System design

The Avionics panel needs a few premises to be used.

• 5V power supply over MikroUSB connector
• Ethernet network for communication
• automatic IP v4 address assignment via DHCP
• Panel software

These necessary conditions can be met by the following devices:

• USB plug-in power supply unit, USB hub with external power supply or USB port of the PC
• Ethernet switch provides the node between the Avionics panel and the PC
• DHCP server for automatic address assignment. A Router that provides an Internet connection and WLAN has an integrated DHCP server. This assigns IP addresses to new devices in the network. Such a router does not need an internet connection to make the DHCP function usable. Usually an Ethernet switch is integrated, which is sufficient for first tests.
• Alternatively, DHCP software can be installed on the Windows PC that implements such an IP address assignment.
• SimConnect client or the X-Plane plugin serves as panel software.

Schematic of a wired network with the Arduino panel

Das WIFI-Panel needs a few premises to be used.

• 5V power supply over MikroUSB connector
• Wifi network with WPA2 encryption for communication
• Router with WPS function for login in WLAN and DHCP server for IP address assignment
• Panel software

With a router that implements a wifi network, the prerequisites for communication are usually met. Routers usually have the WPS function to establish the radio connection of a new device to the router within a short period of time (e.g., 2 minutes) without having to enter the SSID and password on the device. Subsequently, the IP address assignment takes place via the DHCP function.

SimConnect client or the X-Plane plugin serves as panel software.