Here's a good way to use a transmitter with a simulator software using a home-built cable. I've been using it for over a year now. It is simple, effective, cheap and fun!

Here's what you'll need:

1) Transmitter: Most transmitters will fulfill the following requirements:

*Should be equipped with trainer socket
*Supports one of the following modulation types:
*Standard PPM (all types)
*Walkera Non-standard PPM (Transmitters WK-24xx)
*PCM (Walkera, JR, Futaba, Sanwa, Airtronics)

Note: Most 2.4GHz are standard PPM 

2)Operating System: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7
Sound card with a microphone and/or Line-in input socket. (Mono or Stereo).

3)Simulator software: Any simulator that can be controlled from a joystick.

4)Cable: Create or buy (details follow)

5)Additional software: SmartPropoPlus and PPJoy/vJoy

Here's the hardware part. You'll need:

1) One 3.5mm audio (mono) jack that fits into the your soundcard’s audio input (e.g. Microphone).

2) About 2 meters of cable by which you will connect your R/C Transmitter to the soundcard. The cable should consist of 2 or more electrical wires. It is preferable that the wires will be coated with insulators of different colors so you can distinguish between the two.

3) Soldering equipment.

4) Plug that fits into the trainer socket. (Can be built using PCB and male header pins if unavailable)

Caution: Two things may damage your transmitter – overloading the RF circuits & overloading the trainer circuit.
You may avoid both hazards very easily.

RF Circuit: Your transmitter should not transmit while simulating. Some transmitters RF circuit is automatically disconnected when you plug the cable into your trainer socket. Other transmitters will require you to temporary remove the crystal or the RF unit.

Trainer Circuit: The only way to damage this circuit is by using a wrong cable. Make sure you use the right cable. Note that different cables may have identical look while being electrically different. Make sure you use the right cable.

Some important points before you start building your cable.

1) How to disable the RF Circuit:

The transmitter should not transmit radio signals while you use it for simulation.

Plugging in the cable into a turned-off transmitter should turn it on, keeping the RF circuit (The part of the transmitter that actually transmit radio signals) off.
If the RF circuit is not off for some reason you should take one of the following actions, in order to prevent the transmitter from transmitting:

Remove the Synthesized Transmitter Module
OR
Remove the crystal from the transmitter

2) How to protect your hardware:

In most cases, your transmitter is protected from overloading by means of a fuse and your sound card is protected from over-voltage by several overflow diodes.
However, you can add a simple protection circuit to your cable:



3) How to convert a stereo jack into mono:

It is recommended to use a 3.5mm mono jack for the computer end of the cable.
However, you can easily convert a 3.5mm stereo jack into a 3.5mm mono jack by tyeing the terminal of the right audio channel to the ground terminal:

Here's how to make a cable for Futaba Rectangular socket (9, 9C, 9CAP):

1) Find the socket with the six small holes inside a rectangular area with a notch:



2) Soldering:
The plug is viewed from behind the plug, the way you see it while soldering.
The signal line (red) connects pin 3 to the central tab of the audio jack.
The ground line (black) connects pin 2 to the external tab of the audio jack.
Connect pin 4 to pin 5.




For other txs and sockets goto:
http://www.smartpropoplus.com/dnn/Hardware/tabid/57/Default.aspx

Now download SmartPropoPlus and PPJoy/vJoy, install and configure them and you are ready to go!
http://www.smartpropoplus.com/dnn/SetUp/tabid/56/Default.aspx

Enjoy!

did it work?

Yes, it most certainly works. Loads of people use this method.