Controling the PMDG 737 Overhead panel

[mdeponeo]

Hi
Im a new guy at this but I thought I'd say hellow and let you know what I'm up to.
Ive been building a 737ng over the last few years and Like everyone I supose, spend what I can when I can developing it.
Researching the best way to go about the job can be confusing. It seems everyone has their own opinion of what software or hardware is required.When you look at the price of some of it It can be enough to put you off the whole idea.
Personaly, I cant afford Project Magenta software and all the expensive Interfacing that goes with it althoe I'm sure its great if you can afford it.
So I was overjoyed when I found Ian Sission's site 737ng.co.uk
He's given me some great tips on getting round many of the problems of building a 737 sim.
So much in fact that as we dont live far apart we get together now and again to share
Ideas. He's a good old boy!!
One of the major problems of not having PM is the Overhead and if you use the PMDG 737
it soon becomes apparent that it wasnt designed to be used in a Sim .
Using fsuicp is great for controling the switches on the overhead but with NO offsets available for the gauges or anunciators it looked like "Game over"
After a chat with Ian and another fellow sim builder Dave Holt, I thought I'd have a go at
finding a solution to this problem and approach it from another runway, so to speak.
So just like the flight controler in Apolo 13 , I asked what have we got that works
It turns out that FS (2004 in this case) has some interesting offsets built in so I built my own control board to simulate the simulation and syncronised it with the FS offsets
It works a treat and locks perfectly with the PMDG Overhead.
Electrical Bus Control, Including Ground power APU, Source etc all sincronise exactly with
the PMDG overhead.
Because it has its own on board logic, It can display the power display info and drive its own gauges ie: APU , Fuel temp etc: Landing and cruse Alt are also displayed.
Ram doors , Duel bleed, low pressure warning , feel diff. Its a bit spooky when you see it working. considering what little info it has to work with.
If you would like to see it , Ive posted a little youtube movie on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhfICtgdErE
Its not brillient but it gives you the general Idea.

All you need is the controle board, joystick controler, any popular Digital output board and fsuicp
Because Ive only used stock fs offsets the board can be used on FS
default 737 or any 2 engine jet model.
Ian, Dave and I are going to the FS weekend show in November and thought we would take a working model with us to see if anyone was interested and if so we may get the idea into production as it would be a very cheap alternative for the guys out there with limited bugets like us.
I'd be greatfull for any thoughts you had on this


Mark Deponeo

[ian@737ng.co.uk]

hi chums.....
when i tell you this idea is brilliant. trust me, i've seen it working. the first time i saw it, i was smitten by the simplicity of the approach. so much so that everything else i was going to do has been pushed aside and this has become my project over the summer.
what makes it so good is that there is so much information available inside FS that it becomes possible to drive the overhead logic by using the data available inside FS 'out of the box'. all the work is done by the control board.
it's a brilliant idea, the man's a genius! and you can quote me on that
when you watch the video (which doesn't do the system justice, much better actually being there), remember the operation is based around standard offsets which the board logic builds upon....... this is one to watch.
have a great day chaps........
regards from the welsh borders.... ian

[Anderson/SBSP]

Amazing job!!! I have interest in this, but i live in Brazil. This is a same system from Ian site?

I use FSBUS cards, is possible create this logics in FSBUS? Please give more details about that.

Thanks,

[Volante]

This looks fantastic, Mark.

Are you considering selling a pre configured control board, or the info on the offsets you have found?
Would the offsets be valid for a DC9/MD80 addon panel?

Can't wait to see what you have come up with in November...

Vidar

[flymo001]

Mark, Ian and Dave have done a cracking job. This brings the PMDG 737 overhead a bit more to life.

I saw it in action, whilst visiting Ian monday before last. It's on MY shopping list!!!
I agree that if you can afford the systems like PM, et al, then go for that, BUT, if not, then we all have to start somewhere. People like Mark enable so many to be able to gain a higher level of immersion, for their money.

My hat goes of to him and designers like him. GOLD STAR MATE!!! and THANK YOU!...all of you.


(still awaiting someone to come up with alternative codes/software for my CPFlight FMC/CDU in PMDG after the Lefteris split.........expensive paperweight......help??)

[vybhav]

Great Show guys. I am sure the community needs some innovation and you guys are doing just that. These initiatives will go a long way in making things more affordable and may be expand the community in the longer run.

Keep us posted.

Regards
Vybhav

[mdeponeo]

This looks fantastic, Mark.

Are you considering selling a pre configured control board, or the info on the offsets you have found?
Would the offsets be valid for a DC9/MD80 addon panel?

Can't wait to see what you have come up with in November...

Vidar

It's a piece of hardware . a logic board that uses watever digital output asignments you attach to it.
It looks at your overhead switches and looks at the digital out asignments
and decides what lights to light and what values are displayed on gauge and
7 seg displays.
The board could be configured to just about any 2 engined jet

[mdeponeo]

Mark, Ian and Dave have done a cracking job. This brings the PMDG 737 overhead a bit more to life.

I saw it in action, whilst visiting Ian monday before last. It's on MY shopping list!!!
I agree that if you can afford the systems like PM, et al, then go for that, BUT, if not, then we all have to start somewhere. People like Mark enable so many to be able to gain a higher level of immersion, for their money.

My hat goes of to him and designers like him. GOLD STAR MATE!!! and THANK YOU!...all of you.


(still awaiting someone to come up with alternative codes/software for my CPFlight FMC/CDU in PMDG after the Lefteris split.........expensive paperweight......help??)

CPFlight FMC/CDU
Fortunatly Mine is working.
and Ive got my key
If CPFlight wont support. someone will end up cracking it.
Its a case of reflashing the unit with a cloned serial number from a doner
unit : As there would appear to be no legal consumer rights to fall back on
I dont think CPFlight would have any issue with somone doing this.

[dnoize]

CPFlight FMC/CDU
Fortunatly Mine is working.
and Ive got my key
If CPFlight wont support. someone will end up cracking it.
Its a case of reflashing the unit with a cloned serial number from a doner
unit : As there would appear to be no legal consumer rights to fall back on
I dont think CPFlight would have any issue with somone doing this.

cpflight doesnt have a cdu/fmc. I suppose you mean the flyengravity cdu in combination with the pmdg driver.

The cdu is still supported as ever by FLYengravity, even the driver is still supported by pmdg for existing customers. They just stopped selling it, because of a copyright conflict after their lead developer left pmdg.

The serial is set in the factory. the firmware is protected and copyrighted. Serials are still hard coded because other add on developers like flightsimlabs still use the serial number. They would not be amused if serials could be cloned.

since the driver comes from pmdg, they should state if it would be an issue. If its not an issue, they could release the needed code for companies like flightsimlabs to write new drivers , or release it to the public domain so everyone can make their own drivers. (which they have not so far)

Now to get back on topic:

Mark, Ian and Dave: Well done !! great development which will make alot of people happy !

Stef

[mdeponeo]

cpflight doesnt have a cdu/fmc. I suppose you mean the flyengravity cdu in combination with the pmdg driver.

The cdu is still supported as ever by FLYengravity, even the driver is still supported by pmdg for existing customers. They just stopped selling it, because of a copyright conflict after their lead developer left pmdg.

The serial is set in the factory. the firmware is protected and copyrighted. Serials are still hard coded because other add on developers like flightsimlabs still use the serial number. They would not be amused if serials could be cloned.

since the driver comes from pmdg, they should state if it would be an issue. If its not an issue, they could release the needed code for companies like flightsimlabs to write new drivers , or release it to the public domain so everyone can make their own drivers. (which they have not so far)

Now to get back on topic:

Mark, Ian and Dave: Well done !! great development which will make alot of people happy !

Stef

OOPs Did I say CPFlight
I meant engravity
In my experience nothing is uncrackable..

Anyway, the board project.
Glad you like it . All we nead now is enough interest to justify getting it
profesionaly built.
I dont fancy spending the rest of my days building them at the kitchen table

I think we should get a real feel for demand at the show
Im realy focused on keeping the price as low as possible so the more we order the lower the price.