Issues with Expansion Card/Master Card

[donjbravo]

Firstly I have to tell you that I'm a new member of the home built simulation fraternity! I'm not new to flight simulation or real world piloting, as I have been involved with both for many years, but not as a constructor!
I decided about three months ago after lots of research to start constructing my own simulator, and after loads of deliberation, I went for the opencockpits products, as they had a lot of experience, produced good products, but struggled with some of the tech support.

I then came upon this site, a fantastic help for non software people, and the software element of the project, which being honest with myself, is the weakest of my abilities, and why I find myself here about to ask no doubt the most elementary of questions.

I have the p&P Chrono, MCP, EFIS, FMC V3, DIM Control, Expansion board, master board, flaps and damper servo, along with and input / output connection card fitted to the simulation, running with the OCP4NGX software. Everything that is Plug and Play has pretty much worked every time, if you follow the instructions.

Obviously as one does, I started to connect up the wider instruments, the flaps, leds, switches etc and I have all these fitted. I just can't get the software side of things able to see anything that's not Plug & Play, and I'm so unsure of the physical process involved that I'm convinced that I done something drastically wrong.

I connected up all the various inputs and thought that I would go through the process of following the instructions from the online opencockpits manuals. Initially when I had finished a couple of days ago, I could check and see all the inputs and outputs when running the SIOC program, highlighting the USBExpansion, card and monitoring the actions of the leds and the inputs, making sure I had connected everything up on the right connections. All OK.

I did a couple of things at the weekend, I updated the SIOC program over the weekend to the latest version, and installed OPENCOCKPITS B‐737 FLAP GAUGE INSTALLATION AND USER’S MANUAL servo card carefully following the instructions right down to the point of saving the SIOC.ssi file, after putting in the flap position values.

Problem now is I don't see anything at all when trying to run the SIOC program to check the inputs / outputs. I thought it was because I had connected everything up through the USB hub that was suggested, another job I did, a DLink 5 port powered hub, but when I put it directly to the computer it was the same, nothing is being highlighted anymore, although the OCP4 program can see the cards, as MIP Servo and MIP, see attached captured images.

THE OCP4NGX sees all the cards, but there is obviously something I'm not doing that I should be doing, or I've screwed something up by perhaps saving a file where I shouldn't have. but I'm finding it very difficult for someone to tell me what the process is for all these various external inputs. I'm running the PDMG 737NGX flight FSX software, and again everything OK with the P&P modules, but nothing from anything else.

Would appreciate any help whatsoever in trying to get something resolved with this.

Many thanks

Don

[mvr1918]

Hi,
Just had a brief look at your post.

Two things I notice.

1) you should use the oc4baconfig.exe for configuration, not the Sioc configuration program.

2) you must use the other script when having non-P&P devices.

You should read the MUST READ file and OC4BA Documentation again.

You also need to modify inputs and outputs numbers
to fit your hardware.

Most important is to address the inputs/outputs in the scripts with the correct device and inputs/outputs numbers
So check that you have the correct sioc.ini configuration and that it matches the script regarding device and inputs/outputs numbering.

Also read this topic:

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=295#p990


Hope this gets you a going a little bit further.
Roar

[donjbravo]

Roar

Many thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I'm sure that when I get my head round this, I'll be OK.

I've attached a photo of the arrangement I have set up, where you can see I'm using the input / output cards, along with the master card to take everything on to the board. The drawing that came with it, pre allocated the various I/O through the ribbons, so that when I installed anything else, i.e. flaps leds etc I had to make sure I wasn't conflicking with anything else, which I soon found out when checking and operating an LED for one thing, the landing gear light came on! I then wired up the various LED I have so far to spare terminals, and checked these with the SIOC Monitor Program, after going initialising the SIOC.exe program.

It was this facility for checking this that I've seemed to have lost, but I'm assuming that it I use your op4baconfig.exe this will come back. I've checked through the link to the other post and this has been very helpful in understanding the process, so thank you for that. I noticed I didn't have anything in my SIOC for events or variables, that was mentioned so I wasn't so sure about that bit, but I did understand that the txt needs to be changed to what I have it configured to on the boards, or if I'm very mistaken, the other way round, i.e the boards have to be configured to the settings you have, which would be a real problem to start breaking into all that ribbons? Perhaps you would be good enough to comment on this for me?

Many thanks

Don

[mvr1918]

Hi,

Nice looking setup you have. What type of boards do you have connected to the Inputs and Outputs connections cards? The one left to the MASTER card on your image.


There is no need to change any wiring and cabling. All that it takes is to modify the script txt file and do a re-compiling of the modified txt file to get a new ssi file.

Lets say you have s free input and a free output. Then you just modify the functions you want to connect to these free connections. If you free input is number 30 in your
hardware setup you edit in 30 as the input number on the line in the txt file that has the wanted function. The device number you see on the same line MUST match the device number
for your EXP/MASTER in the sioc.ini. Then remember to do a re-compiling of the txt file, reload in SIOC.exe and you should have the function working from your input.

[donjbravo]

Thanks for the info.

With being an electrical engineer, I like things to be neat and tidy if possible. I had thought of taking everything out to a Phoenix Contact Card so that everything would have been all wired up and ready to go on the one panel, but I've split it into two sides, the one you see, and on the other side I have all the power, USB's VGA etc connected up, although I'm struggling to find a 15" and 12" VGA screen for the other CDU's. Opencockpits, when designing their panel couldn't use a measuring tape, as the 17" monitor they say to use, just doesn't fit. Even told me to start cutting into the lower support frame, but I think I can do better than that. The PFD/CDU has a 18/5" ASUS without the bezel, that fits and works perfectly.

I have the following cards, all from Open Cockpits:

USB DimControl
USB Servo Motor Card
Master Card
MIP Card, which I think is the one that you are asking about, with all the ribbon cables. It was from the drawing that came with that I tried to figure out the inputs/outputs.
Inputs card
Outputs Card
USB Expansion Card

Thanks again for all the advice and help

Don

[donjbravo]

With regard to the problem I had with not seeing the inputs and outputs when using SIOC Monitor, I reinstalled the previous version of the SIOC software, and all is OK, see below.

The question I have is that I still have some confusion about the correct input numbering to use when changing the input / outputs in the OCP4NGX text file. In the SIOC Monitoring program, its easy to see when you change the state of the various buttons, the input number goes green or off depending on what your doing, but is this the number you use in the text file as your input, and the same for the outputs, i.e. whatever in shown in this display or do I use the numbering sequence that I can see from the documentation from opencockpits. IOCards USB Expansion & Master Manual page 6, Pin 01, (not input 01) can be either Input 01 in on the J3 connector, or Input 37 on the J4connector.

So in the case of the of my example, which input number would I need to use, Input 1, its connected on the J3 card, or Input 37 if its connected on the J4 card, or follow the numbering we can see as 'Digital Inputs' in the SIOC Monitor program?

I hope all this makes sense, and many thanks for your help.

Don

[mvr1918]

Hi,

Yes, you should change the numbering in accordance with what you see in SIOC Monitor when using a switch/button or turning on an output.

Changing to this you will have the function specified on the script line to that input/output.

Roar

[donjbravo]

Roar,

I now have all the inputs number in stalled and loaded, but I'm still having some issues. The Brake Panel inputs along with the Fire Bell Cut Out input all work fine as far as the inputs are concerned with the 737 FSX running.

The gear level in the down position, makes the FSX go to the centre OFF position, and the UP or the LEDS don't operate.

The Main DU and Lower DU panels, CPT Six Pack inputs and all the Leds are all visible and operational when used with the SIOC Monitor, IOCP Console, but not when connected to the FSX.

I ran the FSPIPC logger, and all the P&P modules are coming up, but nothing through the other IDX cards. It look sot me that there is some kind of gateway between the FSX program for some of the inputs / outputs are not aligning up.

Do you have any suggestions?

Thanks

Don

[mvr1918]

hi,

Check that the EXP/MASTER card is coming up in the SIOC Device window with the correct IDX as you have in the script.

you say

all work fine as far as the inputs are concerned with the 737 FSX running

You mean the PMDG B737, not the default FSX B737?

If you only have an ON/OFF switch for GEAR handling you need to modify the script line for that functions as it have a 3 position handling function.

[donjbravo]

Roar,
Yes,I can confirm that the Device IDX is the same IDX 31 and is linked, and with the PDMG 737 FSX running, see below.

I'll modify the script for the gear lever.

Don