Possibilities with FS-Communicator

The new build 2.0.12 of FS-Communicator will provide following features

Planned features for the next builds

Support of TCP/IP hard- and software

Possibilities with FS-Communicator

FS Communicator  is an  interface between FSUIPC-based Flightsimulators (MS-Flightsimulator FS2000- FS2004) and multiple  hardware-solutions. 

As hardware can be used

 'hacked keyboards', 

keyboard-encoders, 

Micro-Controller-based hardware, 

Epic-, 

DirectX Input-Devices like USB-Joysticks 

and TCP/IP-hardware (embedded systems) .

The hardware of  our A320-Simulator will only be controlled  by FSUIPC and FS-Communicator. With using FS-Communicator you don't have  to edit the config-file FS200X.cfg  because all data will be sent from the hardware over FS-Communicator and WideFS/FSUIPC to  FS200X! 

With the new support of DirectX-Input-Devices like USB-Joysticks  FS-Communicator is also useful for none-cockpitbuilder! 

Also the new Fly-by-Wire-Module can be used by none-cockpit-builder in order to get a realistic and user-configurable flight-feeling.

The new build 2.0.12 of FS-Communicator will provide following features

- Online Change Management (all configuration can be changed during flight) 

- Analog Channel Processing with  DirectX- Input Devices like USB-Joystick,... (Joystick-control of FS200X over network)

- Analog Channel Processing with EPIC-hardware

- Free  configurable calibration and sensitivity-curve for every analog-channel

- Analog-Channel Simulator for controlling analog-channels by using the mouse

- Analog-events 

- Support of DirectX-Keyboard control for using hacked-keyboards, keyboard encoders,..

- Support EPIC-Control features (nqw-commands, Qprocs, pigeon holes...)

- Support of microcontroller based hardware over serial RS232/RS485 (master/slave-bus)

- Support of "ALL" TCP/IP related hardware like  the RCM2200 modules of  www.zworld.com  

- Support of "Software-Panels" with communication over TCP/IP

- Dual Sidestick Control for Full Size Flightdecks (for Airbus-Builder the complete priority-switching  logic

  will also be handled by FS-Communicator / Boeing user are able to use dual control as well)

- Free configurable DirectX-Sound Module (wav-files can be played depending of the status of FSUIPC-offsets or 

  hardware-events

- Professional Fly by Wire Module :

        -  Free access to all internal control loops to be able to optimize the module for the used flight-model and sim

        -  All modes can be controlled by hardware-commands

        - G-force control with autotrim-function 

        - Alpha-Floor Protection based on the AOA      

        - High-Speed Protection 

        - Flare-Mode Control

        - Control Loop Monitor

- Internal Autobrake-Control Loops for realistic decelarartion-rates (support of all Airbus auto-brake functions)

- New FSUIPC-Polling engine to maintain the best possible polling interval

-  Log-Window with filter-selection to view only specific  information 

- New Configuration-file handling by using  subdirectories for multiple used aircrafts

- Configuration of the Offset-Variables can be organized in classes (import/export-function for sharing   

  configuration  with other people)

Planned features for the next builds

- support for  joystick-buttons of direct X devices

- making all necessary control-variables of the FBW-module available over FSUIPC-offsets for external access

Support of TCP/IP hard- and software

FS-Communicator supports communication to TCP/IP-hard- and software. This new feature is a part of the basic-license and needs no further licensing or payment for already existing customers.

The aim goal of implementing a TCP/IP-Server in FS-Communicator is to support a future oriented and free configurable hardware solution without any binding to any hardware-suppliers. For FS-Communicator it makes no difference what kind of clients ( hard- or software-solutions) are talking with the TCP/IP-server and so it’s up to the user to select his own preferred hardware.

One other goal for the integration of the TCP/IP-server in FS-Communicator is to decrease the wiring to the hardware as much as possible. For using this kind of hardware there is only a need for an Ethernet-patch cable and 2 wires for the power-supply for each hardware-module.

If we take a look at the usually build overhead-panels with more than 100 switches and about 200 lights we will see the big advantages of this new solution.

By using embedded system the hardware configuration will look like:

In regard to maintenance there is only a need to disconnect a Ethernet-patch-cable and a power-connector for removing a panel. Don’t forget to think about the testing of panels, where you only need to connect the panel to your network – you don’t have to install it into your simulator.

For cockpit-builder without any knowledge of TCP/IP-programming we will provide a library with all necessary TCP/IP-communication functions for the products of z-world (www.zworld.com). So the user don’t have to take care about the complete  communication between the hardware and FS-Communicator.  The user has only to maintain, that a change of a value (for example a pigeon hole) will be shown on the connected ports or displays. The change of the value within the hardware will be handled by the functions of the library and the TCP-IP server of FS-Communicator in the background.

We have decided to support the products of zworld because this company is providing a very good documentation and support for programming their products and the prices for these modules (35-40 USD) seems to be fair. The modules can be programmed in a C-typical language and the compiler supports an ‘online’ debugging , which will be helpful for beginners.

We would be happy if user of other IP-hardware-solution will share their programmed libraries with other builders in order to avoid unnecessary work as much as possible. In this case we would put these libraries to our homepage also.

The TCP/IP-Server of FS-Communicator uses an open and very simple TCP/IP-protocol to be able to use nearly the same possibilities like other hardware like epic etc. is providing today. It’s not necessary to change any settings of an already existing configuration for epic-hardware in FS-Communicator to use IP-hardware modules also or instead of epic-hardware.

Also it's possible to mix hard-and software-panels in the simulator.