DIY Control Panels?

ubermick

ubermick
Anyone had the notion to put one of these together? From sniffing around on flight sim forums (tempted to build a cockpit setup of some sort) I've seen people using toggle switches or pushbuttons from places like Radio Shack or Maplins, and either hacking a keyboard (which looks like an utter pain in the backside) or using something like this: http://www.desktopaviator.com/Products/Model_2120/

I mean, I know we all have our keyboards, and a lot of commands are already easily accessible for those with a HOTAS, but for the remaining items, having something like this in front of you, instead of hunting for the right key on your keyboard would be handy, especially in a dogfight. (Obviously tailored to ED, rather than an A-10 Warthog's electrical panel, as this one is!)

photo.JPG
 

LCplCombat

L
ubermick said:
Showoff… ;)

What keyboard encoder are you using in there?
Click to expand...

http://www.derekspearedesigns.com/32-button-no-matrix-controller.html

This is my proof of concept design, just to test that it will work and will do what I need it to do. I will probably need to add more buttons but until the final game comes out I won't know what functions I will need to add. My HOTAS has buttons of course and for some functions I can still use my keyboard.

Simple to build really, just solder wires to the back of a MOMENTARY switch and plug the other end in to the board, set up the key-press in the Alpha and away you go. It's still not wired up yet though but I've done some testing, the buttons aren't the best, they are a bit too stiff, I would prefer something softer, more like a computer keyboard.
 
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ubermick

ubermick
LCplCombat said:
http://www.derekspearedesigns.com/32-button-no-matrix-controller.html

This is my proof of concept design, just to test that it will work and will do what I need it to do. I will probably need to add more buttons but until the final game comes out I won't know what functions I will need to add. My HOTAS has buttons of course and for some functions I can still use my keyboard.

Simple to build really, just solder wires to the back of a MOMENTARY switch and plug the other end in to the board, set up the key-press in the Alpha and away you go. It's still not wired up yet though but I've done some testing, the buttons aren't the best, they are a bit too stiff, I would prefer something softer, more like a computer keyboard.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I built a MAME cabinet last year using an I-Pac, and it really couldn't have been easier. But as you say, it's limited to just momentary buttons, and I'd like to use a couple of toggle switches for things like the lights, silent running, etc. Of course that won't work with most controllers like that one, since flipping a switch marked lights will cause the computer to see "LLLLLLLLLLLLLLL…." indefinitely until the switch is flipped back off, rather than just a single keypress. That's where the pulse controller is nice, but think that's just for switches, rather than a combination. Looking at using an Arduino for it now, since I have an Uno lying around for a project that never happened.
 

Rog

Rog
MMjoy might be of interest: configurable joystick firmware for your arduino. Works with a cheap pro-micro too apparently.
2 to 8 axis (12 bits = 4.096 points of resolution)
- Support for axis in digital mode with external ADC converter (MCP3201/MCP3202/MCP3204/MCP3208 and KМА200)
- Axis inversion in firmware
- Axis auto-calibration (optional)
- Axis ZOOM mode (momentary – by button press - reduce axis response to improve precision)
- Axis STOP mode (momentary – by button press – “freeze” axis response)

0 to 48 buttons in momentary or toggle mode (in Windows buttons after 32 need keymapper)

4 encoders (each encoder take 2 button position).

POV HAT (8 angles)

User defined “joystick” name with up to 10 characters
User defined VID and PID number – this allow use more than one MMjoy on same computer without conflict, set the MMjoy joystick to be seem by Windows first or after “COTS” joystick.
Click to expand...
 

Jackel

Jackel
I've got a BU0836X http://www.leobodnar.com. does up to 8 axis 12 bit resolution, also handles rotary encoders.... Was looking to build a new throttle/left stick using it. What I have just not quite right....
Also considered the Ipac4. BU0836x looked to give most input options of what I looked at.
 

Enride

Enride
I have two of Leo Bodnars Button Box interface (BBI-32), each of which handles up to 32 button/switch inputs.
 

HoshiQaVam

H
As well as Arduino (or more appropriately instead of), you could use a Raspberry Pi as the controller board, and then just wire the switches to the RPi's GPO headers.

The RPi's greater processing and memory, coupled with it's existing HDMI connector, means you could do a whole lot more than just a row of switches. Visual feedbacks, audio, etc etc - all without having to buy additional boards.

With the right drivers installed, your PC would simply see the RPi as an joystick.

And if you want switches: http://www.sparkfun.com/

Just about every switch you can think of there :)

Now if only Frontier would allow the game to export features to an an XML file so that we could keep track of things like map location, lights, landing gear etc
 

Enride

Enride
HoshiQaVam said:
As well as Arduino (or more appropriately instead of), you could use a Raspberry Pi as the controller board, and then just wire the switches to the RPi's GPO headers.

The RPi's greater processing and memory, coupled with it's existing HDMI connector, means you could do a whole lot more than just a row of switches. Visual feedbacks, audio, etc etc - all without having to buy additional boards.

With the right drivers installed, your PC would simply see the RPi as an joystick.

And if you want switches: http://www.sparkfun.com/

Just about every switch you can think of there :)

Now if only Frontier would allow the game to export features to an an XML file so that we could keep track of things like map location, lights, landing gear etc
Click to expand...

Or at least buttons for all of the systems on the ship
 

Bewilderbeest

Bewilderbeest
HoshiQaVam said:
As well as Arduino (or more appropriately instead of), you could use a Raspberry Pi as the controller board, and then just wire the switches to the RPi's GPO headers.

The RPi's greater processing and memory, coupled with it's existing HDMI connector, means you could do a whole lot more than just a row of switches. Visual feedbacks, audio, etc etc - all without having to buy additional boards.
Click to expand...

I wanted to also mention that you can also go with something like http://mbed.org/ which is a prototyping system from ARM, also based in Cambridge. It's a lovely prototyping system with an online compiler which spits out binaries you can program into the hardware via USB mass storage.

There are a ton of simple keyboard and joystick emulation projects which are very hackable like this: https://mbed.org/users/wim/notebook/usb-joystick-device/

The thing that interests me most, however, is getting data back out of the game! I wonder if they'll support the little screens on the Saitek HOTAS systems? That display on the X52 is meant to be programmable right? Wouldn't it be awesome if it displayed into on the system you're in, or your current bounty?

Has anything like this come up before on the forums?
 

LCplCombat

L
ubermick said:
Yeah, I built a MAME cabinet last year using an I-Pac, and it really couldn't have been easier. But as you say, it's limited to just momentary buttons, and I'd like to use a couple of toggle switches for things like the lights, silent running, etc. Of course that won't work with most controllers like that one, since flipping a switch marked lights will cause the computer to see "LLLLLLLLLLLLLLL…." indefinitely until the switch is flipped back off, rather than just a single keypress. That's where the pulse controller is nice, but think that's just for switches, rather than a combination. Looking at using an Arduino for it now, since I have an Uno lying around for a project that never happened.
Click to expand...

You can use a relay or a small IC circuit that takes the Toggle Switch input and sends only "L" to the computer.
 
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