(PS: I imported the history from the svn repo using this guide: http://pauldowman.com/2008/07/26/how-to-convert-from-subversion-to-git/)

Couple of notes:

• Don’t even bother trying FLIP on linux, especially not 64bit. Compile the LUFA code on linux if you don’t have WINAVR installed, reboot to your dual boot windows, do the first half of that article (flashing the ATUSB) and then come back to linux to use avrdude and access the ATXMEGA
• The article mentions that AVRDUDE doesn’t yet support PDI programming. Since then it would appear to have been implemented, however, AVRDUDE for Ubuntu 9.10 is too old to do PDI programming. You can just install the 10.04 deb. You know your AVRDUDE is too old if you get either of these

  avrdude: Yikes!  Invalid device signature.
  avrdude: verification error; content mismatch

• If you’re having trouble accessing the ATUSB’s bootloader, jumper pins 1 and 2 like it says, connect up the USB power, then using whatever metallic tool you have nearest to you, tap the RST (middle top) pin to one of the ground pins on the ATUSB’s header (pins 6 and 10, I believe).
• Stuff like DDRB and PINB and PORTB as you knew it has been changed when using avrlibc in xmega mode: PORTB.DIR, PORTB.OUT, PORTB.IN.

PS: I attempted to restore the xplain to its funky-sound-flashy-state using the hex files that are provided by AVR, on the xplain pages, however this did not work (perhaps an oddity of avrdude). Instead, I used avrdude -U flash:r:temp.hex:i to back up the contents of its flash before I overwrote anything, and used that file to reset the xmega to its original state later.

ALIEN-1 was equipped with a Canon Powershot A560, which was programmed to capture a photo every 5 seconds, resulting in some 3,000 images. We’ve sorted through them and uploaded some of our favourites; they really amazed us and we hope you like them too!

The Powershot A560 has been used on several launches previously and is a tried and tested model for high-altitude imaging. As you can see it really isn’t anything special, which goes to show how good these cheap compacts really are! Technical details can be found on Canon’s website here. We plan to make large prints and possibly canvases soon.

$$A1,10145,14:11:22,52.237948,000.520583,33150,0000,09,2A412A32,45*6D | 14:11:22: N52.237948 E000.520583 33150M (09 satellites), Internal: 32.5'C, External: 25.0'C
$$A1,10146,14:11:23,52.237980,000.520791,33156,0000,10,2A412A32,45*64 | 14:11:23: N52.237980 E000.520791 33156M (10 satellites), Internal: 32.5'C, External: 25.0'C
$$A1,10147,14:11:24,52.238000,000.520976,33158,0000,09,2A412A32,45*6D | 14:11:24: N52.238000 E000.520976 33158M (09 satellites), Internal: 32.5'C, External: 25.0'C
$$A1,10148,14:11:25,52.238026,000.521156,33155,0000,09,2A412A32,45*61 | 14:11:25: N52.238026 E000.521156 33155M (09 satellites), Internal: 32.5'C, External: 25.0'C
$$A1,10149,14:11:26,52.238075,000.521343,33147,0000,09,2A412A32,45*60 | 14:11:26: N52.238075 E000.521343 33147M (09 satellites), Internal: 32.5'C, External: 25.0'C

Giving us a highest achieved altitude of 33.158KM: which is (at the time of blogging) third place in the UKHAS UK Records.

Furthermore, the full flight logs from power on to landing are available here, decoded & annotated here, and gnuplot graphs of various metrics are available below.

Here comes the slow trickle of photos from ALIEN-1. We thought this one was quite interesting, since it appears to have a runway through the cloud, in the lower middle.

What do you think?

$$A1,09666,14:03:22,52.226133,000.377006,29944,0000,09,223B2216,45*1C | 14:03:22: N52.226133 E000.377006 29944M (09 satellites), Internal: 29.5'C, External: 11.0'C

This image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales Licence

The Payload data (and an annotated decode of what it means) for the second that this photo was taken is pasted below
$$A1,10210,14:12:27,52.240798,000.540368,29694,0000,07,2B42ABFF,45*15 | 14:12:27: N52.240798 E000.540368 29694M (07 satellites), Internal: 33.0'C, External: 0.5'C

This image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales Licence

Dl-Fldigi Version “1″ (Tried, tested and reccomended)

• Windows: http://dl-fldigi.googlecode.com/files/dlfldigi-3.11.4r85-vista.zip
• Linux: https://launchpad.net/~simrunbasuita/+archive/dl-fldigi
• Mac OSX (Tiger): http://dl-fldigi.googlecode.com/files/dl-fldigi-3.11.4-r86-intel-tiger.dmg
• Mac OSX (Leopard): http://dl-fldigi.googlecode.com/files/fldigi-3.11.4.dmg

Dl-Fldigi Version 2 (NOT RECOMMENDED: Beta, but better)

• Windows: http://github.com/downloads/danielrichman/dl-fldigi-windows-build/dl-fldigi~2-3.20.0b9_setup.exe
• Ubuntu: http://ukhas.org.uk/projects:dl-fldigi:build-ubuntu
• Mac: You should be able to build using the Ubuntu install instructions provided you know how to use Macport

• Balloon – check
• Yagi – check
• GAFFA TAPE – CHECK
• Cable ties – check
• Bring extra batteries – check
• Top up phone – check
• Sheet to put on ground
• Umbrella
• Cameras – check
• Free lift weights (water bottles) – check
• 3G Dongles – check
• Car chargers for everything – check
• Glue gun & Glue – check
• Camera-activating Ruler – to turn the camera on once it’s in the box. Requires a long thin rod, like a ruler. – check
• Coordinate-entry-supporting srs Handheld GPS Receiver – check
• Turn by turn car Satnav – check

Last but most certainly not least:

• Food.

EDIT: That’s Sunday 2nd May.