Mike's Avionics Update.. (15Nov2012)

[MLeavy737]

Hey all,
  Just messing around with sim and code. I finally got hold of 3 rack computers that will run the displays when i finally finish them.. if ever   Sim has been moved into the house and i have been working on the MIP and getting the LCD's installed. Once installed i will move it into position on the base and continue. Also in the process of re-springing and damping my flight controls.

Also thought i could use this posts as an update area to my displays that im working on slowly.  This is EICAS code from a little while ago and i though it looked cool up on a LCD that i just put in so i figured i would share it. I know i haven't had many updates lately so when i do get something done its nice to be able to post! lol..

More to follow

Mike L

[iwik]

Mike,
Very nice,will be great to see when all are done. Thanks for sharing.
Les

[Benja]

Looking good there Mike.

[Flyboyandre]

Time for the popcorn!

[DaveC]

Great job Mike!  It never ceases to amaze me what people are able to accomplish.  Looks great.  Can't wait to meet you some day.

Dave C.

[MLeavy737]

Thanks everyone!

Dave, look forward to it! Stop going on vacation soo much and we can make it happen! Lol. Just kiddin, one of these days.. Ill let ya know when im up there again.

Mike L

[MLeavy737]

Hi all,
  Just a little update here. Been working on the positioning and sizing of the displays. Got some work done on the  IRS not initialized FO_PFD as well as added a pic of the progress on the FO_ND. Getting there, looking forward to seeing them in the MIP shortly

Also an older pic of the FMC progress.  The work here has been mostly in getting a skeleton structure up and running. As of now the page and key logic is pretty well complete as well as the messaging system and the way it interacts with the user. Hope to try this on the FMC screen shortly just for fun!

Posting Pics as we go here!

Mike L

[Maurice]

Hey Mike,

Were you a computer programmer in your past life? You are doing some great work here and I was wondering what are your intentions re. programming the CDU software and particularly VNAV which is likely the most complex programming task in any flight deck.

Is this something on your todo list alongside building a flight deck? If yes, I don't know if you are a genius or a mad man? 

Maurice

[Bob Reed]

Is this something on your todo list alongside building a flight deck? If yes, I don't know if you are a genius or a mad man? 

Maurice

I think it is both! 

[blueskydriver]

Hey Mike,

Great work you got going on! If Karen or I can help you somehow let us know. Oh, for sure put me on the Beta Tester list when the time comes...

John

[MLeavy737]

Hey Mike,

Were you a computer programmer in your past life? You are doing some great work here and I was wondering what are your intentions re. programming the CDU software and particularly VNAV which is likely the most complex programming task in any flight deck.

Is this something on your todo list alongside building a flight deck? If yes, I don't know if you are a genius or a mad man? 

Maurice

Maurice,
  Thanks for the kind words! Lol, no programming past life that i know of! I just like it. Always liked game programming and ive made a few stupid ones in the past but nothing crazy.  Thats about it.

Im going to go with more of a mad man here.. Yes my intentions are to build the sim and write the code to run it!  To me its just another part of the sim build and it felt pretty damn cool putting that EICAS code i have so far behind the MIP!  So basically its like building something instead of buying something. Takes a bit longer but the satisfaction of having done it yourself is worth it i think!

Your definately right about the FMC being a challenge for sure. Honestly not sure about how to do some of it as far as navigation and interfacing with the Sim yet but i also didnt get that far yet. So far like i said i have what i call skeleton code running.  Basically the page logic as far as what keys do what and what pages come up where andnwhen you press certain keys.  Also the Messaging system is done.  Theres alot that goes on behind the scenes that you may not be aware of as far as message types, ordering and the effect of key and menu botton pressing is concerned. 

As far as VNAV question, the advantage i have is about 6000hrs in the airplane so far so i know damn well exactly how its supposed to work lol.  They say you cant design a system until you understand the system so im hoping that will help when it comes to programming it!

Ill let you know!

Mike L

[MLeavy737]

Hey Mike,

Great work you got going on! If Karen or I can help you somehow let us know. Oh, for sure put me on the Beta Tester list when the time comes...

John

Thanks for the offer guys   So far i dont have any plans to adapt it to all the different interface possibilities out there so that may cause a problem testing it but who knows.  Well see where it goes i guess.   Other than phidgets cards im not even sure what im using! Lol.

Ill let ya know!

Mike L

[Maurice]

  So basically its like building something instead of buying something. Takes a bit longer but the satisfaction of having done it yourself is worth it i think!

Mike L

Not if it kills you in the process  . Seriously now, I think what you are doing is amazing coming from someone with no formal programming training. I guess it shows how incredibly passionate you are about sim building & aviation in general.

I thought I was for a while but I'm getting tired of banging my head against a wall because it feels so good when I stop. So now, I take the easy route whenever possible. But I have tons of admiration for people like you and many others in this forum who are doing it the hard way, either because of financial necessity or because they enjoy the challenge.

Kudos to you and to the other brave souls out there. I may make fun of you now & then but it's only because I'm jealous. 

Maurice

[MLeavy737]

Mike now that is pleasing in particular because you are actually on the line in type   some 6000 odd hrs so you know what S&l looks like then :-) ... so I trust that this is going to be open to those 737NG builders will they be able to retrofit? .. I think it would be quite welcomed ! will you do an additional software to cover the MAX? how are you going to show pre IRS alignment ( this is something that would be quite cool), opps I see you have nevermind :-)  whist your at and this something I feel you may wish to consider currently with the FMC or CDU or MCDU depending on your accent and current software can you make the pages function as they should i.e if I have a route that is x pages then make it x pages dont' have it disappear prior. also don't let the bloody thing run off with a mind of its own, now I understand that the FMC is a complex bit of kit if you don,t use it everyday so  tutorial would be cool as well oh and can it be ready next week.. :-) ,,,, now since this is going to be ready next week lets chat about ECAIS messaging I admit I know nothing about the NG and use the either the 777 or the 74 as a basis for my questions, Does or will you be adding ECAIS messaging and check list to response? is it automated or does one have to use paper? how will it deal with priority conflicts? or its it going to be through the FMC and ACARS?  Is it going to tell on you? will it print?  what about "The Firm" ?

  Woohh im on question overload! lol.. lets see here, 1 by 1.. 

Open to other builders? Honestly no telling at this point. My initial goal is to get this stuff running in my sim and see just how close i can get it to what i fly.   Like i mentioned to BSD, i'm really not into spending time trying to interface this stuff with all the hardware out there. Maybe somewhere way down the road ill try a few but for now just concentrating on the displays and systems.

will you do an additional software to cover the MAX? Yes! Ill be flying those as soon as we get them. Not sure how different there going to be from NG's but i'll be on it just as soon as my behind is in the airplane.

how are you going to show pre IRS alignment? See pic below..

Can you make FMC  pages function as they should? That's the plan. As far as look and feel they will look exactly like my airplane. In fact i have already taken a few videos for reference and integrated it into code. As far as operation, that's going to be the fun part! making the sim and autopilot do exactly what you want it to do is a challenge however so far im very happy with what i have so far.

tutorials would be cool. That's a good idea. I could have some work friends come over and video some of the procedures we use. Hopefully i can just have some of you over the house and show you myself.. Assuming the software is done

Does or will you be adding ECAIS messaging and check list to response? No checklist however im an working on a program to allow timed scripted events to be injected into operations. So yes you will receive ACARS alerts and messages on the FMC.  In the real airplane you can always print messages but normal dispatch reply is just via ACARS.

Is it going to tell on you? My plan is to use my sim for warmup-checkrides and new hire work. I am thinking of ways to record certain events that the real airplane tells on you for. For example. We have certain approach gates that require certain speeds and configurations. Would be nice to record things like that.

And yes i'm happy to be able to fly this airplane, sometimes maybe a little too much flying though! The good thing is i'm actually starting to get the hang of it

Mike L

[MLeavy737]

Hi all,
  Having fun with this.. Heres a small update for ya..

Did more work on PFD as well as the logic for the different IRS power up stages related to displays.  Starting to come together. Very happy with it!

Few more things to do before they will be installed on my display computers and tested!

Mike L

[MLeavy737]

Hi all,
  Been real busy getting sim into house upstairs in the media room.  Currently all the display computers are installed in the rack there on the left and running nicely.  Also the flight controls have finally been re-rigged and dampened the way i like em.  Just have the basics going here, enough to take what i guess is technically the sims first flight lol.

My goal with the sim so far at this stage is to finish installing the display LCD's, Phidget up the throttle quadrant, and build the glare. Just get it flyable so i can continue developing the avionics and have a way to test as i go with the sim. 

Yes i know that the display in the pic there is for the FO side, believe me lol.. I didn't have a cable long enough to reach first of all and second, the FO LCD's are not installed yet. Workin on that now.

Xplane only for this sim!! 

Besides XOrionFE's sim, this is one of the few times i got to fly Xplane with a regular flight control setup and now i know im never going back! Hard to express in words but i'll show ya'll when you come over to fly someday!

Mike L

[MLeavy737]

Hello again,
  Well I got tired of flying on the Capt side with the FO instruments so I went ahead and wrote the Captain side PFD display. Heres a pic of the progress. Also A pic of the Server now in place that will.. well ..serve..   So far Ive added just basic system logic to get the displays up and running. Also the Phidget cards are being integrated as well into the server.

The best part about this so far is not only flying it but when im scrolling through pics on my phone of my displays and real airplane displays. I used to be able tell with a quick glance which pics were real and which were sim pics.. Getting harder and harder to tell i think

Working good so far!

Mike L

[XOrionFE]

LOoking good Mike!

Scott

[MLeavy737]

Thanks Scott!

Get that sim back together so you can do some testing

Mike L

[MLeavy737]

Need anyone to beta test?

Which yokes are you using? Don't tell me, self made?

Thanks for the offer Ben however I still have a way to go before and if I ever send anything out for testing!  For now this is just a fun challenging project for my sim.  When it works the way I want it to someday well go from there.  I'll put you on the list though

Oh and no I didn't make my own yokes lol.  Not for the 737 however I do still have a 777 yoke I carved out of wood a long long time ago!

Mike L