How would i go about making my own CDU/FMC

[Geremy Britton]

As you'll already know i'm not the best at electronics so if anyones already built the electronics side of their CDU FMC could you tell me how you did it. I presume for the buttons we want microswitches wired up to a leo bodnar card for example although i beleive FSUIPC or fs assignments doesn't have the capability to assign 'letter a on the fmc, then letter b etc etc' How do you go about doing that.

Also i have a screen the right size although it has an s'video out connection. I have no idea how to connect this to the pc, when i attempted it nothing happened. I have no idea what resoltution the monitor is or if it matters. All i know is its a small 6" screen with a s video connection cable.

If you could offer any help that would be great, it would save me the cost of buying a FMC made up. If you need to ask questions before you answer them please do and i'll get back to you with my best response.


Regards

[mpl330]

Gez,

I'll show you how to do the screen when you pop over - you just need a gpu with s-video out... You set it as output to a tv...

Cheers
Mike

[Geremy Britton]

OK, i'll bring it with me to check it's the right sorta thing. It's only pocket sized so i might as well. Cheers, i sent you a pm with a time. Hope that's convienient for you. :)

[Jackpilot]

The keyboard part of the FMC can be interfaced with a simple keyboard encoder.
http://www.hagstromelectronics.com/products/

You are in for many many hours of satisfaction/frustration/ think twice?
Jack

[No Longer Active]

Hey Gez!

When you have learnt to make a CDU / FMC will you go over the basic construction for us pal, because I think alot of members would be interested in how to do this, as I have seen alot of fake CDU / FMC's in cockpits due to the high cost of fully functional / working FMC's.

Have you had a look at opencockpit's 737 FMC? Seems pretty good value for money considering this doesn't look an easy build to replicate due to all the buttons!

.....By the way just for the fun of it I have started to make a 737 COM radio!
should be interesting!

Good luck with the FMC let us know how you get on pal!

[Geremy Britton]

I could tell you how to do it now just with the answers from jack and mike however this is all theoretical and would include possible problems. So i'll attempt it and put a tutorial in the section at mycockpit for members to view.

Hope that's ok Alex, and good luck with the comm.

[No Longer Active]

No probs....

I myself was just curious how you would make an FMC, thats all!

As for the comm radio, I scratch designed and made the template and panel, but the printing of the wording such as ACTIVE, TFR, STANDBY, TEST, COMM is my first hurdle, because the wording is White on Grey, if it was black then there would be no problem as I could transfer the wording from my laser print using transfer paper, but as the text is white, its hard to find white lettering or someway of applying white lettering!

[Geremy Britton]

One Word: Letraset.
Google it, you'll love them.

simply apply them, come in al fonts and sizes, as small as 4mm height.
I was going to use these before i decided i wanted all my panels backlit. Letraset doesn't allow backlighting although does give a very nice finish just in the day time. :)

Should help you out a little.

[No Longer Active]

Mate...this is brilliant!

I was typing in all sorts of tags / keywords in google and couldn't get anywhere!

So cheers a million!

Alex

[No Longer Active]

Sorry....does anyone know the Boeing font name?

[Geremy Britton]

They realy are very good, very clean white, and as long as you apply them strongly dont come off unless you realy scratch them off. Realy fast delivery on them too! I can't remember my font but its the standard type that matches the sort of lettering you'd see on panels in a real aircraft.

[Geremy Britton]

Alex, they won't manufacture the exact boeing font. They are not an aviation company. Its just a case of matching and you can match pretty close.

http://www.letraset.com/design/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=2909&cat=Helvetica+Bold+Condensed

That link is about right. The helvetica font at 3mm for panel annotation and 5mm for the larger font for the panel names. £1.69. Can't realy go wrong can you for what you want them for.

[No Longer Active]

Cheers pal, your a star! Will def use these!

Nice one!

[No Longer Active]

Just out of curiosity has anyone on here made there own 737 comm nav radio?

[mpl330]

Gez, are you using Proj Magenta?
If so then it will be really easy to do the CDU/FMC screen, I run the output on one pc that only has the small screens attached ( I cheated and used a Y cable so that I can have a display on both even though they are identical)
Cheers
Mike

[Geremy Britton]

The y cable spilt is an idea actually. I do have two screens the same size for this purpose. I don't have project magenta and i beleive a perfect sim can be built without it personaly. I don't forsee myself ever purchasing it.

[No Longer Active]

By the way here is the template I have designed from scratch, does this look reasonably real enough, any thoughts would be great?

UPDATED: COM AND NAV

http://alexpilot.50g.com/commradio(2)jpeg.jpg

http://alexpilot.50g.com/737%20nav%20radio%20jpeg.jpg

[Mike.Powell]

Sorry....does anyone know the Boeing font name?

Gables Engineering, a company that makes radio control heads for Boeing use, uses Futura Medium font.

http://www.gableseng.com/fact_sheets/G7400-29%20Rev%2002.pdf

[NigelD]

Sorry....does anyone know the Boeing font name?

Alex,
According to the man on this site:

http://home.hccnet.nl/jwopdenakker/building%20tip.html

It's either Futura MD BT or Futura MD condensed BT.

Means nothing to me, but he's done some very ncie work! Can't remember where I got the link - he's probably a member here anyway...

Nigel.

[Mike.Powell]

Another possible approach to labelling panels is to use self-made decals.

http://www.beldecal.com/inkjet_decals.cfm

[No Longer Active]

Just to add I have re-aligned everything so it is as good as it gets, if you right click the image and save the image to your desktop, then open it in MS Paint then you will be able to print it to scale (146mmx66mm) and will come out of the printer to the correct measurement. I have done this so I know its all good and correct size.

I'm sure it may be of use to somebody! lol

Cheers!

[Geremy Britton]

You've hijacked my thread Alex :twisted: lol i'm joking.

However i was going to ask what are you using for the 'digits' on the comm panel for the active and standby.

[No Longer Active]

Hi, yeah sorry for getting carried away, I MUST STOP NOW LOL! Slap my wrists and send me to the sin bin lol!

The font is called DS-Digital mate!

PM me your email address and I will send it to you if you havent already googled it!

Hope that helps!

Cheers!!

Last thread I promise lol!

[Geremy Britton]

LMAO, don't worry about it Alex. I got all the answers i wanted within the first 10 mins of posting the thread. Carry on :p...