[simpits-tech] RE: The Cougar Has landed - Mating Season

[Gene Buckle]

> >What hasn't dawned on anyone yet is that since Cougar is a USB device,
> >it'll show up _in addition_ to the 16 to 22 analog channels that EPIC
> >provides.  All you have to do is pick the Cougar out of the list to use
> >with Falcon.
>
> Gene, true, you can pick out the Cougar and it will work great.  What I
> can't figure out (mostly because I don't have an EPIC and have never
> tinkered with one) is whether or not the EPIC will still interface with
> Falcon 4.0 having all the switches, encoders and 7 seg LED's hooked to
> it.  R & R's web site states that the EPIC shows up as a single speed
> compensating joystick.  I have made the assumption all along that ALL of
> the inputs on EPIC "tunneled" (for lack of a better term) through the
> computer as a joystick.  If I pick the cougar in Falcon, will the EPIC
> still work for my switches etc.?  I don't mind laying out the cash for
> the EPIC, but I want to make dog-gone sure I can interface the two
> before I do.
>
When configured, the EPIC (USB) shows up as a number of joystick devices
under Windows.  Nothing shows up unless you configure it.

For instance, for the F-15, I've got two "joysticks" configured that gives
me the analog inputs for 2 throttle channels, rudder, elevator and
aileron.  I've configured it (for testing) to have the buttons work as
regular joystick buttons.  Eventually however, each switch will done one
of three things - it'll function as a joystick button, a keypress (or
sequence of keypresses) or it will trigger an event within the EPL program
that in turn will do something else.

Keep in mind that I don't have any experience with Falcon using anything
other than a normal joystick.  I don't know for sure if Falcon is flexible
enough to allow you to pick a specific joystick.  Considering it should be
using DirectInput for joystick handling, I would think it has support for
this.

Frankly, I'm surprised that no one has built a "cockpit friendly" version
of Falcon and released it anonymously. :)

g.