COM Port data reading without dashboard

[3DWolf]

I'm currently at home and can't get to my demo board so I can use dashboard to read data from a serial port for testing some things, is there any program or anything that will give me similar outputs as dashboard straight through the serial port? I have a flight throttle that I want to toy with and see what kind of data I can get off of it.

[tdlrali]

What part of the control system do you have?

[Ctrl Alt Delete]

When we were testing, we just messed around with the controls while logging the data into a CSV file. Then we played back the CSV file like serial output.

[3DWolf]

What part of the control system do you have?

It's an older device, I think it's supposed to connect through the joystick which I can't find or another cable, because it has a round connector on it as well as the the direct serial connection. I know it's getting power at least because when I plug it in there are 2 buttons that toggle lights on, and a 3 position switch that does the same.

On the device itself it says the following (brackets are just placeholders)
[
Weapons Control System Mark II
FSN AR/C NAV023-12
MEETS MIL. E-5400
REV. CODE C-17.031

Thrustmaster
Made in the USA
]

Then it has a list of approved planes on it.
I'm not really sure where I got this thing from, I've had it for ages, never used it.

[tdlrali]

This guy?
http://www.flyfoxy.com/images/Wcss.jpg

[3DWolf]

Exactly that. It's left handed, however that shouldn't matter

[tdlrali]

This is some wierd joystick... I'm not sure if it works standalone.
Your best guess is this document, I hope it helps:
http://www.flyfoxy.com/ThrustmasterFAQ.html#Topic1.1

[3DWolf]

I don't really need the documentation on the device itself, I just want a way to display what it's giving me, like dashboard. I would just use dashboard but I'm at home and don't personally have an IFI controller =P

[tdlrali]

You said there is a serial connector on there? Try hooking it up to a serial port on your computer, and see if the software on this website is of any use:
http://www.flyfoxy.com/FoxTwo.html

[3DWolf]

You said there is a serial connector on there? Try hooking it up to a serial port on your computer, and see if the software on this website is of any use:
http://www.flyfoxy.com/FoxTwo.html

The programs on there are configures, and I can't seem to get the data I'm lookin for off of there. I guess I'll just have to wait until Monday and throw it up on the dashboard at school.
I just want to see what I'm getting like px_sw_top, aux1, aux2, etc out of it.

[Dad1279]

The gameport connection is not serial. You can read the values at the connector with an test meter by measuring the resistance.

[3DWolf]

I don't quite think you guys understand what I'm trying to do. I basically want a Dashboard, but without the IFI Robot Controller and OI board in front of me.

[Vikesrock]

I don't quite think you guys understand what I'm trying to do. I basically want a Dashboard, but without the IFI Robot Controller and OI board in front of me.

Right and what Dad1279 is saying is that the Gameport interface is not serial. A serial port sends digital data bits one at a time. The gameport uses analog signals for the joystick values.

The IFI Dashboard interprets the streams of bits sent by the OI into the values you see. The OI gets these values from the gameport by interpreting the analog signals on the gameport pins for the joystick and mapping the variables for the buttons to digital signals on other pins.

If the joystick you're holding has a serial port connector on it, then it will not connect directly to the OI, so it is difficult to answer your question. If it has a gameport it can be connected to the OI easily, but I don't know of any program that will allow you to read gameport values in the manner that you want (doesn't mean it doesn't exist).

[3DWolf]

The device actually has switches on it for analog and digital, could this aid in any way?

[Jared Russell]

If you hook it up to a Windows PC, you can view all of its outputs in Control Panel->Game Devices.

I think this is what you are asking for.