How to manage signal delay with RT2

[brooklyn666]

I'm looking for some advice on how you guys manage signal delay with RT2, especially with RSS/RO. I know mechjeb and the onboard flight computer can execute pre-programmed maneuvers, but what about things like deployment and staging?

Say I've got a lander on it's way to a Duna aerocapture. Before entry interface, I need to make sure the cruise stage is jettisoned, the antennas and solar panels are stowed, and the craft is in the proper attitude. Then the heat shield needs to be jettisoned, the chutes deployed, and the landing thrusters activated. Then after landing, the solar panels have to be re-deployed, and the antennas activated. All of this has to happen in the correct order, at the correct time, and all out of real-time contact. So how do you guys do that?

Edited January 18, 2014 by brooklyn666

[Deathsoul097]

MJ can autostage, but I don't know if it can activate anything other than panels and legs while landing.

[WafflesToo]

Open the cfg file, find the line that says SIGNALDELAY and set it to "false"

Seriously though, this sounds like a doozy. I know IRL probes use a combination of sensors and preprogrammed executions. I know there's a moout there that is supported by RT2 that can do it. I think it's KOS? Anyway, check out RTs front page, it should be listed there

[brooklyn666]

MJ can autostage, but I don't know if it can activate anything other than panels and legs while landing.

I know it can do that, but I don't think it can stage in the correct order, but it's not great at timing, and AFAIK it can't toggle action groups. Especially in my case, as I'm early on in Medieval Nerd's tech tree, which limits mechjeb's abilities.

Open the cfg file, find the line that says SIGNALDELAY and set it to "false"

Seriously though, this sounds like a doozy. I know IRL probes use a combination of sensors and preprogrammed executions. I know there's a moout there that is supported by RT2 that can do it. I think it's KOS? Anyway, check out RTs front page, it should be listed there

I know I *could* do that, but it feels like cheating! As far as Kos, I know it's out there, but I know it has problems with .23, and it's in programming language, which I don't understand.

[WafflesToo]

I know I *could* do that, but it feels like cheating! As far as Kos, I know it's out there, but I know it has problems with .23, and it's in programming language, which I don't understand.

Then I'm afraid you may be doomed. The only way I can think of to do something as complex as you're wanting to do is by scripting a program to do it :/ Preferably by tying it to barometer data to give it some amount of margin of error.

Sorry I couldn't help. Maybe someone else knows some trick that might help. Good luck.

[Soda Popinski]

RT2 handles action groups fine, as far as I can tell. I'd write down the list of things to do, with the time intervals in between. Determine when you need everything to start, and set your total time delay in the RT2 Flight Computer (click the green calculator, then on the >>), and start applying the commands in order, including attitude control using the RT2 flight control (node, prograde/retrograde...etc). Toughest part is the landing thrusters. Might be a job for Mechjeb.

One thing though, I think the attitude control may have been borked since the update.

Edit: Just watched this video, and found out you can also specify the amount of delta-v to burn, not just length of burn.

Edited January 18, 2014 by Soda Popinski

[brooklyn666]

RT2 handles action groups fine, as far as I can tell. I'd write down the list of things to do, with the time intervals in between. Determine when you need everything to start, and set your total time delay in the RT2 Flight Computer (click the green calculator, then on the >>), and start applying the commands in order, including attitude control using the RT2 flight control (node, prograde/retrograde...etc). Toughest part is the landing thrusters. Might be a job for Mechjeb.

One thing though, I think the attitude control may have been borked since the update.

Edit: Just watched this video, and found out you can also specify the amount of delta-v to burn, not just length of burn.

I'm pretty sure I can make it work with this. Thanks! I didn't know it could do all of that stuff.