Engravity CDU with PMDG - PM needed?

[Tai-Pan]

thx! That's the most clear answer someone has given about the FMC

So...let's see if I finally understood haha :

The SIM can't communicate with the CDU/FMC without some form of intermediair like PM, PMDG's licensefile or Flightdeck. When neglacting that information one would buy a CDU/FMC, hook it up just to find out it won't do the thing you wanted 'cause of the lacking "logics" needed to let the CDU interact with the sim.
You'd end up with a expensive piece of hardware.

So...If I'd buy a CDU and want it to interact with any PMDG (proferably the MD-11 now and the NGX later) I'd need to buy the interfacing software/logics. That can be PM, Flightdeck and the rest of the list you posted yesterday.

Question is: when I have the MD-11 (or NGX later) and also have the Flightdeck software or PM, will a CDU work without having a MCP?
e.g. SIM <-> Logics (Flightdeck/PM) <-> CDU
If the answer is Yes, then I'd need to get myself the logics software, then a CDU and I'm good to go? And later add a decent MCP and so on.

The Engravity is able to communicate with the PMDG 737-747, but...for the 737 there's a license file needed which isn't supplied anymore. Hope is then that PMDG is indeed gonna release a SDK in the near future.

Concerning that SDK. PMDG sent me this
quote:
With the PMDG 737NG2.0, we will be providing hardware developers with an SDK that will allow them to develop drivers to make their hardware compatible with the software.

We do not intent to create these interfaces, as they are not our core business, but we will make it possible for the hardware manufacturers to do so themselves.

regards,

Eric

[dnoize]

The SIM can't communicate with the CDU/FMC without some form of intermediair like PM, PMDG's licensefile or Flightdeck. When neglacting that information one would buy a CDU/FMC, hook it up just to find out it won't do the thing you wanted 'cause of the lacking "logics" needed to let the CDU interact with the sim.
You'd end up with a expensive piece of hardware.

Thats correct.

So...If I'd buy a CDU and want it to interact with any PMDG (proferably the MD-11 now and the NGX later) I'd need to buy the interfacing software/logics. That can be PM, Flightdeck and the rest of the list you posted yesterday.

Please note that he md11 has quite different logics ! There is no add on glass cockpit logics for the md11 available that i know of.

pm = boeing 737, 747, 757/767 or airbus
flightdecksoftware= 737
sim-avionics = 777 and 737
aerowinx PS = 747/400

So no MD11.

I dont know if the MD11 has an sdk ?

Maybe you can contact flightsim labs ? Flightsimlabs is the author of the driver for the pmdg 747/400 X for fsx.

Flightsimlabs founder Lefteris is also the original lead developer of the pmdg 737 range and the original author of the pmdg cdu driver.

Maybe they are interested in developing a md11 cdu driver for the engravity cdu.

Please note that the md11 has a different keypad ! So far i received only 2 inquries for a MD11 cd, and thats not enough to justify investment to have a seperate keypad made (which has to be done in x100 volumes)

Question is: when I have the MD-11 (or NGX later) and also have the Flightdeck software or PM, will a CDU work without having a MCP?
e.g. SIM <-> Logics (Flightdeck/PM) <-> CDU
If the answer is Yes, then I'd need to get myself the logics software, then a CDU and I'm good to go? And later add a decent MCP and so on.

The cdu commands the MCP. So yes you would need a mcp too from the same software supplier. like a said all logics either from pmdg, pm, flightdecksoftware or another, etc. They cant mix.

If your question is if you would need a hardware mcp, then no. Although a hardware mcp would be higher on my priority list than a cdu. But thats a matter of personal preference.

The Engravity is able to communicate with the PMDG 737-747, but...for the 737 there's a license file needed which isn't supplied anymore. Hope is then that PMDG is indeed gonna release a SDK in the near future.

Thats correct. Right now only the driver for the pmdg 747/400X is retailing.

Concerning that SDK. PMDG sent me this
quote:
With the PMDG 737NG2.0, we will be providing hardware developers with an SDK that will allow them to develop drivers to make their hardware compatible with the software.

We do not intent to create these interfaces, as they are not our core business, but we will make it possible for the hardware manufacturers to do so themselves.

We dont make software ourselves either.

We would most likely contact Flightsimlabs to do so as developing hardware drivers is their core business and we have a very good relationship with them.





Stef






.

[Tai-Pan]

Please note that he md11 has quite different logics ! There is no add on glass cockpit logics for the md11 available that i know of.

pm = boeing 737, 747, 757/767 or airbus
flightdecksoftware= 737
sim-avionics = 777 and 737
aerowinx PS = 747/400

So no MD11.

I dont know if the MD11 has an sdk ?

No, according to PMDG they're only releasing a SDK for the NGX as far is I know of.
So your warning about the MD-11 is heard. I'm flying the MD-11 'cause it's the best cockpit thus far and will discard it when the NGX is ready

The cdu commands the MCP. So yes you would need a mcp too from the same software supplier. like a said all logics either from pmdg, pm, flightdecksoftware or another, etc. They cant mix.

If your question is if you would need a hardware mcp, then no. Although a hardware mcp would be higher on my priority list than a cdu. But thats a matter of personal preference.

I have a VRInsight MCP combo that works via FSUIPC.
However...it should then still work right?
Control the MCP via the VRinsight (until the time I'll buy a proper MCP) and control an external CDU via PM/Flightdeck.

I do have to take into account when replacing the MCP combo that I choose a piece of hardware that will interact with the logic I'm gonna choose for the CDU.

I was quietly thinking of going for the flightdeck logics and connect an OpenCockpit CDU/FMC and a bit later their OC MCP v2. In that case I comply with what you said: make sure the hardware that interacts uses only 1 logics software, in this case Flightdeck.