Getting Started

Getting Started

From an empty desk to live aircraft in about ten minutes.

1. Get a board

Any board from the Supported Boards list works. If you are buying one specifically for this project:

• Waveshare ESP32-S3-Touch-LCD-7 (7", about $35) is the original target and the best-tested option.
• Guition JC8048W550 (5", about $20) is the budget pick.
• Waveshare ESP32-S3-Touch-LCD-7B (7", 1024x600) has the sharpest panel and real brightness control.

You also need a USB-C cable that carries data (some charge-only cables will not enumerate a serial port).

2. Flash from the browser

1. Open the browser installer in Chrome or Edge (Safari and Firefox do not support WebSerial).
2. Click the install button for your board.
3. For a first install, check Erase device in the dialog. For updates later, leave it unchecked and your settings survive.
4. Pick the serial port when prompted and wait a few minutes.

If no port shows up, try another cable or install the CH343 driver (most systems have it built in). No luck in the browser? Grab the -full.bin for your board from the latest release and flash at offset 0x0 with esptool:

esptool.py --chip esp32s3 -b 230400 write_flash 0x0 esp32flight-vX.Y.Z-full.bin

(Tab5 is an ESP32-P4: use --chip esp32p4.)

3. First boot: Wi-Fi

The device boots into the flight list saying it has no network. Tap the gear icon (top right), and on the Network tab pick your Wi-Fi from the scan list and type the password. 2.4 GHz networks only, the ESP32-S3 has no 5 GHz radio. Tap Save, the device restarts and connects.

4. Location

By default the device locates itself by IP address, which is usually city-accurate. If it guessed wrong, or you want the radar centered elsewhere:

• Settings > Location > City search: type any city name and pick a result, or
• type an airport code (ICAO or IATA, e.g. EDDF or FRA) to center exactly on an airport, or
• turn off Auto location (IP) and enter latitude and longitude by hand.

Set the Search radius (1 to 250 NM) to taste. 50 NM around a hub gives a constantly busy screen; 250 NM in a quiet area still catches the high traffic.

5. Done, now make it yours

• Screens: what each view shows and how to move between them
• Settings: filters, themes, units, night mode
• Layers: add the ISS, weather balloons, ships or airspace zones
• Integrations: push alerts to your phone or into Home Assistant
• Web Panel: open http://esp32flight.local on your computer

The USB cable is only ever needed for the first flash. Everything else, including firmware updates, works over Wi-Fi.