Electronics

[droddis]

I am still at the design and planning stage here, and am just wondering how the wiring works.

Say have a COMM panel on the pedestal, i turn the nob to the update the frequency.

Is the process:

turn the rotary encoder
update the computer
computer updates the display.

IF so what is involved in doing this, or am i living in the ideal world of simplicity, and the process is much more difficult.

If someone could help me understand it would be most help full.

Dave

[Westozy]

FDT Sim-Boards make it very simple to wire an encoder to operate the radio frequencies. I have 8 operating encoders in my sim on one Board. Check out the tutorials at www.flightdecktechnology.com (http://www.flightdecktechnology.com)

Regards, Gwyn

[garyk007]

Well its actually very simple.

You turn the rotary encoder and the interface card sees the input and sends that change to FSUIPC or IOCP (if you use open cockpits IO cards).
FSUIPC or IOCP then sends this change to flightsim and it changes the value on the computer screen.
Because your interface card is also reading information from flight sim, as soon as it sees the change in the heading for eg it updates the led displays that you have connected to your Interface cards.

There is a list of inputs and outputs that flightsim uses. these numbers each refer to a particular flight sim function. Gear, Pitot heat, anti ice etc

Your interface card probably wont be able to communicate with FS so you will need a program that sits between FS and the Interface card.
There are a few, however the most popular are FSUIPC which is not freeware and IOCP which is freeware by open cockpits. both have the same end result.
Turn the heading encoder and the heading is updated in FS.

The problem is that FS9 and FSX only have basic functions and dont contain any offsets or logics for the boeing 737 or any other of the heavy jets.

So most of the sim builders out there user Project Magenta. it has its own internal logic and has extra offsets that you assign to all the switches in your 737.

PM however is not cheap, so the only other option is to use PMDG and key2mouse. This however requires you to open up multiple windows and keep them open when you flick a switch.

I chose the Open Cockpit route using the IO cards and ON737.
Now On737 is all the code and logic of the 737NG, which allows you to get every switch and system working as it does in the real thing.

Its not difficult at all. Best of all ON737 is free.

Hope this info helps.

If anyone out there wants to set me straight on anything... please do so. Thats how I learn.

Cheers

[Bob Reed]

What is ON737?

[AndyT]

Check this:

http://www.opencockpits.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownload&cid=16

[garyk007]

For newbys to cockpit building or Interface cards, I wouldnt recommend the Open Cockpits website.

It is writen in spanish and the translation of many things on the site were done word by word so they can be hard to follow.

It took me a couple of weeks working with the code and connecting switches and surprise surprise it all works as it should.

To answer the question what is ON737... well it goes a little like this.

The open cockpits cards communicate in an event driven programming language.
That is that as soon as something changes either in FS or by us trowing a switch, the code assosiated with that particular switch or FS event is run.

Now this is where it gets interesting, because the code can call up and run other code, or check the status of other FS events or switch positions before running the code.

EG

using ON737 you can flick the APU start switch without having the left forward fuel pump on then the code wont start the APU.

There is infact no APU modelled in FS so what ON737 does is... it uses varables stored in memory to represent switches and systems, and if the correct sequence of switches is set then the APU guage which is modelled under ON737 will begin to move showing an increase in EGT.

Now because every system in the 737 is modelled by ON737 you have to follow the real world check lists if you want to start up and fly the 737. Just like PMDG but without the need to have pop up screens to allow you to set the position of switches.

Also ON737 will soon be releasing their instructors station which will be able to simulate systems failures and engine fires etc, by changing these variables that it uses.

It really is a great system that works if you take the time to learn and ask questions.

The only thing missing is the FMC or CDU and they are working on that.
For a glass display you can use cockpitware.com their stuff is great and is designed to work with the open cockpits stuff.
They too are busy with a FMC and all their stuff is free.

I am not trying to sound like a sales person here, but these are the issues that confrunted me about 6 months ago.

Bottom line there are alternatives for free or at low prices that can get the job done.

If money is no object then go with something like the FDS cards or phidgets and Project Magenta.

Chow for now

[Bob Reed]

Ah, ok so you can program system logic with it. That is what I do with the EPIC. This does sound like a very good interface. And as far as docs go... Be glad you have some translated over, have you ever looked for any for the EPIC? Don't bother there is VERY little and everyone thinks it is a dead interface. I am here to tell you still one of the most flexible out there...IF... and I stress IF you take the time to learn to program it. Sounds to me like it is almost the exact same thing with the Open Cockpits stuff... I learned something!! :D