ASPEN EFD 1000 Improved version

[ChuckK]

Crash

That's what I use and agree Ardsim is awesome. Minimal Arduino coding unless u are dealing with custom data refs. In particular getting 10 second delay without using delay() for the knobs to return to default. Took about 50 lines so not really that bad.

Chuck

[JackZ]

Hello Folks
Great news !!! (sort of...)

As some of you may know, I tried and joined forces last year for the ASPEN 1000 development with a forum member called Bauermeister.
He had made a tremendous work on his own ASPEN version, but only for XPlane. We planned to join codes, as his current development version was far more advanced in some areas than mine (mainly ARC Mode in the ND, and some menu displays including dimming, etc...), while my graphic work for the graphical resources was more detailed and faithful to the original than his.

I contacted him recently, asking if he would agree to join the Github, and he answered positively, as like me, he's currently too busy to go further. So I 'm pleased to inform those interrested that I will create a fork on the Github repository that contains all of his code and resources (his version is for Xplane only as for now, but the goal is to have it for both worlds, by combining both codes ).

The ultimate goal is threefold:
- Avoid "reinventing the Wheel" every time
- Have an Xplane/FSX instrument
- Be as accurate as the "real" instrument, considering current Air Manager limitations (mainly GPS display and FPL display)

The fork is here, for your information:
https://github.com/JackZ974/AirManager- ... lane-only-

Jacques

[russ]

Awesome! Thanks for pursuing this.

[yair1956]

..does the improved version of the EFD100 applied only to X-Plane, cuz I use FSX-SE & would love to have it ??
Cheers

Yair

[JackZ]

No, the main project is made for both worlds.
You can download it on Github, but be warned it's a work in progress, though usable as is, but still lacking some functions.
Thanks to other contributor the project is evolving, though...

Jacques

[yair1956]

oh. OK.... so you do not updating the on listed posted on AM ?

Reg.


....sorry but what is GitHub, and how do I find the file over there ????

[JackZ]

Just read the whole thread you're in, and you'll find the links to Github, and the answer to your questions...

[Peter Dobson]

Not sure if this is right place to ask this question.

The new version (only just downloaded it) is great. But I would like to connect an external switch and rotary switch panel up to the instrument to provide selection inputs. I have been running the instrument under create/edit in AM in the hope that I would be able to see what parameters are modified when buttons or rotary switches are activated on the instrument itself (using the mouse). It does not seem to work. I guess this mean that the displayed parameters when running the instrument (which I can modify and send) don't change when an external source modifies these parameters?? (eg X-Plane??) Is there a way of seeing what parameter values are when X-Plane sends them to the instrument??

I guess what I am after is a list of variables I would need to modify/change to emulate external switch/rotary switch inputs to drive/mode the EFD1000.

Presumably this would be done directly to the EFD1000. I know in the previous version (Mk2) some parameters were sent using" sim/weapons/free_flyer" bits as there were no parameters directly in X-Plane. Driving the instrument via a panel connected through ArdSim over a networked system worked for me but does not seem to be that reliable. Modifying parameters directly to the EFD1000 seems to be a much better way to go. X-Plane does not need to know many of the EFD1000 modes or selections. And via ArdSim this is just a pass through mechanism.

On a separate matter (hope it is obvious from the above) I am trying to build an exact replica of the real instrument with the correct hardware surround bezel with all the switches and buttons built in. I notice this version (Mk3) is the wrong aspect ratio when compared to the real instrument. The Mk2 was very much closer to the correct aspect ratio. having said all that, a fantastic project and clearly a lot of very hard work has gone into creating this instrument.

BR Pete Dobson.

[JackZ]

Hi Pete

I don't really understand what you're referring to (Mk2/Mk3...) and what is your purpose.

In my version (guess it's Mark2, the original Github project?) I separated the instrument in two gauges: one for the Bezel, one for the instrument itself.
The "Bezel" gauge actually sends mouse clicks on the dials and buttons to the display logic gauge, I did that to simplify the use for cockpit builders.
So I guess that if you can emulate via hardware mouse clicks and rotate dials to the display gauge instead of via the bezel gauge itself (look for intercommunications variables) , this could do what you expected. If I were you I would start looking at the Bezel code to give a start.

Be warned though, the Mk2 version has been developed for FSX, and not completely adapted to XPlane. Still a work in progress, and on hold for a year or so.
For the gauge to work, you have to have FSX up and Running, since it's the Air Manager Simconnect plugin that handles the communication in-between the two gauges, and that plugin is launched by the sim program itself.

Please contact me by PM if you want further information, would love to see this project taking off once more.

Jacques

[Peter Dobson]

Hi Jacques,

Sorry my bad, yes I was referring to your original GitHub work back in Nov 2016. The version I down loaded was for X-plane and used ArdSim to link a switch panel to the EFD1000 via X-plane. This is using Chuck's fork on GitHub which is for X-Plane. Some of the timing logic is carried out in the ArdSim script.

This set up has worked fairly well for me for some 9 months. My system set up comprises of two PCs one running X-plane as Master and generating all the out the window views plus handling all control and switch inputs. The second PC also runs X-Plane (Slave) in order to generate the Reality XP 530 GPS display driven via a switch panel connected to the Master X-Plane. (It would be really great is some clever person did a GNS530 instrument in AM then I could drop the second X-Plane.) Also the second machine run AM and generates all the instrument displays. Again all input (setting QFE, VOR bezel, switches etc. are input via Teenys (and Arduino)s to the master machine, which then passes them on to AM via the master plugin.

I am getting closer to understanding the ArdSim scripts which are slightly wrong from my real EFD1000. For example on the real instrument I have, the RH rotary only has two functions; change heading or change target altitude. Chuck's implementation has 5 modes allocated to the RH rotary control. Again I am not yet skilled enough to sort out the ArdSim coding. Also on the real instrument if you rotate the RH control (E2/1 + and -) the heading changes immediately. On Chucks implementation you have to push the RH control twice to select Heading mode before the heading bug moves. If you want to set barometric pressure this is done via the bottom RH Baro button. The next button up on my instrument is GNSS which if selected directs the autopilot to follow the GPS rather than heading. Unfortunately in Chuck's script selecting Baro (C24) jams ArdSim for about 5 second before it lets go and I have not yet been able to resolve that.

So I'll go back and have a look at the bezel gauge as you suggest. see if I can understand what is happening on the new release (Feb 2017). I too would like to see this project totally completed. it has given me a great deal of fun so far but my software skills are letting me down a bit (also would like more comments in Chuck's scripts to help me work out what is happening).

I am thinking of starting again on ArdSim scripts but using the newer ArdSimX version.

Despite all this I am totally indebted to you and ChuckK for all the work so far....

Great stuff. Peter Dobson.