SkyView EZ
- Disclaimer
- Bill of materials
- Quick start
- Settings
- Buttons
- SD card
- Speaker
- Serial connection wiring
- Enclosure
- Two seater
- Storage
- Links
SkyView EZ shows traffic information provided by a FLARM NMEA or Garmin GDL90 data source device.
It is best suited to operate as a companion device for SoftRF hardware and it helps to visualize nearby traffic in a user friendly manner. It was also reported by builders that it operates with SkyEcho and PilotAware as well.
Data input is accepted over:
- "classic" serial interface ;
- Wi-Fi UDP connection ;
- Bluetooth SPP ;
- Bluetooth LE
This in-flight illustration shows one traffic object 5+ km left, behind and below of SoftRF & SkyView carrier aircraft:
The EZ is considered as a "quick build kit" that requires very basic skills from a builder to assemble a complete unit.
This SkyView's variant is based on third-party's hardware - TTGO T5S board, which is available for direct purchase from manufacturer at more or less reasonable price (30+ USD).
In general a lot of Chinese DIY electronics manufacturers are known to behave this way:
- sometimes they may not apply necessary Q.C. before releasing of a product from factory ;
- they may arbitrary change schematics and electronic components from one batch to the next one ;
- they may terminate manufacturing of a board just few month after initial production.
Because of that, author of SkyView:
- will reject any hardware related claims associated with TTGO T5S board. Ask for support from seller or manufacturer ;
- reserves the right to suspend or terminate support of TTGO T5S in the firmware at any time.
For the time being ( May '19 ) there were no critical hardware issues reported for current version of the T5S board. However things my change over the time...
If you have issues with bringing up your new TTGO T5S or just not happy with the board - be prepared to execute your Purchase Protection plan.
| Number | Part | Qty | Picture | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TTGO T5S B&W 2 | 1 | |
AliExpress 1 2 3 |
| 2 | 62x35x6 mm Li-Po battery 1450 mAh |
1 |  |
AliExpress 1 |
2 - 2-color (black and white) version of the T5S is the only one supported by SkyView's firmware.
SkyView EZ uses micro SD card to:
- retrieve aircraft's information, such as: registration number, tail/CN, make and model ;
- retrieve voice traffic alert files (stored in WAV format).
It also uses onboard I2S DAC IC to play the voice alerts. So, if you would like to use this feature - you will need to wire your TTGO T5S with 4 Ohm speaker.
| Number | Part | Qty | Picture | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | micro SD card | 1 |  |
Local |
| 4 | 4 Ohm speaker | 1 |  |
TBD |
When wired RS232 connection to some legacy NMEA or GDL90 equipment is necessary - one may consider to use this type of adapters.
It is also worth to mention, that with use of provided connection wires, SkyView EZ is able to operate together with a Bluetooth module.
| Number | Part | Qty | Picture | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | MAX3232 RS232 TTL adapter |
1 | |
AliExpress |
| 6 | Bluetooth HC-05 |
1 |  |
AliExpress |
Use these instructions to start operating with your delivered SkyView EZ board.
Description of Web UI settings is located here.
MODE
Short press and release - change view mode
Long press ( >2 sec. ) and release - soft power off
UP
Radar view - zoom out
Text view - previous aircraft info
DOWN
Radar view - zoom in
Text view - next aircraft info
RESET 3
3 - T5S V2.8: ON/OFF function is not applicable for this revision of the board;
T5S V1.9 and V2.1: do not press and hold RESET button down for 2 seconds or more - ON/OFF feature will no longer function until you disconnect/reconnect battery. Watch this video as an illustration.
Use these instructions on how to make a proper SD card for SkyView firmware.
Use pads 1 when you need to solder or pins 2 if you want to plug.
Example of connecting the EZ to a Dongle Edition: 
Associated Dongle pins mapping:
STL files of 3D printable enclosure are available. For details, please, read this page.
Multiple of SkyView EZ units can be connected to one SoftRF device.
This use case makes sense for a two seat glider.
Recommended connection method is: Wi-Fi UDP
Be aware that TTGO T5S board draws about 1-2 mA of battery current in Sleep mode.
Thus, recommended 1400 mAh battery will last about 30 days until it gets fully discharged. So, during 'high season', do battery charging process no later than this period will expire.
When you are not going to use SkyView EZ for a long term - disconnect the battery from TTGO T5S board in advance.
- LilyGO® product info
- TTGO's GitHub
- Schematics: V2.1 and V2.8
- Dual boot and Internet Radio
- CALE.es - e-Paper screen content organizer
