Intercom system with two channels for two pilots

Transcription

1 with two channels for two pilots Rev

2 Table of Contents Introduction... 3 From the computer to the pilot... 4 From the pilot to the computer... 4 Audio jacks... 4 Preamplifier... 4 Audio Control Panel connector... 5 Power supply... 6 Computer software Cockpit Connect... 6 Update of firmware... 9 Disclaimer concept.de

3 Introduction This intercom system has been developed to make a cheap but professional system available for home cockpits for online flights. It supports two channels (COM, COM) and two pilots. For each pilot there are two microphone inputs and two outputs available. Furthermore the pilots can use an interphone to communicate among each other. + V Computer Mikrofon Microphone Mikrofon Microphone Ausgang Output Ausgang Output USB Audio Control Panel Anschluss Audio Control Panel connector Vorverstärker Mikrofon Preamplifier microphone First Officer Vorverstärker Mikrofon Preamplifier microphone Vorverstärker Ausgänge Preamplifier outputs Status LED Ausgang COM Output COM Ausgang COM Output COM Vorverstärker Ausgang COM Preamplifier output COM Vorverstärker Ausgang COM Preamplifier output COM Captain Audio Control Panel Anschluss Audio Control Panel connector Vorverstärker Mikrofon Preamplifier microphone Vorverstärker Mikrofon Preamplifier microphone Vorverstärker Ausgänge Preamplifier outputs Eingang COM Input COM Vorverstärker Eingang COM Preamplifier input COM Vorverstärker Eingang COM Preamplifier input COM Mikrofon Microphone Mikrofon Microphone Ausgang Output Ausgang Output Eingang COM Input COM Figure : Overview of the board concept.de 3

4 From the computer to the pilot The board has two input jacks for a COM and COM signal. The pilots can adjust the volume of both channels independently. For each pilot there are two output jacks which are connected in parallel. Headphones can be connected there for instance or you can plug in another system. The interphone channel can be added and adjusted by each pilot independently. Please note: Due to the design of the board only headsets with an integrated volume control can be connected. It happens that you cannot hear anything in a certain range of the volume control. This usually happens at approx % of the maximum volume. Please turn down the volume control below this threshold. From the pilot to the computer For the other direction the board has two independent microphone input jacks for each pilot. Both input signals are mixed and forwarded as required to the COM, COM or the interphone channel. The interphone channel is played immediately on the output to the pilots in the selected volume. COM and COM are available as outputs to the computer. They have to be plugged in the computer in the Line In input (not the microphone input). You can connect common electret microphones directly to the board. Most of the common cheap microphones in headsets or simple microphones consist of these electret microphones. Stem microphones of the company Peiker can be connected to the board via the Cockpit Concept microphone amplifier as well. Audio jacks All audio jacks are 3.5 mm audio jacks. Please do not use mono jacks or try to plug in other jacks. This can cause damage to the board and its components. Please note: To improve the audio quality we also include six audio jacks in the package that you can plug into the empty input connectors. Please do only plug in these audio jacks in the four microphone connectors and in the two inputs for the COM and COM signal from the computer. Do not plug in these audio jacks in other connectors! This can cause damage to the board! Preamplifier All inputs and outputs are equipped with a preamplifier which can amplify the signal between and about 0 times. The potentiometers for their adjustment are located next to their audio jacks and are colored in blue. To adjust the gain simply turn the white plate with a screwdriver. End stop counter clockwise is a gain of, end stop clockwise is a gain of about 0. Please note: Experience has shown that the follow settings of the preamplifiers led to the best results for most users: All four microphone inputs maximum gain (fully right), all four concept.de 4

5 connections to the computer single gain (fully left), both pilot outputs half gain (mid position). Audio Control Panel connector For each pilot there is a 5 pin D sub female connector at which parts of an Audio Control Panel (ACP) can be connected. Two Push to Talk (PTT) switches for each pilot can be connected at this ACP port to activate the corresponding channel for transmission. Both inputs are conflated internally to one single PTT signal. The transmission channel can be selected at the ACP port with two buttons (COM or COM). The parallel transmission on the interphone channel can be activated by a switch. For COM and COM there are two outputs to signal which of both channels is active for transmission. Furthermore three potentiometers can be connected to control the volume of COM, COM and interphone for each pilot. Pin allocation ACP connectors:. PTT pin. PTT pin 3. PTT pin 4. PTT pin 5. Button COM pin 6. Button COM pin 7. Button COM pin 8. Button COM pin 9. Switch interphone pin 0. Switch interphone pin. LED COM cathode. LED COM anode 3. LED COM cathode 4. LED COM anode 5. Potentiometer +5 V 6. Potentiometer wiper 7. Potentiometer ground 8. Potentiometer +5 V 9. Potentiometer wiper 0. Potentiometer ground. Potentiometer 3 +5 V. Potentiometer 3 wiper 3. Potentiometer 3 ground concept.de 5

6 Power supply The board has to be powered with a stabilized V direct current voltage source. The ground of the power supply has to be grounded (earth). If you use an ungrounded power supply the intercom may not work properly. So do not save money by the quality of the power supply. Computer software Cockpit Connect The software is permanently mandatory for the use of the board. It tells the intercom, in which configuration it shall work, emulates PTT actions on the computer and shows the status of the board. The software can be downloaded in the shop. The link is included in every product description of products that need the software. Beside the software the package also includes the driver for all Cockpit Concept products. When you connect a device to the computer via USB you will be asked to select a proper driver. Please do only use the included driver. Figure : Main window of Cockpit Connect After starting the software the list should include an entry Channel/ Pilots Intercom (figure ). If this is not the case please restart the software and/or restart the computer and make sure that the board has been detected by Windows (Control Panel) and that you installed the correct driver. By double clicking on the entry a configuration window opens (figure 3). concept.de 6

7 Figure 3: Configuration window of the intercom In general the system can be used with any software that supports the activation of transmission by keyboard. The software converts PTT signals of both pilots into keyboard emulations. For each pilot a different emulation can be selected. Simply select a key for each pilot out of the list Keyboard action. In the drop down list Send on you can select which channel shall be used for transmission if a PTT switch is pressed. Use switch logic interprets the switches connected to the ACP ports (COM/COM and interphone on/off) and transmits on the selected channels. If you do not use these switches you can predefine the channel for transmission (for instance always on COM). If a PTT input is active the label PTT or PTT lights up in orange. Hereby you can check if the PTT switches work properly. The circle to its right lights up if a key press is being emulated. If the same emulations are selected for both pilots only the circle of the captain lights up. The label on the right shows on which channel the pilot is transmitting if he presses the transmission switch (for instance Sending on COM ). For the three output channels a potentiometer of the ACP port can be selected for control. With that you can set up for instance that all three channels are controlled by just one single potentiometer or by three different ones. The list Connect to at the top of the window is responsible for the setup of the main configuration. At this time there is only the option SquawkBox 4 and FS004/FSX available. With this configuration the software/intercom take account of the characteristics of SquawkBox 4 and FS004/FSX. Unfortunately SquawkBox just supports one channel for transmission to the ATC. This concept.de 7

8 channel can be swapped with the FS internal ACP between COM and COM. The intercom can therefore only send for both pilots on the same channel so both pilots control one single channel for transmission (actually the intercom supports two separate channels). The selected channel is set in the FS by FSUIPC and SquawkBox reads that entry and knows on which channel it shall transmit. Furthermore this option activates the reception on COM and COM. SquawkBox just receives on COM by default but with the FS internal ACP also COM can be activated. If you would like to use the intercom with another software which supports more or less features please contact us. We will then create a profile for your software. Unfortunately it is not possible for us to create profiles for every single combination in advance. With the box Manual control you can switch on the manual mode. In this mode you can control all volumes manually and switch the relays of the microphones. The three buttons COM, COM and INT become active. With these you can control the corresponding microphone channel manually. With the sliders on the right side the volume of each channel can be controlled manually. This option is very useful if you set up the intercom and want to test everything. After you set up everything according to your needs you have to save the configuration by a click on Save to ensure this configuration is being loaded on the next software start. Changes with firmware v.0.: The FS Cockpit ACP is supported since firmware v.0.. Upon start of Cockpit Connect all COM ports are scanned and can be assigned in the configuration window. When you have selected a COM port the settings have to be saved and you have to restart the application. The connection to the FS Cockpit ACP will be established upon application start and it can be tested by pressing the FS Cockpit ACP Test button in the configuration window. Changes with firmware v.0.: Since firmware v.0. two joystick buttons and two keypresses are supported for each pilot. When they have been assigned they can be used to transmit on the selected channel (same as for the PTT inputs at the ACP connector). To assign a button or a key, click on the field Press and press the desired button or key. The name of the button or key will appear in the field. A second press deletes the assignment. concept.de 8

9 Update of firmware Since Cockpit Connect version.0.. all firmware versions are available in the package, even legacy versions. For details please have a look at the readme.txt in the folder cc_firmware of the package. Disclaimer Cockpit Concept is not responsible for damages that are caused by inappropriate handling or by ignoring this manual. Inappropriate handling includes the aspects given above and the nonprofessional handling with electronics (e.g. water contact). Cockpit Concept disassociates itself of damages and problems that are caused by carelessness of the user. In such cases there is no right of warranty claim. concept.de 9