DIY Home Cockpit for Flight Simulators 🛩️

🚧 WARNING: PROJECT IN ACTIVE DEVELOPMENT - NOT FLIGHT-READY YET 🚧
Born: July 2025 - Currently in early alpha stage

The Genesis: Why This Project Exists

As a Linux gamer running Microsoft Flight Simulator through Proton, I faced constant frustrations:

• Driver hell: Proprietary drivers and DLL dependencies breaking under Wine/Proton
• Cable chaos: USB spaghetti limiting cockpit flexibility
• Windows lock-in: Vendor tools requiring Windows for configuration
• Addon incompatibility: Tricky hardware solutions failing on Linux

This project solves these problems by:

1. Replacing wired connections with Wi-Fi communication
2. Eliminating OS-specific drivers through open standards
3. Creating a modular system that works equally well on Linux AND Windows
4. Ensuring compatibility with emerging network-based flight sim interfaces

Technical Highlights ⚡

graph LR  
    A[Flight Simulator] -->|FSUIPC7/WebSocket| B(Node.js Server)  
    A -->|MobiFlight API| B  
    A -->|SimConnect| B  
    B -->|MQTT| C[Raspberry Pi Broker]  
    C -->|MQTT| D[ESP8266/ESP32 Panels]  
    D -->|MQTT| C  
    C -->|HTTP| E[Svelte Web UI]  
    D --> F[Physical Components]  
    F --> G[Buttons]  
    F --> H[Switches]  
    F --> I[Servos]  
    F --> J[LEDs]  

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Hardware Requirements

• Central Hub:
  • Raspberry Pi 3B+ or newer (with Ethernet or dual WiFi via USB dongle)
  • Configured as WiFi Access Point for modules
  • Alternative: Dedicated WiFi router (optional)
• Control Modules:
  • ESP8266 (NodeMCU, Wemos D1 Mini)
  • ESP32 (recommended for advanced features)
• Network Options:
  • Recommended: RPi as AP + Ethernet to gaming PC
  • Alternative 1: RPi with dual WiFi (built-in + USB dongle)
  • Alternative 2: Dedicated WiFi router for all connections

Roadmap 🗺️

Timeline	Features
Q3 2025	✅ Core architecture
	✅ Basic button/switch support
Q4 2025	🚧 Analog instrument support
	🚧 Web UI framework
Q1 2026	🚧 SimConnect bridge module
	🚧 Failure simulation engine
Q2 2026	🔜 OLED display modules
	🔜 Force feedback support
	🔜 VR integration layer

Key Features

• Universal Hardware Support:

  • ESP8266 for basic I/O (buttons, LEDs)
  • ESP32 for advanced components (displays, encoders)
  • Automatic detection of connected modules

• Cross-Simulator Compatibility:

  • Works with MSFS, X-Plane, DCS World
  • Adapter layer for FSUIPC7, MobiFlight, SimConnect

• Optimized Architecture:

  • Centralized processing on Raspberry Pi
  • Distributed I/O handling on ESP modules
  • Lightweight Alpine Linux base system

Getting Started

Install mqttFlight Server-RPI

On a dedicated single board ARM with alpine linux, run this folowing commands:

# On Raspberry Pi
git clone https://github.com/brocasm/mqttFlight.git
cd mqttFlight/server-rpi
chmod +x ./server-rpi/setup.sh 
./setup.sh  # Configures lightweight environment

# For ESP32/ESP8266 modules
cd mqttFlight/modules
./flash.sh
./transfer.sh

Contribute to the Project!

We're looking for:

• Hardware testers (ESP8266/ESP32 platforms)
• SimConnect experts
• UI/UX designers for the web interface

License: MIT - See LICENSE.md for details.

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Build your dream cockpit - wireless and platform-agnostic! ✈️💻🔧

Note: Project currently in active development - suitable for tinkerers and early adopters. Production-ready version expected Q2 2026.