Building a parking break

[thomas747400]

Hi

I have started a little Flight Sim Panal using a Leo Bodnar board. All works perfectly with my PMDG fleet thanks to FSUIPC. My knowlage of electronics is somewhat limited but I would really like to build a parking break that automatically releases as soon as I tap the toe breaks. I have a mechanical device in mind with a solenoid and springs. I was hoping someone could point me into the right direction for a hardware solution that gives me a digital output as soon as FS detects that the parking break has been released.

Kind regards

Thomas

[Pete Dowson]

I have started a little Flight Sim Panal using a Leo Bodnar board. All works perfectly with my PMDG fleet thanks to FSUIPC. My knowlage of electronics is somewhat limited but I would really like to build a parking break that automatically releases as soon as I tap the toe breaks. I have a mechanical device in mind with a solenoid and springs. I was hoping someone could point me into the right direction for a hardware solution that gives me a digital output as soon as FS detects that the parking break has been released.

You might find more assistance with hardware building in the MyCockpits website, http://www.mycockpit.org/forums

Regards

Pete

[thomas747400]

Hi Pete

Many thanks for your prompt reply.

Two more question,

is it possible to assign two or more mouse macro actions to one joystick button input? For example, I have only one joystick button for External Power but I would like it to switch the PMDG MD11's External Power switch as well as the External Galley Power switch.

Second question;

I build a little prototype panel. The landing light switch is a two position toggle but the PMDG MD11's landing light switch is a 3 position toggle. Is it possible to send two mouse macro signals to the sim while only having one joystick button input being sent to FSUIPC?

[Pete Dowson]

is it possible to assign two or more mouse macro actions to one joystick button input?

Yes, but you'd need to do it by editing the INI file. You can have almost any number of lines referring to the same button action, and they are all obeyed in the order of their entry numbers, but the Options Dialogue only allows one assignment to "press" and one to "release".

Is it possible to send two mouse macro signals to the sim while only having one joystick button input being sent to FSUIPC?

That's surely the very same question as the first? The answer is the same -- yes, as above.

Regards

Pete

[thomas747400]

Hi Pete

I have not yet played with the ini files but I will surly give it a try.

That's surely the very same question as the first? The answer is the same -- yes, as above.

It is indeed a separate question but I probably did not explain it properly. I am using a two position toggle switch for the landing light but the PMDG MD11 has three positions for the landing light (OFF, EXTEND, ON). Is it possible to have FSUIPC sends two signals to the sim while only having recieved one joystick button input. That would allow me to switch the landing lights from OFF to ON directly. At the moment it flicks between OFF and EXTEND.

I am running into another difficulty. Is it possible to convert a four position input from a four position rotary switch into a clock wise and anti-clockwise output? I would like to build an IRS switch for the PMDG 747 but since mouse macros only let me either turn the knob of the PMDG 747 clock or anti clockwise I am not sure how to solve that. Is there a way within FSUIPC to convert let’s say four rotary switch inputs (ABC and D) into a clockwise, anti-clockwise output... switching from A to B or B to C, C to D would send an identical output to the sim and switching the switch anti clockwise from D to C, C to B, B to A another signal thus allowing to get a four position switch working?

[Pete Dowson]

Is it possible to have FSUIPC sends two signals to the sim while only having recieved one joystick button input.

And the answer is the same: Yes, but you'd need to do it by editing the INI file. You can have almost any nuer of lines referring to the same button action, and they are all obeyed in the order of their entry numbers, but the Options Dialogue only allows one assignment to "press" and one to "release".

That would allow me to switch the landing lights from OFF to ON directly. At the moment it flicks between OFF and EXTEND.

I'm not sure how having one button send two signals will help, but if it does you already have the answer, and it most certainly is the same question -- I cannot distinguish between having "two signals to the sim from one button input" from "two or more mouse macro actions to one joystick button input". Mouse macro assignments and all other assignments are just assignments, listed in the INI file, and as I've said, three times now, you can have multiple assignments to one button.

I am running into another difficulty. Is it possible to convert a four position input from a four position rotary switch into a clock wise and anti-clockwise output?

Yes, you could do, but you'd need to use conditional actions based on flags. You'd set a flag when a button goes off (released" which is tested by the button assignment either side to decide whhat action to sdo on a "press". The "press" action for each position wuold depend on which button was just released -- the one to the left or the one to the right.

Again this is by INI file editing. Details of conditonal actions and button flags are given in the documentation.

Regards

Pete

[thomas747400]

Hi Pete,

many thanks for your help! I will try that out.