ACARS MSFS Bridge

If your setup is built around the Microsoft flight simulator, you probably want to include a link between some data from the simulator and the ACARS system. This enables many fields in ACARS reports to be automatically filled in, close to the actual behaviour of the system in the real world. However you do not absolutely need this link if you want to enjoy ACARS functionality.

There is a complete all-in-one installer for ACARS on the MSFS system, which may suit you better.

Project Progress

2024-04-21
Those changes seem to have worked wonders. The system now pulls over 1000 parallel users without blinking. I've also extended the maximum length of names and e-mail addresses.

2024-04-20
I'm disabling various noncritical interfaces to reduce the system load. There are software clients out there that respond in a bad way to increased waiting times for connections. Any client should be able to cope with 20-30 seconds of waiting time without doing something silly, like firing dozens of similar requests per second. This makes the matter only worse! Please, if you program an ACARS client and you detect a long latency or other problem that probably is a performance issue, back off and reduce your polling rate. Go from once per minute down to once per two minutes. No it ain't great, but that keeps the system working properly.

see all previous progress messages

Installation

ReadMe.txt from the ZIP package for reference

WFAcars is a small utility that enables FS2004 pilots to access the WorldFlight virtual company ACARS system. Other components are required in addition to WFAcars. They are included in the package with WFAcars together with instructions for installing and using them.

You do NOT need any of this software to join in Worldflight legs. Normal VATSIM procedures can be used to make position reports and receive weather reports. The ACARS system partly automates position reporting and provides written reports.

From version 1.3 WFAcars is compatible with changes in other software used in WorldFlight 2007.

From version 1.2 WFAcars provides support for Movimap, a map display utility. The aircraft heading is also sent as its track which is read by Movimap and is used to orient the aircraft icon on the map display.

WFAcars.exe is designed for Microsoft Windows XP and FS2004. It may run on other Windows versions.

WFAcars requires the Microsoft .NET framework version 1.1 to be installed on the PC running it. This can be downloaded.

WFAcars requires FSUIPC version 3.x to run on FS2004. FSUIPC need not be registered if the version is 3.71 or later.

(WFAcars might run on FSX with FSUIPC version 4.x. Registration is not required.)

It may be run on the FS2004 PC or another PC by using WideFS.

Place WFAcars.exe in any directory and run it. Enter the port and IP address of the Broker software then click the Save button. WFAcars will then close.

When you next run WFAcars it will indicate that it has connected to the Broker and to FSUIPC. No further interaction is required so WFAcars can be set to minimise itself on each startup. The user interface for accessing the Worldflight ACARS system is another piece of software included in the package and called Acars.exe.

Garry Richards
December 2006