DIY RADIO STACK HELP

[Justin Browning]

Hello,
I am trying to build my own simple, generic radio stack and control ALT, DG, VOR1, VOR2, ADF, and HDGBug with as few buttons/switches as possible. My plan is to:

On the instrument front, have a single pushbutton to select either Altimeter, Directional Gyro, VOR1, VOR2, ADF, or the Heading Bug and then use either a rocker switch, rotary encoder or, two pushbuttons (one for + and one for -). I will most likely go the pushbutton route, as I have them on hand.

So can I setup then individual instruments with single push button select and then use a generic increase and decrease selection?

Attached is a graphic of the intent, please disregard the layout and colors, as it is a WIP and is being used to illustrate plan.

Thanks.

[Justin Browning]

I think that I will go with rockers for the instruments in the orientation of the way they logically operate (Alt being up and down, and other instruments being left and right). Then I will only use COM1,NAV1, and XPNDR for now. I am going to use a button for Increase and Decrease on the instruments and then COM1 Fine Inc, Fine Dec, etc. The XPNDR will just be increase on the 1000, 100, 10, and 1 digits.

If anyone has a suggestion on how to set up the original plan, that would be great.

Thanks again.

[No Longer Active]

Making a simple radio stack is not a problem, your design appears basic, but I really haven't got a clue how you intend to implement your 'instrument select' without writing some sort of software to be able to do this. It would probably be easier to have a small panel with dual encoder knobs (or an encoder a toggle), each encoder will control each gauge, infact I know this IS easier, why make a simple radio stack design complex, coz thats going against the concept. I really like your idea, but its the instrument select, that could be challenging.

The only way I could think of, is wiring ALL your instruments / radio modules to one encoder or button set and then placing a switch between each in the off position so that you have to switch on what you want to control it and then have to turn it off so that you can turn the next one on....its complex no doubt, personally I would keep to an encoder set for each gauge / radio purely for simplicity.

All the best,

Alex

[Cessna172sim]

One solution is to use one sideways tilted LCD panel and make a front plate with 'bridges' over it to simulate multiple units like we did:
http://www.lentosimulaattori.1g.fi/k...aneeli+001.jpg
http://www.lentosimulaattori.1g.fi/k...aneeli+007.jpg

In the picture it looks there's multiple smaller LCD panels but it is only one single unit. We are running Reality XP Waas software:
http://www.reality-xp.com/profession...aas/index.html

For the electronics we use OpenCockpits.

[flyinjake]

Vectro,

I would be interested in building a panel similiar to yours. Need to research your site and RealityXP. Will reality Xp run on a secondary computer using simconnect or registered FSUIPC?

[ian@737ng.co.uk]

nice work Vectro..... impressive
rgds

ian

[Roland]

Hi Justin,

If you use a selector switch for selecting function, you could use the FSUIPC compount button programming method as I used:
http://www.simprojects.nl/interface_with_mjoy-16.htm
http://www.simprojects.nl/fsuipc_com...rogramming.htm

[Cessna172sim]

Vectro,

I would be interested in building a panel similiar to yours. Need to research your site and RealityXP. Will reality Xp run on a secondary computer using simconnect or registered FSUIPC?

All programs are running in a single basic home gaming computer. Reality XP is just a undocked window in FS2004 that is dragged to it's own LCD screen. The screen works via USB.

Here is the component list:

Lower Radio-panel GNS430+Autopilot+adf+transponder parts.

From Elfa: www.elfa.se
35-548-05 Push bu.sw. APE1F-2M-10 6
35-556-04 Cap black AZ303 6
35-680-45 Keyboard switch 3FTL6 24
35-685-08 Cap black 1P09 25
35-685-65 Cap white 1P06 9
35-665-60 Keyboard switch FSMCD 10
75-057-46 SMQ250CTP lens clear 3mm 1
75-026-93 EL204IT LED 3 mm red 1
35-014-59 Rocker sw. SP C1522ATBB 1
49-576-68 Epoxy lam.P20 75x100x 0,5 1
38-260-70 Knob 16mm A 25 16 060 4
38-260-39 Knob 13mm A 25 13 040 2
38-270-94 Cap 13mm black A 41 13 000 2
38-271-85 Cap 16mm black A 41 16 000 2

From Leo Bodnar http://www.leobodnar.com/products/BU0836X/
Rotary encoder CTS288 model 288V232R161B2 2
Dual concentric rotary encoder with pushbutton ELMA E37 2

From Ebay:
Samsung SyncMaster U70 - 7" Photo Frame or Mini Monitor 1

From opencockpits: http://www.opencockpits.com/
Encoders card (For ELMA E37 with special code. 1
Code can be found here:
http://www.overkillsystems.com/id12.html
Mastercard 1
Expansion card (for USB connection) 1

The PCB:s are home made. I have the pictures, codes, etc. ready and can share everything free of charge. I don't have any plans how the actual construction is made ready so you will need lot's of electronic skills but if you feel that you are in this level I can provide all the info.

I also have one extra frontplate (seen in the pics) since we now have backlighted version ready.

[Bernie]

Hi Vectro,


From Ebay:
Samsung SyncMaster U70 - 7" Photo Frame or Mini Monitor 1

I hope you don't mind me butting in here but I was wondering how well the photo frames (USB Type) worked as a mini monitor. Have you found them OK?

Kind Regards

Bernie.

[Cessna172sim]

Hi Vectro,


From Ebay:
Samsung SyncMaster U70 - 7" Photo Frame or Mini Monitor 1

I hope you don't mind me butting in here but I was wondering how well the photo frames (USB Type) worked as a mini monitor. Have you found them OK?

Kind Regards

Bernie.

At least in our setup they seems to be working flawlessly. You just plug them in and Windows sees them as a extra monitor. Samsung is a very special since you can tilt the picture from its own setup. This is very important since in the FS2004 it is not possible to tilt undocked windows. We also cropped the window titles and frames to make the GPS screen fit in the screen better. These aspects in mind I can only recommend this kind of setup.