Rocket Data Logger
AL-016
±200 g 3-D Primary
Accelerometer
±16 g 3-D Secondary
Accelerometer
±2000 dps 3-D
Gyroscope
45 second flight
recording time
16 Mb intermediate
flight data buffer
MicroSD Media Card
Rechargeable
150 mAh battery
www.rafresearch.com/products
Quick Start
Guide
The standard retail packaging
for the logger contains:
Rocket Data Logger (with
150 mAh battery and MicroSD
Media Card)
Quick Start Guide
(this document)
Drilling Guide (LASER cut)
MicroSD-card to SD-card socket
adapter
Five #4-40 x 5/16” screws for
mounting the Logger onto a
1/8” panel
Five #4-40 x 7/16” screws for
mounting the Logger onto a
1/4" panel
The MicroSD-card contents are:
The Logger’s calibration report.
All Loggers are calibrated and
tested before they are sold.
Rocket Data Logger User’s Guide
(pdf).
ReadMe.TXT file containing the
latest product release notes.
An installer file for the Post-
processing Software.
(ADL_installer.jar)
The Logger may be “hard
mounted” (attached to a
platform in your rocket using
screws) or “soft mounted”
(wrapped in bubble wrap and
placed in a nosecone or payload
compartment). Hard mounting
obtains the most accurate
measurements.
Regardless of whether the
Logger is hard or soft mounted,
for its launch detection
mechanism to work, the Logger
must be mounted so that the
rocket’s launch thrust aligns
with one of the Logger’s axes.
(+X, -X, +Y, -Y, +Z, or –Z)
To facilitate hard mounting, a
Logger Drilling Guide is
provided. Place it the where you
intend to mount the Logger and
mark the locations of the 5
mounting holes. Drill 1/8” holes
at these locations and use the
provided screws to mount the
Logger.
To record a flight (the short
version):
1.
Verify that the MicroSD-
card is inserted in its socket
and the battery is plugged
in.
2.
Turn on the Logger by
inserting a small
screwdriver into the slot on
the power switch and
rotating it 3/4 turn
clockwise. The Red LED
will illuminate and the
Green LED will start
blinking slowly. If for some
reason the Green LED is not
blinking, turn power off and
then back on.
3.
Wait 20 seconds for the
Logger to blink out a launch
readiness code.
Red-Red - <digit 1 in
Green> - Red - <digit 2> -
Red - <digit 3> - repeats
once more.
4.
If the 1st digit of the health
code is “1”, fly it.
If it is not a “1”, then see the
User’s manual for the
meaning of the code.
5.
When you get the Logger
back to camp, turn it off.
6.
Use a spreadsheet program
to directly examine the
.CSV file on the MicroSD-
card or use the post-
processing software to
generate web ready files.
(Open the resulting
index.xml file with a
browser.)
To record a flight (the long
version that explains the
blinking LEDs):
1.
Make sure that the
MicroSD-card is inserted in
its socket and the battery is
plugged in.
2.
Turn on the Logger by
inserting a small
screwdriver into the slot on
