Need testers for 737 systems simulator software

[metamarty]

Hello,

I'm slowly adding support for different hardware into my system simulation software. I recently added support to connect to a IOCP server for controlling opencockpits hardware. Because I don't have this hardware, and I don't have experience with it, I'd like some feedback on this.

The package is freeware for noncommercial use and you'll find lots and lots of hardcore simulation and an instructor station in there. The scope of the system is: full overhead panel, fire panel, master caution system and instructor station.

It's been in use for over a year at our training center. The only prerequisite at this moment is an installed dot net runtime. FSUIPC is needed if you want to connect to flightsim. You can download the system from http://marty.selfip.com

Please discuss anything you like, don't like, run into, or other things. I'd like as much feedback as possible to improve this system.

Thanks,

Marty

[capetonian]

Got your message and read it last night, I downloaded the software but did not do much with it as I as in Paris, .. Back in Almere now and this weekend I am going to give it a serious play

[markusr]

Hi Marty,

will this also work with the hardware joystick controller from Leo (http://www.leobodnar.com/products/BU0836X/) ?
My idea is when a swtich is pressed that is connected to the USB board above and running your software, than the status in your software will be changed and the respective LED will go on on my opencockpits USB Output card.

Has anyone tested this yet with OC USB Output?

Thanks
Mark

[metamarty]

Hi Marty,

will this also work with the hardware joystick controller from Leo (http://www.leobodnar.com/products/BU0836X/) ?
My idea is when a swtich is pressed that is connected to the USB board above and running your software, than the status in your software will be changed and the respective LED will go on on my opencockpits USB Output card.

Has anyone tested this yet with OC USB Output?

Thanks
Mark

I'm not familiar with this card, but it looks like it emulates a joystick. At current I do not support joystick interface input, but it should not be too hard to implement. All inputs and outputs in the software can be mixed over all supported hardware, so there will be no problem in having it report its status over an opencockpits card. I'm going to look into joystick support now.

Edit:
Joystick support seems to be working in my development version. I will do some more testing and it should be available this week.

[markusr]

Hi Marty,

wow, great news.
and the best thing would be to get it also working with this usb Servo card
(http://www.opencockpits.com/catalog/...ml?cPath=21_32)
Than it can also be used to display the gauges

regards,
Markus

[metamarty]

Hi Marty,

wow, great news.
and the best thing would be to get it also working with this usb Servo card
(http://www.opencockpits.com/catalog/...ml?cPath=21_32)
Than it can also be used to display the gauges

regards,
Markus

The good thing about opencockpits is that I don't have to deal with hardware. I only send values to the opencockpits server. Because of some unknowns, I currently don't send gauge information to the server yet. I will need to have some more information on that, but it will certainly be working in the future.

At this moment, calibration of servo's is done in the program, but I don't know how opencockpits hardware deal with this. If anybody has more info, I'd like to know.

[metamarty]

I've uploaded a new version with joystick support. Can anyone try it out?

[markusr]

Hi Marty,

i have just tried it.

Joy2.jpg shows the Gamecontroller joysticks reconized by Windows
Joy1.jpg shows the Joysticks recognized by Prosim737

So the BU0836X Interface is not showing up and therefore not selectable...

[ANDYSMITH]

Hi there, names Andy ,I installed and "played" last night and am very impressed. I have a LED64 and an 8-servo card ,both phidgets and in minutes I had my APU EGT guage working!! I have no phidget inputs set up yet so I could not really get things to work BUT I have lots of Leo's "X" cards already wired into my overhead so I can't wait to get home with this new version and assign some switches.

So far I have lots of praise and only one question? Can I assign a single on-off switch to say the Cross-feed by picking the same port number to the "OFF" as well as the "ON'" , or do I need to use two ports in the input card one for "off" and another for "on". I guess I will find out tonight when I get home.?

This is exactly the bridge that I need in my sim to get full systems with the default plane and not spend hundreds or thousands doing it.
THANK YOU THANK YOU!!

I will test and report and do what I can to help you help me.
Andy Smith

[metamarty]

Hi Marty,

i have just tried it.

Joy2.jpg shows the Gamecontroller joysticks reconized by Windows
Joy1.jpg shows the Joysticks recognized by Prosim737

So the BU0836X Interface is not showing up and therefore not selectable...

Ok, that is important information. The program asks windows for all joystick-class USB devices. Here is the tricky part. If this device says it is not a joystick, the program will not receive it. What I've done is upload a newer version of the program that requests all game-class type of controllers, and not just joysticks. Could you please redownload and see if it shows now?

Hi there, names Andy ,I installed and "played" last night and am very impressed. I have a LED64 and an 8-servo card ,both phidgets and in minutes I had my APU EGT guage working!! I have no phidget inputs set up yet so I could not really get things to work BUT I have lots of Leo's "X" cards already wired into my overhead so I can't wait to get home with this new version and assign some switches.

So far I have lots of praise and only one question? Can I assign a single on-off switch to say the Cross-feed by picking the same port number to the "OFF" as well as the "ON'" , or do I need to use two ports in the input card one for "off" and another for "on". I guess I will find out tonight when I get home.?

This is exactly the bridge that I need in my sim to get full systems with the default plane and not spend hundreds or thousands doing it.
THANK YOU THANK YOU!!

I will test and report and do what I can to help you help me.
Andy Smith

Thanks for the praise!

Yes, you can assign a single switch to a function. In the readme there is some text about configuring inputs. In short: Not all input states need to be connected. You may leave 1 input state unconnected. This will become the default state. For example, if you have a switch with 1 wire for the crossfeed, you configure the line "Crossfeed On" to the wire and you leave the line "Crossfeed off" unconfigured. When the program detects an input on this wire, the crossfeed will be on, otherwise it will be off.

It would not make sense to require all wires to be connected. A push button only has one wire, and could never work. So, simply leave one of the states unconfigured per switch and the program will figure out what state the switch is in.