Work continues on the first two ACES products.  The Cockpit Software Suite allows you to make a connection between IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover and your external gauges like the ones you can get at East Midlands Flight Simulators (EMFS).  But most any servo or stepper motor driven gauge can be connected.  The software supports servos connected to a Mini Maestro servo controller (from Pololu) and stepper motors connected to an ACES Instrument Module Stepper.  Just connect the servos to the Mini Maestro and the steppers to the Instrument Module and configure using the Cockpit Builder.  For your gauge needs, I suggest you take a look at what Chris has to offer over at EMFS.  His gauges are reasonably priced and he can be quite helpful when needed.

The Cockpit Software Suite is nearly through the testing cycle.  There are just a few wrinkles left to be ironed out.  The Instrument Module Stepper is also near the end of the test cycle.  Both products are being prepared for production and will be offered first through the store front at EMFS.  I am targeting to have them available within the next few weeks so if you don’t see them over there, check back later.

While the first version of the software suite and the stepper module are in testing, I’m already working on some new stuff.  Here’s a peek at what’s in the works.

• An ACES LED Module to drive LED indicators.
• An ACES Instrument Module Stepper Mini to drive instruments based on the mini stepper motors like the X25 and VID29 type motors.
• A plug-in for the Cockpit Software Suite that will enable connection to IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946.
• Making the Mini Maestro servo controller plug and play with Cockpit Builder just like the ACES Instrument module.  This will make it much easier to configure your servo based instruments and it eliminates the limitation of having only two connected Mini Maestro servo controllers.