HAB Bounder is a self-contained cut-down device that utilizes a hot-wire cutter to sever a line at a predetermined time or event. Below is an over-view of the firmware versions and major changes each brought to the system. In-the-field firmware upgrades are possible. Please contact us for the latest firmware image for your HAB Bounder.
HAB Bounder Firmware – 18 Oct 2023
- Added debounce option to Compare condition
- Flight.cfg is now evaluated before GPS time is acquired
- Flight.log timestamping now removed from configuration section making it easier to copy old configurations into Flight.cfg
- Added ‘EnableDebugInfo’ configuration option to help with troubleshooting issues
- Changed SDCardRate log rate arguement to seconds between entries (in 0.5 sec intervals)
- Now evaluates remaining free RAM before adding new Commands from Flight.cfg to prevent flight issues
- SD Card writing improvements to help when slow SD cards are used
- Input ExtTrig no longer toggles on but follows the input signal (debounced by 50 ms at 2 Hz intervals)
HAB Bounder Firmware – 23 Sept 2023
- Added External Trigger input ability
- Now creates a basic Flight.cfg file, if missing, to aid with programming
- Added low power GPS configuration option
- Reduces power consumption by about 20%
- But can not use SBAS (ex WAAS) when active
- And reduces navigation solution frequency from 2 Hz to 1 Hz
- Fixed Flight.cfg error message line number issue
- Changed Position.AscentRate to Position.VerticalSpeed to match documentation and Position.HorizontalSpeed
- Improved GPS and pressure sensor data filtering
- Improved pressure sensor self-diagnostic at start-up to catch a possible hardware failure mode
- Improved pressure sensor code to reduce power consumption
HAB Bounder Firmware – 23 Aug 2023
- Updated Loonatec’s FlightManager firmware for the v5.2 hardware
- Improved burn-wire feedback logic
HAB Bounder Firmware – 8 Apr 2023
- Removed need for “CommData:” command in Flight.cfg
HAB Bounder Firmware – 25 July 2022
- Updated Loonatec’s FlightManager firmware for the v5.0 hardware
HAB Bounder Firmware Version 15 – January 2021
- Modified firing PWM settings to permit the usage of more robust burn wire
- Resolved some minor compiler warnings
HAB Bounder v4 Firmware Release 14 – October 2020
- Change to how the GPS module is initialized to fix an intermittent boot issue that effected a couple HAB Bounders™
HAB Bounder v4 Firmware Release 13 – April 2020
- Changed the Geo-fence options
- Now supports two fences
- Each fence can be configured to one of six options
- Stay inside and below an altitude
- Stay inside and above an altitude
- Stay outside or below an altitude
- Stay outside or above an altitude
- Stay below an altitude
- Stay above an altitude
- Removed the GPS Altitude (GAT) Trigger
- Fixed PAR Trigger SD-card formatting issue
HAB Bounder v4 Firmware Release 12 – February 2020
- Added GPS Ascent Rate (GAR) Trigger
- Added Pressure Ascent Rate (PAR) Trigger
- Removed the Rapid Descent (RDT) Trigger
- Note: The PAR does all that the RDT did and allows better control
HAB Bounder v4 Firmware Release 11 – November 2019
- External Trigger option added
- Note, this feature requires hardware version 4.2 or newer
- Modified Heater Set Point command, now accepts values of -1 to -60 °C or off
- Fixed GPS Altitude Trigger setting feedback issue in the flight’s CSV data file
HAB Bounder v4 Firmware Release 10 – October 2019
- Added GPS Fix audio alert: the Balloon Bounder now beeps at 1/2 hz until GPS fix is acquired
- Useful reminder to not launch until fix is acquired
- If Power Save Mode is enabled, it is not activated until after first GPS fix to decrease time-to-fix
HAB Bounder v4 Firmware Release 9 – October 2019
- MAJOR ISSUE – Fixed GPS Altitude Trigger, now properly handles negative altitudes
- An observed issue when launching at sea-level, error results in immediate GAT Termination
- GPS Altitude Trigger now allows altitudes up to 50 km
- Fixed CSV file’s header, Lat/Lon columns were reversed
HAB Bounder v4 Firmware Release 8 – June 2019
- Added GPS Fix audio alert: short 2-tone tune plays at fix acquisition
- Added GPS low-power mode: Power Save Mode can now be enabled to reduce the Balloon Bounder’s power consumption by more than 50 % for long flights
- GPS data is now received in the UBX format instead of NMEA ASCII, allows more data to be recorded
- Number of satellites used for fix
- Date information at 1 Hz
- Ground speed
- Vertical speed
- Heading
HAB Bounder v4 Firmware Release 7 – June 2019
- A data stamp is now logged the flight’s CSV data file every four minutes
- Fixed formatting issues with the flight’s KML data
- Added initial sub-module testing results to the flight’s CSV data file
HAB Bounder v4 Firmware Release 6 – May 2019
- Both burn-wires are tested every 10 seconds throughout the flight, results are logged in the flight’s CSV data file
- Battery voltage monitoring is now measured every 10 seconds throughout the flight, results are logged in the flight’s CSV data file
- Added audio alert that starts 8 seconds before the burn-wires are activated
HAB Bounder v4 Firmware Release 5 – May 2019
- Fixed Heater Set-Point configuration issues
HAB Bounder v4 Firmware Release 4 – April 2019
- Finalized SD Card interface code changes
HAB Bounder v4 Firmware Release 3 – April 2019
- Changed SD Card interface code
HAB Bounder v4 Firmware Release 1 & 2 – March 2019
- Initial Balloon Bounder code and hardware development