How would i go about making my own CDU/FMC

[Geremy Britton]

As you'll already know i'm not the best at electronics so if anyones already built the electronics side of their CDU FMC could you tell me how you did it. I presume for the buttons we want microswitches wired up to a leo bodnar card for example although i beleive FSUIPC or fs assignments doesn't have the capability to assign 'letter a on the fmc, then letter b etc etc' How do you go about doing that.

Also i have a screen the right size although it has an s'video out connection. I have no idea how to connect this to the pc, when i attempted it nothing happened. I have no idea what resoltution the monitor is or if it matters. All i know is its a small 6" screen with a s video connection cable.

If you could offer any help that would be great, it would save me the cost of buying a FMC made up. If you need to ask questions before you answer them please do and i'll get back to you with my best response.


Regards

[mpl330]

Gez,

I'll show you how to do the screen when you pop over - you just need a gpu with s-video out... You set it as output to a tv...

Cheers
Mike

[Geremy Britton]

OK, i'll bring it with me to check it's the right sorta thing. It's only pocket sized so i might as well. Cheers, i sent you a pm with a time. Hope that's convienient for you.

[Jackpilot]

The keyboard part of the FMC can be interfaced with a simple keyboard encoder.
http://www.hagstromelectronics.com/products/

You are in for many many hours of satisfaction/frustration/ think twice?
Jack

[No Longer Active]

Hey Gez!

When you have learnt to make a CDU / FMC will you go over the basic construction for us pal, because I think alot of members would be interested in how to do this, as I have seen alot of fake CDU / FMC's in cockpits due to the high cost of fully functional / working FMC's.

Have you had a look at opencockpit's 737 FMC? Seems pretty good value for money considering this doesn't look an easy build to replicate due to all the buttons!

.....By the way just for the fun of it I have started to make a 737 COM radio!
should be interesting!

Good luck with the FMC let us know how you get on pal!

[Geremy Britton]

I could tell you how to do it now just with the answers from jack and mike however this is all theoretical and would include possible problems. So i'll attempt it and put a tutorial in the section at mycockpit for members to view.

Hope that's ok Alex, and good luck with the comm.

[No Longer Active]

No probs....

I myself was just curious how you would make an FMC, thats all!

As for the comm radio, I scratch designed and made the template and panel, but the printing of the wording such as ACTIVE, TFR, STANDBY, TEST, COMM is my first hurdle, because the wording is White on Grey, if it was black then there would be no problem as I could transfer the wording from my laser print using transfer paper, but as the text is white, its hard to find white lettering or someway of applying white lettering!

[Geremy Britton]

One Word: Letraset.
Google it, you'll love them.

simply apply them, come in al fonts and sizes, as small as 4mm height.
I was going to use these before i decided i wanted all my panels backlit. Letraset doesn't allow backlighting although does give a very nice finish just in the day time.

Should help you out a little.

[No Longer Active]

Mate...this is brilliant!

I was typing in all sorts of tags / keywords in google and couldn't get anywhere!

So cheers a million!

Alex

[No Longer Active]

Sorry....does anyone know the Boeing font name?