Anyone knows where to find sites or info on what the difference is between all these IC's and how we can interface them and how they work etc etc etc.Would be nice to get some "rooky" info.

Hi,That is a deceptively simple question. I'm guessing the thought behind the question is how to take an arbitrary device like an LED or LCD driver, understand it's functionality and interface it to an interesting application like MSFS.I don't think there is any single site that will provide a complete answer.Generally, I will start with the chip manufacturer. Often I can find a spec sheet on line. Failing this, I look for secondary sources on line, perhaps a user group or a product that incorporates the device and exposes its command set as part of the interface. (This is like the Hitachi LCD controller chip. Its instruction set and timing is documented in a great many spec sheets by LCD module manufacturers.)Next I consider hardware I/O options like com port, parallel port, USB, network. Almost instantly there is need for some sort of logic between the device and the I/O path. Further, the choice here will have consequences in software. Any of these I/O paths might work, but making an informed choice requires a bit of familiarity with each. www.beyondlogic.com is a good starting place to research them but probably isn't adequate by itself.One approach is to invest the time and effort to try a small project with each. I suspect you already have a good understanding of the parallel port. A next step could be an inexpensive PIC project interfaced to a com port and driving a 16 character LCD. You could follow that up with a similar project based on USB. There are a couple of preprogrammed USB chips that you could use (for instance the Delcom Engineering chip).Web sites are nice, but it's hard to beat first hand experience.Mikewww.mikesflightdeck.com

Now it can't get any better than this for displaying the radios and autopilot. http://www.delcom-eng.com/products_USBNDisplay.aspNow we just need a C++ or VB programmer to write some code.Thanks Mike,Richard

hmmmmz ...sounds very interesting this thing ... but then you'd either need like .. 8 USB portsor you'd have to show each radio/autopilot data during maybe 3 seconds & then show the next..or fcours make it such that you can chose during your flight which will be displayed ...but then again, i'd rather go for an fsbus or something :(

tnx Mike for this info.I'll add a short list of questions that might help me get rid of most of the fog in my head on this subject.1) do all IC's need programming .. like uploaded to it ?2) what does IC stand for anyway ?3) can you give me an example of a site where I can find data sheets (eg of such a PIC thing)My actual goal is not at first to be able to invent my own interface for cockpits because I believe there won't be any better way to go than the current FSbus. Unless you'd only want an interface for 1 specific thing but once you have FSbus for 2 things, you might as well use it for all things you need.But I'd like to mostly understand how the FSbus system works. Why these IC's are there etc.So lets say that MAX232 chip ... what does that one do ?

Hi,"IC" is an abreviation for Integrated Circuit. Sometimes, an IC is referred to as a "chip" or "micro chip".Not all ICs need to be programmed. ICs that incorporate writeable memory are programmed but many do not and require no programming. Micro controllers like PICs are programmed. Some micro controllers are manufactured with a program permanently programmed into them, so the user doesn't need to program them. For example, the Hitachi LCD controller (HD44780?)is a pre-programmed micro controller. Finally, there are a great many ICs that are not programmable. Basic logic like the 74LSXX family or the MAX232. Speaking of the MAX232... This is a level converter/line driver/line receiver. The RS232C protocol that the com ports use has a bipolar voltage swing. I don't recall the exact voltages, but it's something like +8 volts for one state and -8 volts for the other. Further, the ends of the cables carrying these signal must have resistors at the ends to prevent a type of electrical noise called reflections. These resistors eat power. Micro controllers do not have the proper voltage swing or available power to drive or receive the RS232C protocol. The MAX232 (and similar SP232 by Sipex) provide the needed power and voltage level conversion.Technical info on the MAX232 is available from http://www.maxim-ic.com/quick_view2.cfm/qv_pk/1798/ln/enTechnical information on the entire PIC line is available from www.microchip.com You can down load a 100+ page PDF manual for the PIC16F628 that covers all the instructions and performance specs.Mikewww.mikesflightdeck.com

Hmm, Quite simple question without a clean simple answer. I guess that Dirk, and all other interface builders (R&Rs EPIC etc) have quite much education behind their products.If you want to learn how these things work, you'll have quite much reading to do. There isn't a simple answer how to grasp it all at once.Here is some quick tips on where to start:1. Find some study course in simple electronics. Resistors, capacitors, transistors, diodes etc, how do they work and how do you construct simple things with them. Books, tutorials on the Net take you a long way here.2. Subscribe to a electronics journal. Here in sweden there is a paper called "Everything about Electronics" ("Allt om Elektronik" in Swedish) which has lots of "do it yourself constructions", all from audio amplifiers to microcontrollers and LCD displays interfaced to computers. They will include all the info you need to build it. This will teach you alot and give ideas on how electronics can be used.3. Buy a experimental board. To learn how to use and program PICs from microchip for example, the Picstart Plus is a good start. (http://www.microchip.com/1010/pline/tools/picmicro/program/picstart/index.htm) I, myself already had a programmer used to program sattellite cards (hehe), so I went with alternative 4:4. Search the net and experiment by yourself. Do a search on keywords like:"pic16f84 tutorial construct"On google this gave a few good ones:http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~kws23/PICTutorial.htmlhttp://www.ubasics.com/adam/pic/picprog.htmlAlso found this a while ago:http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~jchap/tvpropi2.htmPrepare for a quite high learning curve. But hey, the learning is as fun as knowing, isn't it?I myself is a bit down this road, and have written a little program for my pic16f84 to count keypresses and display the sum on a single 7-segment led :-) Its a long way to FSBUS, but it gives the understanding.Share your findings, tell me how it goes!Regards/ Olle

So do i understand right that the MAX232 replaces the power eating resistors and is put (eg) between the COM port & the interface you want to make ?

Ok, as a start I believe I already understand why the COM card is there. For sure it's not only to connect the other cards on it cuz then it wouldn't have so much other components than just the connectors.I understand now that the MAX232 is like the "power" translator between the system the COM port uses and the system the rest of the interface uses.Then there is all the hardware needed to rule out any other external flash unit.Then finally there are the connectors.That's a start for me :)Now it's down to examining the next card and try to understand why what is used.

The MAX232 incorporates 5 circuits: a power supply circuit to make +12 and -12 from +5 volts, two line drivers that send the RS232C voltage and power levels to the cable, and two line receivers that convert the RS232C voltages to logic levels. The line receivers include the power eating resistors on the chip. Many designs using MAX232's make use of only one receiver and one driver. Yes, you are correct. The MAX232 is positioned as: Your project Computer(Electronics -- MAX232) -- Serial cable -- Com portMikewww.mikesflightdeck.com