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Callsign for aircraft at the moment it was overhead.
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Callsign for aircraft when it was overhead.
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Callsign sliding over.
Inspiration
Our team wanted to focus on a hardware oriented project that we could gain more experience working with embedded systems.
What it does
The application obtains flight data using the OpenSky Network API to extract an aircraft's call-sign within a specified area. The call-sign is then sent to the micro-controller via UART. There it is parsed so that it can then be output to the LED display.
How we built it
We built this application using various technologies and resources available. Using Python, we were able to create a script that interacted with the OpenSky API to gather information on the flights currently flying overhead. It then extracts the callsigns of these flights and transmits them via UART serial communication to the MSP430FR6989 board. The board was programming using C to parse the input and then output it to the 7 segment display on the device.
Challenges we ran into
We ran into a lot of challenges. This was our group's first hackathon and all the technologies we encountered were pretty new to us. There were also a lot of issues we ran into that weren't well documented online. So we had to troubleshoot these issues and ask among ourselves for help. Such as how to send input to the micro-controller and how to receive output from the micro-controller.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We're pretty proud of what we have accomplished this Hackathon. Especially with the whole flow of the app going from online API, to micro-controller, and finally to the display. It was a challenging process so it is pretty satisfying seeing all the individual components working. It was also really cool to look up the displayed callsign and see that it is actually a plane flying overhead!!
What we learned
We learned a great deal about programming within embedded systems. As well as how to interface our applications with an online API. Not only that but also how different programs could interact with one another and a tremendous amount about interfacing with a micro-controller.
What's next for Your Sky Zone
Perhaps the skies not limit after all. Word is there's an API to track the ISS across the sky, as well as other satellites. This could easily be incorporated into the project to expand what else could be displayed on the micro-controller. It would also be nice to improve the user's experience with the application to make it more seamless to work with. Perhaps even extend it to the web to display the flights currently listed on the micro-controller.
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