64 Switch Input Boards

[when acting as a wave]

Seeing as this product was alluded to in the Encoders/Outputs thread, I thought it an opportune time to mention that we also have 64 Switch Input Boards available for purchase.



This USB connected board can accept 64 switch inputs. The supplied software allows the user to configure the inputs and then, when the main program is run, all of the switches will directly control actions within Flight Simulator.
The switches are arranged in blocks of 8 utilising readily available RJ45 plugs and cables. Instructions with full connection details are included. The inputs are designed for pushbuttons and toggle switches (or any combination thereof), and even multi-position switches. They are not suitable for rotary encoders. 


This diagram is an example of how easily switches can be connected to the board.
Any combination of toggle switches, pushbuttons, or multi-position switches may be used.
The switches are arranged in banks of eight, so if using a multi-position switch, it must have a maximum of eight positions.
The software can tell when a pushbutton is used, and will therefore have a 'toggle' action on the MS Flight Simulator item it is configured to operate.


This screenshot shows the supplied configuration software.


Here is a screenshot of the application software running. It starts minimised on the screen but may be expanded like this for viewing purposes.
The colour of the text shows if the switches are On or Off.

Specifications

-    USB Connection
-    Computer Power Supply Connnection
-    Eight RJ45 Sockets for switches
-    One RJ45 Socket for switch commons
-    All Configuration and Application software is supplied
-    Power supply required:  +5VDC


Price :

64 Inputs (64INS)  US$189-00

Freight: US$22-00

These can be purchased from our website at http://www.ruscool.co.nz/64_ip.html although if anybody here is interested in doing so, send me an email first mentioning that you saw it here on cockpitbuilders.com and we'll give a 5% discount on the combined cost of the product plus the freight.

Once again, any questions you might have, just let me know.

Dean.

[Trevor Hale]

Thanks for posting this Dean..  Very informative.

[when acting as a wave]

Thought I'd update this product's details with some upgrades that we've recently made to it:

With the added functionality of utilising keypresses, our 64INS Boards are now capable of handling other items that the FSUIPC offset list doesn't readily handle, which is important for 'Add-On' aircraft, and by using the 'Create Mouse Macro' in FSUIPC, you can have a keypress combination (ie. Ctrl-y) operate what would normally need to be activated with a mouse-click on the screen. This means that by using our 64INS Software, you can now have one of your physical buttons (which would be connected to our 64INS Board) simulate this keypress combination when you push it. This is true also, for any other keypress combination that's been assigned within the flight sim program.

Additional to the 64 switch inputs, all of our 64INS boards can now (by default) accept two rotary encoders.

Further upgrades of our software also mean that our 64INS boards can now have either switches/buttons connected to blocks 8 and 7, or you can connect 4 rotary encoders to each of block 8 and block 7. This means that the board can be set up (using simple, easy to understand software) in three different ways :

64 switch inputs and 2 rotary encoders on dedicated terminals.
56 switch inputs with 2 rotary encoders on dedicated terminals, and 4 rotary encoders instead of switches on block 8.
48 switch inputs with 2 rotary encoders on dedicated terminals, and 8 rotary encoders instead of switches on block 8 and block 7.

Up to six individual 64INS Boards can be tied together and operated simultaneously, with easy-to-use configuration software explaining which boards are operating what functions at all times. 

In addtion to these upgrades, the price has also been reduced to US$159-00 (less a further 5% for members of cockpitbuilders.com). Freight would likely be US$22-00.

As always, I'm happy to answer any questions.

Dean.

[jackpilot]

Might be a way to fire that KingAir Bob???

[Bob Reed]

Might be a way to fire that KingAir Bob???

\

Been looking at it.. I know I am not going to use my EPIC..... At least I don't want to...

[Pegger]

been watching the ruscool line with gerat interest as well. perfect for the King Air

[Bjarne Horsbøl]

Hello Dean

 

As always, I'm happy to answer any questions.

Does the card's (64INS and 5E8R) support fast turns of encoders ?  ( contrary to some joystick controllers ) 
and which kind of encoder´s is required ?

Does the 64OUTS card only support standard offset´s found in the software´s pull-down menu ?
or can you write a script for example in SIOC ?

My reason for asking this question.
Like Bob , I am planning to build a B200 King Air sim, based on Aeroworx B200.
And like most function´s the two annunciator panel´s are non FS standard. 

Bjarne

[when acting as a wave]

Hi Bjarne

Yes, the cards response time to fast turning encoders is quick. It's difficult to explain their speed with words though, so tomorrow we'll make a short video and post the results for you to see (it's Sunday here and we're not in the workshop at present) ...

Standard incremental (quadratre) encoders can be used. We tend to use mechanical-switching encoders because of their low cost, but optical encoders are perfectly acceptable.

With regards the 64OUTS operating the two non-standard FS annunciator panels, we have some hardwiring circuitry diagrams that we're willing to supply with the board. Scripts cannot currently be written, although we're (normally) able to add custom offsets to the software if they're known.

Also of some use perhaps, is that the 64OUTS board allows you to set-up alarm points on standard FSUIPC variables, which means that you can set-up a 'range' which triggers an event to happen between these figures. This might be another way to approach it.

I hope this has been of some help.

Dean.

[Bob Reed]

Hello Dean

 

As always, I'm happy to answer any questions.

Does the card's (64INS and 5E8R) support fast turns of encoders ?  ( contrary to some joystick controllers ) 
and which kind of encoder´s is required ?

Does the 64OUTS card only support standard offset´s found in the software´s pull-down menu ?
or can you write a script for example in SIOC ?

My reason for asking this question.
Like Bob , I am planning to build a B200 King Air sim, based on Aeroworx B200.
And like most function´s the two annunciator panel´s are non FS standard. 

Bjarne

A lot of this particular aircraft (Aeroworx  B200)  has had the logic created in the panels ( my best guess at this stage) and I have been supplied with a working sioc code and it looks to me like the outputs (logic for the the systems ie lcds and other enunciators) was programed to happen after an event... ie a switch throw. I am looking into this farther....

[when acting as a wave]

As promised, we've just taken a short video clip of the response time of encoders attached to our 64INS board, which has been uploaded to Youtube. I'm not sure how to embed it here, but you can watch it via http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuHpQ4kA6Ek

Sorry for the dodgy camera quality but I hope the video is clear (and fast!) enough ... 

Dean.

[Bjarne Horsbøl]

Thanks for the video.

What I see is maybe the same problem with fast turning.
Look´s like you make  about   a 1/4 turn´s on the knob , and getting about 5 degree's increase or decrease.
With that speed it takes forever to get from 180 degree to 360 degree.

I do not know if it is because you make the 1/4  turn´s rather slowly ?
What happens if you make the 1/4 turn´s fast and repeatedly ?

This is how a PnP module I have works:
Turn knob 1 click= 1 degree incr/decr  (obviously  )
1/4  turn´s in moderate tempo =about 5-10 degree incr/decr ( depend´s on how quick you  turn)
1/4 to 1/2 turn´s in fast/repeatedly tempo=about 30-50 degree incr/decr ( depend´s on how quick you repeat turn´s)

Would be a big scoop if the card could do that or something like it. 

Best regards
Bjarne

[when acting as a wave]

Hi Bjarne

Yes, we know exactly what you mean. We've done trials with this in the past and the results weren't as satisfactory as we would've liked, although (as a result of your suggestions) we are now looking into this again. We've made some advances in our programming since we last tried it, so hopefully I'll get back with some answers (and more importantly, a solution) in the next few days or so 

Dean.

[when acting as a wave]

In response to some previous suggestions in this thread, we've been trialling some further upgrades to our software so that our 64INS board(s) better reflect fast-turning encoders, and we now have them responding one click at a time if moved normally, in steps of 25-45 degrees incr/decr when turned at a moderate speed, and steps of 50-70 degrees incr/decr when rotated quickly.

The video of us testing this is linked to below but is unfortunately in fairly poor quality (it was taken by a digital camera in poor light - the only recording option we had available at the time), although I've tried to annotate it a little to better describe what's happening! Hopefully you can see enough of what's going on ...

The encoder knobs aren't quite visible but each set of rapid clicks (the audio is loud enough to hear this) is the knob being rotated between 1/4 turn and 1/2 turn.

This is still a work in progress and we're tinkering with various different settings ...

The 25 second video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkdPEU0689M

Also, in the process of doing this, we've now upgraded the software to simultaneously allow two separate encoders to operate the same function independently.

Dean.