Opencockpits IO cards

Hello,

I'm seriously looking at Opencockpits IO cards for my 'big' sim as they seem to offer the combination of value and flexibility. Are their cards easy to interface with FSUIPC? I see they have a programming environment to configure them. Does this mean the customer needs to purchase additional software to drive it, or be a C programming expert?

Which other cards are worth looking at? I use Phidgets at present for their shear plug-n-play capability. However FS2Phidget isn't so flexible at times. From what I've seen, hooking up the SIOC cards is about nominating which input or output connects to which FSUIPC variable, and that's it. Although daunting because it IS programming, it seems so simple and convenient over using a graphical interface such as FS2Phidget, although not so much so if you make an error, no doubt.

Any guidance from Opencockpit card users or people who've considered them, would be gratefully received.

Paul

Software aka SIOC simply AWESOME!!!! Cards, quality is faltering. I suggest, buy the kits and build them yourself. At least then you have no one to blame but yourself. Stay away from the usb joystick card, rest are ok but have had allot of little annoying issues. For a complete and documented list of problems i have had, pm me. Just so you know, i have used OC stuff since 2002. Last `several purchases have resulted in some prblematic boards.
Rob

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Originally Posted by Paul G

Hello,

Any guidance from Opencockpit card users or people who've considered them, would be gratefully received.

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Hi,

I'm using OC cards since 2003. I have 2 USB expansion cards, 5 Master Cards, 6 Display II cards, several pcbs for 7-segment display, several break out boxes, 1 MCP737NG and 1 USB outputs card.

All run without any problem. If you are not skilled in electronics I'd recommend to buy the already assembled and tested cards (like I did).

For programmng there are two possibilities, the basic IOCards software with a GUI type interface or the advanved SIOC programming language. If you have no experience with programming at all, I guess you better go for the basic version.

For more information have a look at my website http://www.lekseecon.nl. There is a HowTo page about SIOC programming.

And yes interfacing with FSUIPC offsets is very easy.

Regards,
Nico Kaan

Thanks Rob and Nico.

Nico I have been on your site a few times, not least because of your Level D work (in the days when I was into the 767). While I have no doubts I could solder the board, I simply have no interests in doing so unless it's $20 in kit form vs. $500 complete. In the case of OC there's actually little difference in price, so a no brainer.

They advertise the Master IO board as having inputs AND outputs, as well as all kinds of other capabilities. Is this true? Are the inputs matrixed? I'm not incapable of programming. With the help of this forum I think I could achieve just about anything :p

I figure I have to budget for the Master board with the extenders to allow easy connection to input/output.

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Originally Posted by Paul G

Thanks Rob and Nico.

Nico I have been on your site a few times, not least because of your Level D work (in the days when I was into the 767). While I have no doubts I could solder the board, I simply have no interests in doing so unless it's $20 in kit form vs. $500 complete. In the case of OC there's actually little difference in price, so a no brainer.

They advertise the Master IO board as having inputs AND outputs, as well as all kinds of other capabilities. Is this true? Are the inputs matrixed? I'm not incapable of programming. With the help of this forum I think I could achieve just about anything :p

I figure I have to budget for the Master board with the extenders to allow easy connection to input/output.

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You can actually do what all the USB boards do thru the mater board, it just eats up I/O's rather quickly. :)

For the record, i still think these are the best bang for the buck solution out there for serious sim builders who don't mind a little programming.

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Originally Posted by Paul G

They advertise the Master IO board as having inputs AND outputs, as well as all kinds of other capabilities. Is this true? Are the inputs matrixed?

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Yes, 72 inputs, 38+7 outputs and you can connect up to 4 Display2 cards to 1 Master Card giving you in total 64 digits to control
No the inputs are not matrixed (which is a lot easier, from a programming point of view)

BTW I recommend to use the USB expansion board as a starting point, do not try to connect the Master Card to the parallel port.

Nico

I'm not sure my computer even has a parallel port. So is the USB thing a Parallel - USB convertor, or a circuit board?

It is a special card that can connect up to 4 Master Cards and it also provides 4 analoque axis.

You connect this card to your PC via USB, it has nothing to do with a parallel port.

Nico

it sounds perfect then. If the analogue inputs are seen as joystick axis, i.e. configurable in FSUIPC, then that's even better. I need a few axis to play with so this is a bonus.

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Originally Posted by Paul G

it sounds perfect then. If the analogue inputs are seen as joystick axis, i.e. configurable in FSUIPC, then that's even better. I need a few axis to play with so this is a bonus.

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The master card and USB adapter will NOT be seen by FSUIPC. The analog inputs will have to be set-up with IOCards or SIOC. Sorry

737NUT is right

to put it more precise:

The USB expansion card is not seen by Windows as a Joystick with axis, and hence not assignable via FSUIPC.

Nico

Ok, I'm a bit confused. How can the cards be used to interface toggle switches, buttons and lights to Flight Simulator, if not through FSUIPC?

Hi Paul,

For clarification: we were talking about whether FSUIPC would 'see' the analogue axis at the USB expansion card directly without any intervenience from Opencockpits software.

The inputs and outputs at Opencockpits cards can ofcourse be connected to FSUIPC offsets either in SIOC (for experts) or in the IOcards basic software system (for beginners).

Nico

Just wanted to add my thumbs UP for the Opencockpits cards. And as Nico will attest, SIOC will allow you to program your sim to do almost anything that PM can give you. It's only up to your imagination and intelligence.

Ken.

"Hear, hear!"

Got it - thanks. So I could program the card to recognize different input values through an analogue input, and assimilate this to certain modes. Presumably I could stick 6 different resistances on a rotary switch with 6 inputs, and then configure the card to recognize which input is selected and carry out one of 6 functions, like Auto Brake for example.... very interesting

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Originally Posted by Paul G

So I could program the card to recognize different input values through an analogue input, and assimilate this to certain modes. Presumably I could stick 6 different resistances on a rotary switch with 6 inputs, and then configure the card to recognize which input is selected and carry out one of 6 functions, like Auto Brake for example.... very interesting

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Yes you can (nice idea).

However, should we make something with discrete values analoque first and then back to discrete values again? In my opion it is easier to connect each position of the rotary switch to an input at the Master Card (you do not need resistors then). The drawback is ofcourse that you need 6 inputs, but there are 72 inputs available at a MC, and you can connect as many MC's as you like.

Cheers,
Nico

Why use analog input instead of digital? Well where the digital inputs are exclusive. EFIS range is a good example. You have a set of inputs, each pertaining to a range value, say 5 miles, 10 or 50. You want to be able to cycle between them, and will never have both 5 miles and 50 miles set. A rotary switch each of which having a digital output will do this. But the rotary switch can be used like a potentiometer. Just bridge a resistor between each of the inputs. Then use software to interpret what each of the settings on the rotary switch should mean.

Main reason for doing this is that many cockpits contain many of these kinds of switches. EFIS range and mode, starter mode, auto brake setting and so on. That can equate to quite a few digital inputs and so you'll probably save yourself an IO card or two doing it this way.

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Originally Posted by Paul G

Main reason for doing this is that many cockpits contain many of these kinds of switches. EFIS range and mode, starter mode, auto brake setting and so on. That can equate to quite a few digital inputs and so you'll probably save yourself an IO card or two doing it this way.

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Yes I know, I have a complete 767 cockpit. I'm using 289 inputs ...
I have 5 Master Cards, one more or less does not matter much, it is only about 55 EUR per card...

Nico

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Originally Posted by kiek

For clarification: we were talking about whether FSUIPC would 'see' the analogue axis at the USB expansion card directly without any intervenience from Opencockpits software.

The inputs and outputs at Opencockpits cards can ofcourse be connected to FSUIPC offsets either in SIOC (for experts) or in the IOcards basic software system (for beginners).

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I'm brand new to cockpit building and trying to understand all of my options for I/O cards, so forgive me if I'm asking a stupid question. Can the inputs connected to an Open Cockpits card be used for something other than FS or FSUIPC? I might be wrong, but I get the impression that it doesn't appear to the computer like a standard game controller, but maybe you're just saying that it requires SIOC or IOcards basic software system to make that happen.