Searching and Searching... for info about building a cockpit.Finally found www.fsbus.de but will it work together with www.simkits.com. ??A little request: If you already have made something with FsBus or SimKits, would you be so kind to take a photo and you can EMail me it. Just to have a impression what is possible.mailto:[email protected] Rob from the Netherlands.

>Searching and Searching... for info about building a >cockpit. >Finally found www.fsbus.de but will it work together with >www.simkits.com. ?? >A little request: If you already have made something with >FsBus or SimKits, would you be so kind to take a photo and >you can EMail me it. Just to have a impression what is >possible. >mailto:[email protected] >>Greetings Rob from the Netherlands. This working (although still ugly) radio prototype is done with FSBus. The knobs I mean. The LCD is different. You can drive 7-segment displays with FSBUS though.You can drive servos with FSBUS, but I guess if you want to invest in the SimKits instruments, you might want to get their controller board as well, since as far as I know, FSBUS cannot drive those hacked servos that rotate freely (used in gyro, altimeter etc)The things like oil temp etc that have the gauge hand move less than complete circles you can control with fsbus as well. Just need the servo control board.Tuomas

>This working (although still ugly) radio prototype is done >with FSBus. The knobs I mean. The LCD is different. You can >drive 7-segment displays with FSBUS though.How did you do that....That kind of display. That's a lot of cheaper.It's not how it is in a real plane but what the heck, you can read the Com's and Nav's. Where did you find that kind of info.>You can drive servos with FSBUS, but I guess if you want to >invest in the SimKits instruments, you might want to get >their controller board as well, since as far as I know, >FSBUS cannot drive those hacked servos that rotate freely >(used in gyro, altimeter etc) Hmm... But thats for later. first FsBus after that or in the meanwhile i will visit simkits in Rotterdam.Thanx Tuomas,For your picture. At the moment i'm collecting the parts for the project. Already found a guy who is willing to make the PCB. First i have to find out how i can read the files of the PCB. Kind of Gerber format.Once again thanks for anwering.

Hi All.Curt answered a post on the Simkits Tech Forum that he did not think his hardware would work with other software drivers. At least that's how I interperted it. Could be wrong as I am not a technical person. You might wanr to check it out at www.simkits.com, Then forums, then tech forums.Regards,Jim

>Hi All. >>Curt answered a post on the Simkits Tech Forum that he did >not think his hardware would work with other software >drivers. At least that's how I interperted it. Could be >wrong as I am not a technical person. You might wanr to >check it out at www.simkits.com, Then forums, then tech >forums. >>Regards, >Jim This is the answer of Curt:""Cooperation and/or conflicts of TRC products with other hardware: In principle, all TRC hardware works fine together with hardware from other manufacturers. There is only one exception. In case the TRC hardware writes values back to Flight Simulator and other hardware does the same, there will be a conflict. Examples are: adjustment of the heading bug, adjustment of the compass rings of the VOR's and ADF and eventually the pressure scale of the Altimeter. In future, when the software of the TRC Controller board supports hardware like TRC Yoke and TRC Rudder pedals, there could be more conflicts. However, at the time of installation of the TRC hardware, one can choose which hardware to calibrate (thereby activating the hardware as to be interpreted by the TRC controller board). When a certain device is not "added" during calibration, the device values will not be written to Flight Simulator and will not conflict with hardware from other manufacturers which writes these values to Flight Simulator."""Hmmm. My english is not so very well, but the isu is: Is Fsbus Writing back to Fs2002, also together with the Simkits components. ??Then you will get a data collision, That's what i understand. I don't know. ?! Next week i will phone them so i can speak in my dutch language. ( I know Simkits and Goflight will work together. at least that was told me.)Greetings Rob, from the Netherlands.

Hi Rob.Thanks for the clarification. Please let us know what Curt has to say.Thanks,Jim

Those wanting to have circuit boards manufactured might try Express PCB. http://www.expresspcb.com They have a free downloadable CAD program if you need to design your own. Not sure if it will read FSBUS files. You could email them and ask.Richard

>Hi Rob. >>Thanks for the clarification. Please let us know what Curt >has to say. >>Thanks, >Jim Well, if you want to just hook up, say, the SimKits fuel gauge to FSBUS servo module it will work fine, since the gauge contains a *standard servo* - there will be no conflict. You could hook the gauge to a Futaba RC system and twiddle the gauge with your RC transmitter for the heck of it :-) It would work there since it is *just a RC servo* - the gaug is just some gears and an indicator hand around the servo.Of course the SimKits control board is designed for their stuff (and it really is not THAT expensive if you think of investing on the full instrument set - it is just the price of about 3-4 individual gauges)FSBUS costs too, the PICs are the most expensive components, we have found them for about 5 euros a piece. But FSBUS is fun if you want to build stuff yourself. Also FSBUS cannot control the altimeter or other gauges that have those "hacked" servos with the limiter removed. There is no FSBUS support for those.But if you are doing for example the main instruments with a monitor behind the panel and need just a few other gauges (like the fuel meter or suction gauge or engine instruments - things that dont rotate freely like the altimeter or gyro - you can hook them into FSBUS just fine if you have FSBUS already.If you are plannign your cockpit *around the SimKits gauges* then I think the easiest way is to just get their control board along with the rest - the instruments themselves cost quite a bit anyway so it might be a wrong spot to save a few bucks - just get the control board which works fine out of the box.Tuomas

Hi Tuomas,Has anyone priced out a complete FSBUS system? All the pc boards and electronic components. Richard