hoppie.nl

What It Is

Hoppie.nl is the personal website of Jeroen “Hoppie” Hoppenbrouwers, not a commercial company or general-purpose developer platform. The developer-related content on the site mainly consists of Python tutorials and example scripts for the Aerowinx PSX flight simulator, along with Hoppie's ACARS, a simulated ACARS service. The author explicitly states that the site is non-commercial, does not provide commercial services or products, and does not charge fees.

Core Capabilities

Based on the content, the main developer resources include downloadable files such as psx.py, acars.py, and psx-python-demo.py. psx.py is used to connect to the PSX Main Server. The examples show how to subscribe to PSX variables, handle Lexicon mappings, respond to variable changes via callbacks, and send control commands to PSX. The code is designed around writing maintainable network programs with Python asyncio, rather than relying on threads. Newer versions also add event hooks for connection, pause, and disconnection events, and provide an MCDU class for higher-level control of MCDU display and input within PSX. acars.py is the client module for Hoppie's ACARS, though the text notes that it is still in early beta and does not yet have complete documentation.

Pricing and Access

Pricing is very clear: free. Hoppie's ACARS accounts can also be requested online for free, but require a personal logon code and a verified email address. The server is located in the Netherlands. The content does not provide information about access from mainland China, so this can only be marked as unknown.

Pros and Cons

Its strength is that it is highly specialized for a niche use case. The tutorials do not just provide code; they also explain the PSX network model, variable database, callback mechanism, and how to use asyncio. This makes it practically useful for flight simulation developers and avionics interface prototyping. The drawbacks are also clear: this is a personally maintained hobby system, with multiple components in beta or early beta. Some modules “still need documentation” or have “no documentation.” There is no clear open-source license visible, and the footer states that the content is copyrighted. Support mainly depends on email or the Aerowinx Forum, so it should not be treated like a commercial service.

Who It’s For

It is best suited to flight simulation enthusiasts or avionics technicians who are comfortable with Python, use Aerowinx PSX, and want to develop external control scripts, ACARS clients, or MCDU/FMA helper tools. It is not suitable for teams looking for a general-purpose SDK, enterprise-grade SLA, complete API documentation, or a stable commercial product.