Virtual Avionics Documentation

Where can I buy the Virtual CDU products?

Virtual CDU products can be acquired at Google Play Store, iTunes App Store and Amazon App Store:

How to enable logs?

In case you have issues that cannot be addressed by our FAQs, you can open a ticket and send us some more information enabling logs.

To do so, please follow the steps bellow:

  1. Right click on the VA icon on the applications tray;
  2. Select the option “enable logging”;
  3. Restart VAInterface.

Then you can use your system until you see the situation when the problem happens.

You can now go to the VAInterface installation folder (default location is C:/Program Files (x86)/Virtual Avionics/VAInterface) and capture all the .log files at the Logs folder from the date when the issue happened. Open a “Support ticket” and and include all those files.

After logs were captured, please turn the logs off:

  1. Right click on the VA icon on the applications tray;
  2. Select the option “disable logging”;
  3. Restart VAInterface.
Not able to connect my Virtual CDU to my computer

Connection problems can happen due to one or more of the following causes:

1) Firewall blocking connection

Original text from: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/communicate-through-windows-firewall#1TC=windows-7

  1. Open Windows Firewall by clicking the Start button, and then clicking Control Panel. In the search box, type firewall, and then click Windows Firewall.

  2. In the left pane, click Allow a program or feature through Windows Firewall.

  3. Click Change settings. If you’re prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

  4. Select the check box next to the program you want to allow, select the network locations you want to allow communication on, and then click OK.

 

2) IP Address

Please check if the flight simulator computer IP address is properly configured on your tablet. This can happen when the option of “Auto Discovery” is not enabled.

Run VAInterface and roll the mouse over the VAInterface icon on the apps tray – this will show the computer’s IP address. Use this information to fill the IP Address field on the Virtual CDU settings Menu. 

 

3) Port Conflict

There is a possibility that another application is using the same Virtual CDU port (port 9000). This can happen when the option of“Auto Discovery” is not enabled.

In this case you need to change the 9000 port information to another number (eg 9500) on the Virtual CDU settings area on your tablet or smartphone.

Go to C:Program Files (x86)Virtual AvionicsVAInterface and edit VAInterface.ini file in order to update the port numberaccording to:

PORT = 9500

 

4) Your WiFi router is locked an the IP address table is not being updated

In this case, reboot your WiFi router to force an update on the IP address table.

After the reboot, please check the IP address as mentioned on item 2.

 

5) Public network location type

Please make sure the network location type is Private and not Public. You can check the network location type in the Network and Sharing Center

How to recover VAInterface file if Norton automatically erases it?

When Norton 360 removes the file, it will show you a pop up window on the right bottom of your screen, informing that the file was removed. So you can perform the following actions after clicking in this window:
 

If you want to restore a file, a window shows “restore & exclude this file” (example below)

but the next window shows “exclude this risk…”

Select the option “YES” and it should be restored.

How to install MCP737-R?

To install MCP737-R properly you must follow the steps below:

1. Install the complete version of VAInterface software. The latest version can be found on our “Download Area“

    1.1 If you don’t have any VAInterface installed you need to download and install the complete version of VAInterface from our “Download Area”

    1.2 If you have any version of the VAInterface Lite installed on your computer, we recommend you uninstall it and then install the VAInterface.

2. For NGX users, due access control some users need to manually change the file 737NGX_Options.ini usually located on “C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Games/Microsoft Flight Simulator X/PMDG/PMDG 737 NGX”

    2.1 Open the file and check if  the text below is present :
    [SDK]    EnableDataBroadcast=1

    2.2. If not present, copy and paste the text above to the end of file and save it.
    2.3 Probably, due the access control, you will need to save the file to another place and copy it back.

3. Run your FSX, select your plane, and run VA Interface.

4. Connect MCP737-R.

5. VAInterface does not launch any window, it will only be shown in the bottom, right side, through a square icon with “VA” written inside (applications tray). 

     5.1 If this icon is black it means VAInterface did not detect the FSX or FS9 running. Please make sure you have the latest version of FSX or FS9. Also, it didn’t detect the MCP connected. 

     5.2 If this icon is blue means the VAInterface FSX or FS9 was found. 

     5.3 If this icon is purple, it means the VA interface detected the MCP but not FSX or FS9. 

     5.4 If this icon is green, it means that the VA interface detected the MCP and FSX or FS9 detected, with the aircraft.

How to configure MCP737-R for X-Plane

In order to have MCP737-R working with X-Plane 10 (x737 or IXEG) please follow the steps below:

  1. Download and install VAInterface here;
  2. Launch VAInterface;
  3. Right Click on VAInterface icon on the apps tray;
  4. Select Control Panel;
  5. Select the correct aircraft on the Profile option.
How to configure MCP737-R with ProSim 737?

It is important to follow the steps in the same order that is described here, as some steps reset the configuration and thus, previous settings may be lost.

  • On Prosim737, click on Config -> Configuration menu options and select the Drivers tab.
    Make sure the FSUIPC and Generic COM port / TCP driver are enabled:

  • Click on Advanced (next to Generic COM port / TCP driver and:
    • Set the TCP port. You can leave the default value (8091) as is, but if you need to change it, it will be necessary to change the HOST_PORT flag in VAInterface.ini. In this case, check the FAQ: Virtual CDU 737: How to setup Virtual CDU 737 with Prosim in our Support page for instructions on how to change VAInterface.ini 
    • Select Manually configure elements in Operation mode.

  • Press OK to close the Generic driver advanced settings window and OK again to close the Configuration window and then click on Config -> Import configuration menu option.

  • In the Select Prosim737 import configuration file window, point to the VA_Panels.xml and press Open.

  • You can find VA_Panels.xml at Profiles folder under the VAInterface installation folder.
  • In the Prosim737 configuration import window, make sure both hardware and mcp-efis are enabled.

  • Go back to the Configuration window in order to confirm the settings have been applied:

  • Make sure that some of  the following EFIS/MCP related settings are configured as follows (please note that each setting will have a different offset name, line EFIS1_BARAO_ENC, EFIS1_MINS_ENC, and so forth). 

 

  • Execute ProsimMCP.exe – it’s important to remember that this software must be running all the time in order to allow the MCP737-R to work with ProSim 737.
  • Right click on any area inside the ProsimMCP, and select the Config option.

  • In the session “For other MCP’s” select the option “Control via FSUIPC”. It’s necessary that FSUIPC be installed.

  • Execute the Flight Simulator and select the airplane. Put it into the gate or at runaway.
  • Right Click on VA icon, on the icon tray – select the option “Control Panel”.
  • On “Control Panel” click on Edit – select PROSIM737 profile and save.

  • Turn some knobs on the MCP737-R, and check if the changes are applied to ProSim MCP on the computer screen.
How to install EFIS 737 PRO?

1. Instal VA Interface Full software. The latest version can be found on our “Downloads Area“

    1.1 If you don’t have any VAInterface installed you need to download and install VA Interface Full from our “Download Area”

    1.2 If you have any version of the VA Interface Lite installed on your computer, we recommend you uninstall it and then install the VA Interface Full.

2. For NGX users, due access control some users need to manually change the file 737NGX_Options.ini usually located on “C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Games/Microsoft Flight Simulator X/PMDG/PMDG 737 NGX” or “C:/Lockheed Martin/Prepar3D/PMDG/PMDG 737 NGX”.

    2.1 Open the file and check if  the text below is present :
    [SDK]    EnableDataBroadcast=1

    2.2. If not present, copy and paste the text above to the end of file and save it.
    2.3 Probably, due the access control, you will need to save the file to another place and copy it back.

3. Run your FSX, select your plane, and run VA Interface.

4. Connect EFIS.

5. VAInterface does not launch any window, it will only be shown in the bottom, right side, through a square icon with “VA” written inside (applications tray). 

     5.1 If this icon is black it means VAInterface did not detect the FSX or FS9 running. Please make sure you have the latest version of FSX (SP2) or FS9. Also, it didn’t detect the EFIS connected. 

     5.2 If this icon is blue means the VAInterface FSX or FS9 was found. 

     5.3 If this icon is purple, it means the VA interface detected the EFIS but not FSX or FS9. 

     5.4 If this icon is green, it means that the VA interface detected the EFIS and FSX or FS9 detected, with the aircraft.

 
 
How to configure EFIS 737 PRO with ProSim 737?

It is important to follow the steps in the same order that is described here, as some steps reset the configuration and thus, previous settings may be lost.

  1. Execute ProsimMCP.exe – it’s important to remember that this software shall be running all the time in order to allow the EFIS737 Pro to work with ProSim 737.
  2. Right click on any area inside the ProsimMCP, and select the Config option.

  3. In the session “For other MCP’s” select the option “Control via FSUIPC”. It’s necessary that FSUIPC be installed.

  4. Execute ProSim737.exe
  5. Select Config
  6. Select Import
  7. Select the file Config.xml available on the folder C:Program Files (x86)Virtual AvionicsVAInterfaceProfiles 
  8. Execute the Flight Simulator and select the airplane. Put it into the gate or at runaway.
  9. Right Click on VA icon, on the icon tray – select the option “Control Panel”.
  10. On “Control Panel” click on Edit – selecct PROSIM737 profile and save.

  11. Turn some knobs on the EFIS737 Pro, and check if the changes are applied to ProSim MCP on the computer screen.
What are the necessary requirements for Virtual CDU 737?

The minimum requirements are:

  • Ipad, Tablet or Smartphone and PC connected to same network as the computer running the flight simulator
  • FSX (Microsoft or Steam) or Prepar3D 
  • PMDG 737 NGX version SP1C or SP1D, IFLY 737 version 3.1 or ProSIM
  • Install the latest version of VA Interface software available on our “Downloads” area.
How to install Virtual CDU 737?

To install and use Virtual CDU 737 properly follow the steps below:

1. Install VAInterface software. You can download the setup program from our “Downloads” area:

    1.1 If you dont have any VAInterface installed you need to download and install las version of VA Interface Lite available.

2. For NGX users, due access control some users need to manually change the file 737NGX_Options.ini usually located on “C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Games/Microsoft Flight Simulator X/PMDG/PMDG 737 NGX”

    2.1 Open the file and check if  the text below is present :
    [SDK]    EnableDataBroadcast=1

    2.2. If not present, copy and paste the text above to the end of file and save it.

    2.3 Probably, due the access control, you will need to save the file to another place and copy it back.

3. Run your FSX, select your plane, start the flight.

4. Manually run VAInterface software.

5. Windows will probably ask about allowing this software to access the network and receive incoming connections, you need to allow that in order to receive the connection from CDU. If Windows don’t ask this or if you have another firewall software please make sure VAInterface is allowed on your firewall list.

6. VAInterface doesn’t have an UI, it will be shown only on tray bar. Its icon is VA written inside a square.

    6.1 If this icon is black, means VAInterface has not found your FSX. Please check you have latest version of FSX.
    6.2 If this icons is blue, means VAInterface has found your FSX.

7. Last step on your computer, please verify and take note of your IP address that will be used for connection.

    7.1 If you have VAInterface 2.1.19 or greater you can check the available IPs at VAInterface icon on tray bar. Just hover the mouse over it, the available IPs on your computer will show up.
    7.2 Another way to check the IP is running cmd and typing ipconfig.

At your Ipad , Tablet/Smartphone where you have Virtual CDU installed :

8. Download and install the software from:

9. Verify you have network, wi-fi is up, etc.

10. If you are not sure about your device/PC connectivity a good way to test it is installing any “Ping” sotware from Play Store or App Store and ping your computer IP.

11. Setting up the IP address on the tablet:

    11.1 Android:

        11.1.1 Run Virtual CDU 737 e press SETTINGS side key

        11.1.2 Select the option to disable display timeout so your tablet won’t turn off the screen during flight.

        11.1.3 Select the diplay type of your CDU screen, LCD colored with white fonts, or CRT monochromatic with green fonts.

        11.1.4 To automatically connect your tablet/Smartphone select optiono “Auto-discovery”. Otherwise, let this option unchecked and input IP address of the computer that is running FSX

        11.1.5 You can leave the port as 9000 for now.

        11.1.6 Go back to CDU 737 screen.

    11.2 iPAD:

        11.2.1 Go to iPAD SETTINGS

        11.2.2 Select the option to disable diaplay timeout so your tablet won’t turn off the screen during flight.

        11.2.3 Select the display type of your CDU screen, LCD colored with white fonts, or CRT monochromatic with green fonts.

        11.2.4 Input IP address of the computer that is running FSX

        11.2.5 You can leave the port as 9000 for now.

        11.2.6 Go back to main screen and launch VCDU 737.

12. OK, now you can start connecting your CDU, press the side key CONNECT, it will connect to your FSX and bring the CDU data.

How to setup Virtual CDU 737 with Prosim?

In order for VCDU to be able to communicate with Prosim, both Prosim and VAInterface need to be properly configured:

A – Prosim737 (main window)

  1. On the menu bar, click Config.
  2. Select Configuration and then the Drivers tab.
  3. Look for Generic COM Port/TCP driver and make sure it is enabled.
  4. Click on Advanced and then on TCP Communication – TCP Port , define the communication port (the default value is 8091). This port is going to be used at the VAInterface HOST configuration later on.

 

B – Prosim CDU

  1. Start ProsimCDU and then click on the window background (dark) with the right mouse button.
  2. Select Config option.
  3. On the Options tab, define the CDU role for this particular instance (Captain CDU or F/O CDU):

  4. At the Drivers tab, define the TCP port under Generic TCP Driver:

*You can choose the port number, just be aware that it’s not being used for another application.

It is possible to setup more than 2 CDU instances, but each one must have its own TCP port.

 

C – VAInterface

The VAInterface is done by manually editing the VAInterface.ini (located at the VAInterface installation folder) and filling out the following data structure under the [Prosim] tag:

[PROSIM]HOST_PORT=18749
HOST_ADDR=127.0.0.1
CAPCDU=0
CAPSERVERPORT=8092
CAPSERVERADDR=127.0.0.1
FOCDU=1
FOSERVERPORT=8093
FOSERVERADDR=127.0.0.1

 Note: the values defined here are only didatic examples and should be changed for real configuration.

HOST_PORT – this is the communication port with Prosim737. It must be the same value defined on step A4.

HOST_ADDR – IP address IP of the computer where Prosim737 is installed. Usually it is the same machine where VAInterface also runs, so the local host address (127.0.0.1) is used. If you have each software in separate machines, then enter the IP address of the Prosim737 machine.

CAPCDU – enables (1) the conection with the Captain CDU. In case there is no Captain CDU instance, set this to 0 (zero).

CAPSERVERPORT – defines the Captain CDU TCP port. Must be the same port used in step B4.

CAPSERVERADDR – IP address of the computer where ProsimCDU is installed. Usually it is the same machine where VAInterface also runs, so the local host address (127.0.0.1) is used. If you have each software in separate machines, then enter the IP address of the ProsimCDU machine.

FOCDU – enables (1) the conection with the F/O CDU. In case there is no F/O CDU instance, set this to 0 (zero).

FOSERVERPORT – Define a porta TCP exatamente como configurado no item B4.

FOSERVERADDR – IP address of the computer where ProsimCDU is installed. Usually it is the same machine where VAInterface also runs, so the local host address (127.0.0.1) is used. If you have each software in separate machines, then enter the IP address of the ProsimCDU machine.

Also, on “Control Panel” it’s necessary to select the profile “ProSim 737”

*You can choose the port number, just be aware that it’s not being used for another application.

My Virtual CDU connects to the computer but does not update the screens correctly with PMDG 737 NGX

Please check if you are using PMDG 737 NGX version SP1C or SP1D.

If the version is correct, then this is likely caused by a known SimConnect issue in FSX. In this case, please try loading a default aircraft before the NGX.

This can also be the cause for the EXEC light not working.

 

If you still got this problem, download the latest version of VA Interface in our “Downloads” area

Download and place it on the folder you are currently running VAInterface from (VAInterface installation folder).
Run it by double clicking on the downloaded file name.

What are the necessary requirements for Virtual CDU 747?

The minimum requirements are:

  • Ipad, Tablet or Smartphone and PC connected to same network as the computer running the flight simulator. Computer can be connected on a wired LAN and the tablet/smartphone can be on the Wifi network.
  • FSX (Microsoft or Steam) or Prepar3D 
  • IFLY 747 
  • Install the latest version of VA Interface software available on our “Downloads” area.
What are the necessary requirements for Virtual CDU 777?

The minimum requirements are:

  • Ipad, Tablet or Smartphone and PC connected to same network as the computer running the flight simulator. Computer can be connected on a wired LAN and the tablet/smartphone can be on the Wifi network.
  • FSX (Microsoft or Steam) or Prepar3D 
  • PMDG 777 
  • Install the latest version of VA Interface software available on our “Downloads” area.
EXEC light doesn't light up

In order to have EXEC light working is necessary to enable SDK broadcast on PMDG 777. VAInterface tries to do enable it automatically, but due to Windows UAC (user account control) some users need to enable it manually. To enable it proceed as below :

1. Open 777X_Options.ini, usually located on “C:Program Files (x86)Microsoft GamesMicrosoft Flight Simulator XPMDGPMDG 777X777X_Options.ini“.

2. Check if  the text below is present :
    [SDK]
    EnableDataBroadcast=1

3. If not present or EnableDataBroadcast=0, please add the 2 lines above or edit it.

4. Probably, will not be possible to save it to same place due the same UAC reason that prevented VAInterface to do it automatically. In this case save it to another folder and copy back to this folder providing admin permission when required.

What are the necessary requirements for Virtual CDU A318/320?

The minimum requirements are:

  • Ipad, Tablet or Smartphone and PC connected to same network as the computer running the flight simulator. Computer can be connected on a wired LAN and the tablet/smartphone can be on the Wifi network.
  • FSX (Microsoft or Steam) or Prepar3D 
  • Aerosoft A318/319 or A320/321/Extended (v1.16) or more recent releases installed
  • Install the latest version of VA Interface software available on our “Downloads” area.

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