Pioneer Rocketry Flight Computer V3

Pioneer Rocketry’s third-generation flight computer is a high-performance, STM32-based avionics system designed for experimental high-power rockets. It provides state estimation, real-time telemetry, staging logic, and fully active control capabilities. This repository contains the firmware, test tools, and documentation for the system.

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🚀 Hardware Overview

Primary Components

Function	Component
Main MCU	STM32F446RE
High-G IMU (Accel + Gyro)	LSM6DSV32X
Magnetometer	MMC5603
Barometer	MS5607-02BA03
GPS	u-blox SAM-M8Q
Radio	LoRa SX1262

Additional Hardware Features

• 3 independent pyrotechnic deployment channels
• Breakouts for I²C and SPI expansion
• Support for 4 servo channels (vectoring, control surfaces, etc.)
• USB/Serial connectivity for configuration and simulation
• Ruggedized PCB designed for high-G, high-speed flight

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🧠 Software Overview

The firmware is written in modern C++, using HAL for low-level drivers and a modular class-based architecture for sensors, telemetry, and estimation modules.

Key Capabilities

• State estimation for:
  • Attitude (roll, pitch, yaw)
  • Position (x, y, z)
  • Velocity and angular rates (Uses a custom multi-sensor Kalman Filter.)
• Live telemetry over LoRa
• Event-driven flight logic, including:
  • Ascent/descent detection
  • Apogee detection
  • Staging and separation logic
  • Deployment sequencing
• Active Control
  • Servo-driven stabilization or thrust-vectoring
  • Optional closed-loop controls for advanced tests
• Fault-tolerant design
  • Sensor redundancy
  • Fail-safe deployment rules
  • Logging of all states and events

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🧪 Testing Strategy

Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing (HILT)

HILT allows the flight computer to run full flight software using simulated sensor data.

• The board connects to a PC via USB/Serial.
• A custom simulator streams “fake” IMU, barometer, and GPS data.
• The firmware behaves exactly as if it were in flight.
• Allows testing:
  • Sensor fusion
  • State transitions
  • Staging logic
  • Deployment logic
  • Data logging and telemetry

This framework accelerates development and eliminates many failure modes before field testing.

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Field & Flight Testing

Flight testing follows a staged, risk-managed approach:

1. Initial flights:
   Validate basic state estimation (position, velocity, attitude) and state transitions.

2. Intermediate flights:
   Add automated apogee deployment, then drogue/main testing, then multistage events.

3. Advanced flights:

   • High-speed, high-G tests
   • Full staging logic
   • Active control (servo-active fins or TVC)
   • Redundancy and fault recovery tests

Each successful flight unlocks the next feature set, ensuring safe and repeatable progress toward fully active control.

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📂 Repository Structure

/Code
    /Core
        /Src
        /Inc
    /lib
/Datasheets
/PCB