Sabreliner wiring progress

[xplanematt]

Progress since CockpitFest on the Sabreliner has been a bit hit and miss due to other projects and commitments, but I did go ahead and start redoing my switch and I/O connections. I'm now making good progress on a more professional and organized wiring setup, AND everything is being drawn out as schematics, in vector graphics.

In other good news, I've been in contact with the owner/pilot of a real Sabreliner 65, who also happens to have a 65 cockpit set up as a sim too. He's sent me some invaluable documentation, including a training manual. I now have a much better handle on how some of the aircraft's systems work. I've also isolated the thrust reverser lockout solenoid connections...last week the left lever went to full reverse for the first time in probably 11 years.

As I've mentioned before, every single required connection in the cockpit is being traced out and wired into terminal blocks at the rear of the cockpit. Those are being documented in a schematic I'm drawing. From there, I'm jumping over to D-bus connections....I recently found breakout boards for DB25 and DB50 connectors, which will allow me to skip the cheesy computer wiring and easily-stressed solder connections I've had to deal with on my old sim. Instead, I'll use my 20AWG aircraft wire from each input, right into the screw terminals on the breakout boards.

Except for a few instruments, I'm actually keeping all my Arduinos and other interface equipment separate from the cockpit. At the moment I'm building interfaces into a metal enclosure, with its own power supply and network switch, and I'm putting D-sub connectors on the back. This means my interface box will connect to the Sabreliner with standard COTS cables (DB25 and DB50 cables), GREATLY enhancing reliability and cleanliness.

Oh yes, and I'm finally learning how to do lacing.

But enough chat, check out the pics!