HOW THE
SYNC WORKS
These panels use DCS-BIOS in both directions: your switch inputs go into DCS, and cockpit state data comes back out to the panel. This page explains the architecture, what the DCSPitHIDC board does, and what's different from standard sim panel hardware.
The board: DCSPitHIDC by DCSPit.com
The controller board inside each BuildACockpit panel is the DCSPitHIDC, made by our hardware partner DCSPit.com. We use this board because it's the only ready-made controller board that handles both input and output over a single USB-C cable, with native DCS-BIOS integration and no coding required.
If you're building your own panel from scratch and want just the board, DCSPit.com sells it standalone. The board is the same hardware whether you buy it through us (pre-installed in a finished panel) or from DCSPit.com directly.
What DCS-BIOS is
DCS-BIOS is an open-source export protocol developed by the DCS community (the Skunkworks group). It creates a communication channel between DCS World and external hardware, exposing thousands of cockpit variables — switch states, indicator lights, gauges, caution lights — over a serial/UDP interface.
Most sim panel builders know it as a one-way tool: it reads cockpit state from DCS and sends it to external displays and button boxes. The DCSPitHIDC board uses it both ways simultaneously — your inputs go in, cockpit state comes back out, on the same USB-C cable.
One-way vs bidirectional: the practical difference
Here's what bidirectional sync looks like in a startup sequence:
- You flip the APU switch on the physical panel
- The input reaches DCS via USB HID — DCS spools the APU
- DCS reaches APU READY state — DCS-BIOS exports that state
- The board reads it — the READY indicator on the physical panel illuminates
- You didn't look at the IFEI. The panel told you.
| Capability | Standard panel | BuildACockpit panels |
|---|---|---|
| Switch inputs to DCS | ✓ | ✓ |
| DCS cockpit state → panel | ✗ | ✓ via DCS-BIOS |
| APU READY indicator | ✗ | ✓ |
| Generator fault indications | ✗ | ✓ |
| Master Arm confirmation | ✗ | ✓ |
| Weapon selection state | ✗ | ✓ |
| ECM / jammer status | ✗ | ✓ |
| Single USB-C (in + out) | Input only | ✓ composite |
| Config stored on board | PC-side only | ✓ 8MB flash |
| Helios compatible | ✓ | ✓ |
Board specifications
Full DCSPitHIDC specifications and documentation are at dcspit.com.
Setup — first time takes about 15 minutes
- Install DCS-BIOS from github.com/DCS-Skunkworks/dcs-bios — handles DCS integration automatically
- Plug the panel(s) into USB-C — Windows registers them as HID devices immediately
- Open DCSPit.com config app (included), select your panel, confirm COM port
- Launch DCS World and load the F/A-18C module — sync connects automatically
- Test: flip the APU switch. Watch the READY indicator.
What's currently in development
The DCSPitHIDC board hardware is final. The DCSPit.com config app is in active development. What's functional now: full F/A-18C input/output, auto pin detection, encoder detection, diagnostic tools, DCS binding export, persistent storage. Coming as free updates:
- Curated databases for additional DCS modules
- Cockpit light output support for non-DCS simulators
- Wiring diagram export from your own configuration
- Mac/Linux config app support