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[flightgear.git] / docs-mini / README.electrical

diff --git a/docs-mini/README.electrical b/docs-mini/README.electrical
index 5c3c409c58767d9ef1af847258e1b46fce98246c..968f7967fa76f9547688d6ca844be902d9f798ff 100644 (file)
--- a/docs-mini/README.electrical
+++ b/docs-mini/README.electrical
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@ Specifying and Configuring and Aircraft Electrical System
 =========================================================
 
 Written by Curtis L. Olson <curt@flightgear.org>
-Started February 3, 2003
+
+February 3, 2003 - Initial revision.
 
 
 Introduction
@@ -58,6 +59,13 @@ A supplier entry could look like the following:
 Currently <volts> and <amps> are not really modeled in detail.  This
 is more of a place holder for the future.
 
+For alternators, you must additionally specify:
+
+    <rpm-source>/engines/engine[0]/rpm</rpm-source>
+
+The value of the rpm source determines if the generator is able to
+produce power or not.
+
 
 Buses
 =====
@@ -121,6 +129,7 @@ An connector entry could look like the following:
     <input>Alternator 1</input>
     <output>Virtual Bus 1</output>
     <switch>/controls/switches/master-alt</switch>
+    <initial-state>off</initial-state>  <!-- optional tag -->
   </connector>
 
 A connector specifies and input, and output, and any number of
@@ -138,6 +147,18 @@ You can have an arbitrary number of <switch> entries.  The switches
 are wired in series so all of them need to be on (i.e. true) in order
 for current to pass to the output.
 
+Note: by default the system forces any listed switches to be true.
+The assumption is that not every aircraft or cockpit may impliment
+every available switch, so rather than having systems be switched off,
+with no way to turn them on, we default to switched on.
+
+This is a problem however with the starter switch which we want to be
+initialized to "off".  To solve this problem you can specify
+<initial-state>off</initial-state> or
+<initial-state>on</initial-state> Switches default to on, so you
+really only need to specify this tag if you want the connector's
+switch to default to off.
+
 
 Summary
 =======