Statement about Current Status and Update subscriptions

[c0nnex]

I will not argue about if or if not go for an update subscription and if that's reasonable or not. Everyone can decide on it's own.

0.9.6.50+ is the LTS (Long-Term-Support) Version of SPAD.neXt. Any major functionality breaking bugs found will be fixed and pushed to that version, if you have an update subscription or not. No features will be added to that version.

As I did with DCS Support, any new considered feature will be determined based on two major decisions:
a) Is there a need for this feature? How many people actually have those devices/request that feature?
b) After doing a PoC (Proof of Concept), how much time has to be invested to get this feature ready to rock?

For DCS this lead to the feature being discontinued and not further developed currently, as the time needed to put into it, would outnumber the number of people asking for it by far. If someone wants to take over development, get in touch and I'll share the code that is there.

Arduino Support:
It is still being worked on, and if your Arduino implementation announeces itself as USB device it's supported for quite while already.
Due to the nature of Open Source products, there are million of diffrent protocol implementations for native arduino communication out there. There is no standard for it, which makes it impossible to "just support arduino".
Along the road there has been the plan to develop an own firmware, but that plan has been dropped, because it's too much hassle to maintain and support this. Therfor right now I am looking into supporting one of the open source firmware protocols for arduino. Tests are currently running.
If you have any special arduino implementation that you want to see supported, get in touch, I will look at the protocol, and if it "easy" to implement and maintain it will be done (e.g. that was done for pacled64 support). In what timeframe? I cant't tell
Apart from that the request for arduino support is not overwhelming. I think i got about 10 people contacting me about that so far.
So the priority for it is not the hightest.

vBIP:
The vFIP Feature currently undergoes a major redesign and will become a full featured "Virtual Device Station", that will not only allow you to create and handle a virtual device (like a FIP / BIP or Multipanel), but will also able to work as an instructor station. (E.g. you will be able to command "throttle 1 hardware malfunction" remotely). The first versions of this will be in the 0.9.7 Beta.
Further down the road, I am looking into the possibility to integrate those virtual devices into the fsx/3d cockpit.

Virtual Avionics:
* There a 9 users of SPAD.neXt (that i know of) which own the VA MCP. (One of them being me)
* I am trying to get in touch with VA constantly since 2016 to talk to them about an implementation. I didn't even get any reply from them so far.
So implementation needs a lot of time, because the comunication protocol of the device has to be reverse engineered/analyzed.
As comparism, this also had to be done for the OC MCP/EFIS, and this took about 4 months (almost daily working on it).
VA MCP Support is being worked on, but not on regular daily basis as it has (due to the very few people needing it) a low priority.
Other VA devices are currently not being looked at, due to the lack of comunication from VA. If I don't have the device i cannot analyze it's protocol.


Down the road there are some other features (and games/sims) being worked on. But i'll not annouce those before the first beta versions of those are ready to go.

As for the lifetime update subscription, I talked to quite some people before considering offering this. Most of them said "do a lifetime thingy, i don't want to renew every year".
How long will that be? Hard to tell, but generally the life-cycle of the software. There is no plans for an end-of-life of the product and as long as there is a need for it and as long as I (or maybe a successor of mine) can maintain it, it will be maintained.

[lesoreilly]

First off let me thank you for your response and clear concise information. It is appreciated as someone that has been supporting this for a long time.

1 -- Arduino -- You stated from the get go that you were going to only support specific device(s). I am fine with that. Pick one and we can roll with it. Maybe some of use were just some in tune with the forum posts on it that we did not know we needed to make it more apparent. I already have an Arduino working (actually more than one, but based on similar devices) I built a GPS 530 that I had 3D printed and then wired it all up and programmed the Arduino for what I needed -- I also logged a ticket about the fact that SPAD.next does not understand -16K to +16K values -- though Windows 7 does.

I also have built a couple of other interfaces that I use via Arduino and Spad.NEXT. However I can't feed back to it to drive other items like LEDs or Displays based on some kind of channel.

So You can pick anything you like and I will buy / support your choice.

2 - Cool -- what ever you chose I am sure it will be great.

3 - VA -- Maybe I can help here. Not sure but I have had a decent open communication due to an issue with my MCP. Based on some other communication with them it seems like having a channel to allow users to control and configure would be a benefit to them. I would be happy to lobby further for you.


The issue with a lifetime where you point to someone else maybe taking it over -- when a company takes over it does not always mean that your previous agreements will transfer....Not taking a shot here. Just sounds like I need to think about buying the 1 year and wait and see how this goes.

I have truly enjoyed this product and the community it has brought for us. Your work is appreciated and valued.

Again -- Thank you for your Candour and willingness to engage in a conversation.

[c0nnex]

As for VA .. if you can make a contact that would be really appreciated.

[lesoreilly]

I have reached out to them -- I will see what they say. Since it is the Friday of the Holidays I made sure to state that they should not feel any need to reply until after the holidays.

Same for you that you don't need to reply either to this kind of a thread . Also maybe these interactions regarding VA should now move to another thread based on different subject matter. That is up to you.

I will let you know more when I know more.