Silverfox,

Thanks for the links...... keep them coming when you find good stuff.  The more alternatives we all have... the better.

On the matrixorbital lcd text displays........ also check out the following Phidgets site for not only those kinds of text displays (cheaper, I think) but an absolute goldmine of hardware for the simpit builder.

http://www.phidgetsusa.com/catalogue.asp

I plan on using a couple of the Phidgets products.....but probably not any of the text displays.  Don't know for sure yet though.

One I know I'll use is the Phidget LED64... which will drive 64 discrete leds.  These will be all the annunciator lights in the cockpit... along with marker lights and so on.    The annunciators themselves will be from Flight Deck Solutions.... their plastic recreations of these units are great.  They will make up custon engraved legends for them also at no extra charge.  I already have about 1/3 of the ones I'll need from them.

The nice thing about the Phidgets is that they already have a software package for MSFS called "FS2Phidget".  It utilizes a (registered) version of FSUIPC and allows very simple assignment of any variable available in FSUIPC (which is most data held in the sim) to one of the Phidgets products.

The "FS2Phidgets" software easily allows you to do things like say" if the value of the oil pressure on engine #1 is between 1000 and 3000 then light the green led".  By using the FDS annunciator units that will take TWO leds in each of them...... you could use two such logics (and two of the 64 led outputs) to have an annunciator show green for OK oil pressure... and red for low or high.  Slick!


I like the fan controller stuff you found.  A simpit generates a lot of heat.... and you have to plan to take care of that right from the start.

The site that has the "rearview mirror" has a lot of other interesting stuff too.  Thanks.


best,

..................john