Raspberry Pi Monitor

[drvale]

Raspberry Pi now have a 7” Display that connects directly with the Raspberry Pi Display connector, not the HDMI connector. It uses a fast DSI transfer rate with next to nothing EMI. So question is if this is connected to the PilotAware Pi Display connector can this then be used as a traffic display using the 'Radar' selection. I already have RS232 (via USB) working just fine and also WiFi to SkyDemon but I have some real estate spare on my panel and just having the radar display could be useful. Would it affect what is sent to the RS232 and WiFi?

[Ian Melville]

The Radar requires a browser that supports Javascript, as no browser is supplied in the PAW package, so no it will not work. Could it be made to work? possibly, but I think there may be too much load on the CPU. I would prefer to use a second RPi running an OS that supports a browser and Javascript, to connect through WiFi.

[drvale]

OK, makes sense. Would it also work with an Ethernet cable between the two RPi’s? Or does that knock out the WiFi from the PAW? It might be more economical to just buy a cheap Android tablet though.

[highfive]

Hi, I was having thoughts along similar lines a few weeks ago, except I wanted to make a small, portable, all-in-one box that I can sit on top of the panel (without impinging on the outside view).

Obviously, the 7-inch display is too big for that, so I bought one of these:

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/UGEEK-Raspberry-Pi-3-5-inch-800-480-60fps-TFT-Screen-HD-HighSpeed-LCD-Module-3/1954241_32672157641.html

Which is supposed to be high resolution and sunlight readable. I've tried it with a browser running radar view and it is just about usable. I'm planning to write a bit of software to basically show the same thing as the radar display, but with slightly larger symbols and text.

I'd go along with what Ian says that it's better to run the display from a separate processor, firstly (for this stuff) I prefer to be nowhere near the processor capacity and secondly they are only £32. Also, this little display uses the same connector as the P3i radio so it would be a non-starter (I think) to piggy back it.

Having said all that, and as you suggest, using a tablet is probably the best option, especially coupled with all the advantages of Sky Demon or similar. The only reason I considered this, is that I use JeppView mobile FlightDeck sometimes which doesn't have the option to display traffic from PAW AFAIK.

[rv12uk]

I've been working on a standalone display for a while (actually not working on it as it's been on pause while waiting for a PAW unit). I have just received my PAW this weekend and have been back looking at it today (dusting off the bits for real).

My remit was to make it as small, cheap and light as possible while still providing a functional unit (it was more of a fun exercise in electronics than anything else) and it is only meant to point to the nearest target, not to display a 'radar' of targets.

I ended up using a small display with a ESP8266 programmable wifi module to receive, process and display the data. In my case it handles the processing and displaying ok.

This is using the smallest/cheapest ESP8266 you can get (<£2.00) instead of a Pi, the newer ones are faster with more memory I believe so they might be better for a more graphical intensive program as you are looking at.

I'm just mentioning it in case you want something a bit less bulky than a PI.

I did an updated video for it today (older videos of the 'bit's can be found under 'MTA') to show the display working with the live PAW unit.

[Ian Melville]

Cool, there are some clever clogs around here. Can it be made to indicate the range in both height and horizontal distance?

[rv12uk]

It shows range as the crow flies, when closer than 1km but the data in the previous video wasn't close enough. When under 1km a bar appears on the left side increasing in size until the distance is 0 (full bar).
I could change it to show horizontal and vertical bars to give a better feeling of where the target is. At the moment a small bar (1km away) could mean it is over head 1km above or the same height but 1km away horizontally. Not great but ok for now.

I don't know yet if all targets are captured or how it will deal with targets where there's no position data, I might need to do some more processing of the messages (it's possibly I'm not capturing all the ones needed at the moment, it is still in pre-beta stage ). I have just programmed it to look at the PFLAA and PFLAU targets and work out the closes from the x,y,z distances. If it looks like it will work in the real word then I will have a closer look at the data being processed.

This was more a hobby/fun project for myself. It could be useful for small aircraft though where the PAW is stuffed in the back somewhere and there isn't much space for a display. You could basically put it on a watchstrap with the size and weight of it

This video show the display and what the icons mean.


This one shows the ESP8266 and screen inside the early case (minus the latest one with lipo, charger and power regulator at this point). Just two items and a power source needed.


Using this method it should be scalable up to a larger screen/radar using the later versions of the modules, the size and weight would be constrained on the screen and battery as the modules are so small.

[GeoffreyC]

Cool, I like the video,  and in particular the simplicity of the way it presents.

Be interested to see how this develops.

Geoffrey

[rogellis]

I ended up using a small display with a ESP8266 programmable wifi module to receive, process and display the data. In my case it handles the processing and displaying ok.

This simple little display might be ideal for weight-shifts and hang-gliders. 

R

[rv12uk]

The light weight and small size is something I was aiming for, once I had decided to make something real out of the initial electrons project.

Once I have the aircraft flying (it's currently in the test flying stage) and have the PAW installed I will look at continuing the testing/development.

I'm currently pleased with the weight and size of the unit (it could be used on a wrist strap easily for weight-shifts etc), I also have some other ideas for a small display that I might get round to eventually.

A couple of people have asked if I plan on providing either kits or the parts/software/CAD files/instructions so they can have a play at making their own, I might do eventually but for now I'm still working on it.

The cost of parts for the whole lot is probably around £20, but to create a second one at the moment would take a few days work (most of that would be the 3d printing) so I need to work on that. A purchased case would be ideal but that would almost certainly make it larger.

I was planning on doing a video (possibly a couple) on how to make one but since youtube took away my 'YouTube Partner' status I felt a bit hard done by, and stopped doing videos for now.
I currently have 1460 hrs watched time on 232 videos I have up there with a total ad revenue of £52. This doesn't get payed out until I hit £60 (would be my first payout) and in 9 days time I lose my partner status so I have no chance of hitting that target.
The money is nothing compared to the time it takes to make the videos, but the principle of them just removing me with a months notice has pissed me of a bit. I might get over it or find another hosting site but for now I don't plan on putting any more videos on there.

As for doing kits and stuff I will wait and see what the end product ends up like (might be unusable) and see if anyone is interested. Then I can see if it is going to be worth it and decide the best way to do it. At the moment there isn't much to provide, the code isn't up to much and needs a fair bit of work to be reliable, I don't even know if is it showing the best target etc. Plus it only works with one type of screen at a time and you don't know which one you get until it arrives.
The CAD files I have only work with the current items I'm using and some of these are custom circuit boards I had made so that is also no use to anyone unless I supplied the boards I'm using (which are probably going to change).

If it turns out to work ok in real world use and someone wants one, I can look at making it simpler while keeping the cheap/small/light parameters and provide others with one (either by providing the software/CAD, parts kits or maybe making up some units). I doubt there would be many people interested in using one, most will just use a tablet.

If you might be interested let me know and also if you just want instructions on how to make one, code and CAD, parts, or a fully built one. It might never happen but if it does it would be good to know what to aim for when I start looking at it again.

[rv12uk]

I have started a new thread on the MTA display thing I have been working on to avoid clogging up other posts.

http://forum.pilotaware.com/index.php/topic,1179.msg13916.html

[exfirepro]

I ended up using a small display with a ESP8266 programmable wifi module to receive, process and display the data. In my case it handles the processing and displaying ok.

This simple little display might be ideal for weight-shifts and hang-gliders.  [My Edit P]

R

Damn Cheek Rog! (Only joking!) My weightshift has Full ADS-B Out via Mode S-ES, Direct Flarm In and Out and Pilotaware all combined and displayed on an iPad Mini.  Either Impresses or Confuses the hell out of ATC, when they advise me of traffic and I reply, 'Roger, I have it on my Traffic Display'....

Joking apart, Jon's device could certainly be a useful display for aircraft with limited (or no) panel space, such as Sub 70Kg, Hang or Para Gliders, Paramotors, etc.

Keep up the development Jon.

Regards

Peter

[GeoffreyC]

Damn Cheek Rog! (Only joking!) My weightshift has Full ADS-B Out via Mode S-ES, Direct Flarm In and Out and Pilotaware all combined and displayed on an iPad Mini.  Either Impresses or Confuses the hell out of ATC, when they advise me of traffic and I reply, 'Roger, I have it on my Traffic Display'....

Joking apart, Jon's device could certainly be a useful display for aircraft with limited (or no) panel space, such as Sub 70Kg, Hang or Para Gliders, Paramotors, etc.

Out of interest, where do you mount your iPad Mini Peter?

I have a Quantum,  an Airbox Aware on a mount on my knee with mapboard below.   I found there was limited space for a separate pilot aware display.    I tried with an iPad mini and a 9" Android tablet, and both would obscure one or more dials or the compass.
I ended up with a Moto G Android mobile, mounted on an 'extension' panel to the left of the front strut.  It fits inside the windscreen OK and is fine for Pilot Aware Radar.   

Maybe a single all-in display would be the way forward, probably have to bite the bullet and get Skydemon,  but I do quite like Airbox Aware as it does the job perfectly.

Geoffrey

[exfirepro]

H Geoffrey,

My iPad mini is mounted off the front strut on a Ram Mount, see https://www.ram-mount.co.uk  I currently use a 1.25" U-bolt with 1" diameter 'B' ball (RAM-B-231Z) on the front strut, tightened very carefully to avoid tube damage. Other alternatives I have seen used include the Mount V Base with 1" Ball and Straps (RAM-B-108B), which wasn't available when I first bought my setup. By using a Jubilee Clip, rather than a 'U bolt' it is much less likely to damage the strut, or I might even be tempted to go for one of their 'Brand New' 'Medium Tough-Claw Mounts' (RAP-B-404U) - again not available when I bought mine, though it might be a bit big.

My pad goes in a RAM 'Tab-tite' iPad Mini Holder (RAM-HOL-TAB2) which is never going to drop the tablet. Other mounts are available for specific tablets, but some of them look a bit flimsy, though AlanG uses one of the X -arm type for his Nexus 7 and hasn't had any problems.

It took a bit of fiddling to get the right length of double ended connecting arm to join the two sections so that the Pad sits just above the instruments without it being in danger of being hit by the Bar. I originally used a 'Long' Double-Socket Arm (RAM-B-201-C), but have since changed over to a Medium (RAM-B-201 - or you could use the slightly cheaper composite version RAP-B-201) which presents the tablet at a better angle.

Unfortunately, the pad has to go horizontally - it just won't fit vertically.

Take a look at the RAM website - they are a bit more expensive but will never move or drop your tablet, so well worth it in the long run.

Hope this helps

Regards

Peter