First Steps towards building a home cockpit simulation

Since I can rember my self I am deeply in love with aviation. The fact that both my parents were in aviation industry helped this love, I was around aircrafts since I was 10.

I have been to the old LGAT airport with my father many times, I have seen many aircrafts in ways that many never going to see.

When I bought my first PC it was natural to start playing at the beginning with the early version of Flight Simulator (MSFS) or the legendery ATP (Airline Transport Pilot) the first PC simulator with ATC Instructions.

Many years later I discovered the beauty of online flying. SATCO and the begining and VATSIM nowdays. Flyin in Virtual Skyies with other human pilots and human ATC is very close to reality.

Since I consider my self a "serious" flightsimmer I have spend enough money and time to make my hobby as realistic as possible.

During the years I have bought rudder pedals, a yoke, a throttle quadrant even a FMC. So last month I decided to make the next step. To build a home simulator...

My goal is to build a realistic (as possible of course) B737NG cockpit. The first step was made two weeks ago by buying the Project Magenta software. This software connects to the MSFS and provides the main instruments as well as the logic to build an overhead panel with all it's functionality. Also 2 wide 19'' LCD ACER monitors were bought. These monitors are going to be used for Captains and FO PFD/ND. Finally I found a 10'' monitor at eBay which also bought, this is going to display the upper EICAS (Engine Indication and Crew Alerting System) panel.

Last Friday I ordered the first pieces of the cockpit, the overhead panel. Both pieces front and back was bought from Engravity.

The I/O software that is going to be used for the interface is under consideration now. There are many alternatives but I thing that the Phidjets I/O cards are going to be used. The other option is the open cockpit I/O. Phidjets are more expensive but are much easier to be used.
For testing purposes I have order one LED card and one Master card.