This project is a "proof-of-concept" to see if it's possible to implement an EFIS using the Raspberry Pi.
I will be using a Raspberry Pi 2 Model B for the implementation. (Ordered!) I have chosen this hardware because:
- it has a decent graphics capability which will be important for presenting a high-quality display, and
- The hardware specification is more than adequate for what I want to do, but it is still considered "low-end" so there is the potential to upgrade to higher-spec hardware if required.
I will buy a variety of sensors to provide the inputs to drive the EFIS. I don't yet have enough familarity with these systems to know how the sensors will connect to the Raspberry Pi. The MakerPlane project is proposing to use the CAN-FIX protocol for communications but I don't yet understand the need for this.
I will initially start with the Raspbian operating system due to the fact that it should have the highest level of support (e.g. hardware drivers etc.) Down the track I may try to port the software to use FreeBSD. The EFIS software will be implemented using the Go programming language.