|
|
| |
How To Wire Up Toggle Switches to an Input Module
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
| |
...How To Wire Up Toggle Switches to an Input Module
|
Summary
This tutorial will show you how to wire up simple
toggle switches to a SIM-board USB Input Module, and then show you how
to test the switch in the SIM-board Universal Controller, and how to
assign an action to the switch in the software to control the landing
gear in Flight Simulator 2004.
You will need...
This "Show Me How..." tutorial is provided in addition
to the SIM-board USB Help Documentation.
It is recommended you refer to both this tutorial and the Help Documentation
for your modules.
|
Step 1: Connect your Toggle Switch
|
Connect one terminal of the switch to the top pin of pin pair "1"
on the "BANK A" area.
Connect the other terminal of the switch to the bottom pin.
(The picture on the right shows a toggle switch connected to the
module using a wires that have been crimped onto metal crimps, and
then inserted into a 2-way plastic housing. This makes for an easy
individual connection straight onto the switch pins of the module.)
Repeat this procedure for as many switches as you need, working left
to right across the top pins of the module, from "BANK A"
to "BANK H". These 8 banks along the top side of the module
will allow for up to 64 switch connections (assuming the module you
purchased allows for this number of switches).
Similarly, the banks labelled "BANK S" through to "BANK
Z" located along the bottom edge of the module can also be used
to fit switches 65 to 128.
|
|
 |
Step 2: Connect the Master Module and Input Module together
|
Now that we have made our switch connections, we can connect our
SIM-boards together.
Using a USB cable (A-male to B-male), connect the A-male end of the
cable (flat end) to the USB socket marked "TO FIRST SIM-BOARD"
on the SIM-board USB Master Module.
|
|
 |
Step 3: Connect the Master Module and Input Module together (part 2)
|
Connect the other end (the B-male or box end)
to the USB socket marked "FROM PREV" on the SIM-board USB
Input Module.
|
|
 |
Step 4: Connect the Master Module to your PC
|
Using a second USB cable, connect the B-male (box) end of the cable
to the USB socket marked "TO PC USB PORT" on the SIM-board
USB Master Module.
Finally, connect the other end of the cable to a free USB socket
on your PC.
|
|
 |
Step 5: Install the SIM-board USB drivers
|
(If you have already installed the Windows driver file for SIM-boards
USB, skip this step and go straight to Step 6).
If this is the first time that your SIM-boards have been connected
to this USB port on your computer, Windows will attempt to identify
the hardware item. A few seconds after you connect the Master Module
to your PC, Windows will pop up a "Found New Hardware" dialog
box.
You should follow the instructions detailed in the "How
To Install the SIM-board USB Windows Driver file" tutorial,
which you can access here (it will pop up in a new browser window).
|
|
 |
Step 6: Load the SIM-board Universal Controller software
|
Now load the SIM-board Universal Controller application in the normal
way.
A few seconds after loading, a new "USB Connection" will
be listed in the left hand side of the window, and the Input Module
will be listed as "Module 01".
Click on the "Module 01" Input Module entry in the list
to display this module's nodes for configuration.
|
|
 |
Step 7: Test the Switch
|
To test the switch, flick the switch back and forth and as you
do so, the round circular disc next to "Node 1" will change
from red (switch off) to green (switch on).
If this test performs correctly, you have successfully wired up
your switch to the associated node.
|
|
|
|
Step 8: Assign a Flight Simulator function
|
Having verified that the switch is operating correctly in test
mode, you can now assign a function to have it control functions
within flight simulator.
For this example, we will use the switch to control the raising
and lowering of the landing gear of the default B737 aircraft.
Click on Node 1 to expand the node and reveal its configuration
settings. Then click on "On action" and from the list
that pops up, select "FS Gear Lever [UP]" from the "FS
: Gear" subsection. This action will command the switch to
raise the landing gear lever when the switch is detected as being
electrically "on". Click "Select" to assign
this action to this node.
Now click on the "Off action" parameter, and select "FS
Gear Lever [DOWN]" from the "FS : Gear" subsection.
This action will command the switch to lower the landing gear when
the switch is put in the "off" position. Click "Select"
to assign this action to this node.
(Note: you can use the "Invert state?" parameter to
swap the detection of "on" and "off" states
of the switch. If you want the toggle switch to be "on"
when in fact it is detected as "off" (or vice versa),
set the "Invert state?" parameter to "Yes".
Another option is to leave this set to "No" but swap the
upper and lower pin connections for this switch.)
|
|
|
|
Step 9: Load Flight Simulator
|
Load Flight Simulator on your PC, or if you are using WideFS over
a network, ensure you have Flight Simulator and the appropriate applications
of WideFS running and connected properly.
Once loaded, select the default Boeing 737 aircraft model as the
active aircraft.
|
|
 |
Step 10: Run your test project
|
From the left hand side of the SIM-board Universal Controller window,
select the "Run Project" option. Your simple project will
begin to run, meaning that it is now active. Any changes you make
to the switch position will command the raising and lowering of the
gear. If there is a problem with the project, or an error occurs,
the details will be shown in the message area at the bottom of the
window.
To test your project, minimize the SIM-board Universal Controller
window and flick your switch between the on and off positions. As
you do so, you should see the landing gear lever in the B737 panel
in Flight Simulator raise and lower.
Congratulations! You have now made your first project using switches
with a SIM-board USB Input Module.
To stop your project, click on "Stop Project".
|
|
 |
Step 11: Use the Floating Help Icon
|
You will notice that as you move your mouse over the nodes, a "floating
help" icon appears which when clicked, offers you in-program
help with connecting your devices. Help is provided for each node
type for each module available in the SIM-board USB series, and will
offer you further Step-by-Step instructions on how to wire the given
node that you have clicked on.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Go back to: SIM-boards "Show Me How" Series 
How To Wire Up Toggle Switches to an Input Module