This open-source project provides firmware for an ESP32-C3 Super Mini connected to a 1.28″ round GC9A01 display, creating a sonar-style aircraft radar that visualizes live ADS-B data from adsb.fi around the user's location. The device features WiFiManager for easy initial configuration via a captive portal and allows users to cycle through range presets or reset network credentials using hardware buttons.
- Visualizes aircraft with red heading triangles, magenta speed vectors, and callsign tags.
- Supports runway overlays from major airports based on OurAirports data.
- Displays "rim dots" for approaching aircraft located outside the current radar ring but within range of ADS-B data.
- Uses NVS to persist user settings like latitude, longitude, units (mi/km), and WiFi credentials.
- Visualizes aircraft with red heading triangles, magenta speed vectors, and callsign tags.
- Supports runway overlays from major airports based on OurAirports data.
- Displays "rim dots" for approaching aircraft located outside the current radar ring but within range of ADS-B data.
- Uses NVS to persist user settings like latitude, longitude, units (mi/km), and WiFi credentials.
ppoinha writes a project for the ESP32 Cheap Yellow Display (CYD) that functions as a real-time aircraft tracker, rendering a live radar Plan Position Indicator (PPI) on its 2.8-inch touchscreen. The application displays nearby aircraft details such as callsigns and flight levels, provides weather information via Open-Meteo, and includes a built-in web server for remote configuration of location and search radius.
- Utilizes the ESP32's dual-core architecture to handle API calls on Core 0 while maintaining smooth UI rendering on Core 1.
- Integrates data from OpenSky Network for ADS-B states and hexdb.io for ICAO route lookups.
- Features a scrollable list of the five closest flights along with real-time system statistics like WiFi RSSI and free RAM.
- Utilizes the ESP32's dual-core architecture to handle API calls on Core 0 while maintaining smooth UI rendering on Core 1.
- Integrates data from OpenSky Network for ADS-B states and hexdb.io for ICAO route lookups.
- Features a scrollable list of the five closest flights along with real-time system statistics like WiFi RSSI and free RAM.
Tom Nardi writes that Mateusz Juszczyk has created a desktop gadget called ESP32-Plane-Radar, which uses an ESP32-C3 Super Mini and a round GC9A01 display to visualize aircraft movement. Rather than using actual radar hardware, the device connects via WiFi to adsb.fi to pull crowdsourced Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) flight data, creating a professional-looking circular radar display that reflects real-world local airspace activity.
- The project features a minimalistic 3D printed enclosure for its components.
- A web-based configuration interface is included for easier setup via WiFi.
- Despite the name, it does not sniff ADS-B signals directly from radio waves but uses internet data instead.
- The project features a minimalistic 3D printed enclosure for its components.
- A web-based configuration interface is included for easier setup via WiFi.
- Despite the name, it does not sniff ADS-B signals directly from radio waves but uses internet data instead.
socquique writes of Capsule Radar, a live ADS-B aircraft radar designed for the Waveshare ESP32-S3-Touch-AMOLED series (1.75 and 1.43 inch round displays). The software pulls real-time flight data via WiFi to plot nearby aircraft on various visual themes like Phosphor or Orb, offering touch interaction for detailed flight information such as routes and altitude.
- Supports browser-based flashing via ESP Web Tools
- Includes a native SDL2 desktop simulator for testing without hardware
- Features automated route lookups using adsbdb
- Provides "face-down" sleep mode triggered by the onboard IMU
- Compatible with Waveshare's 1.75 and 1.43 AMOLED boards
- Supports browser-based flashing via ESP Web Tools
- Includes a native SDL2 desktop simulator for testing without hardware
- Features automated route lookups using adsbdb
- Provides "face-down" sleep mode triggered by the onboard IMU
- Compatible with Waveshare's 1.75 and 1.43 AMOLED boards
Alex-developer writes about a standalone aircraft radar firmware designed for Waveshare ESP32-P4 round touch displays. The system connects to WiFi to fetch live ADS-B traffic, visualizing it on 3.4-inch or 4-inch screens with features like range rings, altitude color coding, airport markers, and weather overlays. It operates independently without needing a Raspberry Pi or an active browser once configured via its built-in admin web page or touch interface.
- Supports both the 720x720 (4") and 800x800 (3.4") Waveshare LCD variants from a single firmware image
- Integrates with multiple data sources including Airplanes.live, ADSB.lol, and local feeds like readsb/dump1090
- Features an optional web-based admin interface for configuration of location, display settings, and WiFi
- Can include aircraft detail popups with PlaneSpotters photo thumbnails via touch input
- Supports optional hardware additions such as a USB GPS receiver or a secondary SSD1306 status OLED
- Supports both the 720x720 (4") and 800x800 (3.4") Waveshare LCD variants from a single firmware image
- Integrates with multiple data sources including Airplanes.live, ADSB.lol, and local feeds like readsb/dump1090
- Features an optional web-based admin interface for configuration of location, display settings, and WiFi
- Can include aircraft detail popups with PlaneSpotters photo thumbnails via touch input
- Supports optional hardware additions such as a USB GPS receiver or a secondary SSD1306 status OLED
theleestarr writes an open-source ESP32 firmware designed for 1.28″ round displays that functions as a sonar-style radar showing live ADS-B aircraft data around a user's location. The project is compatible with the Waveshare ESP32-S3-LCD-1.28 and can also be used with an ESP32-C3 Super Mini paired with an external GC9A01 display.
- Uses live traffic from adsb.fi
- Features selectable range scales (5, 10, 15, or 25 km) via the BOOT button
- Provides optional runway overlays for major airports
- Includes a sonar-style UI with aircraft symbols, callsigns, and altitude data
- Uses live traffic from adsb.fi
- Features selectable range scales (5, 10, 15, or 25 km) via the BOOT button
- Provides optional runway overlays for major airports
- Includes a sonar-style UI with aircraft symbols, callsigns, and altitude data
tzapu writes about WiFiManager, an Espressif ESPx WiFi connection manager featuring a fallback web configuration portal. The library allows devices like the ESP8266 and ESP32 to automatically enter Access Point mode if they cannot connect to a saved network, enabling users to configure credentials via a captive web portal from any device with a browser.
- Supports both ESP8266 and ESP32 platforms
- Features a captive portal that redirects all traffic to the configuration page
- Includes support for custom parameters beyond SSID and password (e.g., MQTT settings)
- Provides language switching options including German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Brazilian Portuguese
- Supports on-demand configuration portals via a trigger pin or software command
- Supports both ESP8266 and ESP32 platforms
- Features a captive portal that redirects all traffic to the configuration page
- Includes support for custom parameters beyond SSID and password (e.g., MQTT settings)
- Provides language switching options including German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Brazilian Portuguese
- Supports on-demand configuration portals via a trigger pin or software command
Waveshare offers a long-wave infrared thermal imaging camera module designed for Raspberry Pi and other platforms, featuring an 80×62 pixel array using hybrid microbolometer and thermopile technology. The device can generate thermal images by converting field of view data into surface temperature readings and is suitable for various industrial and intelligent control applications like motion detection or heat trend analysis. It is available in two main formats: a HAT version with a 40-pin GPIO header and a USB version with a Type-C port, both offering options for basic (45° FOV) or wide-angle (90° FOV) lenses.
- Features an 80x62 pixel array with a shutterless design for continuous video streaming up to 25 FPS.
- Provides a Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference (NETD) of 150mK RMS at a 1Hz refresh rate.
- Supports temperature measurements ranging from -20°C to 400°C with an accuracy of ±2℃ in ambient temperatures between 10-70°C.
- Compatible with Raspberry Pi boards (including Zero and 5), Windows PCs, and Android phones via the respective connector versions.
- Features an 80x62 pixel array with a shutterless design for continuous video streaming up to 25 FPS.
- Provides a Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference (NETD) of 150mK RMS at a 1Hz refresh rate.
- Supports temperature measurements ranging from -20°C to 400°C with an accuracy of ±2℃ in ambient temperatures between 10-70°C.
- Compatible with Raspberry Pi boards (including Zero and 5), Windows PCs, and Android phones via the respective connector versions.
Tyler August writes that the Cheap Yellow Display (CYD) ESP32 dev boards can be transformed into a Portable Digital Assistant, reminiscent of 1990s Palm devices. Rather than using an emulator, user sau412 developed custom firmware for the CYD that includes features like a Gopher browser, RSS and Wikipedia readers, various games, a BASIC interpreter, a calendar, calculator, contact list, ebook reader, and translator.
- The project can be set up in approximately five minutes using a web-based flasher.
- An SD card is required to test all the available applications.
- This project provides an alternative for those looking for Palm OS-style functionality on modern hardware without needing x86 or ARM emulators like Pumpkin OS.
- The project can be set up in approximately five minutes using a web-based flasher.
- An SD card is required to test all the available applications.
- This project provides an alternative for those looking for Palm OS-style functionality on modern hardware without needing x86 or ARM emulators like Pumpkin OS.
mediacutlet writes about pocket-tank, a project featuring a 14-million-parameter LLM that manages a virtual aquarium on an ESP32-S3 microcontroller. Distilled from a much larger 26-billion-parameter teacher model into a compact 7.56 MB file, the "brain" operates entirely offline without any network connection. The system uses a three-layer architecture consisting of a physics/reflex layer, an LLM advisor for decision-making (such as feeding or socializing), and a progression layer to manage long-term growth and life events like fish births and aging.
- The model is distilled from gemma4:26b into the smaller student version.
- Decisions made by the LLM are implemented via a reflex layer running at 25–30 frames per second.
- It supports an "installer" that allows users to flash firmware directly through a web browser using Web Serial.
- The project includes a PC simulator and support for QEMU emulation of the ESP32 hardware.
- The model is distilled from gemma4:26b into the smaller student version.
- Decisions made by the LLM are implemented via a reflex layer running at 25–30 frames per second.
- It supports an "installer" that allows users to flash firmware directly through a web browser using Web Serial.
- The project includes a PC simulator and support for QEMU emulation of the ESP32 hardware.
