When I first started RasPanel, the idea was simple: build a lightweight flight display that could run on Raspberry Pi–based hardware. Something that could live as a portable device, but also potentially be built into a panel depending on how someone wanted to use it. Easy to say… slower to actually get there.
One of the biggest blockers early on was hardware. I spent a long time developing and testing on a desktop, which is useful for getting things moving, but it only gets you so far. Until software runs on real hardware, it's all a bit theoretical.
I finally have a proper test device in hand, and this marks a pretty big milestone for the project.
The Current Setup
RasPanel is now running on a Clockwork uConsole, powered by a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 (4 GB RAM). The uConsole isn't meant to represent a final aviation enclosure, but it's a great stand-in for the type of embedded system RasPanel is designed for: compact, Linux-based, resource-constrained, and portable.
The system is running Raspbian OS, which provides a familiar and stable base for development and testing.
From a software standpoint, RasPanel is built using:
- Kotlin Multiplatform (Desktop)
- Java 21
- Gradle 8.10
That combination has been working well so far, giving me a modern language and tooling stack while still targeting Linux-based embedded hardware cleanly. Running the same code on desktop (Mac and Ubuntu) and on the uConsole has been especially useful for iterating quickly while keeping behavior consistent across environments.
Data Source
For data, RasPanel is connected to a Stratux ADS-B receiver, also Raspberry Pi–based. Stratux provides GPS, traffic, and AHRS data from its onboard IMU.
Seeing real attitude and slip data flow into the system for the first time is one of those moments where a project starts to feel real.
Why This Step Matters
Running on real hardware changes the conversation fast. Things that feel trivial on a desktop suddenly matter a lot more:
- How smooth rendering actually looks
- How responsive the UI feels
- What layouts work on smaller displays
- Power and performance tradeoffs
- How everything behaves when it's running continuously
This is especially important for something like RasPanel, which is intended to work both as a portable tool and as something that could be built into a panel or enclosure. Those use cases come with very different constraints, and hardware testing is the only way to understand them properly.
What's Next
Now that the basics are running on real hardware, the focus shifts toward refinement:
- Improving artificial horizon behavior and visual fidelity
- Making slip/skid indications more intuitive
- Expanding traffic rendering
- Tightening up the Stratux data pipeline
- Experimenting with layouts that make sense across different form factors
RasPanel is still very much an experiment — a place to explore ideas, learn, and iterate — but getting it onto real hardware feels like a turning point. From here on out, progress becomes a lot more tangible.
More to come as things evolve.