How do I get announciators, gear-lights and radio-light to wrk? Any simple info?

[AndyTyler]

Hy there!

I'm (still) a real beginner (and not at all educated in anything related to cockpit building...) and starting up with an FSX default Baron 58, as that seemed easy to build by just using FSXpand and FSUIPC and like this also really cheap.

At the moment I have 2 Win7 systems running (good dimensions), have FSXpand running fine, and am adjusting the knobs, buttons and rotary encoders on Bodnar and PoKeys boards simply via FSUIPC dropdown-menu so far.

That's all not too complicated for a beginner like I am. And looks good until here. Still a  lot to read and learn ....

But of course I'm veeeery interested in realising much much more piece by piece!   :-)

So is there any easy answer to my question above?

If for example I now want to build my own announciators (with LED's), the three lights for the gear and the LED's for the radios (com1/2, both Nav1/2 , MRK, DME, ADF) by myself, where do I start this
Where do I get the signals I need from ?
How do I use these ??

I have no Idea at all at this moment ....

Any advise is welcome, as anyway I then will have to read a real lot about the concrete matter again as usual.

I'm just looking for the right heading at the moment ....

Kind regards and greetings, Andy

[Trevor Hale]

Hi Andy. The easiest thing here that I would do if I was you is buy yourself a phidgets led64 card. The last time I checked was around 100.00. Fs2phidgets is a free software that programs the led card to communicate with fsuipc for gear lights etc.

Note this will give you up to 64 led's but doesn't work well for 7 segment radio displays. I suggest you buy already built radio modules USB for that.

Trev

[jackpilot]

. I suggest you buy already built radio modules USB for that.
Trev

Check the Go-flight radios. Bulletproof, reasonnably priced and the go-flight environment allows you to program many other fonctions- inputs and outpus (leds)- with a simple click. They would look good on a stack for a twin.
www.goflightinc.com
Worth a visit and explore.
Jack

[AndyTyler]

Hy!

Thank you both for the replies!

I will get on with that now.

Greetings, Andy

[markfire]

Hi


If you are starting out, the range of open cockpits boards are good for almost everything in your pit.
There are scripts available on the net for all functions and they are quiet simple to setup after a bi of reading.


You would want 1 MasterCard, 1 USB card to connect the MasterCard, 1 input and 1 output card.


This would give you options to connect switches and LEDs with little fuss.


When you get more proficient and perhaps jump into the mad world of building a 737 sim, you can always re-sell and buy more kit specific to your needs.


Good luck.

[hexpope]

Hi Andy,

May I ask which Pokeys do you have ? is it Ethernet or USB version ? If it's the Ethernet version you should go to Ruedigers website and email him for a copy of FSSymphony (Free). It will use the Pokeys card for the outputs directly to Flight simulator. No need for an extra card.

I have created a expansion module for the Pokeys card that give you up to 80 outputs using the PoExtBus molex connector which means, not using any pins on the pokeys card, so in turn leaving them free for other FS voodoo with the Pokeys card.


FSSymphony is free and very powerful. You can drive motors, servo's Expand your digital outputs to 80 along with using the pins on the card. Ruediger is a very nice gentleman.

It's easy as pie so No scripts, coding etc, and your still only using 1 Pokeys card  for all that! It's a small application that has drop down boxes and you just select what you want to do with each output etc. It's very easy. Which given this day and age, should be !

Wait for another while about expanding your outputs (Or if you get to the point of running out of them on the pokeys) My module has passed lab testings, and is now on the way to Germany to be put through it's pace's in a B737 simulator.

His cockpit site is here, I think he is around this evening. UTC+1

http://www.flying-the-winglets.de/

So in summary, if you have a pokeys card, which if you took my advice in another thread, you should have the Ethernet version and already have FSSypomphy. You can just map out what ever outputs you need already for LED's etc.

Best of luck.

[AndyTyler]

(this is my copied answer out of the other thread, sry! I don't have much time at the moment!!!)


Hy there Hexpope!

Sorry needing so long for a reply, I was buisy the last weeks.

I have to confess I took a PoKeys USB-Card.

Have not connected it jet.
The manual seems really good, but it's also some hours to work with.
Always this technical english  ;-)  and more than 100 pages here!

All this new knowlege already took so much learning until now, that a usb-card sounded much more comfortable to me as a beginner.
I know a little about the problems in adjusting the parameteres, and then maybe having the board plugged out once, and thereafter windows not finding them correctly again, but that's ok for me right now.

I made some compromise with my first cockpit now, why not, I thought.
I'm using FSXPand on three monitor, so have no real gauges at all here, and FSXPand has the announciators too, so I will leave this building for my second cockpit somewhen.

And I found myself in good mood, having made my freedom with some compromises in this first take.

There is so much really exiting and really nice stuff about building own cockpits, but everything is into learning something new, and most of the times its into the money, too.

I will finish this first one really easy, and then see where I will continue.

But in my free time I will have a look at all interesting information I gather here!
So thanx, I will respond when I have viewed your stuff!
It may take some weeks, I have lots of work in the later summer.

Greetings, Andy