Controls

TODO: Write this.

Do I want this here? Or in the code itself? Maybe self-documenting from code? Think this through.

Include:

• Purpose of the component, physical, electrical and DCS.
• Example
• Template definition including purpose of variables
• Stock implementation
• Variants (2 pos, 3 pos, etc)

A variety of controls have been created to handle a number of different combinations of DCS controls and physical pit interfaces. Often the combinations are obvious, however many unique combinations can be created.

The most important thing to remember when choosing a control is understanding that the messages to/from DCS are not negotiable, nor are they chosen by DCS-BIOS. For example, an HSI Course knob is modeled in DCS as a rotary control which spins infinitely in either direction. The "language" for this behind the scenes is a "Message" which indicates the control knob itself, and a increment/decrement argument which indicates how far to turn it, clockwise for increment, counter-clockwise for decrement.
In contrast, consider a volume control. DCS models this as an axis, also rotary knob but one that has a fixed position for 0/off, and rotates once around to a 100/on position. That "language" for this is another "Message", and an absolute value to indicate where in the range the knob is. So although both controls look similar (rotating knobs), a potentiometer intended for volume cannot be used to control an HSI Course control in DCS.

The DCS-BIOS Controls Reference is an excellent starting place and shows you great starting points for compatible controls. However, many controls have a few variants which are not captured by the controls reference. For example, buttons have an "Invert" option in case the button is your pit is wired inverse to the DCS behavior.

Finally, let's get into the controls available and their intended function.