I am new, both to these forums as well as cockpit building, and I'm trying to find some good info on getting started. I have FSX and a basic stamp 2, and I figure I'll need to do the following:1. Interface all my gadgets, pots, switches and leds to the BS2. I've already got some practice on this.2. Write programs to interface the BS2 to the PC through my serial port, I've got a vague idea on how to do this.3. Use simconnect to get FSX talking to my PC side interface program to pass data back and forth from the BS2. I have NO idea how to do this :)Am I close or off my rocker? I am searching the forums here and elsewhere, but I am hoping someone else knows of some good info or tutorials, especially for simconnect that they could toss my way. Thanks in advance!

Hi Jarvis,The general consensus is that anyone who seriously pursues a home cockpit is off their rocker. However, that's hasn't stopped any of us. In fact, a number of us think it may be a necessary condition.What you're talking about is very doable. There are products (like Beta Innovations I/O gear) that will do it, or you can build it yourself.There are a number of good information resources for cockpit building in general. Check out http://www.mikesflightdeck.com/getting_started.htm for a start. There are a number of links on that page to other resources, as well.If you want to use the serial port using the WIN32 API, read "Serial Communications in Win32". It's a Microsoft writeup. Search for it at http://msdn.microsoft.com. If you prefer to work with managed code, .net 2.0 includes a serial port object. The December issue of Circuit Cellar has an article on coding the serial port using VB.There is a simconnect forum here on AVSIM. There is a simconnect forum on www.fsdeveloper.com. There are a number of simconnect coding examples in the simconnect SDK that is on the FSX deluxe DVD. (Note that there is already an SDK update available from fsinsider.) You should very definitely check out NotASenator's Blog http://www.notasenator.com/blog/ . Brian is writing a series of simconnect tutorials.Welcome to the hobby.Mikewww.mikesflightdeck.comwww.mikesflightdeckbooks.com

>The general consensus is that anyone who seriously pursues a>home cockpit is off their rocker. However, that's hasn't>stopped any of us. In fact, a number of us think it may be a>necessary condition.I knew I felt oddly at home here! Thanks for the links, will definitely be studying those. The serial port is not my first choice of interface, I'd prefer to go USB if I can. But theres an old adage about beggars being choosy (whiny is fair game though).Anyway, thanks for the welcome and the info, its back to cursing at vb.net serial routines for me!