About

PTT-button network remote-control for VATSIM audio with modular simulator systems.

Sends PTT button presses over TCP/IP (using ZeroMQ) to a Windows PC/VM running the Audio for VATSIM client.

by barf stuart@macintosh.nz

Requirements

• Windows PC/VM (with headset attached, running Audio for VATSIM client)
  • Install Python 3
    • Install Python module ZeroMQ: python -m pip install zmq
    • Install Python module Numpy: python -m pip install numpy
  • Install vJoystick
• X-Plane/simulator box with PTT button attached
  • Requires Python 3
    • Install Python module PyGame: python -m pip install pygame
    • Install Python module ZeroMQ: python -m pip install zmq

Usage

On the Windows PC/VM running the Audio for VATSIM client:

1. Install Python 3 and vJoystick.
2. Attach your headset, or patch/route the audio.
3. Run (double-click on) ptt_remote_rx.py
4. Allow receiving on port TCP/5555 in the Windows firewall. The default port can be changed by editing the ptt_remote_rx.py file.

On the X-Plane/simulator box with PTT button:

1. Execute ptt_remote_tx.py <host> <port> with the TCP/IP address (or FQDN) and port of the host running ptt_remote_rx.py. The default port is 5555.

The buttons on USB HID devices attached to the simulator should now be mapped to the first virtual joystick device. To test if buttons are being mapped use the vJoystick JoyMonitor.exe tool.

Troubleshooting

If there is no connection, you may need to add an exception to the Windows Firewall: https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/mandi/2014/11/03/how-to-create-a-windows-firewall-inbound-rule/

If ptt_remote_rx.py does not run, check that Python 3 and the required Python modules are correctly installed.