Futaba's stance is simply beyond my understanding. If they provided access to things like the data format, so that third parties could add value - they'd sell more 12FGs. Well, at least this way, I don't have to put my money where my mouth is, and write some software that I likely would have to give away. (But I would have found it useful and fun.)

I could glean the data format the hard way - changing one item, then downloading the data to the PC, and comparing it the previous data, noting the location of the change, then changing another item, download it to the PC - over, and over, and over - you get the picture. But that would take a heck of a lot of time. And, it might all be for nothing, if Futaba changed the data format in an upgrade.