anyone have a plane or imagine how to modify the FLCS pots into TLE the most less difficult way?
The X and Y axle doesn't have "real " axle only have a tube but there isn't place to fix the magnet on it and opposite the TLE chip.
there is a transmission between the pot and the axle, I think this should be stay there to be a bigger movement but there is the pot itself the axle.
So we should change the pots somehow to remain the axle for the transmission

FLCS gimbal is plastic or metal like in F22PRO?

This "trasmission" - gears - only purpose is make the assembly gimbal + pot less width, the relation in gears is 1:1 and has de colateral effect to induce play in mechanism, so ignore this.

it is plastic.
Thanks again the detail I didn't know the ratio between the transmission gears.

Hi Rep , if you look at pages 139 -141/142 on the main thread you will see how I mounted my TLE5010 and the magnets to the ends of the Pots shafts using the end off a pen
to Bridge the small metal pin which I epoxied , then epoxied the magnet to the Pen end. Note that my magnets are now laid flat once I discovered they were axially magnetised.
The seller of the TLE5010 boards is sending out different types of magnets , so you need to test them to make sure what type you have 1st before mounting them....start here:

http://SimHQ.com/forum/ubbthreads.p...uild-your-own-usb-controller#Post4353014

Greets from Poland :-) It's nice to see, that some has linked my work :-)

@KBird

Hello KBird, sorry I didn't answer for a long time now. I had a lot of trouble once again the last month. My car is broken and some other things in live also didn't run the way they should. I haven't seen your post.

How is your project going on? Have you finished?

@shopiK

Wow, thats excellent work you've done. I wish I could do the same. I had to make my grips out of old "joystick-material" I had collected the last years. I also planned to buy a 3D-printer somewhere in future, but I'm a totally noob in making 3D-drawings, so I don't know if this really makes much sense.

Could someone recommend a wire stripper that works with the old FLCS wiring?

I've tried using one of these:



However, the FLCS wiring is just too thin. Even the smallest opening is too large and it just doesn't work. Using a knife or scissors isn't working very well - the wiring is too brittle and old and you just end up breaking the wiring.
(My wires are getting progressively smaller.... )

It's getting kinda frustrating. I have all the electronics I need, I just struggle with the actual "physical" aspect. Like stripping these old wires so I can crimp dupont connectors on them so I can attach them to my SAM4S board etc.

Those Network Wire Trimmers aren't the greatest to begin with but they are premade only to cut certain sizes and I'm not sure the old gameport cable diameter is the same as a Cat5 or Cat6 or RJ1 etc.

I picked up an Automatic wire stripper on sale, it also has some limitations ( didn't like it at work for electrical) but worked well for this sort of thing and doing the dupont wires etc.... on larger wires like the gameport cable , I sometimes had to roll the cable 90deg. and do it again , to get the Rubber to let go of the inner wiring , if was kinda dry and had a white powder inside on the older cables.


https://www.amazon.ca/Irwin-Industr...8&sr=8-1&keywords=irwin+stripper
or
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Tools-Self-Adjusting-Wire-Stripper-Cutter-11061/206318106

No, no I need to strip down the wires coming from the old pots and the FLCS switch registers. The problem is that these wires are too tiny for the trimmer I bought.


I wonder if this will work better?

I used the type I linked to for everything for my conversion , from the gameport cable down to the duponts...it seemed like hundreds of them

I have never tried those ones ...so best wait for others to comment perhaps...

Yes, this model is good for strip tiny wires - but the adjust is manually, I use one*. The model linked by Kbird do the ajust automatically.

* Mine is typical low cost Chinese goods - the manufacture is so, so...

Thanks guys, I'll look for the automatic self-adjusting wire stripper. I appreciate the link but ordering from Canada seems a little expensive in shipping for me

I may actually do my conversion is multiple stages. One of my main issues is that the SAM4S-XPRO doesn't fit in the FLCS case. I could house it in the TQS but I'm concerned that I would get a lot of signal noise trying to route my pots from the FLCS all the way to the SAM4S-XPRO board in the TQS.

I may actually switch to using two separate Arduino's for now, just to get this thing "off the ground" and then look into getting a new base for the FLCS 3D-printed or so.

I'm looking at two Pro Micro controllers but should I get the 5V / 16Mhz version or the 3.3V / 8Mhz version?

Seeing that the software runs in polling loops, I would favour the 16Mhz variant for greater cycle speed but would i be able to feed it 5V through USB?

Hi Tazz... that was just the 1st link that came up when I searched for Irwin auto wire Stripper but there are plenty of knock offs too and I hear Amazon is moving into Oz and Nz , so happy times for all , this one says NZ but I am not so sure.....

Irwin NZ[ http://www.irwintools.co.nz/tools/pliers-adjustable-wrenches/self-adjusting-wire-stripper-84

You need the 16mhz 5v version ...check out the Wiki below, but basically any Leonardo compatible will work, though I found the full size Leo. a tight squeeze. But removing the 2.1mm power input ( not needed with 5v USB) and changing the Header Pins to right angle versions allowed me to squeeze it all in, I am also connecting my USB converted CH Pro Pedals through a gameport Cable/Plug into the TQS too , I should perhaps have used a ProMicro and done them separately, still debating that one, as Older Games like EF2000 Reloaded get confused it seems with too many axis's on one Controller.

Wiki https://github.com/MMjoy/mmjoy_en/wiki/Controllers-(compatible-base-boards)

Thanks Kbird, I've now ordered this stripper:



And while I was at it, I also ordered two clone Arduino Micro ATmega32u4 5V 16Mhz boards. Although they say Arduino, I suspect they may just be clones but as long as they work, that should be okay.
I'll put one each in the FLCS and TQS, that should hopefully accelerate the project a little bit. In order to use the SAM4S-XPRO with Hempstick, I'll have to get a new FLCS base 3D printed somewhere so I can create space for the board in the FLCS base - so I can shorten the distance between the pods and the actual board.

The yellow ones look exactly like the ones I have, I suspect like alot of chinese stuff it is the same product , just rebranded for dozens of Sellers.

My Leonardo's are clones and have not been an issue in that regard, I got a true Arduino Leonardo Locally to play with for my 1st one , but order some clones after the ProMicro Order
I made on AliExpress didn't turn up.....It did eventually almost 5 months to the day later (Customs) but I had already finished the conversion by then. I have since picked up a 2nd set of FLCS and TQS off ebay locally , so I may use them for that, now I know that Hempstick isn't a good Option....

IMO - Hempstick is good option for ones that want use Melexis MLX90333 "3D" sensor and/or fake a "Cougar" for use TARGET, other than this no advantage, and cost more than other options.

I don't agree with that, I think you're selling Hempstick a bit short there.

Technically, Hempstick is far superior in both hardware and software.
The SAM4S-XPRO is a full 32-bit hardware solution, capable of multi threading and running RTOS - Real Time Operating System.
RTOS is used by advanced electronics that require the ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously without interference or delays.

Hempstick is also far superior than the original Cougar. One of the two main benefits is that it's completely interrupt based or event based if you will. It doesn't need to run a continuous loop to query every switch state. You activate a switch and the SAM4S reacts instantly. With an Arduino looping approach, you basically hold a button and "wait" for the loop cycle to detect the change in button state. Your input delay depends on where you are in the loop. Now this loop is running very fast of course but the more buttons and axis you add, the longer the loop gets. Another advantage of Hempstick is much greater axis resolution, thanks to it being 32 bits. This would translate is incredibly fine precision.

My main drawbacks are the size of the board - it doesn't fit in the FLCS base.
It may fit in the Cougar and perhaps the F22pro but the FLCS base is too small. Second is the price, it's far more expensive hardware than an Arduino. But if you look at it in your hands you know why. Atmel's SAM4S-XPRO isn't for home usage. This board is made for industrial purposes. It's extremely well made, very feature rich, it has far more memory and even expansion slots. This board is made to control some hefty machinery and using it in a joystick is pure overkill perhaps.

Having said that I still hope to build a Hempstick solution once I can find a more suitable housing.
I have no doubt it's a superior solution but at the moment I just want a quick fix.
(As I'm stuck flying 4.32.7 under XP at the moment!!)

Yes, not doubt that is superior hardware solution, but this advantages don't result noticeable in practice for justify the high price for home simulation use - at time this firmware came out SAM4S cost 99$, now is more cheap.

VKB engineers say that for desktop joystick any resolution above 11 bits is just numbers, human hand sensibility is not sufficient for move short throw sticks only 0,00x degrees, but they allow user set up to 14 bits in their controller, this is good for marketing.

Good reading about is the topic "Battle of pedals" there in SimHQ - when one maker try "prove" their controller better due use of more high resolution.

Even some users still satisfied with the obsolete 8 bits resolution of CH controllers.

For the question of board size, put the board inside a box, plug the stick and throttle in this box using DB connectors, like in interface for professional simulation controllers:




http://www.aviaavtomatika.com/production/018/

Or put the board inside throttle base and run stick potentiometers(?) though MCP3208 ADC in digital mode though SPI, this minimize electrical noise in cables.

Yes still have the potentiometers (one thing at the time) - but if I run this through an ADC, don't I need to convert the signal back to analogue at the other end in order to feed this into the analogue ports on the SAM4S-XPRO?

In this way will add complication.

For use MCP3208 ADC the controller firmware need support SPI connection.