Quote:i cant figure out how to get mine to interface with my computer?
Shadowe,
Hi... thanks for the comment.
As to how to interface control stuff to your computer...... I'd suggest that take some time and go thru all the various threads here in the "Homebuild Cockpits" forum........ and I'm sure that you'll find lots of ways to accomplish that. There are lots of links already listed that even go to various tutorials.
That being said........ here's the
fast summary 
:
In the example of the glareshield stuff that you see in this part of the threads on my simpit construction.......
The two Goflight units are commercial units that are designed to interface and work with fs2000, fs2002, and fs2004. They have software drivers that get installed on the machine running the simulator you are running. The hardware plugs into that machine with the sim via a usb bus connector. Simple. Then when you run fs200X.... they power up and take the place of the simulated controls in your simulated on-screen cockpits. You now turn the controls on the physical MCP and the sim "reads" that...and the numeric displays on the physical MCP are updated too. Feels
VERY real.
To the immediate left of the Goflight MCP in the picture above is the electronic flight information system (EFIS) main control panel. It is simply a switch bearing unit that I constructed from looking at the real deal....and from looking at the functions that I want to reproduce.... and from looking at the functions present in the glass cockpit software that I plan to use for the simpit (FreeFD). Because I am building a "generic" simpit (not a copy of real aircraft) I can make panels the way
I want them to be. So I can steal good ideas from multiple places and combine them
.
This EFIS panel ....while looking pretty "real"....... is nothing more than a holder for a bunch of switches that will replace the keyboard keys. The switches are from an electronic surplus supply store and cost about $1 each. But there still are a
lot of switches there .... 14 toggle and push button and two 6 position rotaries.
That panel as it sits only cost about $20 to make...... but the wiring will still add a bunch more.
These various switches will be used to control the function of the FreeFD glass cockpit software that will display the primary flight instruments on two monitors located behind a fake panel facing that has frames and stuff applied to make it look like the real instruments (see other threads). This software will run on an additional machine that is networked to the sim machine and utilize FSUIPC and WideFS to allow the controls to work.
The interfacing for these EFIS switches (and any other panels) can be done a number of ways.
The cheapest but biggest pain in the butt is to do a "keyboard hack" of an old keyboard. You take one apart and rewire
MOMENTARY ON switches in place of the keys. This has the restriction that the buttons you use
HAVE to be momentary types. A design problem... but still better than using a keyboard.
To utilize rotary switches and toggles and such...... you need some sort of interface device. The easiest and somewhat inexpensive one to use to do this is the Hagstrom card (see other threads). For about $150 you can get 72 distinct inputs interfaced into the computer.
The Hagstrom setup software lets you use macro's of keypresses....... and it lets the switch execute one macro on being set "ON" and another on being set "OFF" if you want. This will be what I likely use on the EFIS unit. Because there are double throw and center off switches and the 6 position rotaries..... that panel alone will take 32 distinct inputs!
Another approach for an interface is to canibalize usb joysticks and controllers (see thread on canibalizing an Axispad). You can take the various switches and potentiometers and remote them with wire and use the usb configuration software to map them to do what you want. While mechanically a pain.... a simple solution that I will use for some stuff in the pit.
The hardest part of this simpit stuff is getting controls
OUT of the sim and into the "real world". Let's say that you want three lights on your main panel to light up as the gear indicators or the outer, middle, and inner markers. You need some sophisticated interface stuff to accomplish this. The commonly used solution to such stuff as lighting lights on the panels and for controling "fake" analog instruments and stuff is something called the EPIC card (see other threads). If you don't plan to spend about $1000 minimum on this part of things.... forget this
.
There are a couple of other solutions to this issue..... but they are pretty "technical" and not suited for the "fast" 8) summary here.
So..... there is a start on this fascinating part of the hobby. Be careful..... once you start... you get hooked
. Hope this helps.
best,
....................john
Pages: 1
