v4.2 designed by Peter JAKAB in 2004-2005
old version in December, 1999

NOTE for beginners: PICs are general purpose microcontrollers which have to be programmed before you can use them in the actual circuit! Check out this link to learn more.

Realflight G5 5 Dongle Emulator Better [hot]

Unlocking the Skies: Why a RealFlight G5.5 Dongle Emulator is a Better Solution for RC Flight Training

For nearly two decades, the RealFlight series by Knife Edge Software (now owned by Horizon Hobby) has been the gold standard for RC (Radio Controlled) flight simulation. Version G5.5 was a watershed moment, introducing improved physics, better graphics, and a wider variety of aircraft. However, veteran pilots and newcomers alike face a persistent frustration: the InterLink controller dongle.

If you have searched for the term "realflight g5 5 dongle emulator better," you are likely tired of broken USB cables, lost authorization keys, or the sheer inconvenience of carrying a bulky controller just to practice on your laptop. You want a smoother, cheaper, and more flexible way to fly. realflight g5 5 dongle emulator better

In this article, we will explore what the RealFlight G5.5 dongle does, why the native system fails, and how a dongle emulator is not just a workaround—it is a better solution for the modern RC pilot. Unlocking the Skies: Why a RealFlight G5

Step 4: Apply the Emulator

Most emulators come as a .exe loader. Steps: Run the emulator as Administrator

1. Run the emulator as Administrator.
2. It will hide in the system tray.
3. Launch RealFlight G5.5 normally.
4. The software will think an InterLink is connected.

What it claims to do

• Emulate the InterLink controller/dongle that RealFlight G5 requires.
• Let you run the simulator without the original USB dongle.
• Possibly unlock all features or “better” performance than official methods.

1. You Can Use Your Own Transmitter (Hardware Freedom)

The original InterLink feels like a toy. It lacks the weight, gimbal tension, and switch layout of a real transmitter like a Spektrum DX9, FrSky Taranis, or Futaba 16SZ.

With a dongle emulator, RealFlight G5.5 sees any USB joystick as valid. You can use:

• A wireless dongle (like the FrSky XSR-SIM) paired with your actual TX.
• An RC joystick interface (like the RealFlight USB interface box) without the software check.
• Even an Xbox controller for casual practice.

Better result: Muscle memory transfers 1:1 because your fingers touch the radio you actually fly at the field.

Control up to 8 devices by this easy constructable remote control. It can work as a radio or infrared remote control, depending on the components. Each device output can be configured to be momentary (turned on while you press the button) or latched. Latched outputs can be toggled on/off by one button per channel, or turned on and off by two buttons per channel.

Try it now, before building! Click on the transmitter buttons with the green labels on the left and see how the receiver outputs (K1-K8) change. Change the number of transmitter or receiver channels. Switch the receiver output type between latched and momentary.

Containing a PIC microcontroller, the circuit is very flexible. You can decide which receiver outputs are latched and which are momentary. The Manchester-coded transmitter output is well suited for the cheapest ASK radio modules or for infrared control. The units are configurable to a unique address, which must match to control the devices.

Related project: Learning remote control receiver
Take your existing remote control and control everything with it. This receiver can learn codes from an RC-5 format IR remote control, and associate the buttons to different channels and actions.

Related project: 2^16 remote control encoder and decoder
If you have TTL signals to control remote digital output lines, please check this project instead.

If you have trouble with programming PIC microcontrollers, you can consider builing other circuits based on Holtek HT-12D, HT-12E, Princeton PT2262, PT2272 and Motorola MC145026, MC145027, MC145028 encoders/decoders.

4/8-channel V4.2 radio transmitter

The difference between the 4-channel and the 8-channel version is only the software inside. The 8-channel transmitter has one button (S1-S8) per channel. The 4-channel transmitter uses S1-S4 buttons to turn on, S5-S8 buttons to turn off channel 1-4 (use with latched outputs on the receiver). The D1-D4 diodes and J1-J4 jumpers are optional, and are used to setup the transmitter address. Higher supply voltage results higher transmit power, but V+ range is 2-5.5VDC for the PIC MCU. When V+ is higher than 5VDC, use separate power for the mcu.

Configure & download
What if you can't get a pic16f630?

• use a pic16f676
• try a pic16f628, here is the modified transmitter

  parts list

part	description
C1	100nF ceramic capacitor
R1	10k resistor (1/8W)
D1-D4	1N4148 diode (optional)
S1-S8	tact switch, DTSM 61N or similar
IC1	PIC16F630 or PIC16F676 microcontroller, pre-programmed
TXMOD	radio transmitter module, see text (hardware)
B1	battery between 2-5.5VDC (check TXMOD specs for valid voltage range)

4/8-channel V4.2 infrared transmitter

4/8-channel V4.2 radio receiver

component pinouts

parts list

part	description
C1, C2	22pF ceramic capacitor
C3, C5	100nF ceramic capacitor
C6	10uF 6.3V electrolytic capacitor
CN1-CN8	PCB terminal block, 3-way (DG301)
D1-D8	1N4004 diode
IC1	PIC16F627 or PIC16F628 or PIC16F627A or PIC16F628A microcontroller, pre-programmed
IC2	LP2950CZ5.0 voltage regulator
LED	3mm LED (green)
LED1-LED8	3mm LED (red)
Q1-Q8	BS170 N-channel mosfet transistor
R1-R9	220R resistor (1/8W)
RL1-RL8	G5LE relay, see text for coil voltage selection
S1	piano DIP switch, 4-way
X1	4MHz HC49 crystal
RXMOD	3-pin radio receiver module, see text (hardware)

4/8-channel V4.2 infrared receiver

Unlocking the Skies: Why a RealFlight G5.5 Dongle Emulator is a Better Solution for RC Flight Training

For nearly two decades, the RealFlight series by Knife Edge Software (now owned by Horizon Hobby) has been the gold standard for RC (Radio Controlled) flight simulation. Version G5.5 was a watershed moment, introducing improved physics, better graphics, and a wider variety of aircraft. However, veteran pilots and newcomers alike face a persistent frustration: the InterLink controller dongle.

If you have searched for the term "realflight g5 5 dongle emulator better," you are likely tired of broken USB cables, lost authorization keys, or the sheer inconvenience of carrying a bulky controller just to practice on your laptop. You want a smoother, cheaper, and more flexible way to fly.

In this article, we will explore what the RealFlight G5.5 dongle does, why the native system fails, and how a dongle emulator is not just a workaround—it is a better solution for the modern RC pilot.

Step 4: Apply the Emulator

Most emulators come as a .exe loader. Steps:

1. Run the emulator as Administrator.
2. It will hide in the system tray.
3. Launch RealFlight G5.5 normally.
4. The software will think an InterLink is connected.

What it claims to do

• Emulate the InterLink controller/dongle that RealFlight G5 requires.
• Let you run the simulator without the original USB dongle.
• Possibly unlock all features or “better” performance than official methods.

1. You Can Use Your Own Transmitter (Hardware Freedom)

The original InterLink feels like a toy. It lacks the weight, gimbal tension, and switch layout of a real transmitter like a Spektrum DX9, FrSky Taranis, or Futaba 16SZ.

With a dongle emulator, RealFlight G5.5 sees any USB joystick as valid. You can use:

• A wireless dongle (like the FrSky XSR-SIM) paired with your actual TX.
• An RC joystick interface (like the RealFlight USB interface box) without the software check.
• Even an Xbox controller for casual practice.

Better result: Muscle memory transfers 1:1 because your fingers touch the radio you actually fly at the field.

hardware

FAQ

references