Build your own cockpit switches with a teensy arduino.

cmdr Chubbb

C
Hi, just built myself a box to emulate a cockpit dashboard. Similar idea to a DSD P1 gaming control.

I used a Teensey 3.2 to emulate a game controller. Elite dangerous just sees it as another joystick when mapping the switches to an in-game function. I just used push buttons, dual throw momentary toggle switches and 4 rotary encoders.

The rotary encoders provide button presses for each click when turned right and left and also when pushed. I found these good for targeting as a push targets what your looking at and a right turn cycles through next targets and a left turn previous targets. I used all the inputs on the Teensy 3.2 so ended up with 30 functions using 17 buttons and dials.

If anybody is intreasted in building their own I can post wiring diagrams and the teensy code.
 

Lanceor

Lanceor
Sounds interesting. I have no time or skill to build one myself, but I'm sure a lot of people would be interested in what the finished product looks like. Do you have any photos?
 

sollisb

Banned
S
cmdr Chubbb said:
Hi, just built myself a box to emulate a cockpit dashboard. Similar idea to a DSD P1 gaming control.

I used a Teensey 3.2 to emulate a game controller. Elite dangerous just sees it as another joystick when mapping the switches to an in-game function. I just used push buttons, dual throw momentary toggle switches and 4 rotary encoders.

The rotary encoders provide button presses for each click when turned right and left and also when pushed. I found these good for targeting as a push targets what your looking at and a right turn cycles through next targets and a left turn previous targets. I used all the inputs on the Teensy 3.2 so ended up with 30 functions using 17 buttons and dials.

If anybody is intreasted in building their own I can post wiring diagrams and the teensy code.
Click to expand...

Another option from the flight sim days was to strip either a keyboard or old joystick and rewire those to the panels of choice.
 

rhiz

rhiz
That sounds great. I was wondering whether it would be possible to use software like Max/Msp, TouchDesigner and TouchOSC to communicate with Elite:

[video=youtube;yOC4dhC6csY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOC4dhC6csY[/video]
 
Last edited:

xzanfr

xzanfr
cmdr Chubbb said:
Hi, just built myself a box to emulate a cockpit dashboard. Similar idea to a DSD P1 gaming control.

I used a Teensey 3.2 to emulate a game controller. Elite dangerous just sees it as another joystick when mapping the switches to an in-game function. I just used push buttons, dual throw momentary toggle switches and 4 rotary encoders.

The rotary encoders provide button presses for each click when turned right and left and also when pushed. I found these good for targeting as a push targets what your looking at and a right turn cycles through next targets and a left turn previous targets. I used all the inputs on the Teensy 3.2 so ended up with 30 functions using 17 buttons and dials.

If anybody is intreasted in building their own I can post wiring diagrams and the teensy code.
Click to expand...

This sounds interesting.
I've built one before using a more simplistic interface but the rotary encoder support looks really handy.
It would be great to see what you've done if you get a chance!
 

Valorin

Valorin
Sounds great! :)
For the not-very-talented-with-tech people there is an easy solution for a customized interface via Roccat Power-Grid. You'd need a smartphone or tablet though. Power-Grid connects your computer to the phone/tablet where you run the power grid app and gives you a customizable button layout on its screen which emulate key presses.
I mapped supercruise and hyperjump on my pad as well as cargo scoop and heatsink for quick access buttons while playing with hotas. Everything is possible though and the whole thing is actually free.
 

Shiro Akai

Shiro Akai
Breaking news:
HOTAS manufacturers hate this guy. He made their products obsolete with this simple trick. Click here for more...

Now, I can handle soldering iron, programming not so much. But I'm interested in schematic and code - tis...tihs... tish... oh for F sake, how many mistakes you can make in a 4 letter word!!! THIS project indeed looks very interesting.
 

CMDR CPT. Boris

CMDR CPT. Boris
Shiro Akai said:
How hard is to understand "here"? [big grin] Here means here.
Click to expand...

Screen_Shot_2012-09-13_at_9.39.39_AM.png
 

Snarfbuckle

S
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom