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Available Homecockpit Interface Solutions:


Note: Note that this list is non-authoritative. These are the solutions I've come across.

Interface EPIC FSBUS ACCIS PHCC "TekWorx/FDS InterfaceIT" "MCP 747" "737 MCP" SIM-board FreeMIOS simkits IOCards BetaInnovations "Velleman K8000 Kit" Phidgets "Integrated Flight Systems - Photon" "TCP USB Active" "Joy Warrior" "Hagstrom Keyboard Encoder" "GoFlight Remote Mount Kit" "Digital Hardware Controller II" Teleo
Vendor/Project Lead R+R electronics Dirk Anderseck Simulation Hardware New Zealand Manuel Bessler Flightdeck Solutions Inc. Aerosoft Australia CPFlight Flightdeck Technology Ltd, UK Silvio Dragone, David Reist       Velleman Electronics     Itra GmbH Berlin Code Mercenaries Hagstrom Electronics GoFlight Inc. Precision Flight Controls Inc. Making Things, LLC
URL http://www.mindspring.com/~rrelect/ http://www.flightlink.com/epic/ Plans: http://www.fsbus.de Licensed: http://www.cockpitsonic.de http://www.simhardware.co.nz/products/hardware.html#accis http://cockpit.varxec.net http://www.flightdecksolutions.com http://www.mcp747.com http://www.cpflight.com http://flightdecktechnology.com/ http://www.freemios.reist.be/ www.simkits.com opencockpits.com betainnovations.com www.velleman.be www.phidgets.com http://www.iflightsystems.com http://sim.itra.de or http://www.itra.de http://www.codemercs.com, http://www.fienec.de http://hagstromelectronics.com/ http://www.goflightinc.com/hangar.html http://www.flypfc.com/new%20products/digital%20controllerii.html http://makingthings.com/teleo.htm
Free/Commerical commercial free, Kits and prebuilt Boards commercially available commercial free commercial   commercial commercial free commerical (free, but only for non-commerical use) commercial commercial commercial commercial commercial commercial commercial commerical commercial commercial
Philosophy "professional solution",modular, extensible,programmable/scriptable freeware, closed source, build-it-yourself (or buy from licensed Seller) "plug-and-play" open design, open source(GPL), build-it-yourself       commercial open design, open source, build-it-yourself   open design, modular based on USB PICs kit, seems to be based around I2C simple building blocks, each with USB interface, software looks like the devices modular, comes with its own "user-friendly" config software USB Controller/Plug and Play/ Itra Software/ USB Microcontroller, some come with I2C interface PS/2 and USB Keyboard port, RS232 "No programming required, just drag and drop" this is basically a standalone version of the "guts" they use for their other products "plug & play", modular, each module does a specific task, ie only analog input
Availability via distributers DIY / cockpitsonic.de ? DIY / (ask for industrially made bare boards ) not released yet ==OUT OF BUSINESS== ? not released yet DIY (some non-working links) ?not updated? from website DIY ==OUT OF BUSINESS== from website from website from website from website from website: chip and board, prebuilt: from fienec.de from website from website, distributors? from website from website
->Price Range                             99USD for main module, 69USD per 128 input module, 35USD per output module 12-700EUR   20-150USD 65-150USD   starting at 150USD per module
Technology Microcontroller based, bus or bus-like PIC Microcontroller (some modules use Atmel microcontrollers), bus bus, daisy-chained independent devices, max. 200 units per chain PIC Microcontroller, mixed   ? (Expansion port, part of their MCP) bus modular, daisy-chainable modules FPGA   just standard logic ICs used, no microcontrollers   I2C Bus based     Cypress AN2131 USB-Microcontroller "Warrior Chip" which is a Cypress USB-Microcontroller Microcontroller USB Microcontroller Microcontroller Microcontroller "Network"
A/D +     +       + "enhanceable"   +   +   - planned + - + + +
->channels 16, more with expansion modules 32 5 per device 35       26 per Potentiometer Module     4, on the USB card, takes 8 DO   4 (8-bit)   -   3 - 8 up to 64, selectable as analog or digital 12 per module
->Resolution   8bit   10bit               8bit         8bit -     up to 10bit
->special features user configurable coefficients/   analog-in device can handle 40 digital inputs additionally anti-jitter filter                         - - - - selectable resolution, selectable update rate
D/A   -   +                     -   - - - - -
->PWM   -   unlimited (16 channels per D/A daughterboard)                     -   - - - - 2 per Multi IO module
->DAC   -   unlimited                 8x6-bit, 1x8-bit   -   - - - - -
Digital-In +   45 per DI device +       + +   288(72 per card)       - + + + + + +
->Direct   -   - (possible via I2C)         configurable, max total no of I/O: 11520       16 opto-isolated I/O   512 (4 modules with 128 each)   (some variants use up to 8 direct inputs) - 8 9 (not sure if these are direct or matrix inputs) 4 per Multi IO module
->Matrix 300, more with exansion modules (I assume they are matrix inputs) +   1024 (via 16 daughterboards, each8x8 inputs)       64 per General Input Module -           - 16x16 matrix (other variants use matrix inputs up to 8x8 12x12 or 9x9 - up to 64, selectable as analog or digital -
Rotaries + +   +       + +   +       - + - - + + -
->incremental/quadrature + via external "Redec" circuit 3 per 7-segment device, 15 per digital input device(each uses 3 inputs of the digital-in) via small PIC based circuit, connected to keymatrix, takes 2 DI       26 per Rotary Encoder Module +   each takes 2 DI       -/(via external decoder connected to inputs)   - - 4 15 -
Servo(PWM) + + + unlimited             each takes 8 DO       - - - - - - 8 per module
->resolution   8bit   8bit             8bit                   10bit
Digital-Out + + + +       + +   256 (64 per card) 256 (high drive: sink 75mA, source 50mA) on ElectronFlux 16 opto-isolated I/O   + (only for 7seg/LED at the moment) + - - + + +
->Stepper   +   unlimited             each takes 4 DO + 16 via stepper driver card   - - - - - - 1 per module, 2.5A per phase max
-->unipolar   +   +             +       - - - - - - +
-->bipolar   +   +             +       - - - - - - +
->DC Motors   +   unlimited, H-bridge             each takes 2 DO       - - - - - - up to 2 per module, 2A max per motor
->LED/7-segments   + 15 per device +       +     256 up to 128 7-segment displays (ElectronFlux)     14 modules with each 8 7-segment plus 64 LEDs + with add-on hardware - 12-30 displays, other boards: 8LEDs 6LEDs -
-->dimmable   -   +             ? + (ElectronFlux)     + - - - ? - -
-->decimal point on 7-segment displays controllable   +   +               ?     + + - - ? - -
-->common anode/cathode   +/+   +/+               +/+ (ElectronFlux)       ? ? - ? - -
-->multiplexed   +   unlimited       32 7seg digits per 7seg module, 256 LEDs per LED module             ? + ? - ? - -
-->non-multiplexed   -   limited by speed only                     - - ? - ? - 12 channels per module, 2A/channel, but 6A max per module
->LC Displays   -   +   - -       +       - - ? - - - AM LCD
-->character LCDs       +                     - -   - - - -
-->graphical LCDs       +                     - -   - - - -
-->segmented LCDS                             - -   - - - -
->Relais + +   unlimited       64 channel per General Output Module, 400mA per channel, dimming speed control possible     each takes 1 DO   +   - planned - - - 7 see above (12 channel output module)
D'Arsonval Instruments   -   via PWM (D/A daughterboard)   - - -     -   should be possible via D/A output   - - - - - - via D/A or PWM outputs
air core + via gauge module (need to add IC to board) -   planned   - - -     -       - - - - - - -
Resolver/Syncro - (planned) -   - (planned)   - - -     -   -   - - - - - - -
                                           
Platform Win Win Win Linux/Unix/(Win)       Win Win (Linux planned   Win   Win/Linux/Mac Win/Linux/Mac Win Win Win/Mac/Linux Win Win (maybe linux) Win Win/Mac/Linux/Zaurus(Linux ARM)
->Simulators supported MSFS MSFS MSFS, F4? Flightgear, S3(soon), F4 (soon), MSFS (soon)       MSFS MSFS   MSFS, X-Plane   (not directly) not directly   MSFS (appears to OS as Joystick) acts like a keyboard MSFS/PS1 MSFS not directly
->integration with simulator can emulate Joysticks for analog axis and switch inputs FSUIPC/FDConnect FSUIPC? custom             FSUIPC, IOCP   FSUIPC?     ? standard USB HID joystick driver computers keyboard buffer custom program   nothing yet
Connection to computer ISA Card or USB RS-232/USB with serial-USB converter RS-232 RS-232, USB (full speed)       ? RS-232   Parallel Port, USB (low speed) USB (low speed) Parallel Port (seems to talk I2C) USB Parallel Port USB (full speed) USB PS/2, USB, RS232 USB USB, RS232 USB
Scriptable/Programmable + via C-like EPL GUI, via easy "click together circuits" - + via integrated LUA       VB-style planned     - - -   - - -   -   + (with Macromedia Flash)
API/SDK available       +                 + + + -     ?   +
Notes   one of the most widely used interfaces seems dead   Is it ever gonna happen ? Discontinued     Project seems dead     Discontinued         many variants, for details see website Some models also feature mouse / trackball support      
  This page is Copyright (c) 2004 by Manuel Bessler, http://cockpit.varxec.de/ If there you have more info that should go here, please email me (see contacts page)                                        
                                           
Abbreviations used DO=Digital Out, DI=Digital In, A/D=Analog to digital converter, D/A=Digital to Analog converter, PWM=Pulse width modulation, API=Application Programming Interface, SDK=Software Development Kit, VB=Visual Basic, RS-232=serial port on PCs,                                        

Please help to make this table more complete. If you have additions, corrections, want more categories, ... please email me (Manuel). See contact page for details.

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