rickalty

A little bit of scratching my head and thinking hard came up with this site.... http://www.mikkila.org/fsbus/lcd/index_e.php This is a simple way to do exactly what you're looking for. The only downside is you need a parallel port, which most newer computers don't have. Richard

Hi everyone. While delving in a drawer I found my old x64B-USB card from the long-defunct "Beta Innovations" that Leo Lacava used to operate. I'd like to use it, but can't figure out how to get FSX or FSUIPC to see it. When I connect it, it shows up as a 'Standard system device HID' in Windows 8, not as a Game Controller. I have Leo's old "USB toolkit" software, and when I run that it shows the buttons being closed and opened when I short the pins on the board. Anyone got any idea how to get FSUIPC or FSX to see an HID instead of only a game controller? Richard

I have, except I used a PicAxe microprocessor to handle the data for the displays. Here's a picture of my finished unit.... Richard

Well, I hope no-one sent them any money, because it's "Page not found" now. Richard

Front page of our local papers 'Timeout" section last weekend was an article about a local flight simulator whizz, James Price. http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_20417443/flying-world-from-his-own-garage James has a 737 simulator based round a real airliner nose cone. Richard

Hi everyone, I recently bought a new computer, with Windows 7, and am moving over my hardware. However, I have one of Leo's old 0x64 USB input boards running my switches, and the "Keyboard studio" software that used to run it will not run under Windows 7. His USB Toolkit software recognizes it and shows the buttons being activated, but does anyone have any idea how to make MSFS see it?Leo closed up "Beta Innovations" ages ago, and there's not longer any support unfortunately. Thanks in advance, Richard

A Knitter switch and an encoder are two different things. Both have a common ground and an A and B output. The difference though is that when you turn a Knitter one way it closes A, A, A, A etc, and the other way closes B, B, B, B etc, while an encoder, if turned one way gives AB, AB, AB AB, while the other way gives BA, BA, BA, BA.A knitter can be connected directly to any input card that can take a momentary input. An encoder needs an intermediate decoder.This is what the two different waveforms look like.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/193029.jpgRichard

Here's mine.... The rotaries are Knitter switches, and the displays are a pair of 2 x 40 LCD screens running on FSLCD.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/192907.jpgThe Knitters and pushbuttons (inluding 12 buttons on a hand held "mic" that's not shown) are connected to the PC bt a Beta Innovatgions 64 button card.Richard

>Hi all,>>I have been desperately looking for information on the MJoy>(USB joystick interface) project. The site of the author>www.mindaugas.com/projects/MJoy/ appears to be down. Can>anyone point me to an alternative link?>>I recall that the schematic(s) and the latest version of the>MJoy code were freely downloadable, so if anybody could email>them to me, it would be greatly appreciated!>>Many thanks in advance>Antony>I have the MJOY source zip, I sent you an email through the board. Respond (to my email, of course, not through here) with your email address and I'll send it you.

It is possible to have two keyboards connected to one PC, if one is a USB and one is a PS style - but the problem is that the PC sees them both as keyboards, so a keystroke on either one has exactly the same effect - you can't have one keyboard controlling one program and the other controlling a different program.Also, the downside to a hacked keyboard is that keystrokes will always go to the window that has focus. The FMC on your link was designed to be run on a standalone PC networked to the MSFS one, so the FMC program would always have focus.Richard

This question pops up pretty regularly. I'm afraid the answer's not good. The console was made to operate only with Jep's own "FlitePro" software, and is not compatible with MSFS.Any attempt to make it work with MSFS would involve reverse engineering it to find out what it sends to the PC through its serial interface, then writing your own software to intercept that and turn it into something that MSFS can understand.Richard

"Capt Nick over at the Airline Pilot's Historical Society has an instrument panel and a couple of MD-80 throttle quadrants for sale"As long as you happen to be of the "correct" ethnicnational background.... he's picky who he'll sell to.

Something is SERIOUSLY wrong! No way should the device draw enough juice to set fire to components! Do NOT reconnect the device to your computer. There shouldn't be that much current - you could fry your computers board.Check and recheck your schematic, especially the alignment of the plugs etc Try uploading a photo.

Assigning a seperate key to, for example, Com1 Frequency swap and Com2 Frequency swap is not possible using the default FS2004 controls, but it is possible with the use of FSUIPC. Here is a picture of my radio stack. http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/168175.jpgThe whole and fractional frequency knobs, and the swap buttons, are connected to a board that simply acts as a keyboard emulator. FSUPIC allows the assignment of any key (or joystick button) to any of the full list of MSFS controls, which is a very long list - much longer than the list available through the FS menus.Richard

>Richard, I just checked out PICAXE, and they are about $5.00>each for 18x Im I getting this correctly, why in the world>would anyone buy a basic stamp? >I have no idea, except perhaps if it's something to do with the fact that the primary market for the BS-2 is the US educational market - perhaps American schools have some sort of "buy American" requirement? In the UK / Aussie schools, the Picaxe is virtually the only chip used for electronics projects, all the way up through "A" levels and even to the ONC/HNC college classes.Richard

As an aside, try taking a look at the PICAXE instead of the Basic Stamp.... FAR, FAR cheaper, the programming software is free, and there's a great user community for help.If you're in the States I'd recommend buying the chip on eBay (There's an active reseller always has them listed) rather than through their US distributor. (Whose service is, um, shall we say "sub-optimal") If you're in the UK or Oz, the manufacturer is the way to go.http://www.rev-ed.co.uk/picaxe/Richard

You can download my "FSPanel" application from the library, and run it on your laptop, and run MSFS on the desktop. As long as the computers are networked, and Pete Dowsons WideFS running, you'll have the instrument panel on the laptop.Richard

*IF* the dreamfleet planes just use the regular MSFS AP values, then the AP Altitude is at 07D4, and the AP vertical speed is at 07F2.But, if Dreamfleet implements them differently, they might not even exist in an offset at all. The way to find out is to use the FSInterrogate applications "three way search" that comes with the SDK. Ric

If you can still buy any of what Leo still has, you can still use it with FSX. Contrary to what Chris says, you can use his boards - even in FSX - with any plane that can use keystrokes for commands. All you have to do is use his "Keyboard Studio" app instead of his "BIFS" app. The only planes you'd be locked out of is any that are "mouse commands only".Richard

Any decent hardware store will cut it to length for you - my local OSH, for example, charges $0.50 a cut.To do it that way, of course, you need to be REALLY sure about your measurements before you go shopping. :-)But even though you say you have no tools, I'd still advise cutting it yourself. Aluminium is really soft - 1/2" or 3/4" angle can be cut in just a few seconds with a $5 handsaw, and a $1.99 mitre box will make sure that your 45' angles really are 45'.I guarantee that once you start building you're going to want to do more, so rather than be paying cutting fees forever (and rebuying when you realise you've cut something 1/4" too short....) you might as well spend that money on a few tools anyway.For a simple aluminium frame/plastic sheet setup, you're talking about a small saw, a hand-drill, a Mitre box, and either a pop-riveter or a screwdriver and wrench set. Total, maybe $20. No work area? For another $20 get a table-top workmate - combination worksurface and vice/clamp.Richard

Easiest answer would be plastic sheet from your local TAP plastic, or similar, and aluminum angle for the frame. The only tools you'll need - if you buy the plastic cut to size - is a small electric drill and a screwdriver. (Or, for a tidier job, blow $10 on a hand pop-rivet gun and rivet the plastic to the frame.)Richard

Now this is a clever little idea.....http://www.user.dccnet.com/wrigter/picaxe/...d%20encoder.htmAlthough specifically designed for a PICAXE chip, it would work with anything that has an analogue to digital conversion, such as a digital joystick.Richard

If you're just going to re-use the CH pots and electronics, you shouldn't need to do any wiring at all. Just be sure that if you disconnect any of the pots when doing the physical construction, that you reconnect them the same way.Richard

Seems to be aircraft-specific. The default Cessna 172 seems to taxi much the same in FSX as in FS9, using my rudder pedals with toe brakes (Home made, using the IOCards 5-axis input card for the electronics), but the Extra is WAY too sensitive on the ground in FSX - tail dragger should be a lot harder to steer than this one. Airliners, using a tiller for ground steering, (also home made) don't seem much different in FSX or FS9.Richard

Anyone else got this problem? Flying around the Bay Area in FSX the traffic crossing the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge isn't on the deck of the bridge - it's driving across the water, right under the bridge.Richard