS = 5.1 Volts
Full Scale Span(5)
@ VS = 5.1 Volts
Accuracy(6)
Sensitivity
V/P
46
mV/kPa
Response Time
tR
1.0
ms
Output Source Current at Full Scale Output
l o+
0.1
mAdc
20
mSec
0.5
%VFSS
(7)
Warm-Up Time
(8)
Offset Stability(9)
1. 1.0kPa (kiloPascal) equals 0.145 psi.
2. Device is ratiometric within this specified excitation range.
3. Offset (Voff) is defined as the output voltage at the minimum rated pressure.
4. Full Scale Output (VFSO) is defined as the output voltage at the maximum or full rated pressure.
5. Full Scale Span (VFSS) is defined as the algebraic difference between the output voltage at full rated pressure and the output voltage at the
minimum rated pressure.
6. Accuracy (error budget) consists of the following:
Linearity:Output deviation from a straight line relationship with pressure, using end point method, over the specified pressure range.
Temperature Hysteresis:Output deviation at any temperature within the operating temperature range, after the temperature is cycled to and
from the minimum or maximum operating temperature points, with zero differential pressure applied.
Pressure Hysteresis:Output deviation at any pressure within the specified range, when this pressure is cycled to and from the
minimum or maximum rated pressure at 25C.
TcSpan:Output deviation over the temperature range of 0 to 85C, relative to 25C.
TcOffset:Output deviation with minimum pressure applied, over the temperature range of 0 to 85C, relative
to 25C.
Variation from Nominal:The variation from nominal values, for Offset or Full Scale Span, as a percent of VFSS at 25C.
7. Response Time is defined as the time for the incremental change in the output to go from 10% to 90% of its final value when subjected to
a specified step change in pressure.
8. Warm-up is defined as the time required for the product to meet the specified output voltage after the Pressure has been stabilized.
9. Offset stability is the product's output deviation when subjected to 1000 hours of Pulsed Pressure, Temperature Cycling with Bias Test.
Table 3. Mechanical Characteristics

Symbol
Min
Typ
Max
Unit
Weight, Basic Element (Case 867)
Characteristic
4.0
Grams
Common Mode Line Pressure(1)
690
kPa
1. Common mode pressures beyond what is specified may result in leakage at the case-to-lead interface.
MPX4115 SERIES
Sensors
Figure 2 illustrates the absolute sensing chip in the basic

chip carrier (Case 867). A fluorosilicone gel isolates the die
surface and wire bonds from the environment, while allowing
the pressure signal to be transmitted to the sensor
diaphragm. The MPX4115A series pressure sensor
operating characteristics, and internal reliability and
qualification tests are based on use of dry air as the pressure
media. Media, other than dry air, may have adverse effects on
Fluoro Silicone
Gel Die Coat
sensor performance and long-term reliability. Contact the

factory for information regarding media compatibility in your
application.
Figure 4 shows the sensor output signal relative to
pressure input. Typical, minimum, and maximum output
curves are shown for operation over a temperature range of
0 to 85C. (The output will saturate outside of the specified
pressure range.)
Stainless Steel
Metal Cover
Die
P1
Wire Bond
Lead Frame
Sealed Vacuum Reference
Absolute Element
P2
Epoxy Plastic
Case
Die
Bond
Figure 2. Cross-Sectional Diagram (Not to Scale)
+5.0 V
OUTPUT
3
1.0 F
0.01 F
IPS
Figure 3. Recommended Power Supply Decoupling.

(For output filtering recommendations, please refer to Application Note AN1646.)
5.0
4.5
4.0
Output (Volts)
3.5
TRANSFER FUNCTION:
Vout = Vs* (.009*P-.095) Error
VS = 5.1 Vdc
TEMP = 0 to 85C
MAX
3.0
2.5
TYP
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
MIN
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
105
110
115
120
Pressure (ref. to sealed vacuum) in kPa
Figure 4. Output versus Absolute Pressure
MPX4115 SERIES
4
Sensors
Transfer Function (MPX4115)

Nominal Transfer Value:
Vout = VS (P x 0.009 - 0.095)

(Pressure Error x Temp. Factor x 0.009 x VS)
VS = 5.1 V 0.25 Vdc
Temperature Error Band

MPX4115A Series
4.0
3.0
Temperature
Error
Factor
2.0
Temp
Multiplier
- 40
0 to 85
+125
3
1
3
1.0
0.0
-40
-20
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Temperature in C
Pressure Error Band
9.0
Pressure Error (kPa)
6.0
3.0
0.0
Pressure (in kPa)

10
20
30 40
50
60 70
80 90 100 110 120
-3.0
-6.0
-9.0
Pressure
15 to 115 (kPa)
Error (Max)
1.5 (kPa)
MPX4115 SERIES
Sensors
PACKAGE DIMENSIONS
C
R
POSITIVE PRESSURE
(P1)
M
B
-AN
PIN 1
SEATING
PLANE
NOTES:
1. DIMENSIONING AND TOLERANCING PER
ANSI Y14.5M, 1982.
2. CONTROLLING DIMENSION: INCH.
3. DIMENSION -A- IS INCLUSIVE OF THE MOLD
STOP RING. MOLD STOP RING NOT TO EXCEED
16.00 (0.630).
DIM
A
B
C
D
F
G
J
L
M
N
R
S
-TG
J
S
F
D 6 PL
0.136 (0.005)
STYLE 1:
PIN 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
VOUT
GROUND
VCC
V1
V2
VEX
STYLE 2:
PIN 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
OPEN
GROUND
-VOUT
VSUPPLY
+VOUT
OPEN
T A
STYLE 3:
PIN 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
INCHES
MILLIMETERS
MIN
MAX MIN
MAX
0.595
0.630 15.11
16.00
0.514
0.534 13.06
13.56
0.200
0.220
5.08
5.59
0.027
0.033
0.68
0.84
0.048
0.064
1.22
1.63
0.100 BSC
2.54 BSC
0.40
0.014
0.016
0.36
0.695
0.725 17.65
18.42
30 NOM
30 NOM
0.475
0.495 12.07
12.57
0.430
0.450 10.92
11.43
0.090
0.105
2.29
2.66
OPEN
GROUND
+VOUT
+VSUPPLY
-VOUT
OPEN
CASE 867-08
ISSUE N
BASIC ELEMENT (A, D)
CASE 867B-04
ISSUE G
PRESSURE SIDE PORTED (AP, GP)
MPX4115 SERIES
6
Sensors
PACKAGE DIMENSIONS
-B-
NOTES:
1. DIMENSIONING AND TOLERANCING PER ANSI
Y14.5M, 1982.
DIM
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
J
K
N
S
V
V
PIN 1
PORT #1
POSITIVE
PRESSURE
(P1)
J
N
G
F
STYLE 1:
PIN 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
D 6 PL
-T-
0.13 (0.005)
T B
INCHES
MILLIMETERS
MAX
MIN
MAX
MIN
18.28
0.720 17.53
0.690
6.48
6.22
0.245
0.255
20.82
0.780
0.820 19.81
0.84
0.69
0.027
0.033
4.72
4.52
0.178
0.186
1.63
1.22
0.048
0.064
0.100 BSC
2.54 BSC
0.41
0.36
0.014
0.016
9.53
8.76
0.345
0.375
7.87
7.62
0.300
0.310
6.10
5.59
0.220
0.240
4.93
4.62
0.194
0.182
VOUT
GROUND
VCC
V1
V2
VEX
CASE 867E-03
ISSUE D
PRESSURE SIDE PORTED (AS, GS)
T
C
A
E
B
R
PIN 1
PORT #1
POSITIVE
PRESSURE
(P1)
P
0.25 (0.010)
T Q
S
K
J
0.13 (0.005)
T P
D 6 PL
Q S
NOTES:
1. DIMENSIONING AND TOLERANCING PER
ANSI Y14.5M, 1982.
DIM
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
J
K
N
P
Q
R
S
U
V
INCHES
MIN
MAX
1.080
1.120
0.740
0.760
0.630
0.650
0.027
0.033
0.160
0.180
0.048
0.064
0.100 BSC
0.014
0.016
0.220
0.240
0.070
0.080
0.150
0.160
0.150
0.160
0.440
0.460
0.695
0.725
0.840
0.860
0.182
0.194
STYLE 1:
PIN 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
MILLIMETERS
MIN
MAX
27.43
28.45
18.80
19.30
16.00
16.51
0.68
0.84
4.06
4.57
1.22
1.63
2.54 BSC
0.36
0.41
5.59
6.10
1.78
2.03
3.81
4.06
3.81
4.06
11.18
11.68
17.65
18.42
21.34
21.84
4.62
4.93
VOUT
GROUND
VCC
V1
V2
VEX
CASE 867F-03
ISSUE D
PRESSURE SIDE PORTED (ASX, GSX)
MPX4115 SERIES
Sensors
How to Reach Us:

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LM35
LM35 Precision Centigrade Temperature Sensors
Literature Number: SNIS159B
LM35
Precision Centigrade Temperature Sensors
General Description
The LM35 series are precision integrated-circuit temperature
sensors, whose output voltage is linearly proportional to the
Celsius (Centigrade) temperature. The LM35 thus has an
advantage over linear temperature sensors calibrated in
Kelvin, as the user is not required to subtract a large
constant voltage from its output to obtain convenient Centigrade scaling. The LM35 does not require any external
calibration or trimming to provide typical accuracies of 14C
at room temperature and 34C over a full 55 to +150C
temperature range. Low cost is assured by trimming and
calibration at the wafer level. The LM35s low output impedance, linear output, and precise inherent calibration make
interfacing to readout or control circuitry especially easy. It
can be used with single power supplies, or with plus and
minus supplies. As it draws only 60 A from its supply, it has
very low self-heating, less than 0.1C in still air. The LM35 is
rated to operate over a 55 to +150C temperature range,
while the LM35C is rated for a 40 to +110C range (10
with improved accuracy). The LM35 series is available pack-
aged in hermetic TO-46 transistor packages, while the

LM35C, LM35CA, and LM35D are also available in the
plastic TO-92 transistor package. The LM35D is also available in an 8-lead surface mount small outline package and a
plastic TO-220 package.
Features
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
Calibrated directly in Celsius (Centigrade)

Linear + 10.0 mV/C scale factor
0.5C accuracy guaranteeable (at +25C)
Rated for full 55 to +150C range
Suitable for remote applications
Low cost due to wafer-level trimming
Operates from 4 to 30 volts
Less than 60 A current drain
Low self-heating, 0.08C in still air
Nonlinearity only 14C typical
Low impedance output, 0.1 for 1 mA load
DS005516-4
DS005516-3
FIGURE 1. Basic Centigrade Temperature Sensor

(+2C to +150C)
Choose R1 = VS/50 A
V OUT =+1,500 mV at +150C
= +250 mV at +25C
= 550 mV at 55C
FIGURE 2. Full-Range Centigrade Temperature Sensor
2000 National Semiconductor Corporation
DS005516
www.national.com
November 2000
LM35
Connection Diagrams
TO-46
Metal Can Package*
SO-8
Small Outline Molded Package
DS005516-1
DS005516-21
*Case is connected to negative pin (GND)
N.C. = No Connection
Order Number LM35H, LM35AH, LM35CH, LM35CAH or

LM35DH
See NS Package Number H03H
Top View
Order Number LM35DM
See NS Package Number M08A
TO-92
Plastic Package
TO-220
Plastic Package*
DS005516-2
Order Number LM35CZ,

LM35CAZ or LM35DZ
See NS Package Number Z03A
DS005516-24
*Tab is connected to the negative pin (GND).

Note: The LM35DT pinout is different than the discontinued LM35DP.
Order Number LM35DT

See NS Package Number TA03F
www.national.com
TO-92 and TO-220 Package,

(Soldering, 10 seconds)
260C
SO Package (Note 12)
Vapor Phase (60 seconds)
215C
Infrared (15 seconds)
220C
ESD Susceptibility (Note 11)
2500V
Specified Operating Temperature Range: TMIN to T MAX
(Note 2)
LM35, LM35A
55C to +150C
LM35C, LM35CA
40C to +110C
LM35D
0C to +100C
If Military/Aerospace specified devices are required,

please contact the National Semiconductor Sales Office/
Distributors for availability and specifications.
Supply Voltage
Output Voltage
Output Current
Storage Temp.;
TO-46 Package,
TO-92 Package,
SO-8 Package,
TO-220 Package,
Lead Temp.:
TO-46 Package,
(Soldering, 10 seconds)
+35V to 0.2V
+6V to 1.0V
10 mA
60C
60C
65C
65C
to
to
to
to
+180C
+150C
+150C
+150C
300C
Electrical Characteristics
(Notes 1, 6)
LM35A
Parameter
Conditions
Tested
Typical
T MINTATMAX
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.4
0.18
T MINTATMAX
+10.0
Accuracy
T A =+25C
(Note 7)
T A =10C
T A =TMAX
T A =TMIN
Nonlinearity
LM35CA
Design
Limit
Limit
(Note 4)
(Note 5)
0.5
1.0
1.0
0.35
Tested
Typical
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.4
0.15
Design
Units
Limit
Limit
(Max.)
(Note 4)
(Note 5)
0.5
1.0
1.0
C
C
1.5
0.3
+9.9,
mV/C
(Note 8)
Sensor Gain
(Average Slope)
+9.9,
+10.0
+10.1
Load Regulation
T A =+25C
(Note 3) 0IL1 mA
T MINTATMAX
Line Regulation
T A =+25C
(Note 3)
4VV S30V
0.4
0.5
0.01
0.02
Quiescent Current
V S =+5V, +25C
56
(Note 9)
V S =+5V
105
V S =+30V, +25C
56.2
V S =+30V
105.5
+10.1
1.0
0.1
0.4
0.5
0.01
0.02
131
91
3.0
0.05
67
56
68
56.2
133
91.5
1.0
mV/mA
3.0
0.05
mV/mA
mV/V
0.1
67
mV/V
A
114
116
68
Change of
4VVS30V, +25C
0.2
Quiescent Current
4VV S30V
0.5
2.0
0.5
2.0
+0.39
+0.5
+0.39
+0.5
A/C
+1.5
+2.0
+1.5
+2.0
1.0
0.2
1.0
(Note 3)
Temperature
Coefficient of
Quiescent Current
Minimum Temperature
In circuit of
for Rated Accuracy
Figure 1, IL =0
Long Term Stability
T J =TMAX, for
0.08
0.08
1000 hours
www.national.com
LM35
Absolute Maximum Ratings (Note 10)
LM35
Electrical Characteristics
(Notes 1, 6)
LM35
Parameter
Conditions
Design
Limit
Limit
(Note 4)
(Note 5)
Typical
Accuracy,
T A =+25C
LM35, LM35C
T A =10C
(Note 7)
T A =TMAX
0.4
0.5
0.8
0.8
T A =TMIN
Accuracy, LM35D
(Note 7)
LM35C, LM35D
Tested
1.0
1.5
1.5
T A =+25C
TA =TMAX
TA =TMIN
Nonlinearity
T MINTATMAX
0.3
T MINTATMAX
+10.0
0.5
Typical
0.4
0.5
0.8
0.8
0.6
0.9
0.9
0.2
Tested
Design
Units
Limit
Limit
(Max.)
(Note 4)
(Note 5)
1.0
1.5
1.5
2.0
1.5
C
C
C
C
2.0
2.0
0.5
+9.8,
mV/C
C
C
(Note 8)
Sensor Gain
(Average Slope)
+9.8,
+10.0
+10.2
0.4
0.5
0.01
0.02
2.0
V S =+5V, +25C
56
80
V S =+5V
105
V S =+30V, +25C
56.2
V S =+30V
105.5
Load Regulation
T A =+25C
(Note 3) 0IL1 mA
T MINTATMAX
Line Regulation
T A =+25C
(Note 3)
4VV S30V
Quiescent Current
(Note 9)
+10.2
5.0
0.1
0.2
158
82
0.4
0.5
0.01
0.02
2.0
56
80
161
0.1
mV/V
A
138
82
91.5
mV/mA
mV/V
0.2
91
56.2
mV/mA
5.0
A
A
141
Change of
4VVS30V, +25C
0.2
Quiescent Current
4VV S30V
0.5
3.0
0.5
3.0
+0.39
+0.7
+0.39
+0.7
A/C
+1.5
+2.0
+1.5
+2.0
2.0
0.2
2.0
(Note 3)
Temperature
Coefficient of
Quiescent Current
Minimum Temperature
In circuit of
for Rated Accuracy
Figure 1, IL =0
Long Term Stability
T J =TMAX, for
0.08
0.08
1000 hours
Note 1: Unless otherwise noted, these specifications apply: 55CTJ+150C for the LM35 and LM35A; 40TJ+110C for the LM35C and LM35CA; and
0TJ+100C for the LM35D. VS =+5Vdc and ILOAD =50 A, in the circuit of Figure 2. These specifications also apply from +2C to TMAX in the circuit of Figure 1.
Specifications in boldface apply over the full rated temperature range.
Note 2: Thermal resistance of the TO-46 package is 400C/W, junction to ambient, and 24C/W junction to case. Thermal resistance of the TO-92 package is
180C/W junction to ambient. Thermal resistance of the small outline molded package is 220C/W junction to ambient. Thermal resistance of the TO-220 package
is 90C/W junction to ambient. For additional thermal resistance information see table in the Applications section.
Note 3: Regulation is measured at constant junction temperature, using pulse testing with a low duty cycle. Changes in output due to heating effects can be
computed by multiplying the internal dissipation by the thermal resistance.
Note 4: Tested Limits are guaranteed and 100% tested in production.
Note 5: Design Limits are guaranteed (but not 100% production tested) over the indicated temperature and supply voltage ranges. These limits are not used to
calculate outgoing quality levels.
Note 6: Specifications in boldface apply over the full rated temperature range.
Note 7: Accuracy is defined as the error between the output voltage and 10mv/C times the devices case temperature, at specified conditions of voltage, current,
and temperature (expressed in C).
Note 8: Nonlinearity is defined as the deviation of the output-voltage-versus-temperature curve from the best-fit straight line, over the devices rated temperature
range.
Note 9: Quiescent current is defined in the circuit of Figure 1.
Note 10: Absolute Maximum Ratings indicate limits beyond which damage to the device may occur. DC and AC electrical specifications do not apply when operating
the device beyond its rated operating conditions. See Note 1.
Note 11: Human body model, 100 pF discharged through a 1.5 k resistor.
Note 12: See AN-450 Surface Mounting Methods and Their Effect on Product Reliability or the section titled Surface Mount found in a current National
Semiconductor Linear Data Book for other methods of soldering surface mount devices.
www.national.com
LM35
Typical Performance Characteristics

Thermal Resistance
Junction to Air
Thermal Response
in Still Air
Thermal Time Constant
DS005516-26
DS005516-25
Thermal Response in
Stirred Oil Bath
DS005516-27
Minimum Supply
Voltage vs. Temperature
Quiescent Current
vs. Temperature
(In Circuit of Figure 1.)
DS005516-29
DS005516-28
DS005516-30
Quiescent Current
vs. Temperature
(In Circuit of Figure 2.)
Accuracy vs. Temperature

(Guaranteed)
Accuracy vs. Temperature

(Guaranteed)
DS005516-32
DS005516-33
DS005516-31
www.national.com
LM35
Typical Performance Characteristics
(Continued)
Noise Voltage
Start-Up Response
DS005516-34
DS005516-35
The TO-46 metal package can also be soldered to a metal

surface or pipe without damage. Of course, in that case the
V terminal of the circuit will be grounded to that metal.
Alternatively, the LM35 can be mounted inside a sealed-end
metal tube, and can then be dipped into a bath or screwed
into a threaded hole in a tank. As with any IC, the LM35 and
accompanying wiring and circuits must be kept insulated and
dry, to avoid leakage and corrosion. This is especially true if
the circuit may operate at cold temperatures where condensation can occur. Printed-circuit coatings and varnishes such
as Humiseal and epoxy paints or dips are often used to
insure that moisture cannot corrode the LM35 or its connections.
These devices are sometimes soldered to a small
light-weight heat fin, to decrease the thermal time constant
and speed up the response in slowly-moving air. On the
other hand, a small thermal mass may be added to the
sensor, to give the steadiest reading despite small deviations
in the air temperature.
Applications
The LM35 can be applied easily in the same way as other
integrated-circuit temperature sensors. It can be glued or
cemented to a surface and its temperature will be within
about 0.01C of the surface temperature.
This presumes that the ambient air temperature is almost the
same as the surface temperature; if the air temperature were
much higher or lower than the surface temperature, the
actual temperature of the LM35 die would be at an intermediate temperature between the surface temperature and the
air temperature. This is expecially true for the TO-92 plastic
package, where the copper leads are the principal thermal
path to carry heat into the device, so its temperature might
be closer to the air temperature than to the surface temperature.
To minimize this problem, be sure that the wiring to the
LM35, as it leaves the device, is held at the same temperature as the surface of interest. The easiest way to do this is
to cover up these wires with a bead of epoxy which will
insure that the leads and wires are all at the same temperature as the surface, and that the LM35 dies temperature will
not be affected by the air temperature.
Temperature Rise of LM35 Due To Self-heating (Thermal Resistance,JA)

TO-46,
TO-46*,
TO-92,
TO-92**,
SO-8
SO-8**
TO-220
no heat
sink
small heat fin
no heat
sink
small heat fin
no heat
sink
small heat fin
no heat
sink
Still air
400C/W
100C/W
180C/W
140C/W
220C/W
110C/W
90C/W
Moving air
100C/W
40C/W
90C/W
70C/W
105C/W
90C/W
26C/W
Still oil
100C/W
40C/W
90C/W
70C/W
Stirred oil
50C/W
30C/W
45C/W
40C/W
(Clamped to metal,
Infinite heat sink)
(24C/W)
(55C/W)
*Wakefield type 201, or 1" disc of 0.020" sheet brass, soldered to case, or similar.
**TO-92 and SO-8 packages glued and leads soldered to 1" square of 1/16" printed circuit board with 2 oz. foil or similar.
www.national.com
LM35
DS005516-19
FIGURE 3. LM35 with Decoupling from Capacitive Load
DS005516-6
FIGURE 6. Two-Wire Remote Temperature Sensor

(Output Referred to Ground)
DS005516-20
FIGURE 4. LM35 with R-C Damper

CAPACITIVE LOADS
Like most micropower circuits, the LM35 has a limited ability
to drive heavy capacitive loads. The LM35 by itself is able to
drive 50 pf without special precautions. If heavier loads are
anticipated, it is easy to isolate or decouple the load with a
resistor; see Figure 3. Or you can improve the tolerance of
capacitance with a series R-C damper from output to
ground; see Figure 4.
When the LM35 is applied with a 200 load resistor as
shown in Figure 5, Figure 6 or Figure 8 it is relatively immune
to wiring capacitance because the capacitance forms a bypass from ground to input, not on the output. However, as
with any linear circuit connected to wires in a hostile environment, its performance can be affected adversely by intense electromagnetic sources such as relays, radio transmitters, motors with arcing brushes, SCR transients, etc, as
its wiring can act as a receiving antenna and its internal
junctions can act as rectifiers. For best results in such cases,
a bypass capacitor from VIN to ground and a series R-C
damper such as 75 in series with 0.2 or 1 F from output to
ground are often useful. These are shown in Figure 13,
Figure 14, and Figure 16.
DS005516-7
FIGURE 7. Temperature Sensor, Single Supply, 55 to

+150C
DS005516-8

(Output Referred to Ground)
DS005516-5

(Grounded Sensor)
DS005516-9
FIGURE 9. 4-To-20 mA Current Source (0C to +100C)
www.national.com
LM35
(Continued)
DS005516-11
FIGURE 11. Centigrade Thermometer (Analog Meter)
DS005516-10
FIGURE 10. Fahrenheit Thermometer

DS005516-12
FIGURE 12. Fahrenheit ThermometerExpanded Scale

Thermometer
(50 to 80 Fahrenheit, for Example Shown)
DS005516-13
FIGURE 13. Temperature To Digital Converter (Serial Output) (+128C Full Scale)
DS005516-14
FIGURE 14. Temperature To Digital Converter (Parallel TRI-STATE Outputs for

Standard Data Bus to P Interface) (128C Full Scale)
www.national.com
LM35
(Continued)
DS005516-16
* =1% or 2% film resistor
Trim RB for VB =3.075V

Trim RC for VC =1.955V
Trim RA for VA =0.075V + 100mV/C x Tambient
Example, VA =2.275V at 22C
FIGURE 15. Bar-Graph Temperature Display (Dot Mode)
DS005516-15
FIGURE 16. LM35 With Voltage-To-Frequency Converter And Isolated Output

(2C to +150C; 20 Hz to 1500 Hz)
www.national.com
LM35
Block Diagram
DS005516-23
www.national.com
10
LM35
Physical Dimensions
inches (millimeters) unless otherwise noted
TO-46 Metal Can Package (H)

Order Number LM35H, LM35AH, LM35CH,
LM35CAH, or LM35DH
NS Package Number H03H
SO-8 Molded Small Outline Package (M)

Order Number LM35DM
NS Package Number M08A
11
www.national.com
LM35
Physical Dimensions
inches (millimeters) unless otherwise noted (Continued)
Power Package TO-220 (T)

Order Number LM35DT
NS Package Number TA03F
www.national.com
12
Physical Dimensions
inches (millimeters) unless otherwise noted (Continued)
TO-92 Plastic Package (Z)

Order Number LM35CZ, LM35CAZ or LM35DZ
NS Package Number Z03A
LIFE SUPPORT POLICY

NATIONALS PRODUCTS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED FOR USE AS CRITICAL COMPONENTS IN LIFE SUPPORT
DEVICES OR SYSTEMS WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN APPROVAL OF THE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL
COUNSEL OF NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION. As used herein:
1. Life support devices or systems are devices or
systems which, (a) are intended for surgical implant
into the body, or (b) support or sustain life, and
whose failure to perform when properly used in
accordance with instructions for use provided in the
labeling, can be reasonably expected to result in a
significant injury to the user.
National Semiconductor
Corporation
Americas
Tel: 1-800-272-9959
Fax: 1-800-737-7018
Email: support@nsc.com
www.national.com
Europe
Fax: +49 (0) 180-530 85 86
Email: europe.support@nsc.com
Deutsch Tel: +49 (0) 69 9508 6208
English Tel: +44 (0) 870 24 0 2171
Franais Tel: +33 (0) 1 41 91 8790
2. A critical component is any component of a life

support device or system whose failure to perform
can be reasonably expected to cause the failure of
the life support device or system, or to affect its
safety or effectiveness.
Asia Pacific Customer
Response Group
Tel: 65-2544466
Fax: 65-2504466
Email: ap.support@nsc.com
Japan Ltd.
Tel: 81-3-5639-7560
Fax: 81-3-5639-7507
National does not assume any responsibility for use of any circuitry described, no circuit patent licenses are implied and National reserves the right at any time without notice to change said circuitry and specifications.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Texas Instruments Incorporated and its subsidiaries (TI) reserve the right to make corrections, modifications, enhancements, improvements,
and other changes to its products and services at any time and to discontinue any product or service without notice. Customers should
obtain the latest relevant information before placing orders and should verify that such information is current and complete. All products are
sold subject to TIs terms and conditions of sale supplied at the time of order acknowledgment.
TI warrants performance of its hardware products to the specifications applicable at the time of sale in accordance with TIs standard
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mandated by government requirements, testing of all parameters of each product is not necessarily performed.
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or other TI intellectual property right relating to any combination, machine, or process in which TI products or services are used. Information
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www.ti.com/omap
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www.ti.com/wirelessconnectivity
TI E2E Community Home Page
www.ti.com/video
e2e.ti.com
Mailing Address: Texas Instruments, Post Office Box 655303, Dallas, Texas 75265
Copyright 2011, Texas Instruments Incorporated
2381 640 10.../NTCLE101E3...SB0

Vishay BCcomponents
NTC Thermistors, Radial Leaded Special Accuracy

FEATURES
Excellent accuracy between 25 C and 85 C
High stability over a long life
Old part number was 2322 640 10...
Compliant to RoHS directive 2002/95/EC and in
accordance to WEEE 2002/96/EC
APPLICATIONS
Temperature measurement, sensing and control
QUICK REFERENCE DATA

VALUE
PARAMETER
Resistance at 25 C (1)
DESCRIPTION
4.7 k to 100 k
Temperature measurement accuracy

(between 25 C and 85 C)
Climatic category
These thermistors have a negative temperature coefficient.

The device consists of a chip with two tin-plated copper
leads. It is grey lacquered and not insulated. These
thermistors are very accurate ( 0.5 C) over a trajectory
from 25 C to 85 C.
0.5 C
40/125/56
Maximum dissipation
250 mW
Dissipation factor (for information only)
7 mW/K
Response time (for information only) (2)
1.2 s
Thermal time constant

(for information only)
11 s
PACKAGING
The thermistors are packed in cardboard boxes, each box
contains 500 units.
Operating temperature range:

at zero dissipation (continuously)
- 40 C to + 125 C
at maximum dissipation
0 C to + 55 C
0.22 g
Weight
MARKING
Grey lacquered body.
Notes
(1)
For values of nominal resistance value and tolerance at

intermediate temperatures; see resistance values tables.
(2)
Response time in silicone oil MS 200/50. This is the time needed

for the sensor to reach 63.2 % of the total temperature difference
when subjected to a temperature change from 25 C in air to
85 C in oil.
MOUNTING
By soldering in any position.
ELECTRICAL DATA AND ORDERING INFORMATION

R25
()
R25/R25
(%)
R85
( )
R85/R85
(%)
B25/85
(K)
B/B
(%)
4700
2.19
503.1
1.58
3977
0.75
10472
472SB0
10 000
2.19
1070
1.58
3977
0.75
10103
103SB0
47 000
2.23
4721
1.64
4090
1.5
10473
473SB0
100 000
2.29
9496
1.72
4190
1.5
10104
104SB0
www.vishay.com
94
For technical questions, contact: nlr@vishay.com
CATALOG NUMBER SAP MATERIAL NO.

2381 640 .....
NTCLE101E3......
Document Number: 29046

Revision: 08-Jun-09
2381 640 10.../NTCLE101E3...SB0

NTC Thermistors, Radial
Leaded Special Accuracy
DIMENSIONS in millimeters
Vishay BCcomponents
TOLERANCE CURVE
3
max.
3.3 0.5
T
(K)
1.0
5
max.
0.5
21
0
2.54
- 40 - 25
25
40
60
85
110 125
T(C)
- 0.5
17
min.
- 1.0
0.6
RESISTANCE VALUES AT INTERMEDIATE VALUES with R25 at 4.7 k and 10 k

Toper
(C)
RT/R25
TCR
(%/K)
- 40
- 35
- 30
- 25
- 20
- 15
- 10
-5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
105
110
115
120
125
130
135
140
145
150
33.21
23.99
17.52
12.93
9.636
7.250
5.505
4.216
3.255
2.534
1.987
1.570
1.249
1.000
0.8059
0.6535
0.5330
0.4372
0.3605
0.2989
0.2490
0.2084
0.1753
0.1481
0.1256
0.1070
0.09154
0.07860
0.06773
0.05858
0.05083
0.04426
0.03866
0.03387
0.02977
0.02624
0.02319
0.02055
0.01826
6.57
6.36
6.15
5.95
5.76
5.58
5.40
5.24
5.08
4.92
4.78
4.64
4.50
4.37
4.25
4.13
4.02
3.91
3.80
3.70
3.60
3.51
3.42
3.33
3.25
3.16
3.09
3.01
2.94
2.87
2.80
2.73
2.67
2.61
2.55
2.49
2.43
2.38
2.33

Revision: 08-Jun-09
RT
(k)
2381 640 10472
NTCLE101E3472SB0
156.1
112.8
82.35
60.77
45.30
34.08
25.87
19.81
15.30
11.91
9.340
7.378
5.869
4.700
3.788
3.072
2.505
2.055
1.694
1.405
1.170
0.9797
0.8239
0.6960
0.5905
0.5031
0.4303
0.3694
0.3183
0.2753
0.2389
0.2080
0.1817
0.1592
0.1399
0.1233
0.1090
0.0966
0.0858
2381 640 10103

NTCLE101E3103SB0
332.1000
240.0
175.2
129.3
96.36
72.50
55.05
42.16
32.56
25.34
19.87
15.70
12.49
10.00
8.059
6.535
5.330
4.372
3.606
2.989
2.490
2.084
1.753
1.481
1.256
1.070
0.9154
0.7860
0.6773
0.5858
0.5083
0.4426
0.3866
0.3387
0.2977
0.2624
0.2319
0.2055
0.1826
www.vishay.com
95
2381 640 10.../NTCLE101E3...SB0

Vishay BCcomponents

RESISTANCE VALUES AT INTERMEDIATE VALUES with R25 at 47 k

RT
(k)
Toper
(C)
RT/R25
TCR
(%/K)
- 40
33.81
6.55
- 35
24.50
6.34
1151
- 30
17.93
6.15
842.8
- 25
13.25
5.96
622.6
- 20
9.875
5.78
464.1
- 15
7.425
5.61
349.0
- 10
5.630
5.45
264.6
-5
4.304
5.29
202.3
3.315
5.14
155.8
2.573
4.99
120.9
10
2.011
4.85
94.53
15
1.583
4.72
74.40
20
1.254
4.59
58.95
25
1.000
4.46
47.00
30
0.8024
4.34
37.71
35
0.6474
4.23
30.43
40
0.5255
4.12
24.70
45
0.4288
4.01
20.15
50
0.3518
3.91
16.53
55
0.2901
3.81
13.63
60
0.2403
3.71
11.30
65
0.2001
3.62
9.404
70
0.1674
3.53
7.865
75
0.1406
3.44
6.607
80
0.1186
3.36
5.573
85
0.1004
3.28
4.721
90
0.08542
3.20
4.015
2381 640 10473

NTCLE101E3473SB0
1589
95
0.07292
3.13
3.427
100
0.06248
3.06
2.936
105
0.05372
2.98
2.525
110
0.04635
2.92
2.179
115
0.04013
2.85
1.886
120
0.03485
2.79
1.638
125
0.03037
2.73
1.427
130
0.02654
2.67
1.247
135
0.02326
2.61
1.093
140
0.02044
2.55
0.9608
145
0.01802
2.50
0.8468
150
0.01592
2.44
0.7483
www.vishay.com
96

Revision: 08-Jun-09
2381 640 10.../NTCLE101E3...SB0

Vishay BCcomponents
RESISTANCE VALUES AT INTERMEDIATE VALUES with R25 at 100 k

RT
(k)
Toper
(C)
RT/R25
TCR
(%/K)
- 40
36.66
6.70
3666
- 35
26.38
6.49
2638
- 30
19.17
6.29
1917
- 25
14.06
6.10
1406
- 20
10.41
5.92
1041
- 15
7.779
5.74
777.9
- 10
5.861
5.57
586.1
-5
4.453
5.41
445.3
3.409
5.26
340.9
2.631
5.11
263.1
10
2.044
4.97
204.4
15
1.600
4.83
160.0
20
1.261
4.70
126.1
25
1.000
4.57
100.0
30
0.7981
4.45
79.81
35
0.6408
4.35
64.08
40
0.5175
4.22
51.74
45
0.4202
4.11
42.02
50
0.3431
4.00
34.31
55
0.2816
3.90
28.16
60
0.2322
3.80
23.22
65
0.1925
3.71
19.25
70
0.1602
3.62
16.03
75
0.1340
3.53
13.40
80
0.1126
3.45
11.26
85
0.09496
3.36
9.496
90
0.08042
3.28
8.042
95
0.06837
3.21
6.837
100
0.05835
3.13
5.835
105
0.04998
3.06
4.998
110
0.04296
2.99
4.296
115
0.03705
2.92
3.705
120
0.03206
2.86
3.206
125
0.02783
2.80
2.783

Revision: 08-Jun-09
2381 640 10104

NTCLE101E3104SB0
www.vishay.com
97
Legal Disclaimer Notice

Vishay
Disclaimer
All product specifications and data are subject to change without notice.
Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., its affiliates, agents, and employees, and all persons acting on its or their behalf
(collectively, Vishay), disclaim any and all liability for any errors, inaccuracies or incompleteness contained herein
or in any other disclosure relating to any product.
Vishay disclaims any and all liability arising out of the use or application of any product described herein or of any
information provided herein to the maximum extent permitted by law. The product specifications do not expand or
otherwise modify Vishays terms and conditions of purchase, including but not limited to the warranty expressed
therein, which apply to these products.
No license, express or implied, by estoppel or otherwise, to any intellectual property rights is granted by this
document or by any conduct of Vishay.
The products shown herein are not designed for use in medical, life-saving, or life-sustaining applications unless
otherwise expressly indicated. Customers using or selling Vishay products not expressly indicated for use in such
applications do so entirely at their own risk and agree to fully indemnify Vishay for any damages arising or resulting
from such use or sale. Please contact authorized Vishay personnel to obtain written terms and conditions regarding
products designed for such applications.
Product names and markings noted herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Revision: 18-Jul-08
www.vishay.com
1

CanSat Kit User Manual V2014

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CanSat Kit User

CanSat Kit User Manual

CanSat Kit User Manual

The T-Minus main controller board .....................................................................................................................3

The sensor board ........................................................................................................................................................4

The Transmitter and receiver .................................................................................................................................6

Mechanical components ..........................................................................................................................................8

Starting with the C board ................................................................................................................................................9

Connecting and installing the C board .............................................................................................................9

Writing a first program .............................................................................................................................................9

MCU communication .............................................................................................................................................. 13

Electrical design ................................................................................................................................................................. 15

Design warning ........................................................................................................................................................ 15

Electrical schematics .............................................................................................................................................. 16

Making the connections ........................................................................................................................................ 31

Having hardware and software work together ........................................................................................................ 35

Using the transmitter ............................................................................................................................................. 37

Building the CanSat .......................................................................................................................................................... 41

Building the stack .................................................................................................................................................... 41

The Outer shell ......................................................................................................................................................... 42

Parachute design ..................................................................................................................................................... 42

Launch loads ............................................................................................................................................................. 47

Licence information ..................................................................................................................................................... 48

T-Minus C board ......................................................................................................................................................... 49

T-Minus transceivers ................................................................................................................................................... 51

Driver installation summary ...................................................................................................................................... 52

Installing Arduino ......................................................................................................................................................... 52

Batteries and power system ...................................................................................................................................... 54

Datasheets and USB memory ................................................................................................................................... 58

CanSat Kit User Manual

Figure 1 the T-Minus Engineering B.V. CanSat kit

CanSat Kit User Manual

The CanSat kit contains:

The T-Minus micro controller (C) board

The sensor board and its components

The radio transmission system (consisting of 2 identical boards)

A 9V battery and battery connector

The mechanical components of the CanSat

A USB 2.0 cable

USB memory stick with the required documentation

CanSat Kit User Manual

1.1 The T-Minus main controller board

Figure 2: The T-Minus micro controller board

CanSat Kit User Manual

1.2 The sensor board

Figure 3: An empty CanSat kit sensor board

CanSat Kit User Manual

Measuring the Temperature

Figure 4: The thermistor (source: nl.farnell.com)

Sensor 2: the integrated circuit

Figure 5: The LM35 temperature sensor (source nl.farnell.com)

CanSat Kit User Manual

Figure 6: The MPX4115A pressure sensor (source nl.farnell.com)

1.3 The Transmitter and receiver

Figure 7 T-Minus transceiver board

CanSat Kit User Manual

Figure 8 Battery and battery connector

CanSat Kit User Manual

1.5 Mechanical components

Figure 9 mechanical components of the CanSat kit

CanSat Kit User Manual

2 Starting with the C board

2.1 Connecting and installing the C board

2.2 Writing a first program