Help from Pete Pls

[Jateu_01]

Hi Pete

I have a friend with a sim project and a brilliant one too. The question is that I require the output for the pitch and roll so that I can mock up a rig that will mimic the response of the auto pilot so that when taking control from auto pilot no jerky control to find correct position. I have the hardware skill but have not a clue where to start and how to go about it. Hence the pleading for help.

Many Thanks

James

[Pete Dowson]

I have a friend with a sim project and a brilliant one too. The question is that I require the output for the pitch and roll so that I can mock up a rig that will mimic the response of the auto pilot so that when taking control from auto pilot no jerky control to find correct position.

Sorry, I don't understand what it is you want to do. What sort of "rig"?

I can help answer software questions, but for hardware you'd be better off in some place like http://www.mycockpit.org/forums

Regards

Pete

[Jateu_01]

Sorry new to all this! what the 'Rig' is I mean by X and Y actuators to move yoke to mimic autopilots position of control surfaces? So that when taking control of aircraft at any point there is not need to guess on where yoke needs to be to stop sudden jerk to find correct place? I am looking at making this rig possibly a shaker to it too. The problem is that I am an electronic engineer not a computer programmer. All I need to learn is how to get said X/Y codes and send them to a usb style output to control 'Rig'.

Many Thanks

James

[Pete Dowson]

Sorry new to all this! what the 'Rig' is I mean by X and Y actuators to move yoke to mimic autopilots position of control surfaces? So that when taking control of aircraft at any point there is not need to guess on where yoke needs to be to stop sudden jerk to find correct place?

You need to be careful here. The default and most add-on aircraft don't use the main elevator to control pitch but the trim. In a real aircraft trimming moves the "hands off" poisition of the yoke as well as the trim wheel, But there aren't many home cockpits which have such a mechanism. Either way, because the A/P maintains the aircraft in trim there is no need for the pilot to do anything with the trim or the elevator when turning off the A/P. The ailerons should be no problem in any case as you'd rarely if ever disconnect the A/P while it is turning, unless it was going wrong.

Additionally, yoke movements by the pilot, apart from small movements maybe, would disconnect the A/P automatically as it assumes he's taking control.

I think the only serious candidate for motorised control to match position is the throttle, where the throttle position should match the autothrottle setting. The PMDG 737 implementation actually provides a little marker on the N1 gauge on the EICAS which you can line up with the current A/T setting so that when you disconnect A/T the throttle doesn't change. It isn't actually possible to move the throttles with all A/T implementations, though, unless you disconnect them from FS first. FSUIPC does provide such a facility, and also the readout which you need to match to the FS A/T setting by moving the throttle. There are many cockpits which have this, and there are commercial throttle quadrants available to cockpit builders which implement this.

Regards

Pete