Ted's Launch Controller
Multi-Pad Launch Controller
Design by Ted Cochran, ted.cochran [at] honeywell [dot] com
If you were at the April 2000 MASA launch, you saw Ted's spiffy
multi-pad launch controller in action. This controller can
currently handle 6 pads with individual select buttons and
continuity lights for each pad. Each pad has a strobe light
that blinks when the pad is armed. Another strobe light on the
PA horn stand blinks when the controller is turned on. Several
people have asked about the design and details of this controller,
so, with Ted's blessing, here's a brief overview.
From Ted:
A couple of people have asked, so I've attached a schematic. [see
below] It is a little out of date (the connections for the
strobe and the heads up horn and the voltmeter aren't shown). The
relays are all 30A Bosch car relays from Axman. (Axman also supplied
most of the switches, a lot of the terminal strips, the blast
deflectors, and a bunch of other stuff :-)
It is overkill, I think, unless you plan to do a LOT of group
launches, but you can make one for any number of pads you want. You
need three conductors from the pads to the controller plus two
conductors for every pad. I used extension cords because they're the
cheapest 100 feet of wire you can hope to find in that gauge.
I was planning on expanding it next Fall; maybe earlier though,
given Saturday's peak backlog of 6 pages!
Electrical schematic (click on thumbnail to view full-size
image)
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