FS 2002 Jet Ranger Simulator Upgrade

[Adam UK]

Hi there,

I have just acquired a physical Bell Jet Ranger simulator that has Microsoft FS 2002 installed.

It uses FSU3.48 linked to EPIC Center for the controls (I believe a USB To serial connection) and there is also a custom application listening to FSU3.48 to receive the inputs for the various dials - this application connects to FSU and then relays the inputs to a different PC to display the panel data. 

I would like to upgrade the entire system to FS X - my question is will the latest version of FSU still work with the Input Controls (EPIC) and is there any chance the custom application can "speak" to the latest version of FSU to receive the data such as air speed / NG etc? Is it back words compatible?  

[Pete Dowson]

2 hours ago, Adam UK said:

I would like to upgrade the entire system to FS X - my question is will the latest version of FSU still work with the Input Controls (EPIC) and is there any chance the custom application can "speak" to the latest version of FSU to receive the data such as air speed / NG etc? Is it back words compatible?  

I assume that by "FSU" you mean FSUIPC.

Anyway, I am sorry but there is no way I can confirm that it will work of not. The last update for my EPICLink was done in 2003 (it is still on www.FSUIPC.com), three years before FSX. FSX came out long after I had stopped any EPIC development and by that time I had no EPIC equipment left to even test it on. 

So all I can advise it to try it and see before you change everything over. Please bear in mind that EPICLink is really obsolete software and cannot be supported, so it either works for you or it doesn't.

Pete
 

[Adam UK]

8 hours ago, Pete Dowson said:

I assume that by "FSU" you mean FSUIPC.

Anyway, I am sorry but there is no way I can confirm that it will work of not. The last update for my EPICLink was done in 2003 (it is still on www.FSUIPC.com), three years before FSX. FSX came out long after I had stopped any EPIC development and by that time I had no EPIC equipment left to even test it on. 

So all I can advise it to try it and see before you change everything over. Please bear in mind that EPICLink is really obsolete software and cannot be supported, so it either works for you or it doesn't.

Pete
 

Thanks Pete,

Will the original EpicLink software work as an FSX plugin?  Or even will the original FSU3.48 module work with FSX?

I am guessing the latest FSUIPC plugin does not use the same programming interface as the original FSU3.48 - I also have a custom application that "hooked" into the FSUIPC 3.48 plugin to receive helicopter panel information (IAS, NG, Fuel, Oil etc).

Do you have any recommendation for a replacement for the EPIC equipment? 

As this is a commercial venture I am happy to discuss "extended" support / integration options with anyone that can help. 

 

[John Dowson]

1 hour ago, Adam UK said:

Or even will the original FSU3.48 module work with FSX?

No - for FSX, you need FSUIPC4, not FSUIPC3 (again, assuming by FSU you mean FSUIPC).

1 hour ago, Adam UK said:

Will the original EpicLink software work as an FSX plugin? 

As Pete advised, you will need to try this to see if works (with FSUIPC4).