FMS Interfaces - A summary on fms interfaces

[Michael Moeller]

This post of Olivier2 gives a good overview on fms interfaces. Added it here as a pinned thread. Please post only corrections and updates to this thread. For your questions about fms interfaces please open a new thread in the corresponding section.

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UPDATE 02/08/04

FMS INTERFACES

This is a small summary of what I think which are the possible interfaces for FMS. Good study!
The general rule : the PC needs from your transmitter the following :
a) the ground
b) the PPM OUT-signal
How to find those 2 contacts on your buddy connector or how to find the connections in case your transmitter is not fitted with a buddy box connector, check out my website (http://users.belgacom.net/TX2TX) chapter 1 paragraph 1.1


A) For Win 95-98-Millennium with FMS, 2 easy possibilities (above all
possibilities that are also possible for Win 2000 and XP, see section "B").
1) THROUGH THE PARALLEL-port (LPT1)
eventually with a resistor and zenerdiode, see the manual of FMS c("handbuch" in German)
(http://n.ethz.ch/student/mmoeller/fms/index.html) or some examples on my
website which I personally tested (http://users.belgacom.net/TX2TX) figure
7f-fms and others in chapter 7. Or here : (German).

2) THROUGH THE SERIAL-port
See the manual of FMS ("handbuch" in German) (http://n.ethz.ch/student/mmoeller/fms/index.html)

If you think you're not able to make such a cable, buy eventually one :



(German)

B) For Win 2000 and Win XP with FMS, a SIMPLE connection through the
parallel-port or serial port is not working, those 2 versions of Windows are
handling other protocols on these ports than Win 95-98-Millenium.

Your options then :
1) VIA PPJOY
By downloading and installing PPJOY and connecting your transmitter with a simple parallel or serial interface.
download :
installation :

2) THROUGH THE SOUNDCARD
With smartpropo :
The advantage is that it's simple to make : 1 audio-cable and a resistor or
potmeter

3) THROUGH THE SERIAL PORT (Com-port)
a) via an interface with a programmable IC (PIC), which is described in the
directory of FMS, see .FMS\Doc\Interface\readme_en.htm on your harddisk.
Or "Simple PCM" : this one has the advantage to use the power of the transmitter and not by the control-signals ofthe PC. And as such is neither depending on the system settings, neither of the used program :


Or
b) or the same electronic interface that you can buy ready to use here :




(German)
(French)

4) THROUGH THE USB-port
(selfmade)







(French)
(French)
(French-German selfmade)

(German : kit)
(German)
(German)
If you have a 4-axis joystick, you can use an interface-cable
gameport-->USB, for sale in every computershop, thus ideal for modern
laptops without a COM-port

5) THROUGH THE GAME-port
a) with an interface which transforms the signal of the transmitter in a
joystick-signal
(French)
(selfmade)



(German)
(German)

b) buy a 4-axis-controller joystick

(German)

c) or make yourself a 4-axis joystick with an old RC-transmitter, removing
all electronics, replacing the 4 potmeters by potmeters of 200K (not 100K
like mostly mentioned), and wiring like in :

(French)
(French)

6) Or make a partition on your harddisk where you will install Windows
95-98-Millennium. Then you can connect your radio simply via the
parallel-port or Serial-port as described in the manual of FMS and start the
older Windows (see section "A").

Hope this helps,
Olivier

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[RonenCo]

Thanks a lot for this usfull summary, but there is one link that does nor work:

In addition, Ken Hewitt's interface is COM port, and not USB.

[RonenCo]

Thanks a lot for this usfull summary, but there is one link that does nor work:

In addition, Ken Hewitt's interface is COM port, and not USB.

[stonemc]

hi everyone, i have the thunderbird cyclone CLC and my pc doesn't detect my transmitter. i am running windows xp and i have a ps/2 to serial interface, i have also purchased a ps/2 to usb interrface since the other wouldn't work but i get nothing from that.

please help

[johanbar]

Hi

See to me I dont get what I need
I cannot get the right link to work

Need construction link for Mic to Futaba interface instructions
also
Usb Cable construction Links
Some of the links above list does not work

Johan

[phildc]

Just to remember that doing some diagnostics (see techniques and tools) may be helpful in case of problems.



Philippe

[tzuoa]