SimVim Home Cockpit Software
The SimVimX project is a result of our long work on input/output data exchange protocol and plugins for X-Plane, starting with early versions of ARDref plugin, then ArdSim(X) plugins and instrument panel program.
The most successful and significant SimVim plugin (also was temporary named HCSCI) has then evolved to SimVimX project.
Main features:
- SimVimX Plugin provides communication protocol with SimVimPanel program to display instrument panels on other computers. The plugin processes simulator data and sends the results to the panel program to display all instuments readings. It also receives input data from the on-screen SimVimPanel input zones to call X-Plane functions or SimVimX functions to simulate instruments logic:
- The same protocol is used to communicate with our RealSimControl hardware I/O controller. The plugin receives input control data from the controller, using it to trigger SimVimX functions to simulate specific device logic or call various X-Plane functions. For data output, the plugin reads and processes simulator data configured in the cfg file and sends the results to the hardware controller in a specific format, taking into account the output type, predefined device type and various conditions.
- The plugin contains about 350 different custom programmed functions that expand upon the data and functions available in X-Plane, for purposes such as simulating advanced functionality of radio equipment based on its type, implementing cockpit controls not yet available in X-Plane or used only in specific aircraft types, doing additional processing of X-Plane data to make it more suitable for multi-purpose output, and so on.
Getting started is easy
To try out the interface, all you need is a second computer (or a laptop, mini-PC, or Raspberry Pi) to run the instrument panels program. Just place SimVimX plugin on your computer running X-Plane, download SimVimPanel on the second computer, and start. If the computers are on the same network, they will automatically connect and you will see the instrument panel working.
And if you have a spare Arduino Mega, you can quickly test how the plugin works with the hardware controller by uploading the RealSimCockpit Firmware to it. The firmware is already included in the plugin, so just open the plugin's "I/O Hardware" menu and follow the steps described there.
