XC Soar Flarm Interface

[Moffrestorer]

Both XC Soar and XC Soar TE programs currently seem to lack any means for filtering altitude of traffic targets. This feature has been discussed previously on this and the XCS forums.

I've been experimenting with an old android phone, which has XCS installed. It works quite well and could provide useful confirmation of PAW audible alerts without the need for subscription Nav software.

Today, I decided to lodge a "Development Ticket" request to XCS to incorporate a user settable altitude filter into the program to declutter the Flarm display from targets that would otherwise pose no risk. The request has been assigned a "low priority" by the moderator, but one can live in hope. Could help in promoting acceptance of PAW amongst the gliding community. Hopefully also be helpful to certain members of our syndicate who use Garmin or no tablet based GPS Nav program to receive visual traffic alerts using the old android phone that I've set up in addition to the voice alerts.

[Paul_Sengupta]

It would also be nice in XC Soar if there were an option to select the relative altitude for the targets, rather than rate of climb/descent.

They may have done that now, though probably not. I asked on the forum about a year ago!

[exfirepro]

Hi Chris,

I have just been playing about with XCSoar (for the first time) after loading and setting it up on my Nexus last night, so haven't yet got my head fully to grips with the various settings and options. I note your comments re lack of a vertical separation filter.
 
Paul,

The aircraft displayed on the 'Nav screen' show what seems to be 'vario' climb/descent rate, which I initially mistook for relative altitude and found quite confusing. If you bring up the 'radar screen' as the main screen, this shows 'Relative Altitude' at the bottom right corner for whichever aircraft is selected, though presumably this is the way it has always worked and you were asking for the option to change what is displayed on the 'Main Screen', am I right?

Regards

Peter

[Paul_Sengupta]

Yes, that's correct.

Threads here:

https://forum.xcsoar.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2383

https://forum.xcsoar.org/viewtopic.php?p=11888#p11888

If anyone else wants to try XC Soar, I think the instructions are in the general PilotAware instructions now, but otherwise I wrote a guide here:

http://forum.pilotaware.com/index.php?topic=212.0

This also has the first spot of the altitude problems.

[exfirepro]

Thanks Paul, I will have a read.

As you know, I normally use SD, but wanted to try XCS as I have a mate who is now becoming really interested in PAW but doesn't want the hassle/expense of a big tablet / subscription nav system. XCS is looking 'useful' so far though definitely nowhere near as refined as the likes of SD, etc.

Regards

Peter

[Moffrestorer]

Hi Peter and Paul,

I was intending to use only the XCS "full screen radar display" to display PAW traffic. This screen does give relative altitude of the particular traffic contact that you select (by "touching" the contact where depicted on screen). The altitude is then displayed in the LH corner of the screen and the contact turns blue colour to denote the traffic you selected. Contacts that remain at a greater distance than the outer range ring, remain on that ring at an appropriate bearing to you. If the distance reduces, they enter the ring and if they enter the height band you set within PAW Configuration page, they turn red colour. Great so far (though the action of selecting traffic could detract from your external visual scan, so best only do this for anything that is likely to become a threat). The problem as I see it is that there is currently no means within XCS to filter the altitude of contacts that you want displayed. So all of the CAT flying at 10's of thousands of feet will be displayed causing "clutter" in normal use.

It's no good asking for enhancements or changes via the XCS forum discussion pages as these seem to be ignored unless a "development ticket" is raised. The correct route is to register a "ticket" via the Development section of the forum, which then links you on to a different web-site.

Regards,

Chris

[exfirepro]

Thanks Chris,

That description pretty well sums up my findings so far. As I say, not sure I will use it myself (except for development), though I know Lee has run it on a Kobo Mini and I was very impressed by the sunlight readability, though less so by the 'limitations' of operating only in black and white.

Have you tried submitting a 'development ticket' yourself?

Regards

Peter

[Deker]

On my Christmas wish list to Father PAW, being a good boy this year,  I would like (please) a small APP to run on my phone which would show a "radar display" similar to the ages old BBC Elite game.
That display (bottom centre of the screenshot) showed the relative azimuth and elevation of a bogey, which I think would be far superior to the 2D plan view you see on SD or SCS.

I'd run the SD NAV on the tablet and have the phone mounted at the very front of the dash to show an uncluttered traffic only display.

What do you think?

Deker.

[exfirepro]

'Santa' Lee,

A 3D radar screen.... Now there's a challenge!! 

Peter

[Paul_Sengupta]

Funny thing, when first thinking of traffic displays some years ago, I actually thought of the Elite style "radar" for a display! 

Maybe we should ask Tim at Sky Demon to incorporate it at the bottom of the screen whenever traffic is received, in a similar way to what XC Soar does. Maybe the XC Soar developers will be able to do similar. Go on, raise a development ticket for it! 

Other than that, a standalone app should be relatively easy to write if one is an app developer.

Of course the other thing is that if one is a Raspberry Pi programmer you could incorporate a graphical output on the Pi's screen so you could hitch up a display. I asked about this in the early days but don't think Lee was too keen... 

[Deker]

Funny thing, when first thinking of traffic displays some years ago, I actually thought of the Elite style "radar" for a display! 

Paul we're thinking alike so must have great minds
With an Elite style display, it would be be very quick to see which aircraft was the greatest threat, without the need to read the relative heights off SD for example.
Using a phone to show just traffic (positioned more in the line of sight so can be part of the usual visual scan) would also help, as I find it takes a few seconds to see then distinguish aircraft from the general background map detail on SD.
No other hardware needed.
ATB
Deker

[James Rose]

Deker lent me a PAW box and I managed to make this prototype elite styled radar app, more info coming soon.

[Moffrestorer]

Hi Jamesterjim,

I'm not familiar with the BBC Elite game (my yoof wasn't totally misspent)!

On your display the green boxes will be the intruder aircraft but is the green line the aircraft flight "trail" or, as they are differing length, an indication of relative height from the yellow target?

Is the intruder location in azimuth denoted by the position of the plain end of the green line on the range ring surface?

If you had an intruder below your level, would the square box be at the lower end of the green line? If considered a threat, would the box and line change colour?

Looking good!

Regards,

Chris

[James Rose]

Hi Moffrestorer,

The green line is the relative altitude between you and the plane, the longer the line, larger the vertical separation, this screenshot should make it easier to see how everything is being rendered



If the aircraft is below you then the line colour changes to blue, and if it is within the set warning distance it will flash. All of this will be configurable though.

Is the intruder location in azimuth denoted by the position of the plain end of the green line on the range ring surface?

Yes, this is correct

[Keithvinning]

Hi Jim
Good innovative stuff.
Great minds think alike but not necessarily at the same time and with the same results 😉
See you at the show?

Keith