#hardware.
Posts on the Alpisto engineering blog filed under #hardware.
- 01#flybeeper #sun-vario #variometer
FlyBeeper Sun Vario: a Solar-Powered Bluetooth Variometer Under 8 Grams
A solar-powered BLE variometer that weighs under 8 g and never needs a battery change. Supercapacitor energy buffer, USB-C emergency charge in 60 seconds, 500,000 cycles, operating range -15 °C to +70 °C — designed as a primary vario for hike-and-fly paragliding.
6 min read - 02#flybeeper #fanet #lora
FlyBeeper FANET: a Bluetooth Bridge to the FANET Radio Network
An always-on BLE bridge to the 868 MHz FANET data network. No on-board GPS — the smartphone provides position, the device just radiates. Solar-powered, years of standby, full radio configuration over GATT so apps can transmit FANET, ADS-L or anything else on the same radio.
6 min read - 03#flybeeper #tas #airspeed
FlyBeeper TAS: a Bluetooth True-Airspeed Sensor with a Purpose-Built Pitot Tube
A purpose-built BLE true-airspeed sensor for paragliders and hang gliders up to 103 km/h IAS. Custom CFD-designed pitot tube with a 4% correction coefficient versus 50% for hobby tubes, four PCB revisions ending in USB-C supercap charging, and standards-compliant BLE GATT services.
9 min read - 04#flybeeper #ps1 #pressure-sensor
FlyBeeper Pressure Sensor: an Always-On Bluetooth Barometer for Flight Apps
An external BLE pressure sensor for paragliding flight apps like xcTrack and SeeYou Navigator. Always on, pair once and forget — wakes the moment the app subscribes to ESS pressure notifications. ±2 cm/s vertical-speed resolution from an SPL06, 5-year standby on a single CR2032.
5 min read - 05#flybeeper #rc4 #remote-control
FlyBeeper Remote Control 4: a Bluetooth Four-Button Remote with Multi-Year Battery Life
An always-on four-button BLE remote for paragliding flight apps. No power switch, deep-sleep when idle, automatic wake when an app connects — battery life measured in years from a single CR2032. Built on Nordic nRF52, exposes the standard Automation IO Service.
3 min read - 06#flybeeper #mini-bt #variometer
FlyBeeper mini BT: a Tiny Bluetooth Variometer Built on Zephyr RTOS
A dwarf-sized BLE 5 variometer on nRF52 + Zephyr RTOS, exposing pressure, temperature, altitude, four-button remote and OTA updates through standards-compliant GATT services. The entire stack — GPIO, SPI, PWM, ADC, FLASH, OTA, DFU, BLE, GATT, plus the OS — fits in 200 kB.
18 min read - 07#flybeeper #f1 #fanet
FlyBeeper F1: a Compact FANET-Capable Flight Instrument
A pocket-sized paragliding flight instrument with GNSS, barometer, 868 MHz LoRa FANET, BLE 5.0 and on-board logging. Built as both a FANET tracker and the main vario, with a long development log covering hardware, firmware, FAI-recognised IGC validation and a Web BLE configurator.
8 min read - 08#flybeeper #horn #variometer
FlyBeeper Horn: a Variometer-Whistle for Paraglider Pilots
The smallest variometer in the FlyBeeper line, doubling as an emergency whistle and acoustic distress beacon. A demanding miniature project that combines tight PCB design, a composite CR2032 holder, and a 3D-printed enclosure that has to actually whistle.
2 min read