Remote MFD makeover?

[C3PO]

I don't know when Dan is going to stop adding functions to the G-sndo, but it has to stop
somwhere or it WILL be as complicated to fly as the real Space Shuttle

I was thinking about the Remote control MFD. Would it be difficult to add some options to
the "duration" parameter? I think the option to shut down the engines automaticly when Ecc was
zero ( or minimal).
Or mabye engine shutdown at a set ApD (or Ped)?

When you want manual shutdown you enter '0'. It could be 'Emin' for minimum Ecc, 'A200' for a 200
km ApD and 'P130' for a 130 km PeD.

What do you guys think about this suggestion? Is it somthing anyone else could use?

[Orbiter Fan]

I second your suggestion! It is a good one!

[DanSteph]

Sorry you mean the countdown MFD ?
This one is a part of OrbiterSound

Dan

[canadave]

I think he's talking about modifying the ascent autopilot function so that instead of the engines
shutting down at 0.000 Ecc (or close to it), you can have the autopilot shut the engines down at a
particular apoapsis or periapsis (say, 250km).  In other words, instead of the autopilot aiming for
an Ecc of zero, have it aim for an ApD of 250k or whatever.

C3PO, if that's your looking to do, you can edit the ascent autopilot's program text files (in
the "PROG" subdir of the deltagliderii folder in "Sound") and change the altitudes that the various
pitch angle changes occur at, although that's not quite what you're looking to do.  Dan, what are
the chances of being able to program the autopilot to aim for a different orbit variable other than
Eccentricity?

Cheers,
Dave

[DanSteph]

canadave wrote:
> the chances of being able to program the autopilot to aim for a
> different orbit variable other than
> Eccentricity?


It might be possible the autopilot work as follow:

It follow blindly the pitch and altitude setting you give it to it
ONCE ECC LOWER THAN 0.2000 it start to pitch down or up
to lower the vertical speed to 0.0 during this time a check is performed
on the ecc and as soon a the ECC start to increase the autopilot shutdown.

I created last night a new ascent autopilot for mars as well as a mars scenario
I have got various result including eccentric orbit.

Anyway I don't see very well the advantage you have to cut the autopilot
at an APd instead of an ecc you can do this actually designing an autopilot
and cuting yourself the power when the apd is reached.

Dan

[C3PO]

Woops..... You'r right. It is the countdown MFD. I got them confused for a moment there

It is a bit much trying to get Ecc, Alt and alignment perfect at the same time. If the countdown MFD
is taking care of the engines you can get all 3 right on the mark quite easily.

I usually use the last part of the assent to get the alignment down as far as I can. This is why I go
to manual when I am close to stable orbit. There is a lot of fuel to be saved that way.
Mabye Dan will enable yaw control in the next version

But I was not only thinking about the launch. The ApD/PeD can be used every time you want to
transfer to a higher/lower orbit. The Ecc=0 function can be used when you want a circular orbit. If
the engines are automatic you can concentrate on the Alt, Vvel, Vacc etc. Then you don't have to
do additional corrections (not large ones anyway).

I'm shure Dan could make a program for the DGII computer, but if the countdown MFD was
modified it could be used on all ships. (Yes I do fly the other ships even if they can't match the
DGII's sence of being up there )

[DanSteph]

C3PO wrote:
> I usually use the last part of the assent to get the alignment
> down as far as I can. This is why I go


You can use still use the autopilot and reduce the RINC:

1- wait that it decrease himslef to a low value (later part of ascent)
2- FORCE YAW maintaining the joy or the keyboard in one direction
    the ship will YAW if you insist with this method you can reduce the rinc
    to the same value you would get with manual method.

If you want pilot for another altitude modify the PRO903 pilot and copy it
with another name (PRO904 is already taken for mars ascent in the next version)
(if it work well send me you program I will put it in the
 next version)

And about countdown MFD, one things at a time I get really busy with the DG
I planned to release the final version of OrbiterSound but I never have time.

Dan