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== The PIC HomeCockpit Controller (PHCC)  ==

=== PHCC Overview  ===

The system consists of a motherboard and a variety of application specific daughterboards. 

[[PHCC Motherboard]]

[[PHCC Daughterboards]] 

==== What is it?  ====

==== Features:  ====

*cheap 
*modular and extensible 
**one 100x160mm "motherboard" 
**daughterboards for switch controllers, display controllers, stepper controllers, digital out, servos, USB 
*if other solutions don't cut it anymore&nbsp;:-) 
*up to 1024 switches/push buttons 
**why so many&nbsp;? 
***count things up: 3 CDUs, glareshield, MIP, pedestal, overhead, circuit breaker overhead, and more 
**can be upgraded in steps of 64 per daughterboard 
*35 channels analog in 
**3 primary: eg for aileron,elevator,rudder 
**32 secondary: eg for throttles, reversers, toe brakes, steering tiller, radio volume control, brightness,... 
*unlimited 8bit digital out channels, used for: 
**7 segment displays (including the often neglected decimal point) 
**LEDs 
**stepper control via H-bridge drivers 
**character LCDisplays 
**Relays/solenoids 
**lamps/Korry switches and indicators 
*servos 
*analog out (ADC using PWM) 
*uses 1 RS-232 Serial Port 
**USB daughterboard available 
*based on a PIC 18F4X2 
*uses standard components: MAX232, serveral 74HCxxx and 74HCTxxx<br> 
*costs: (not counting the displays, LEDs, switches, pots, steppers and servos) 
**motherboard: about 35-40 EUR (includes all analog in channels) 
**daughterboards 
***switch controller 5-10 EUR every 64 switches. (about 2 EUR if you have switches w/ built-in diodes and you want to solder everything on the board) 
***check subpages for details of other daughterboards 
*all software is open source/free software according to GPL 
**this includes 
***firmware (PIC assembly language) 
***and controlling software on the host (PC) that talks (at least) to the flightgear simulator ([http://www.flightgear.org/ FlightGear]) 
***kernel drivers (eg. for the analog channels used for joystick input) 
**usually third party software is also released as open source, or at least as freeware