1. SIGNIFICANCE OF TELECOMMAND & TIMER IN SCIENTIFIC BALLOONING AND THEIR DEVELOPMENTS V. Anmi Reddy Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Balloon Facility, Hyderabad-500 062

2. BALLOON LAUNCH

3. Control room TC (UP LINK ) Remote Balloon Train NEED OF COMMAND SYSTEM 375 MHz Tx Top end fitting DD rope Balloon Command Radar Target Release loop Parachute Fail Safe Timer Blinker Bottom fitting Payload

4. LB 1 COMD LB 2 COMD COMD OPERATIONS

5. BALLAST COMD

6. BALLOON FLOAT

7. APEX VALVE OPEN COMD

8. BALLOON DESCENT

9. APEX VALVE CLOSE COMD

10. BALLOON FLOAT

11. SQUIB FIRED D D CUT BALLOON TERMINATION

12. TOUCH DOWN

13. GROUND COMMAND SYSTEMONBOARD COMMAND SYSTEM TELECOMMAND SYSTEM

14. FSK Signal Generator 148 MHz Oscillator AM ModulatorAmplifier PCM/FSK/AM VHF GROUND TELECOMMAND SYSTEM PC YAGI ANTENNA

15. Tele-command Receiver Command Decoder Command Control Unit CCU O/Ps Rx Antenna Data command O/Ps 64 VHF ONBOARD TELECOMMAND SYSTEM 1 1

16. TELECOMMAND PACKAGE

17. PROGRAMMABLE TIMER CLOCK GENERATOR COUNTER MINUTES COUNTER HOURS COUNTER COMPERATOR MINUTES MEMORY HOURS MEMORY RELAY DRIVER AND 1.No monitoring 2.Power fluctuations causes disturbance in timer 3.Only one time extension possible 4.Possibility of occurring human error was more

18. TIMER PACKAGE

19. 375 MHZ TRANSMITTER PACKAGE

20. Dish Antenna & Feed LNA BoxDown converter Tracking Receiver Servo Controller Servo Drive Receiver Decom. Bit Synch. FM Modulator Command Encoder & FSK Modulator SSPA Display PCs Plasma Screen Storage PCs Ground TC system S-BAND TELEMETRY, TELECOMMAND & TRACKING SYSTEM - GROUND SEGMENT 1.No interference 2.On board antenna sizes decreased 3.Data rate can be increased 4.No Interference between TC & TM 5.Range increased by high gain antenna

21. FSK Signal Generator 2080.1625 MHz Signal FM modulatorSSPA PCM/FSK/FM S-BAND GROUND TELECOMMAND SYSTEM PC

22. Tele-command Receiver Command Decoder Command Control Unit CCU O/Ps Rx Antenna Data command O/Ps 1 64 S-BAND ONBOARD TELECOMMAND SYSTEM

23. Monitor Timer O/P MICRO CONTROLLER PC/COMD RTC SQUIBS MONITOR LCD RELAY DRIVERS DD O/P T/M MICROCONTROLLER BASED TIMER

24. CONTENTS Command System Microcontroller Based Timer Local Telemetry Power Supply for Above Units INTEGRATED PACKAGE

25.  WEIGHT REDUCED  TEMPERATURE REMAINS POSITIVE  FIELD COUNTDOWN TIME REDUCED  RECOVERY SITE OPERATIONS MINIMIZED  REDUCED LOAD LINE LENGTH, REDUCED NUMBER OF PACKAGES  UNITS HEALTH CAN BE MONITORED THROUGH LOCAL TELEMETRY / MAIN TELEMETRY ADVANTAGES OF USING INTEGRATED PACKAGE

26. PHOTOGRAPH OF IP L TM Antenna Command Antenna Command Antenna IP

27. OLD NEW 88m 20m 3m 9m 3m 12m 149m 20m 6m 12m TIMER 375 MHZ Tx COMMAND GPS SONDE IP BALLOON BORNE INSTRUMENT SCHEMATIC Payload

28. MODULAR INTEGRATED COMMAND & TIMER (MICT) MODULAR INTEGRATED COMMAND & TIMER (MICT) Receiver Timer CCU Decoder Cards Decoder Cards

29. MICT PACKAGE

30. 1.It has all balloon control commands and add on cards facility for experimenter commands. 2.Independent power for both command and timer. 3.Command and timer status can be transmitted through TM or on a separate carrier. 4.Power is being utilized in an efficient manner. (IP:21V,280mA,74% & MICT:12V,350mA,93%) 5. Weight and volume of MICT package reduced to 1/3 rd that of the IP. FEATURES OF MICT

31. SINGLE CARD COMMAND & TIMER

32. PACKAGE

33. TYPICAL DATA RECEIVED FROM ONBOARD COMMAND @*093244,04,141112,1220,02,121112,0000000000DF, 03A1,0067,00D1,000000,02,121112,084200,06,061000, 008000,00,000000 @*093245,04,141112,1220,02,121112,0000000000DF, 03A8,0062,00CB,000000,02,121112,084200,06,061000, 008000,00,000000 @*093246,04,141112,1220,02,121112,0000000000DF, 03A4,0065,00CF,000000,02,121112,084200,06,061000, 008000,00,000000 TYPICAL DATA RECEIVED FROM ONBOARD MICT or SINGLE CARD COMMAND & TIMER

34. LATEST ADDITIONS & FUTURE PLANS Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Batteries Video Camera in Balloon Flights Improvements in ground command Implementing Mobile TM/TC system Improvements in onboard command.

35. 13.5 Ah,15V, 1.7 Kg 5.5 Ah,12V, 0.55 Kg FOR MICT COMD 12V,@350mA for 20 hours flight duration requires 7.0 Ah. To get this voltage, and charge we should use 4 cells of 3 V, 7.5 Ah, Costing 4x900=Rs. 3600/- Lithium ion battery 13.5 Ah,15 V costing Rs. 30000/- ie., 8.5 times Cost of Lithium SO2 battery cost For MICT. One can use it 500 times. Therefore saving 491 times MICT battery Cost 491x3600=Rs.17,67,600. RECHARGEBLE LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES

36. VIDEO CAMERA

37. RECENT BALLOON FLIGHT VIDEOS

38. Need of command system VHF command system Old timer 375 MHz transmitter S-band command system Microcontroller based Timer IP and its advantages MICT Single card command & timer system Additions SUMMARY

39. Thank You

40. SHORT RANGE COMMAND

41. BALLOON LAUNCH