Flight Simulator is already as real as it gets, and that is why I have chosen to let the Flight Simulator program be responsible for providing its calculated data to my simulator cockpit. I do not apply own calculations, except binary/hex etc translations. Data displayed in the cockpit is a read out from Flight Simulator 2002. Changes made in the simulator cockpit is written to Flight Simulator, an read back again.
To make data available for Flight Simulator clients, FSUIPC is used. This is like a software interface between Flight Simulator and clients.
Without the WideFs package, data can be processed locally only. The WideFs packages consists of a WideServer application and a WideClient Application. The WideServer program is installed on the Flight Simulator machine, so we only have one instance of this program. This enables spreading data over the network via a IPX or TCP/IP protecol.
Every client machine updates its flight simulator data by using the WideClient program. The wideclient program takes care of data changes in/from Flight Simulator in both directions.
The 6 cockpit informationscreens will run on approximately 2 MS Windows 98 machines with 2 screens each. I am currently testing with FreeFd, and I think it is a excellent and effordable (Free) solution for the information screens in the cockpit. Each machine is a client and requires the wideClient application.
At least 1 CDU will work. For the time being, I do not pay to much attention to the CDU, this would be a future implementation.
FsBus is used as base electronic interface. This will eventually control all digits and LEDs, and handles most of the events generated from by the push-buttons or rotaries in the cockpit. The software interface for FsBus requires FSUIPC and shall run on the Flight Simulator machine. It interacts with the hardware via the computers serial port (RS-232).
The micro controller is a second electronic interface. A own written C++ program on a client machine with WideClient installed, processes the data from Flight Simulator and sends it to the computers serial port (RS-232). The microcontroller processes this data and does the more additional functions in the cockpit. Think about the auto throttle levelers and stuff.
The following diagram roughly represents what is described above. Click on it for a larger view.