SIOC Everything looks good, BUT.....

[paulj]

You are definately not alone John, I too am trying to work out SIOC and I have had some programming tutition.
My trouble is that it was sometime ago on some other programming language
and as I've been retired now for going on 5 years I've forgotten a lot of what I used to know.
The old saying "Use it or lose it" certainly applies in my case.

cheers

Paul

[kiek]

Well if you have followed my website(-s) you should know that I have always said that you need some basic skills in programming... Ofcourse I like to encourage people and to help them with examples.

To proove this, here a quote (in French, I'm sorry) from a french website

http://www.simucockpit.com/sioc.htm

SIOC pour Qui? (SIOC for whom?)

Nico Kaan, un utilisateur néerlandais dit "même à des débutants, je recommande d'utiliser SIOC et non pas IOCard de base " Mais il ajoute "il est bien sûr préférable d'avoir quelques notions en programmation informatique, mais de toutes façons, sans ces notions il est préférable de ne pas construire un cockpit..." (Avsim, 14 mars 2006)

(basically it reads: use SIOC instead of the IOCards basic software, but it is certainly to be preferred to have some understanding of computer programming, without these basic skills do not build a cockpit ...)



But do not let this scare you if you think you have these basic skills, (maybe you have have written a BASIC program once)?
Some of the basic principles you should understand are, what is a bit, what is a byte, what is an integer, what means signed integer, what is the difference between a variable assignment and a subroutine call, what is an event, what does parallellism (concurrency) imply, and so on ...

Use SIOC in the most simple way, start small, do not use the IOCP protocol but use the FSUIPC IN/OUT links to the Variables in your SIOC program.

Or, if you are building for a Level-D 767 you can use my lekseecon program to connect SIOC to the Level-D. My lekseecon program is using the IOCP protocol internally but that is hidden for you as end user, you can still use SIOC in the simplest way, using my predefined Level-D variables (> 730!) that are implicitly linked to the Level-D.

Hope this makes thing more clear.

Kind Regards,
Nico Kaan

[fweinrebe]

You all know the saying "A picture says a 1000 words". In programming a good example also says a 1000 words. What make VB and C# so popular, is because there are millions of examples and tutorials available on the Internet.

Vendors and communities need to make descent examples and documentation available for at least the beginner, intermediate and advance user. This will only make their products (compilers) more popular and acceptable by the users.

Cockpit building is all about learning new skills. But programming takes time to learn and develop. I can see no better and fun way to enhance programming skills than through cockpit building.

Programming is as much for hobbyists than it is for the professionals. The only difference is the experience (and education).

[BoeingNG]

Hi all,

Yes you are all correct I think. Some people don't want to be bogged down with this level of detail though. I think if I didn't have a computer background I would be struggling. Howerver, I have and I do understand programming logic in 3g and 4g langualges.

As far as problem solving is concerned, I thrive on that. I am an IT Business Process Manager so I am in problem solving situations on a daily basis. Having said that, the best way of solving a problem is to break it down into component parts and solve it bit by bit.

My approach to the recent Servo problem I had was to just get it to move at all. Once I did that the next step was to get it to move where I wnated it and gradually I fine tuned it to where it is now.

You have to be patient with these things and take a break. 9 times out of 10 you go back to the problem and solve it with a fresh eye.

When I look at some of the more complete flightdecks, I am filled with respect for the guys that built them and all the hours of frustration they have suffered.

Best regards,
John
www.boeing737ng.co.uk

[brianwilliamson]

I also agree 100 percent. It would be so much easier for us who are completely dumb as far as programming goes, to give specific examples such as : this switch is a toggle, and switches ON the Gear down, on the flight sim and lights up these 3 green leds that are connected to these pins.
Then an example for the same thing if the switch is a momentary one.etc.,etc.,
I suspect the reason we do not get any help such as this, is that the people who write this stuff know exactlty what to do, and need someone at their side to do the instructions, who is completely ignorant of the way programming works.
Perhaps one day !!.............................
Brian W.

[BoeingNG]

Brian,

I agree, so I always post my updated code on this forum to try and help you guys. If you need any specific code, let me know and I will endeavour to get an example to you. I don't use PM or LevelD just plain old pmdg 737 because I think it is less complicated and more configurable. I use Opencockpits stuff where I have to and the great BU0836X from Leo Bodnar.

If I didn't have help in the beginning then I would have been really stuck. I have to thank Ian@737ng.co.uk. He has been an inspiration and believes in sharing his experiences with all. Hats off to him I say.

Best regards,
John

[kiek]

Brian,
I don't use PM or LevelD just plain old pmdg 737 because I think it is less complicated and more configurable. I use Opencockpits stuff where I have to and the great BU0836X from Leo Bodnar.

I'm sorry, but I have to disagree... From an interfacing point of view the Level-D is by far the best configurable aircraft, much easier then the plain old pmdg737.

My 2 cts.

Nico