SIL

Software-in-the-loop simulator for rockets

Compiling SIL

SIL works on Mac or Linux. Windows is not currently supported, but you can run it in the Vagrant VM. A C++ compiler (clang++ or g++) and Python (any version) are required. PM Leo or Jaren if compilation fails.

Run make and pass in microcontroller code:

make code0=../firmware-launch/fc/fc.h code1=../firmware-launch/tpc/tpc.h

Required microcontroller code file format

#include "pins.h"
#include "mbed.h"
#include "BMP388.h"

// TODO Define your pins here
// Syntax: DigitalOut <pin_name>(<pin_number>); (without the angle brackets)

float max_alt;
// TODO What other vars  might it be useful to define? 

I2C i2c_sensors(I2C_SENSOR_SDA, I2C_SENSOR_SCL);
Serial debug(DEBUG_TX, DEBUG_RX);

Pressure pressure;
BMP388 barometer(&i2c_sensors, &debug);


void start() {
    //Assign any other variables here. 
    max_alt = 0;
    barometer.init();
}

void loop() {
    // Read pressure using the BMP388 library
    barometer.readPressure(&pressure);
    float pressure_pascals = pressure.pressure();
    
    // TODO Convert pressure to altitude.
    // TODO Update max altitude 
    // TODO Deploy parachutes at the correct time by setting pins to a boolean true value

}

int main() {
    start();
    while (true) {
        loop();
    }
}

Code should be self-contained. Any includes except for flatbuffers and mbed will have to be copied to the SIL includes directory.

Running SIL

• To run a simulation file

./build/sil config/simulations/intro_proj_sim.json

• To connect to the debug serial ports, add -sN (unconnected serial ports will print to main output):

./build/sil config/simulations/intro_proj_sim.json -s01

• Then in separate terminal windows, open the serial client for each microcontroller:

./build/terminal 0
./build/terminal 1

Simulation file formats

Don't actually use // comments, they're not allowed in json 😊

Simulation file format

{
  "rocket": "config/rockets/testrocket.json", // Rocket file
  "wind": { // Simualted wind in environment
    "type": "fixed",  // Only type for now
    "x": 1, // Wind dir vector
    "y": 0,
    "z": 0
  },
  "ground_height": 10,  // Ground height at start
  "ground_height_far": 20,  // Ground height when rocket moves away from start pos
  "timeout": 3, // When to end the sim after no movement
  "output": [ // List of output types
    {
      "type": "pos", // Output type (see list of classes subclassing Output)
      "file": "pos_data.csv", // Output filename
      "frequency": 10000 // Polling frequency
    }
  ],
  "tests": [ // List of tests to run, with various failures and required assertions (separate environment for each)
    {
      "name": "test1",
      "assertions": [ // List of assertions checked at launch finish
        "max_altitude > 300", // Assertion format: {number | environment_variable} [><=] {number | environment_variable}
        "landing_speed < 10"
      ],
      "failures": [ // List of failures
        "altimeter" // Failure name (see failure classes for details)
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Rocket file format

[ // Array of rocket stages
  {
    "name": "booster", // Stage name
    "weight": 5,       // Rocket stage weight
    "drag_area": 0.02, // Rocket stage drag area
    "leds": {          // List of LEDs on rocket stage
      "led1": {        // LED Name
        "pin": "flight_computer:7" // Connected PIN for LED
      }
    },
    "motors": {       // List of motors on rocket stage
      "booster": {    // Motor name
        "file": "config/motors/aerotech_j800t.json", // Motor JSON config file
        "fuse": 10    // Fuse time (when the rocket will be activated after the sim start)
      }
    },
    "separators": {   // List of stage separators
      "stage1": {     // Name
        "separate": "sustainer",  // Stage to separate (doesn't exist in this example)
        "pin": "flight_computer:10" // Connected pin
      }
    },
    "chutes": {       // List of chutes
      "drogue": {     // Name
        "drag_area": 5,   // Chute drag area
        "pin": "flight_computer:12" // Connected pin
      }
    },
    "microcontrollers": { // List of MCUs
      "flight_computer": {  // Name
        "id": 0,  // ID --> should be unique to file
        "pin": "telemetry_power_control:24" // Powering pin (optional, if not present the mcu will always be on)
      },
      "telemetry_power_control": {
        "id": 1
      }
    },
    "communications": [ // List of UART connections
      ["flight_computer:4", "telemetry_power_control:3"],
      ["telemetry_power_control:4", "flight_computer:3"],
      ["SIL_INPUT", "flight_computer:5"], // SIL_INPUT for simulated debug connection (in)
      ["flight_computer:6", "SIL_OUTPUT"],
      ["SIL_INPUT", "telemetry_power_control:5"], // SIL_OUTPUT for simulated debug connection (out)
      ["telemetry_power_control:6", "SIL_OUTPUT"]
    ]
  }
]

Motor file format

{
  "interpolation": "linear", // Type of interpolation between thrust curve points
  "thrust_curve": {          // Time from activation and thrust (N), must start and end with 0, must be in chronological order
    "0": 0,
    "0.5": 100,
    "5": 100,
    "5.5": 0
  }
}

Using debug uart

Use Serial or UARTSerial in mbed.h (in src/includes)

An example of output:

Serial debug_uart(DEBUG_TX, DEBUG_RX, 115200); // tx pin, rx pin, baud rate (rate of data transfer)

// printf is normal c printf
debug_uart.printf("Hello altitude is %f\n", altitude); // here altitude is a float

Adding output formats

• Create a .cc and .h file for the intended output (subclass of Output)
• Add relevant parsing code for the output in output_parser.cc and .h

Weird things are happening (segfault, etc.) when running or compiling the program

• Try make clean first