anyone up for answering a (probably) stupid noob question?

[John_B]

I have built from scratch my MCP and fsbus boards...apart from figuring out the bank limit switch all leds/switches and buttons work and are set with FSbus fsadmin.

I have cobbled together any docs I can find re fsbus but generally they are not complete.

I have searched the forums best I can and found lots of people talking about programming and fsuip etc.

I have a registered copy of fsuip but have NO idea where it goes or what it does....

So my question is how do I actually get my mcp, or fsbus come to that, to play with my FSX?

Nice little baby steps would be great..

I am very much more a hardware kinda guy than a coder

[kiek]

that depends on the aircraft you are flying in FSX...

[John_B]

Ah ok

(and thanks for taking the time)

For now and to get me learning this stuff lets go with the default 737


John

[marcinair]

1. Go to rvdijk.nl
2. Download last version FSBUS CDK (i think it's easiest way to start dealing with FSBUS hardware)

[John_B]

I have got fsbus cdk

Do I just connect my fscom board to my fsbus board(s) in my MCP and to my serial port and run the fsbus.exe ?
Will it guide me through?...have struggled trying to read the half translated documentation....

A bit of background might be in order here.

I really find programming etc very very hard my brain just does not absorb Languages at all (music included......still can't play a piano and lived with a baby grand and a piano teacher for 6 years).

I understand whats happening during lessons and tutorials but when I return its like I have never seen this stuff before its very limiting.

I can however make just about anything!

weird

[npbosch]

There is no programming in it if you use the FSBUS CDK version. The latest version is the C version which allows you to use a special dll file and program in C.
The CDK version is just filling in some ini files and if you like a bit of basic.
I put some examples on the website of the dutch builders community (nav/com/xponder/autobrake)
http://www.flightdeckbuilder.nl/index.php
you have to sign up and then look for the fsbus part of the forum.
Read carefully the manuals, everything is explained in detail in it to get you going. The abovementioned examples will do the rest.

[John_B]

thanks for ya post Norbert

I thought I had replied to your post yesterday but heaven knows what happened to it

I had a little look around and seen some of the settings you suggest and have read the part of FSBus that are in English.

I think maybe my question should have been how do I actually get it going in the first place.

As I said it all appears to want to work in fsadmin.

DO I start fsbus cdk? then FSX? then plug in the hardware?

I did experiment today but got nowhere...I started CDK with my hardware plugged in and found a similar area to that of fsadmin...this time however my hardware did not have the same results as it did in fsadmin in fact somehow, eventually, it managed to fry my ATMEGA chip.

I could see no effect of any of my buttons in any window in CDK .

I tried starting CDK then FSX as at one stage CDK said it needed to be open to I sat a 737 on a runway and played more .......
I tried to run the samples ...well that was worse than un helpfull I did see my frame rate but that taught me nothing

Please can you (or someone ...ANYONE) take me through in baby steps...


Thanks

[marcinair]

Step 1. At the beginning you need to make sure that the FSBUS "com" board is properly conected to com port in your PC.
Then if you have more com ports on PC mainboard, set correct port number "in use" in FSBUS CDK.

When your COM port settings are correct -> then after FSBUS CDK start-up, on bottom (light green) strip you should see notification "com port X is opened". X = your port number

If you see that notification, you can be sure that your FSBUS "com" board communicating properly with the PC.


The next step is to know what is the CID and RID.
All your cockpit components like a buttons, switches, rotaries, etc. have own unique RID (in brief)
and all your FSBUS boards (at which your's cockpit components are phisically conected) have own unique CID


I hope that you have FSBUS I/O.


Step 2.You may set CID for your board in FSBUS Admin.
When you know your board CID you may go to Admin -> Set your CID in small window (upper left corner)->then go to tab DIGITAL IN and after (for example) pressing switch you should see RID number signed to your phisic button.
Write down RID number for your button.



In next step -> start-up CDK -> click "open project" -> redirect to folder "samples"
Chose one of the easiest to understand, in my opinion sample "b7"
Open "b7" in CDK, you should see some text like this:


' Initialization file for Flightsim
' Name ID Offset Type Mul Div Interval Param Flags
'-------------------------------------------------------------------------
F, FNavLight, 0, 0x0d0c, I16, 1, 1, 7, 0, RW|BIT
F, FBeaconLight, 0, 0x0d0c, I16, 1, 1, 7, 1, RW|BIT
F, FLandingLight,0, 0x0d0c, I16, 1, 1, 7, 2, RW|BIT
'
' Cockpit Components
'C Name Type CID RID FLAGS P1 P2 P3
'------------------------------------------------------------------
C, CB0, SWITCH, 28, 0,
C, CB1, SWITCH, 28, 1,
C, CB2, SWITCH, 28, 2,

'A Name Min Max Flags
'-----------------------------------------

' Routings
'R [Name] Source Destination, Mul, Div, Add, Flags
'-----------------------------------------------------------
R, , CB0, FBeaconLight, 1, 1, 0,
R, , CB1, FLandingLight, 1, 1, 0,
R, , CB2, FNavLight, 1, 1, 0,


Then change CID-28 and RID for those from step 2. -> save changes -> thick up green button (autostart) -> restart CDK-> start-up flightsim and check out that you may to control plane lights with your button's connected to FSBUS board

Thats all (in BIG brief)

[John_B]

Thank you again

I feel I am getting some where now.
I had discovered how to at least get things running (at the cost of my chip:roll:)

I am using the 6pack display board and 'was' using the DO64 board.(until I fried the ATMEGA chip with one particular "set up" I tried on my journey)

I understand CID RID at least.

I will look through your other posts listing and hopefully learn what the differences do.

Thanks again
I will report back

John