FlightWall

A CircuitPython-powered flight tracking display for Adafruit Matrix Portal M4 that shows overhead aircraft information on a 32x32 RGB LED matrix.

Features

• Live Aircraft Tracking: Displays real-time overhead aircraft information
• Scrolling Text: Aircraft descriptions scroll smoothly for full visibility
• Boot Animation: Aircraft bitmap flies across screen during startup
• Auto-Refresh: Cycles through 5 aircraft every 10 seconds, refreshes data every 50 seconds
• WiFi Status: Visual feedback for connection status and errors
• Compact Display: Optimized for 32x32 LED matrix with 3 lines of information:
  • Line 1: Airline/Operator (Green)
  • Line 2: Aircraft Type (Yellow, scrolls if long)
  • Line 3: Flight Callsign + Route (Blue, scrolls if long)

Hardware Required

Core Components

• Adafruit Matrix Portal M4 - Main controller board
• 32x32 RGB LED Matrix Panel - 4mm Pitch - Display panel
• USB-C Cable - For programming and power

Optional Accessories

• Acrylic Diffusion Panel - Softens LED appearance
• Matrix Portal Case - Protective enclosure

Flight Data Source

This project requires a local flight data API endpoint that provides aircraft information in JSON format. The display fetches data from:

http://YOUR_LOCAL_IP/api/flight_data/sign.php

Expected JSON structure:

{
  "aircraft": [
    {
      "flight": "EZY65FJ",
      "desc": "AIRBUS A-319",
      "ownOp": "easyJet",
      "route": "LGW-EDI",
      "alt_baro": 22625
    }
  ]
}

i currently supply planefinder and use the client web ui to the flight data with a mixture of two other apis to get operator and destinations.

Installation

1. Prepare Hardware

• Connect the LED matrix to Matrix Portal M4 following Adafruit's guide
• Connect USB-C cable to Matrix Portal M4

2. Install CircuitPython

1. Download CircuitPython for Matrix Portal M4
2. Flash CircuitPython to the board following Adafruit's instructions

3. Install FlightWall

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/random-robbie/flightwall.git

2. Copy files to your Matrix Portal M4 (appears as CIRCUITPY drive):

   cp flightwall/code.py /Volumes/CIRCUITPY/
   cp -r flightwall/lib/* /Volumes/CIRCUITPY/lib/

3. Configure WiFi settings:

   cp flightwall/settings.toml.example /Volumes/CIRCUITPY/settings.toml

   Edit settings.toml with your WiFi credentials:

   CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your_network_name"
   CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your_network_password"
   timezone = "Europe/London"

4. Update Flight Data URL

Edit code.py line 146 to point to your flight data API:

response = network.fetch("http://YOUR_LOCAL_IP/api/flight_data/sign.php")

Usage

1. Power on the Matrix Portal M4
2. Watch the boot animation as it connects to WiFi
3. The display will show overhead aircraft information:
   • Each aircraft displays for 10 seconds
   • Cycles through up to 5 aircraft
   • Refreshes data every 50 seconds
   • Long text scrolls automatically

Console Output

The device outputs detailed information to the serial console:

Connecting to WiFi and fetching flight data...
Found 5 aircraft (showing first 5)
--- Aircraft 1/5 ---
Operator: easyJet
Aircraft: AIRBUS A-319
Flight:   EZY65FJ LGW-EDI

Troubleshooting

Connection Issues

• "CONNECTING RETRY...": Check WiFi credentials in settings.toml
• "NETWORK ERROR": Verify flight data API is accessible
• "NO AIRCRAFT": API returned empty aircraft list

Display Issues

• Blank screen: Check power connections and CircuitPython installation
• Garbled text: Verify all required libraries are in /lib folder

API Issues

• "JSON ERROR": Check API response format matches expected structure
• "BAD RESPONSE": API endpoint may be down or unreachable

Configuration

Display Timing

AIRCRAFT_DISPLAY_TIME = 10  # Seconds each aircraft is shown
SCROLL_SPEED = 0.5         # Seconds between scroll updates

Colors

# Line colors (RGB hex)
text1.color = 0x00FF00  # Green (Operator)
text2.color = 0xFFFF00  # Yellow (Aircraft)
text3.color = 0x0000FF  # Blue (Flight/Route)

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Inspired by smartbutnot/flightportal
• Built with Adafruit CircuitPython
• Hardware from The Pi Hut

Support

For issues and questions:

• Open an issue
• Check Adafruit's learning guides