bendix com box - help needed

[Steve1970]

Hi,

I am looking for some general advice on building a com box like this

http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/show...89805#poststop

I am okay on the buttons and the encoders talking via FSUIPC to FSX and also with PCB design and physically building a unit, but would not know where to start with the display and how to get the right frequency to show on the LEDs.

Any pointers and general advice would be greatly appreciated as I am slightly hooked on this cockpit building!

Thanks very much.

Steve.

[Jylhami]

Hi Steve,

I am using opencockpits cards and SIOC code to show the digits.
It's a lot of hassle and i will start to design and build an USB interface card by myself.

[Steve1970]

Thanks for the info, I will check out their website.
Steve.

[AK Mongo]

Hi Steve,

I am using opencockpits cards and SIOC code to show the digits.
It's a lot of hassle and i will start to design and build an USB interface card by myself.

It seems that a lot of people are working on homebuilt radio stacks(or at least dreaming about them). I think there would be some interest in a USB board which one could easily interface to 7 segment displays, with a rudimentary driver.

For example:
Digits 1-6 assignable to com 1,
7-12 com 1 standby etc.

Are there any vendors doing this?

Building and/or coding something like this is well beyond my ability.

Any electronic super geniuses out there are free to steal this idea, and I will be first in line to buy one

[Jylhami]

The only cards so far is the Opencockpits Displays II card.
You also need a mastercard and if you want to connect to USB you'll need USBExpansioncard. And for example for NAV/COM you will need 2 pcs of Displays II cards. You'll have then a lot of inputs and outputs as well, but it is very compex and needs good skills in SIOC programming to make it all work. There are o lot of SIOC examples how to do things, but all the hardware is usually different and modifications must be made.

Don't get me wrong, the SIOC is a very powerfull way to program all the things you'll ever need in your sim.

My goal is to make a card that you can plug to USB and start flying.

[Steve1970]

The only cards so far is the Opencockpits Displays II card.
You also need a mastercard and if you want to connect to USB you'll need USBExpansioncard. And for example for NAV/COM you will need 2 pcs of Displays II cards. You'll have then a lot of inputs and outputs as well, but it is very compex and needs good skills in SIOC programming to make it all work. There are o lot of SIOC examples how to do things, but all the hardware is usually different and modifications must be made.

Don't get me wrong, the SIOC is a very powerfull way to program all the things you'll ever need in your sim.

My goal is to make a card that you can plug to USB and start flying.

I have been doing some internet searching around and I belkieve it is very complex, the thing is that the SIOC manual is very poorly translated to English. Where do you start!

[Jylhami]

Hi Steve,

I know, been there.
But when you get the hold of it, you learn pretty easily.
I was going to write a tutorial "SIOC for Dummies" (as me) but my time is very limited, so i haven't got time for it.

First you have to get the cards to work with FS, this is fairly simple: just make the .ini files correct.

Next phase is learning the SIOC language, for it there are a lot of examples, but still you need to focus on your own system.

What i did, was that i installed FS2002 and all the Opencockpit software to an old laptop and started with a Gear switch

Simple SIOC code to get the gearswitch to work:

Var 0018, name FS_gearsw, Link FSUIPC_OUT, Offset $0BE8, Length 4 // Lg position, 0=up, 16383=dwn

Var 0209, name Gear_SW, Link IOCARD_SW, Input 9 // Gear_sw
{
&FS_gearsw = &Gear_SW * 16383
}

What happens here is:
Var 0018 is defined as write output to FS a gearswitch position.
Var 0209 is defined as input from OC Mastercard

Each time the switch is moved the "program" between brackets is run.
So when the switch is turned ON, it will become logical "1" for the SIOC, then the calculation is made: 1 * 16383 = 16383 and this value will be sent to FS and the little switch on 2D instrument panel goes Down position !! Magic

This is the simple version, imagine you can program all the functions you want. For example you can wire an alarm horn and make it audiable if you pull back the throttle to idle, without having gear down.
Also for the avoinics you can program, that you have to have both masterswitch on AND avionics switch ON for them to light up etc...

[No Longer Active]

SIOC is the ultimate in programming for me, I found it very hard and complex, but indeed it does get easier. SIOC should be your second language especially if your into FS and serious cockpit building like many of us. I get lost all the time in SIOC, if I do, I just erase and start again....and ask a million questions on here...

We are all here to help!

Alex

[Steve1970]

Thanks gents, I ordered the master card kit yesterday and a display card, I read one or two tutorials and I guessed as much, you've just got to set up a couple of switches and have a play. Will have countless questions though I'm sure.

Thanks
Steve

[Steve1970]

Well I have finally finished soldering the master card and have the display2 card, just need to get a parallel port cable and start testing. I have almost finished the pcb design and as long as everything tests out okay I will have the pcb made after Christmas.

Will post design pics soon.

Steve.