Small LCD for CDU.

Has anyone found a supplier with a good sized LCD for making the CDU?

There are a lot about at around the 4.3, 4.8 and 5" sizes but between aspect ratio etc none of them are completely ideal to mount behind a panel without getting in the way of buttons.

Something I can certainly work around but finding a different screen would be better if I could.

maby if you can go whit a smaller one this will fit:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-5inch-TFT-LCD-640x480-PVI-PD035VX2-VGA-AV-board-/300701772843?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item460338ec2b

A little unorthodox method, but it works! It really depends how exact you want to build your things.:

Get a 2nd generation iPOD-Touch (they are really cheap now - sometimes less than 50$).

Install the app "AirDisplay" on it and use it as a slave monitor for your PC to show the CDU export on it.

... it also works fine as UHF repeater or counter-measure display or whatever...everything that doesn't need a high refresh-rate.

Thanks Guys, I am looking around at those displays Linden, it's just a matter of finding the right one but my options are limited.

If I go with a 4" 4:3 aspect ration I pretty much get the correct width but I am 5mm short on the height of the display.

The CDU looks like it has a 4.2" 5:4 aspect ratio.

I will be measuring it all up to see which way I go. I think if I go to 3.5 that it may be to small making the side buttons a bit scrunched up.

If the frame of the 4" is too large that means that the lcd will have to be recessed so that I can still put the side buttons on the front.

For this one I don't think there is any easily available screen to give as an exact copy of the CDU.

Thanks Peter, I am looking for a screen that I could easily get a number of them and have it plugin via vgs.

Thanks!

Jason

I ordered a couple of these for testing

http://www.good-display.com/products_detail/&productId=d2feb6a1-5a62-4888-9b7b-37676145726c&comp_stats=comp-FrontProducts_list01-004.html

It is the correct width but the vertical height is out by 6%.

I exported the CDU to another monitor with the size of 82x61mm as it would be on this screen and it looked OK. No noticeable distortion of the fonts, it will be fine.

I did want to find a screen that had a vga input but that provided to be difficult of a 4" screen, it will cost another $15 to get the required adaptor but the screens were cheap enough for that to not matter.

I am sure the screen will be fine, only thing I want to see working is how it looks when viewing at the angle it will be mounted. It could take a week o arrive, I will set it up with the cdu exported and post a shot later.

The CDU only needs a character display - right?

Yes and no. If we were able to extract the information from the CDU we could probably put it on a basic non graphic character screen,

Unfortunately we cannot export the information, only the graphics so the easiest way is to have an extended display to put it on.

These screens I am getting will appear as an extended display so I can export the CDU directly on to them.

Okay - I think I read months ago that someone was attempting to output to a character display - didn't realize that wasn't an option. Lots of video output to different monitors - how are you splitting every thing up with your graphics card(s)?

I am running a 7970 with 4 screens currently.

My three eyefinity screens on displayport and my helios touchscreen on the dvi. I plan to put this screen on the other dvi port. So thats five screens in total. I get reliable FPS currently and I don't see this small screen taking anything away. I use a framelimiter already and it should take me below that.

I've got a similar setup to what metalnwood describes, but instead of using Helios on the touchscreen, my touchscreen directly renders the instrument panel. This is quite a bit different from just creating your own CDU as the OP is trying to do, but I too tried to go down that path, tried exporting MFCDs, tried Helios, etc. ... and then finally settled on my current config, which is by far the most flexible and intuitive solution I've found yet. So, I thought it was worth mentioning for those who might be interested.

I also started to use Hawg-display/Helios first...

But I came soon to the same conclusion like Greg.

It's really very natural and I can do it in all planes.

I have set up my touchscreen display like this:

-touch longer than 0.3 sec within 10squarepixels = right click at release

-short touch = left click

- when holding and moving I can tun wheels and knobs.

So I can do everything only by using the HOTAS and touch-screen - no need for a key-board/mouse any more.

I'm sometimes very jealous at people that have a full functional A-10 cockpit....but in the end

I'm very glad to have this this way - and my generic pit is compatible with every new module.

Edit:

Sorry - didn't wanted to derail this thread :P - if so : it is really unintended!

IT's OK to go a bit off topic, I will keep it on track when I need to :)

I have thought about doing what you guys are doing but I couldnt think how well it would work with trackir and trying to click on the panels.

I like the idea in theory but I also remember trying to keep my head still at somewhat awkward feeling positions while I lean forward and play the game of trying to touch the panel but not move the view lol.

Both solutions look like they work when you are used to them.

Peter, the answer to having a generic pit is to have many replica pits so you use the right one. Only a small matter of having three or four of them around for the planes you fly :)

Here is a video of one of the best demonstrations I have ever seen how everything works with a touch screen-only setup - it inspired me to do the same (and his hardware mods also):

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v1627326198keXc3X?h1=Black+Shark+Techdemo-+Head+Tracking+and+Touchscreen

edit:

Here is the thread from "urze" (but all links are dead)

Black Shark Techdemo- Head Tracking and Touchscreen

I've got a similar setup to what metalnwood describes, but instead of using Helios on the touchscreen, my touchscreen directly renders the instrument panel. This is quite a bit different from just creating your own CDU as the OP is trying to do, but I too tried to go down that path, tried exporting MFCDs, tried Helios, etc. ... and then finally settled on my current config, which is by far the most flexible and intuitive solution I've found yet. So, I thought it was worth mentioning for those who might be interested.

How do you get the instrument panel to display on a different monitor?

How do you get the instrument panel to display on a different monitor?

Helios. http://www.scsimulations.com/content.php?204

How do you get the instrument panel to display on a different monitor?

Helios.

But he says "but instead of using Helios on the touchscreen, my touchscreen directly renders the instrument panel", so I don't think he did use Helios.

But he says "but instead of using Helios on the touchscreen, my touchscreen directly renders the instrument panel", so I don't think he did use Helios.

That is just a multi-screen display with the bottom screen being a touch screen.

That is just a multi-screen display with the bottom screen being a touch screen.

So if I've got a 1920x1200 and 1920x1080 monitor, I'd just set them to be one big display in CCC and for the Centre viewport I'd just set it like this?

Center =

{

x = 1920;

y = 2280;

width = screen.width;

height = screen.height;

viewDx = 0;

viewDy = 0;

aspect = screen.aspect;

I'm not sure that would put just the instrument panel on the bottom monitor though.

Even if it does, surely then the instrument panel display will shift when moving the main view with TrackIR or hat though but I guess as long as it fits the monitor properly when TrackIR is centered/disabled that would be OK?

 

Even if it does, surely then the instrument panel display will shift when moving the main view with TrackIR or hat though but I guess as long as it fits the monitor properly when TrackIR is centered/disabled that would be OK?

The physical position of the monitors really matters for this setup. I tried it out once and could not get it comfortable with my setup. I think that configuring it for more than one aircraft is going to be problematic as well.

If it works for you it will be a nice way to fly.

The physical position of the monitors really matters for this setup. I tried it out once and could not get it comfortable with my setup. I think that configuring it for more than one aircraft is going to be problematic as well.

 

If it works for you it will be a nice way to fly.

I think I'll probably use Helios actually. I like the fact that can have hidden tabs to access more controls and I'm skeptical I'll be able to setup the monitors to get only the instrument panel on the bottom monitor. Not to mention the software I use, Actual Multiple Monitors, which is fantastic for switching between monitor setups, doesn't support Eyefinity groups and so I'd have to mess around in CCC each time I wanted to activate that.

My 'pit' has to serve way to many functions to work well that way. Helios works quite well especially, as you said, with regard to getting more panels than you actually have room for on screen.