Dell Lap Top and FMS

[pwillcox]

[aeropal]

[pwillcox]

[Steve Lewin]

[pwillcox]

Success at last. FMS on the Dell Laptop Inspiron 2650 with Windows XP is working very nicely.

Here is the drill as best I can relay a "How To"

I purchased using the Internet, a USB cable (Type U3PBE) "interface" for Futaba/Hitec radio from Tom's RC. approx $40. With the cable is packaged a CD that has the FMS program. All of which can be downloaded from the Internet from Tom's RC site.

I have Flash V radio dedicated for the FMS program.

PC computer are a Dell desktop and a Dell laptop with Windows XP

1. Put the disc in your computer. At this stage you will see a menu that has" View Read/Me File" at the top.

2. Select the "Install FMS Simulator (V2 beta 7)" and double click (old MAC habit) This will install the FMS simulator program on your hard drive and put a small icon on your desktop for your future reference to boot up the program.

3. Get that menu from step 1. Back on your desktop. You may have to do a "start"-"my computer"- "CD drive" double click to get back...whatever.

4. Hook up your "interface" cable from transmitter to USB port on your computer.

5. Turn on your transmitter.

6.From Menu, under "Operational Installation", select "USBc Drivers" and double click. This is the very top selection in that list of four choices.

7. From Menu, under "utilities", select "Device Manager" and double click. Click "+" to a "-" in front of "Ports (COM & LPT)" which will give a drop down menu where you must see "Cypress USB-HID-] COM device 4 (this # number varies but mine was 4 and sometimes 5)" If you do not have this, the transmitter is not being recognized by the computer. (An alternative, is "start"-"control panel"-"system"-<"System Properties" page select "Hardware" "device manager")........)

8. Continue from above and double click "Cypress USB-HIB->COM device (COM 4)". This will bring up a Cypress......"properties" page. Select "Port Settings" 9600-8-None-1-Xon/Xoff is the five inputs and only the last item required a change on my computer. Now select "OK"

8. Clean up your desktop and click on the FMS icon to bring up the airplane sitting on runway. If noise of engine is too loud select, select sound in top line and adjust as necessary. Letter "P" will stop aircraft and "I" will do a reset.

9. From menu at top of the "Airplane on runway page" select "Controls"-"Analog control". This brings up a Control interface page. Highlight "Serial PIC-interface" and then click on "Resources". This brings up "PIC-Interface" block. Change "Port:" to whatever COM number your computer has for your transmitter...mine is 4. "Protocol" is 9600 Baud, then hit "OK"

10. From "Controls"-"Analog control", select "Mapping / Calibration". Now you will have a page that shows 8 channels. For me I ended up with:
Inv
Rudder 4 *
Elevator 2
Aileron 1 *
Throttle 3 *

Be sure and center your throttle stick during this procedure.

This is somewhat long-winded and maybe not too clear, but I have been at this for three days and it all finally came together today and I will learn rolling circle with this program. (Grin) I am only a beginner at this simulator stuff but if I can help...gpwillcox at earthlink.net



Pat Willcox
AMA-262
MACA-charter member
RCCA-632
ProBro-1963
Retired doing model airplanes 24/7

[Steve Lewin]

Glad you got it going. Of course we might have been able to help do it in less than 3 days if you'd ever actually said what type of interface you had .

Have fun - Steve