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For the complete documentation index, see llms.txt. This page is also available as Markdown.

Setup Guide

Set up your WingView from a fresh board to live aircraft data.

Some features are still TBD. We mark these gaps clearly.

What you need

  • One supported board. Choose the Waveshare 1.8 inch or Elecrow CrowPanel 2.1 inch. The Waveshare uses USB-C and stands alone. The larger Elecrow needs your own stand and cable arrangement.

  • The cable included with your board. The Elecrow cable clips to the PCB and ends in USB-A. It has no USB-C socket. The Waveshare uses USB-C. One firmware supports both boards.

  • A data-capable cable for flashing. Charge-only cables power the board but remain invisible to the installer.

  • A 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network. The board cannot see 5 GHz-only networks.

  • A phone or computer on the same Wi-Fi network.

  • A Wingbits API key. It is free for Wingbits station owners contributing to the network. Instructions for getting a key are TBD.

On the Waveshare, plug USB-C in the correct orientation. Each side reaches a different chip. If the installer finds the wrong chip or shows CH340, reverse the plug and try again. Nothing is harmed.

After flashing, the board only needs power. Use any USB-A charger, hub, or extension cable.

1

Install the firmware

Open the WingView install page in Chrome or Edge. Plug the board into the same computer. Then click Install.

The browser writes the firmware over USB. You do not need to download files or install drivers.

Before you start, keep these details in mind:

  • Your board appears as USB JTAG/serial debug unit. Unplug any other ESP32 boards first, including boards only receiving power. Installing to the wrong board erases it.

  • Never choose Communications Port. That is your computer's own hardware.

  • Choose not to erase when reinstalling your own WingView. Your Wi-Fi, API key, locations, and maps stay saved.

  • Choose erase for a board changing hands. It returns to a new state.

Installing takes about one minute. The board restarts when it finishes.

2

Start the board

Plug in the board. For the first five seconds, it shows a title screen. Touch the screen or turn the knob to skip it.

Next, you see a moving map with amber aircraft and a DEMO MODE banner. This is not live traffic. The board shows Los Angeles whenever it has no working feed.

A setup card appears:

SET UP
1  Join this Wi-Fi        WingView-A1B2C3
2  Open in a browser      http://192.168.4.1
3  Passphrase             xxxxxxxx

The card stays open for five minutes. Its countdown pauses while a phone or computer is connected.

It closes about 30 seconds after the board joins your Wi-Fi. Your phone can then return to your own network.

If the card disappears, press the N button. Select Wi-Fi setup to show it again.

3

Join the board and open setup

Join the WingView- network on your phone or computer. It has no password.

Open http://192.168.4.1. Leave the username blank. Enter the eight-character passphrase shown on the setup card.

Use home during setup. The links at the top navigate between pages. On a phone, they wrap to two lines.

Each board has a unique, lowercase passphrase. Hold the N button to show the status screen. You can also replace it through Settings → New passphrase.

4

Connect to Wi-Fi

Enter your network name and password. Save the form. The board tries them immediately.

If it connects, the page shows the new local address. It takes you there after your phone rejoins your Wi-Fi. If it does not, select the address link.

Enter the passphrase again at the new address. Your browser treats it as a different site. The page displays the passphrase beside the link.

If the connection fails, use the message below to fix it:

Message
What to do

No network of that name answered

Check the name. Confirm the network supports 2.4 GHz. Move closer to the router.

That password was rejected

Check and re-enter the password.

The setup network stays available after a failure. The board also keeps retrying in the background.

If you see Still trying for 30 seconds, check your details. The board has not stopped trying.

You can safely screenshot most pages. They never display your Wi-Fi name, password, API key, or coordinates. Check for the passphrase and your location names before sharing.

The locations page contains coordinates in its source. They do not appear in screenshots. Do not save the page or share its source if you need to keep coordinates private.

5

Add a location

Your location sets the map center. Use your Wingbits station location, an airport, or any other place. You can add multiple locations and switch between them.

Enter a name of up to 12 characters. Paste a coordinate into the location field.

Google Maps coordinates work directly. For example:

40.641311, -73.778139

Choose a point a few streets away if you prefer not to store your exact address. The map looks the same at every range.

6

Build maps

New locations do not have maps. The location list shows No map installed.

Open locations. Select Build map beside the location. Your browser builds seven map discs and uploads them.

The board shows progress and remains unavailable during the build. It takes a few minutes.

Your phone or computer needs internet access. The browser renders maps because the board does not have a graphics stack.

If a build fails, the board returns to normal. The page identifies the failed tile. No incomplete map stays installed.

7

Enter your Wingbits API key

Paste your API key into the key field and save it. The key applies on the next poll.

Within seconds, DEMO MODE should disappear. Live aircraft replace demo traffic.

If the key is invalid, demo traffic continues. The board uses demo traffic whenever it has no working feed.

Check that it worked

Hold the N button to open the status screen:

feed (rate)  ok (6s)
view         map, 50 nm
contacts     38
station      home
plan         Starter  12/min
quota        4812 / 20000
build        0.0.14
address      192.168.1.42   (yours will differ)
page pass    xxxxxxxx
free         99315 B

feed ok and a contact count above zero confirms that WingView is working.

  • api down means our API did not answer. No action is needed. The board retries, then backs off to once per minute.

  • no internet means the board cannot reach the internet. Check the Wi-Fi, router, and connection.

  • throttled means the API refused the request due to rate limits.

  • no auth means the key was rejected. Enter it again.

  • acquiring is normal for a few seconds after restarting. If it persists, check network access.

plan and quota appear after the first successful request. Wait a few seconds if they are missing.

Troubleshooting

For blank screens, flashing, persistent demo traffic, missing maps, and unreachable pages, see Troubleshooting.

Your WingView is ready when the status screen shows feed ok and contacts above zero.

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