flyradar/README.md

Eiswolfs Flightradar (CYD)

A live ADS-B flight radar running on the ESP32 "Cheap Yellow Display" (CYD, ESP32-2432S028), showing nearby aircraft on a rotating radar screen with altitude/speed/model/route details and a proximity LED alert.

Features

• Live radar screen – circular radar view, sized to the full screen width, with a rotating green sweep line
• Real ADS-B data via the free adsb.fi API, refreshed every 8 seconds
• Color-coded aircraft by altitude (green <10k ft, yellow 10-30k ft, red >30k ft) with an on-screen legend
• Tap an aircraft to open a detail panel: callsign, airline, aircraft model (via hexdb.io), altitude/speed/distance/heading in both metric and aviation units, estimated seat count
• Adjustable range (10/25/50/100 km) via on-screen button
• Touch-driven WiFi setup and on-screen keyboard for first-time configuration, with up to 3 saved networks (see WiFi Manager below)
• Location presets – save up to 3 fixed locations, or point the radar at any place in the world (see Location Presets below)
• IP-based geolocation (no GPS module needed) to center the radar on your location
• Proximity LED alert – the onboard RGB LED blinks green when an aircraft is within 3 km (no speaker on this board, so this replaces an audible alert)
• Dual-core design – all networking (WiFi, ADS-B polling, aircraft detail lookups) runs on Core 0, while the display and touch input run on Core 1, so the UI never freezes during a network request
• Data (airline names, aircraft-type seat estimates) loaded from CSV files on the SD card, auto-seeded on first boot
• 6 languages (English, German, French, Turkish, Spanish, Italian), selectable on first boot or anytime from the menu

Feature Deep-Dive

📍 Location Presets

By default the device figures out where it is automatically (via IP geolocation). Under Menu → Flight Options → Location Presets you can additionally save up to 3 fixed locations and switch between them.

Good to know: only one location is ever active at a time – either "Auto" or exactly one of the 3 presets. Tap an entry to make it the active one.

The actual trick: you don't have to enter your own location there – you can enter the coordinates of any place in the world and the radar will show the live air traffic there instead, regardless of where your device physically is.

Examples:

• Enter the coordinates of Milan-Malpensa Airport (45.6306, 8.7281) and watch the traffic there while sitting at home.
• Save home, workplace, and a holiday house as 3 presets and switch between them with a single tap, without waiting for IP geolocation to re-run each time.
• More precise than IP geolocation (which is often only accurate to city level) – handy if the device lives permanently at one fixed spot and you know its exact coordinates.

A "?" info button right on the Location Presets screen explains all of this again directly on the device.

📶 WiFi Manager (up to 3 saved networks)

Under Menu → WiFi/Network you can save up to 3 WiFi networks at once (not just one). On boot, the device automatically connects to whichever one it can currently see.

Why would you need 3 networks if you're only ever in one place?

• Portable use: take the device to the office, a friend's place, or a holiday home, and it connects automatically everywhere without re-entering passwords each time.
• Guest network + main network: many routers offer separate guest and main WiFi networks – save both, and the device just uses whichever is reachable.
• Multiple access points/repeaters: if you have several access points around the house (e.g. living room + workshop), the device automatically connects to whichever saved network it can currently reach.

Any saved network can be removed again at any time via the red "X", freeing up a slot for a new one.

Hardware

• ESP32-2432S028 ("Cheap Yellow Display", CYD) – ILI9341 2.8" 240x320 touch TFT
• microSD card (FAT32) for settings, WiFi credentials, and lookup tables
• No GPS, no speaker required – uses IP geolocation and the onboard RGB LED

Pinout used

Function	Pins
TFT (VSPI)	MISO=12, MOSI=13, SCLK=14, CS=15, DC=2, BL=21
Touch (XPT2046)	CLK=25, CS=33, MOSI=32, MISO=39, IRQ=36
microSD (HSPI)	CLK=18, MISO=19, MOSI=23, CS=5
RGB LED (active-low)	R=4, G=16, B=17

Getting started

1. Flash with PlatformIO (platform = espressif32, board = esp32dev, framework = arduino)
2. Insert a FAT32-formatted microSD card
3. On first boot: touch-calibrate the screen, then select your WiFi network and enter the password using the on-screen keyboard
4. The radar screen appears automatically once WiFi and location are ready

Data sources

• Aircraft positions: adsb.fi (free, no API key)
• Aircraft model lookups: hexdb.io (free, community-maintained, rate-limited)
• Location: ip-api.com (free IP geolocation)

Disclaimer

Aircraft model and seat-count data are estimates from community databases and local lookup tables, not live/official figures. This project is for hobby use and is not intended for navigation or safety-critical purposes.

License

MIT (or add your preferred license here)