Using your Quasar
What sets the Quasar apart from other hobby rocketry flight computers is that it doesn’t use any
switches, jumpers, or cables to configure or download flight data. It’s all done over a WiFi
connection to your handheld device, using a common Internet browser. The pages have been
written very simply so that they do not require Java, Javascript, .NET, or any other scripting
language to operate… they’re all just simple HTML 1.1. The pages are simple text with minimal
formatting, and while they may not be particularly pretty they are very easy to read, and they
render virtually the same on every browser and platform we’ve tested.
About Browsers and OS’s…
All of the Quasar’s functions will work almost identically with just about any browser that you
use. Because of the differences in the way that browsers display things and handle downloaded
files, however, you may find that one browser works better than another with your particular
platform. Interestingly enough, some browsers are much faster than others… generally the ones
that are provided by the vendor. Go figure…
Individual notes regarding browser compatibility and device issues are in Appendix D.
Connecting to Your Quasar
Each Quasar has its own WiFi SSID network name, which is going to looks something like
Quasar_1a2b3c
The last 5 or 6 characters are derived from the unique MAC address of the Quasar’s WiFi
module, so they’re pretty much unique. The Quasar uses the WPA2-PSK WiFi connection
protocol, so you need to enter an 8-digit passkey to connect. The passkey is also derived from
the MAC address, so it’s different for each Quasar. The passkey for your Quasar is on a label on
the WiFi module’s packaging that you got when you built it. If you accidentally lose it, you can
also get it by connecting an Eggtimer USB-TTL data cable to the programming header. See the
Appendix for instructions on how to do this. We recommend that you put a label on top of the
WiFi module with the passkey, or on the side of your rocket… you’ll be glad you did at some
point.
To connect to your Quasar, hook up the battery and wait about 10 seconds for it to initialize.
You’ll hear some beeping as it goes through its self-test, and at the end of the beeps it should be
discoverable over WiFi. Go to the WiFi Settings on your handheld device, and browse the
wireless networks. You should see your Quasar listed as something like “Quasar_1a2b3c”.
Choose that network, and enter the 8-digit passkey when prompted. Hint: When asked, be sure
to check “save the password” and/or “connect automatically when in range”. This will keep you
from having to do this every time. Note that if you have multiple Quasar’s you might NOT want
to save the passkey… keep it handy by using a memo pad app on your device.
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