I'm planning to build a simple cockpit for my DCS A-10 obsession help

I got me a TM Warthog, TM Cougar MFDs, and a Saitek rudder pedals. I'm planning to hit a junkshop for an old car seat and get some boards from the local B&Q and make me a simple 'pit. Having appreciated the TM Cougar MFDs and the switches on my TM Warthog throttle, I now want to make a couple of panels for my 'pit as well. I'm hoping to build an AHCP, UFC, CDU, Electrical panel, and maybe a few other panels as well. Right off the bat, the UFC and CDU alone will pose a challenge simply by the sheer number of buttons I'll be needing.

At the moment, my research has led me to a few options:
1. Leo Bodnar's BU0836X - I understand this offers 32 buttons, plus a 8-way POV (which can easily be make into 8 more buttons). I'm not sure if I can use the rotaris/analog axii though.
2. GGG's GP-Wiz 40 MAX - Again, 40 buttons plus a rotary or two.
3. Ultimarc's i-PAC4 - 56 inputs!

Has anyone had experience with any of these? Or maybe with something else I've not heard of? The CDU/AAP panel alone will be 8 LSKs + 6 FSKs + 10 numbers + 26 letters + 9 misc buttons/rockers = at least 59 buttons!!

So I guess I'm looking at more than one board right off the bat!

Cheers!


EDIT: Someone pointed another option out:
4. X-keys - 128 inputs on a matrix, whatever that means! So far this looks the best option, but I'm confused as to what the "matrix" is... red pill or blue pill?

Backwards to the first (and best in my opinion, but that is because I have two of the BU0836X boards).

X-Keys-is pretty much a programable keyboard controller. Good for making buttons but the the computer will see it as a keyboard input (great if you want to use the keyboard hot-keys but configure the layout of the keyboard more like instrument panels). No Axis controls, and I do not think you can do rotory switches either but I am not sure. X-Keys can do anything that a keyboard can do.

The i-PAC4 is also a keyboard emulator, but with only 40 or so inputs. It does not have analog joystick support, the joystick support that it mentions is of the on/off veriety that is found on the old console type controllers, go left all the time, go right all the time, etc. Like using they up/down/left/right keys on your keyboard to change direction. Great for making your own keyboard configuration but not great for adding joystick features like axis controls.

GP-Wiz, pretty much the same as the I-Pac but with the edition of a rotory controller.

The BU0836X board shows up under windows as a joystick, gives you up to 40 buttons (as I have mine configured) and 8 analog axis (I assign mine to trim levers, radiator, mixture, flaps, etc) so you can set the specific inclination of any movable surface, including creating flight controls and throttles. My simpit had completly custom flight controls made with two of these boards (now replaced by my Warthog and rollout simpit drawers featuring the BU0836X for auxillary axis controls)You can also connect rotory encoders using the software provided on the Bodnar site.

The Bodnar board is the best overall choice for creating a simpit (agian in my opinion, others may vary) as it gives you the most options for use. In conjunction with a keyboard emulator such as I-Pac or X-Keys you will be able to do pretty much anything with the right software. I use SVMapper to set up toggle switches. Toggle up appears to the computer to be one press of a button (using SVMapper) and toggle down appears to be a second press of the button even though the button remained pressed until the toggle was flipped down. (gear, master arm, engine start,apu,ign, you name it)

As far as I know, none of the other choices you have here have analog axis support. There is one that I know of that you do not have listed, the SUPER Rotary Encoder Board by Desktop Aviator has 8 ten-bit analog axis inputs (10-bit means that there are 1024 "steps" along the travel path of the axis, Bodnar uses 12-bit and has 4096 "steps" along the travel path, just more precision but it is up to you how much precision you need), only 12 buttons but 6 rotory switches. After reading their literature I am not sure you can use all 6 rotories and all 12 buttons at the same time though. They are about the same price as the Bodnar non-X board. Bodnars best board comes in either the X configuration (easy plug-in with the matrix done for you) or raw pins and you must make the matrix and connection system yourself (like the desktop aviator offering).

Anyway, you asked for opinions.

Thanks for the reply, PropNut. To be honest, I was eyeing the Bodnar board first simply because I think I know how to work it. Get my buttons laid out on a panel, wire them to the board, and viola! However, like I said, I'm planning to do the UFC and CDU on the A10. The CDU alone is almost 60 buttons, so I'm looking at maybe 3 boards just to get my CDU + UFC + AHCP... that is why I was searching for alternatives.

For the CDU, etc, the X-Keys would be great. They have a personal recorder software that allows you to push the key combination that you desire on the regular keyboard and save it as whatever key you push on your x-keys device. What enough X-keys adapters you could program a single key to do whatever is possible using the keyboard (macros ect). As I said, the Bodnar board is the best in conjuction with a keyboard emulator. So the short answer is...get several of each

Thanks for the advice! That's sorted as far as boards are concerned....

What types of switches do you use? The UFC/CDU are easy enough with push buttons, I've been hearing about SPDT (single pole double throw) switches being ideal for stuff like AHCP switches, but what about for things like Master Arm and Gun which has 3 states (on, off, safe) or for 3-position rotaries like the Mission and Other knobs on the CDU?

Can someone explain, or is there a tutorial, on using an input matrix? I,ve used Bodnar and A-Pac boards with screw terminals, but still haven't tried to use anything with the matrix, and can't say I fully understand.

Ice, I used a simple single pole-12 position rotory switch with a button assigned to only those positions that I needed them. With the button/key mapping program as I flipped over the switches that I did not need they would turn on then off as I passed them, working just like the real deal. The Armament HUD Control Panel (AHCP) uses SPDT On/Off/On toggles, which you can use for on/off/safe. Here is a good site that exlains switches (and many other electronic factoids) it is a good resource:

http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/components/switch.htm

Kodiak80, I didnt want the headache of figuring it out so I bought the X boards from bodnar, lol. From what I understand though, every time the board sees a short between one or more contacts it refers to a specifically assigned button in it's programing.

In the example from the bodnar site below, if you short the output from column2 (C2) with the output from row4 (R4) it actuates switch 20 (S20) in the software, So you would need to have a wire going from the output of column 2 to the physical button/switch and a wire from the output of row 4 also going to the physical button/switch (both output wires connected together) and then when you push the button both C2 and R4 will get power and the software will see that as a signal to open button 20. THe diaodes keep power from backfeeding into the Row circuit but the bodnar site says that they are optional. This is a 6x6 matrix as each output is wired to six different buttons/switches.