New Guy, Same Old Questions... Sorry

[SageOT]

BLUF: Need some advice on panel building, mostly for Ka-50, but also in general.

 

All,

First, thanks to all of the forum users who have posted their information, tutorials, etc. You all are awesome. The problem I am running into is almost to much information. As a person completely knew to this with little background knowledge my brain is starting to melt just a little bit.

 

What I (think) I know: Use the Targeting Mode Control Panel for example

 

- 5 toggle switches

- 5 non-latching momentary push buttons

- 1 5 position rotary switch

 

For the toggle switches, the rotary switch and the mode reset push button I will wire them all into a BU0836X. Plug this into the computer and either directly assign the toggles in the game or use XPadder or something to assign them keyboard presses, and I'm done.... (Right???)

 

Here's where I'm having my problems understanding.

 

The 4 push buttons with an LED in them that will become the, AA, Moving Target, etc....

 

They are going to need something different than the Leo right? This is where the Open Cockpits boards and the SIOC stuff come in? Does the actual switch still get wired to the Leo and another wire come from one of these boards to control just the built in LED? I know the answer is out there, I just haven't been able to ask Google or the search function the question in the right way so I thought I'd try human beings.

 

Thanks much,

SageOT

[agrasyuk]

Hi Sage. Yes, sometimes there can be quite an information overload. Welcome to the club. :)

 

As far as mapping you can configure your bodnar card directly in sim (aside of the rotary). But I would suggest looking at Helios software - see the sticky here. Even if you dont intend to have another monitor for instrumentation Helios allows easy binding of to regular and multi position switches.

For output Helios can work with phidgets led card. But for more economical solution look at DCS-BIOS (also a sticky thread) as it will allow use of very inexpensive arduino boards.

[FSFIan]

DCS-BIOS does not have Ka-50 support right now.

 

If you want to contribute Ka-50 support to DCS-BIOS, I would be happy to help you get started over Skype or TS. Look at the UH1H.lua file -- if you think "yeah, that doesn't look too complicated", you should consider this as an option.

 

The work you put into adding Ka-50 support to DCS-BIOS would save you (and others!) a lot of configuration hassle down the road (and a lot of money in commercial interface boards -- Arduino clones are inexpensive, because they are mass-produced).

 

The major disadvantage of DCS-BIOS right now is that the panel you build will only be useful for the Ka-50. If you want to use it with other aircraft modules or other sims, there is no solution right now. It would be possible to write a piece of software that talks to a DCS-BIOS compatible panel and translates that e.g. to key presses, but that does not exist yet, although Gadroc has entertained the idea of adding DCS-BIOS support to Helios.

 

As the author of DCS-BIOS I am obviously biased. But from what little I know about OpenCockpits cards and SIOC (I never found official documentation that was actually readable), I get the impression that simply using it is at least as complicated as extending DCS-BIOS would be.

 

PS: If anyone has a link to OpenCockpits / SIOC documentation, especially in the context of DCS, please PM me. All I found was either so badly translated to English that I gave up reading it or it talked about FSX. I still have no idea about the extent to which SIOC supports DCS: World modules.

[SageOT]

Thanks for the responses guys.

 

I think you cleared something up already...

 

If I want this to be "easier" I can throw some money at this and use a single program (Helios) to configure the simple buttons and configure a Phidget board ($125) to run the LED's in the buttons and any separate LEDs on other panels.

 

If I want to go cheaper but "harder" I can buy a couple of Arduino's and bread boards and try to learn code.

 

Ian,

 

I apologize if I came off at all intelligent on this subject. I was trying to come across as ignorant to the point of mild retardation when it comes to the software side of this thing. :) :) :)

 

I would love to help but I just learned what .lua even was last week. I only mentioned OpenCockpits because some youtubers seem to have used it.

 

I've looked at your website and I think DCS-BIOS is awesome. I believe I could use it thanks to how user friendly you've made it, but I in no way could "create" it.

 

I think what was confusing me was thinking I had to use all of these things, not that I could just pick one and run with it.

 

Thanks again!

SageOT

(Jason

[agrasyuk]

Ian, AFAIK there is no direct support of DCS by SOIC. There was however a script that bridges between the two to some extend. I never considered SOIC (and you listed some of my reasons as well) so I haven't look into this matter in detail.

 

Jason, aside of being less expensive Ian's solution is much more flexible and futurepoof if you ask me. So effort invested in learning that approach is IMHO well spent.

[SageOT]

Anton,

 

True that. I'm trying to decide what would piss the wife off less... Less money spent, or more time in the basement learning this code stuff. :)

 

Ian,

I have most evenings (US EST) fairly free... My plan is to build 4ish things.

 

Thing 1: Adding an old TM F16 stick onto my MSFFB 2 and extending it a bit.

Thing 2: Converting an old x45 throttle to USB and then into a collective.

Thing 3: Making a Ka-50 panels, just the ones used in flight and fight, not the systems panels.

Thinkg 4: Generic switch panels to use for FC3 and Prepar3d (still like to fly my general aviation planes)

 

So while I am working on Thing 1 if you tell me what I need to get to test DCS-BIOS, which adruino board and the like I think I could lend my time to help out. Then maybe the Ka-50 support will be done by the time I really need it. :)

[Extranajero]

I'm afraid you'll find there isn't much love here for the Soviet airframes, most of these guys drive Warthogs :(

[Mr_Burns]

I would read up and use Helios with your board right now, most simple (ha) interface and won't cost yo any more. It's likely that you will want another panel and so on, well once you fill you current bodnar then look at the arduono, as you already have the card use it.

 

I run 2 cards and have 5 panels but bought all them before arduino stuff was developed.

[SageOT]

Guys, seriously thanks for the response and advice. I am so late to the game I figured all the old heads would just say use the search ( which I have been :)) or ignore the post. Mr. Burns, all said and done that's probably what I will do because I can afford it right now. However, Extranajero is right, do feel like the BLack Shark is the Black Sheep sometimes. So since the arduinos are so cheap I would like to try to help...

[FSFIan]

So since the arduinos are so cheap I would like to try to help...

 

Most of the work of adding an aircraft module does not require programming experience -- it's mostly pattern matching (which human brains are really good at) combined with a few educated guesses ("which control am I looking at?") that requires knowledge of the aircraft involved. Usually, once you have seen one toggle switch or indicator light, you have seen them all.

 

For example, you would see this in mainpanel_init.lua:

LWS_LampReady						= CreateGauge()
LWS_LampReady.arg_number			= 582
LWS_LampReady.input					= {0.0, 1.0}
LWS_LampReady.output				= {0.0, 1.0}
LWS_LampReady.controller			= controllers.LWS_LampReady

 

Because you know the Ka-50, you can guess that this is the ready lamp for the laser warning system, which is an indicator light that can be on or off. You would translate it to this:

 

defineIndicatorLight("LWS_READY", 582, "Laser Warning System", "Ready Light")

 

Another example:

elements["ENERG-AKK1-PTR"]			= {class = {class_type.TUMB,class_type.TUMB}, hint = LOCALIZE("Battery 1"),			device = devices.ELEC_INTERFACE, action = {device_commands.Button_5,device_commands.Button_5},	arg = {264,264}, arg_value = {-direction*1.0,direction*1.0}, arg_lim = {{0, 1.0},{0, 1.0}}, use_OBB = true, updatable = true}
elements["ENERG-COVER-AKK1-PTR"]	= {class = {class_type.TUMB,class_type.TUMB}, hint = LOCALIZE("Battery 1"),			device = devices.ELEC_INTERFACE, action = {device_commands.Button_6,device_commands.Button_6},	arg = {265,265}, arg_value = {-direction*1.0,direction*1.0}, arg_lim = {{0, 1.0},{0, 1.0}}, use_OBB = true, updatable = true}

 

becomes

 

defineToggleSwitch("BAT_1_SW", 2, 3005, 264, "Electrical Panel", "Battery 1 Switch")
defineToggleSwitch("BAT_1_COVER", 2, 265, "Electrical Panel", "Battery 1 Switch Cover")

 

In this case, you have to know that Button_X constants are defined as 3000+X and you have to look up devices.ELEC_INTERFACE=2 from the Ka-50's devices.lua.

 

"BAT_1_SW" is a short identifier that you choose, "Electrical Panel" is the category and "Battery 1 Switch" is the description.

 

If you are interested, I could get you started with a "skeleton" Ka-50 module. I did not plan to add more modules myself, but in case of the Ka-50 I have the module and have started flying it, so I have a basic familiarity with how the aircraft works. That means that I could take a look at things when you get stuck and add support for those controls that are not covered by the existing define... functions in DCS-BIOS.

 

 

Regarding what hardware you should buy:

Here's a work-in-progress long answer.

The short answer is: get one of these and one of these.

 

Or get an Arduino Nano for $2.88 instead (you will also need a mini-USB cable).

[SageOT]

Grunt work I can do. Let me wrap my head around it this weekend and I'll get back to you.

[Oldcooltronix]

Hello everybody,

 

Sorry for my bad eglisch, but it's not my native language... :(

 

I am in the midst of building a KA-50 Pit and am working for weeks with the topic SIOC - Import / Export.

 

I can tell you, this is a very complicated subject. Have been a few lamps and switches get up and running, but the only time to go offline. Online does not the export via the export.lua somehow and HELIOS does not work online.:cry:

 

I think the DCS - BIOS much better and would appreciate a KA-50 support very much because SIOC is not suitable for DCS. There were probably times a "OAKES" has SIOC for DCS - created BS.

 

Unfortunately, the folder structure in the DCS has changed. So you have to reprogram much and, what is full difficult.

 

"Pancake" has already helped me a lot, but as I said, it really does not work.

 

Enclosed out my collection of links to SIOC:

 

Oakes:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=45377&highlight=oakes

 

Pancake:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=122607

 

Miscellaneous:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=61725&highlight=A10+IOCP

http://www.lekseecon.nl/opencockpits.html

http://www.gadrocsworkshop.com/node/73

https://code.google.com/p/dcsbsexport/downloads/list

 

Hope we get the export someday there together, so if I can help you.:thumbup:

 

Many Greetings,

Tronix

[FSFIan]

Online does not the export via the export.lua somehow and HELIOS does not work online.:cry:

 

The same will apply to DCS-BIOS, it's a setting in the multiplayer server. Try playing on different servers.