Connecting your simulator
Click the gear icon at the right of the status bar to open the flight simulator link settings.
Supported simulators
| Simulator | Connection | Default port | Setup needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020 or 2024) | SimConnect over TCP | 500 | None — MSFS opens this automatically |
| FSX / Prepar3D | SimConnect over TCP | 500 | Manual (see below) |
| X-Plane 11 / 12 | X-Plane's built-in networking (UDP) | 49000 | One setting (see below) |
MSFS needs nothing extra — its default configuration already listens on port 500 for exactly this kind of connection.
FSX / Prepar3D don't open a network listener by default the way MSFS does. You need to hand-create a SimConnect.cfg file on the simulator's PC (not the CAVAcars PC) containing:
[SimConnect]
Protocol=IPv4
Address=0.0.0.0
Port=500
MaxClients=64
Disabled=0
The exact folder this file goes in varies by sim version — search "SimConnect.cfg location" for your specific FSX/Prepar3D version if you're not sure. The port must match whatever you set in CAVAcars (500 by default).
X-Plane needs one setting enabled: in X-Plane, go to Settings → Network and turn on "Accept incoming connections." No plugin is required — CAVAcars talks to X-Plane's own built-in networking directly.
Setting the connection up
- Choose your Simulator from the dropdown.
- Enter the Simulator PC address:
- If the simulator runs on the same PC as CAVAcars, enter
127.0.0.1orlocalhost. - If it runs on a different PC on your home network, enter that PC's IP address (e.g.
192.168.1.50) — or use the scan button below instead of typing it in.
- If the simulator runs on the same PC as CAVAcars, enter
- Confirm the Port — it's pre-filled with the right default for whichever simulator you picked, but change it if you've configured a non-default port (as you might with FSX/Prepar3D above).
- Leave "Connect automatically on launch" checked so CAVAcars reconnects on its own every time you open the app.
- Click Save & connect.
Scanning for your simulator
If you don't know your simulator PC's address, click Scan network for the sim. CAVAcars sweeps your local network for a machine answering on the configured port and lists every address that responds — click one to connect to it. If nothing responds:
- Confirm the simulator is actually running.
- Confirm the setup step above for your simulator (MSFS needs nothing, but FSX/Prepar3D and X-Plane do).
- Check that both PCs are on the same network, and that Windows Firewall (or any other firewall) isn't blocking the port on the simulator's PC.
If CAVAcars finds exactly one simulator on first launch (with no address saved yet), it connects automatically — you'll only need to use the scan button yourself if there's more than one candidate, or none.
Reading the status bar
| Indicator | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Dot + "Connected" / "Connecting" / "Disconnected" | Current link status |
| Simulator name & version (e.g. "MSFS 2020") | Confirms which sim you're talking to |
| Aircraft name / tail number | The aircraft currently loaded in the sim |
| ALT / IAS / GS / HDG / V/S | Live telemetry once you're in the world |
| RATE | Shown only when simulator time is sped up |