apnav

Autopilot and Navigation units for X-Plane / FSX / P3D

 

Checking on MCU and their use, gave me the opportunity to create Autopilot Units. Controlling all AP and some Radio settings just like in real aircrafts, makes flying with a simulator even more exciting!
Microchip PIC microcontrollers with USB capability can be configered as a virtual COM port device. This make interfacing with a PC very easy. 

Overview

The need of a program between the COM ports and the flightsim made me create a program called APNAVI. It reads all FS variables and sends them to the units via the COM ports. Then it scans inputs on both FS and the units. Changes in settings are copied the other way.

connections      APNAVI

APNAVI, written in VB6, can be downloaded here as a reference.

Both units have LCD screens for the convenience of setting values, debugging and configuration of internal values. Click on the drawing below to see it detailed.

raddraw      apdraw

Most LEDs and buttons are controlled by I2C-IO, 8 channel extenders.
The rotary knobs in both units are like encoders. They are selfmade with IR LEDS / IR Transistor OPTO coupplers, so they are endlessly turnable.

encoders

The AP unit was created arround a PIC18F4550 Microcontroller. The Radio unit has a PIC18F14K50 microcontroller.

Both units are equiped qith a bootloader so, programmable by USB!!

AP      AP

Recently I created a way in the Radio unit to set the baromatric pressure.

The creation, programming of the MCU's and APNAVI and the use of the units gave and still give me lots of fun!!

SCUMARI TEC 1998-2019