What OC Do I Need?

[Desert Falcon]

I am planning to build a Viper pit for Falcon 4. I have few questions like is OpenCockpit cards are good and suitable for such pit because I have the impression they are more optimized toward Boeing and Airbus pits

What cards I would need to interface the pit? Is the master card enough or do I need input or output specific cards?

What is the typical setup of these cards?

Thank you in advance

[salautom]

Desert Falcon,

In my opinion you can use the OC cards for every pit in combination with FS9/10 (via FSUIPC/SIOC) or PM.
The cards you need depends on the function you want, switches, rotaries, pusbuttons, leds, relays, steppermotors, etc.
you can have a look to my interfacing diagram (Ok its for a B777) for a global setup.
you don't need the rotary-encoder cards if you use the 'standard' (also sold by OC) rotary encoders.

(see my website www.777simulator.nl at the download section)

[fordgt40]

Desert Falcon

A lot of questions with no easy answer! The Opencockpits I/O software is not plane dependent - it provides an interface between switches, gauges, dc motors, servos, leds etc through a logic programme ( if switch A is on then turn on led 4) through to a simulator, generally MFS and also generally through the FSUIPC interface. Opencockpits hardware is quite extensive having:- Input/output, servo control, stepper control, dc motor control, output and relay cards in addition to their range of specific panels and modules

The downside is that the software has to be programmed by yourself with scant information - though you can suceed with determination and help from this forum

If you are thinking of using this for a Viper pit, then I suggest that you ask a few questions on a Viper forum - someone will have gone before you!

The cards you will need will be dependent on your h/w decisions ie can you purchase proprietary gauges or will you have to make your own? Can you access the flight data/interface within the Falcon programme - dependent on your expectations of simulation

There is a lot of useful information about Opencockpits SIOC programme on their site as well as Nico Kaan site at http://www.lekseecon.nl

Hope this helps

David

[Desert Falcon]

Thank you Henk and David

I will build the pit for Falcon 4.0 (either Open Falcon or Allied Forces) not for MFS so I just want to make sure the cards will work with this sim. Currently I am at the data collection and analyzing phase so I know that it would be difficult to answer these questions in too much details but at least I could know weither I can consider OC as an option or no.

I would like to use the card for switches, leds, 7-segments, pots and rotaries. So will master cards are enough -in general terms- or should my shopping list include other OC items?

[salautom]

I use the mastercard only for inputs and for the 7-seg displays
The Inputs Connection Card are for easy connecting the inputs (switches, rotaries) (36 inputs x 2 cards form 1 mastercard) (a rotary encoder uses 2 inputs)
the USB outputs Card I use for leds (64 total) with brightness control + 5 aditional analog inputs.
the USB keys card I use for the CDU.
the DC motors card for powering several levers (theu also include 5 analog inputs)
And I should go for the USB expansion card, it connects till 4 mastercards to 1 USB port on your computer.

[XOrionFE]

Thank you Henk and David

I will build the pit for Falcon 4.0 (either Open Falcon or Allied Forces) not for MFS so I just want to make sure the cards will work with this sim. Currently I am at the data collection and analyzing phase so I know that it would be difficult to answer these questions in too much details but at least I could know weither I can consider OC as an option or no.

I would like to use the card for switches, leds, 7-segments, pots and rotaries. So will master cards are enough -in general terms- or should my shopping list include other OC items?

I wouldnt think they would work with Falcon. Only with Flight Simulator.

[pdpo]

Hi there,

As told by above....
Opencockpits hardware is accessible via two different programs and those two communicate with the simulator via FSUIPC offsets. I doubt these offsets (or better, this way of communicating) is the same for falcon. There is also a dll available which can be used to incorporate the opencockpits hardware in your own program but this requires some heavy programming then....
This year there were several F16 pits on lelystad exhibition and there was some people showing of hardware they had build themself ... ideal place to get your info ... just wait for another year :-) ... I'm sure forums must exist regarding falcon and how to interface it.

Just one update here, opencockpits have also the needed software to communicate to Xplane.

Greetz Peter

[fweinrebe]

... I'm sure forums must exist regarding falcon and how to interface it.

Try http://www.viperpits.org.

Look at this page, they mention some of the software needed: http://www.viperpits.org/smf/index.php?topic=2162.msg25186#msg25186.

[Induced_Drag]

Dear PDPO,

You quoted:

"There is also a dll available which can be used to incorporate the opencockpits hardware in your own program but this requires some heavy programming then...."

Can you give me a link to have a look at this further,

Regards,
ID.

[XOrionFE]

For you guys wanting to do Falcon I suggest you forget about OC stuff and use Hagstrom boards. The KE108 would be ideal. 108 inputs, 2 rotaries, 3 analogue for pots plus a trackball interface. I have this board and set it up for Falcon and for Lockon and made custom MFD panels for my pit back when I was flying those sims a lot. You dont get any output but you can definitely easily add all your switches and buttons. No programming required. Use that and a good HOTAS and you are all set.

Scott

[Desert Falcon]

Thank you guys for your feedback. I know the Viperpits forum. I spend hours daily there researching. Most the of the viper pit builders are using Beta Innovations which is super! but unfortunately they are out of business.

Currently I am reading the SIOC documentations (unfortunately the translation is very poor) to see how I can make it communicate with the Falcon shared memory which is the way pit can communicate with the Falcon.

[Desert Falcon]

I did a quick research and I found this which is very promising:

http://www.f16simulator.net/wb/pages/en/fast.php