Help!I've been toying with the idea of emulating a lot of the input commands via switches etc from the keyboard, but instead of using a keyboard I want to use switches. Is there a way of setting a switch to on without it repeating the key input? This is necessary for some of the more obscure functions in FS2004 that are not covered by FSBus and the like, as these can have different inputs for on and off. Things like the pitot heat etc, if I flick the switch to on (and therefore sending the appropriate key to FS) it will continue to alternate between on and off without any means of stopping it apart from disconnecting the switch.I'd love to hear about any suggestions as to how this can be overcome, whether it be by intermediate software or simply hardware. Please give me feedback as my sim is nearing completion of design stage and I'm itching to start building it with fully working functions!Many regards,CeawlinBSX029

Hi Ceawlin,There are quite a number of ways to do this. One class of solutions is to use a commercial product called a keyboard emulator that accepts switch inputs and translates them into keyboard messages. For examples take a look at Hagstrom Electronics products.Another class of solutions is based on hacking a standard keyboard. The key switches are replaced by the simulator switches. Several approaches have been taken. Some use only momentary contact switches to avoid character repeat. Another has placed a relay between the keyboard and simulator switch. The relay has a large value capacitor in series with its coil so it only stays on for a short time, therein avoiding repeating characters. Another approach has been to mechanically modify a standard toggle switch to become a momentary contact switch.Then there are the build it yourself approaches. Leo Lacava has some switch input hardware and software goodies on his site you should look at. http://www.vif.com/users/leolacava Florent Van Vlasselaer over at the Flight Simulation Club Belgium has designed several circuits based on a keyboard encoder chip. He has even designed some circuit boards for them. They are posted here http://www.mikesflightdeck.com/keyboard_port_1.htm half way down the page or so.Mikewww.mikesflightdeck.com

Hey Mike, i should spank you dude :(How can you forget my LPT switch for such a situation !!??If he's not gonna build an entire cockpit but just a module there is no need to go expencive like Hagstrom or EPIC or FSbus.As long as it's just keys .. LPT switch might be the best (cheep + easy) sollution here.So Ceawlin: go buy a Printer Cable (25 pin), 5 47K resistors and as much diodes as you will have switches/buttons and build yourself the LPT module. It should cost you only $ 15 max for the interface + the cost of your switches/buttons.Software ? I made it free for ya ;)ENJOY !I'm workin on a new version of the software ... well .. "working" .. It's almost finished but I feel like taking a break from it though for a week or 2.Check my website ( others / LPT-switch )

Ah oops .. so there is a sim involved ;) or should I say a sim cockpit.Then FSbus should be able to do this for you .. can't immagine that there would be FSuipc output/input data that FSbus can't change though I haven't looked into the FSbus software yet.But only if you plan on doing more than switches/buttons, go for FSbus. (meaning if you're not interested in LED's or LEDdisplays)If you do want those, go for the FSbus, if not LPT-switch.

Ooooh this topic is going nicely!Of course I already looked into FSBus, but as far as I can tell from the software, and I'm no expert at programming (although I can do the simple "Hello world!" app ;) ) it would seem a fair few of the aircraft-specific controls are left out. I intend to use FSBus for the LED's etc as much as poss, although like I said on first glance it doesn't seem to cater for everything :(Also another problem I have encountered is the use of one single key to switch on and off, so when the sim is started with something off by default, and the switch is in the on position, obvious confusion can result ;) Apart from a lengthy and thorough sim startup checklist, any way around this?

Here, just noticed a couple of things on your website...With regards to the resistors, are they 47k or 4k7? The website states 4700, which if I remember correctly should be 4k7, as opposed to 47k which is 47,000.... So assuming it's 4k7 (so that it's 4700 ohms) does the wattage rating make a difference? I only ask as the place where I get my components from lists the resisitors by wattage, so there are 0.125W, 0.25W. 0.5W, 1.0W, 2.0W etc etc...... As the prices vary by a couple of pennies, I'm not bothered by which one I buy, but it's useful to know which one's are suitable!CeawlinBSX029

that's a good point ...i think that it wouldn't be to hard to put 1 switch close to the interface or in the software which blocks all keys to be sent.this way if you find 1 switch that is not in the right position, just toggle the option off and change it and resume ..should be thought off indeed.with the LPT-switch, just pauze the software and then change and off you go again.

fair enough .. good question.it is 4K7 indeed. long time ago that I was making the website for the interface .. once you got that finished ...seconly .. what wattage .. i'm ashamed to say that I have no idea. i don't even know why the resistors are there .. they are called "pull up resistors" and some have tried to explain me why they should be there but still i don't understand.one told me that if you use a lot of switches, after a while the program doesn't read the keys good anymore and by removing the resistors this helps ..so don't ask me :$^but there are plenty of people around here that are way more into electronix as I am so they should be able to help ya out ..

I just had a look at the software v2.0.5.1 and if you right click in the left column you can add a groop and call it "obscure" ;)then right click it again and go to 'new', then 'switch'.then enter a name for the switch "pitot"then go to the setings of that switch on the right panel.there you check the "toggle" checkboxthen you right click on the 'descrition(s)' listbox.then chose "add flightsim destination..."in the menu that pops up you'll find "pitot heat" under "gauges"i can't hardly believe that there are any values that FSuipc can get out of FS or can put into FS that FSbus wouldn't be able to support.that would be so unlogic.and if you don't find sumfin in the list you may try and add a line in the FSINF.INI file which you can open with TextPad or something.i've just checked and this is indeed pure FSuipc stuff. with the "offsets" etc. if you don't know how, ask someone who could do it for ya or read the FSuipc manual.let me just try to add/remove something from the ini and check if it changes in the router ..yap, exactly as i figured .. i made a backup of the file, removed the entire PM section out of it cuz I'll probably not use any of those values and the FSbus router still works perfect and the PM section is gone from the list. this means you can add as many FSuipc options to the FSbus system as you'd possibly like (if they are not all already in there)this is all new for me since the last 10 minutes or so and I'm very happy to see all this :)i can't wait to get my prints + component-sets that i ordered via www.simcockpit.nl !! so much fun garanteed !!

OMG I just had a look....D'oh! Silly me for not finding that out sooner! Not really played with the software yet, just had a look at the list already provided and not the extra stuff! I did fiddle with it before, just not in depth... Oh well, that'll teach me :DAnyways, now I'm looking at a shopping list for the weekend, looking at getting all the parts for the FSBus system so I can finally PLAY with the damned thing! Should be fun..... ;)

>Here, just noticed a couple of things on your website...>>With regards to the resistors, are they 47k or 4k7? The>website states 4700, which if I remember correctly should be>4k7, as opposed to 47k which is 47,000.... So assuming it's>4k7 (so that it's 4700 ohms) does the wattage rating make a>difference? I only ask as the place where I get my components>from lists the resisitors by wattage, so there are 0.125W,>0.25W. 0.5W, 1.0W, 2.0W etc etc...... As the prices vary by aSince you're not putting a lot of amps through those resistors, you can use the low wattage kind. 0.25 Watts is way enough.