Arduino Primary Avionics Module (A-PAM)

If you do a search for model rocket electronic payload, you will see a lot of entries for medium to high power, large diameter rockets. These types of rockets are large, typically 80mm (3.1 inches) in diameter or larger. These rockets are flown in large open areas, often deserts and dry lake beds. These larger rockets also use larger propellants, typically in the High Power Rocketry (HPR) range of “H” and above impulse level. Not only do these motors require you to be certified in HPR, the motors themselves tend to be rather expensive.

My goal was to develop a system that could be used by high school students. It would involve proven rocket designs that could be flown on school yards. That meant it needed to be small, fitting everything into a body tube with a diameter no more than 42mm. This would allow it to use “D” or “E” motors. It would need to be flexible. I wanted the design to be a starting point to allow them to conduct real science and it had to be inexpensive.