Today my Sismo Soluciones IRS Display Unit (ISDU) arrived from Spain.   I ordered via FedEx and it got here to Texas in about 5 days, very well packaged and with no damage that I could see.

Originally I was going to build the IRS using the parts and panels I already had from my CockpitSimParts AFT overhead and my FlightSimParts.eu 7 segment displays, along with some single rotary switches.  So I had enough for a good start.  However, I didn’t have the keypad electronics or dual rotary encoders so I would have had to find the right parts, then find a way to interface it with some card that ties into ProSim.

While this has been done already by more technically advanced people than me (the brilliant Nick from ElephantAir737 for example) my head was starting to spin and my patience was growing thin so I decided to spend the few extra dollars and buy a “complete” solution instead.

After a bunch of looking around, I finally decided on the Sismo ISDU and their SimCard MB Ethernet (SC-MB) interface board.  After talking with Sismo reps, I was under the impression that the SC-MB Ethernet interface board would be all I needed to order to make the ISDU plug and play with ProSim.  I found out, once I received the parts, that this was not the case.  It turns out you also need one Sismo GIC daughter (expansion) card, too, if you choose to go with the SC-MB as your interface board

I won’t go into my frustration with what happened. but I will say make sure you have clear lines of communication with the seller before you buy or you’ll be setting yourself up for a lot of pain.  Patience is definitely a necessity in this hobby!

So in the meantime, I am now waiting on a Sismo GIC to arrive so I can complete the panel and get it all working with ProSim.

Speaking of patience, I’m finding that rarely will you have everything you need to complete the sim project you’re working on.   You can plan ahead, but these things usually don’t come with a full parts list, so you run out of wire, are short some LEDs, need some more screws or nuts, a different USB board, whatever.  Unfortunately, with most aircraft sim products coming out of Europe, this creates some significant delays for us here in the States (or some expensive shipping costs to get things here quicker) so good communication with the seller is critical.  In this case, the miscommunication cost me money.

Anyway, the panel itself is nicely done.  I’m looking forward to bringing it alive!  More to follow.