____                ______        __ __            __  
 / __ \___  ___ ___  / __/ /____ __/ // /__ __    __/ /__
/ /_/ / _ \/ -_) _ \_\ \/  '_/ // / _  / _ `/ |/|/ /  '_/
\____/ .__/\__/_//_/___/_/\_\\_, /_//_/\_,_/|__,__/_/\_\ 
    /_/                     /___/                        
          ── DCS A-4E Skyhawk Home Cockpit ──

Physical DCS A-4E Skyhawk home cockpit — 3D-printed panels, custom PCBs, and STM32 firmware for the DCS A-4E Community Mod. Controllers communicate over CAN bus.

Repository Structure

OpenSkyhawk/
├── CAD/                        # Fusion 360 source files (.f3d); STLs gitignored
│   ├── Center_Console/
│   ├── Left_Console/
│   ├── Right_Console/
│   └── Shared/                 # Common brackets, mounting fixtures
│
├── PCB/                        # KiCad projects, one folder per board
│   ├── Center_Console/
│   │   └── Center_Armament/
│   │       ├── Armament_MCU/   # Main STM32 board
│   │       ├── AWRS_Panel/     # Breakout board
│   │       └── Misc_Switch_Panel/
│   ├── Left_Console/
│   ├── Right_Console/
│   └── Libraries/              # Shared KiCad symbols and footprints
│
├── Firmware/                   # PlatformIO projects, one folder per STM32 controller
│   ├── Center_Armament/
│   └── Libraries/              # Shared firmware code
│
└── docs/
    ├── References/             # Cockpit photos, manuals, screenshots
    ├── Datasheets/             # Component datasheets
    └── claude/                 # AI-readable architecture and standards docs

Architecture

Each physical panel group is driven by one STM32F103CBT6 MCU board. Boards communicate over CAN bus via Molex Mini-Fit Jr connectors. Panel breakout boards connect to their MCU board via 6- or 8-pin JST-XH harnesses. Firmware is built with PlatformIO.

DCS communication: DCS-BIOS cockpit state flows PC → USB CDC → RP2040 bridge (Tiny2040) → UART → STM32 CAN master → CAN bus → all avionics nodes. STM32 native USB CDC is not used — it crashes under sustained DCS-BIOS load.

Console Layout

Console	Panels
Center Console	Armament, AWRS, Misc Switches, main flight instruments
Left Console	ECM, fuel, electrical systems
Right Console	Radios, nav

Hardware Notes

Screw Standards

Size	Use
M2	PCB mounts, small standoffs
M3	Placards, light rings, small brackets
M4	Instrument bezels, gauge mounting — clearance Ø4.3–4.5 mm
M5	Panel-to-subpanel, corner mounts — clearance Ø5.3–5.5 mm

Switch Sizing

• Toggle switches: 12 mm (standard panels), ~6 mm (ECM modules)

Gauges

• LOX gauge: 2-5/8″ (~67 mm total)
• Radar Altimeter: 3-1/8″ (~100 mm total with bezel)

Licensing

Copyright (c) 2026 OpenSkyHawk.

Layer	License
CAD, PCB, Docs	CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — root LICENSE
Firmware	GPL v2 (DCS-BIOS dependency) — Firmware/LICENSE

GitHub's repo-level badge reflects the root LICENSE (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0); the firmware is GPL v2 under Firmware/LICENSE.

References

• Open Hornet Hardware
• Open Hornet Software
• The Warthog Project
• Viperpits
• The Skyhawk Association — Cockpit