Hi,
I have bought an old Thrustmaster Elite Rudder Pedal which has gameport connectors. Is there any way to rewire this to run on a USB connector ?
Please note - I am a noob to this, so please be gentle :-)

I mentioned in your other thread that you'd need something like a Leo Bodnar board to accomplish this but if you have an old USB flight stick lying around you could re-wire the rudders to the pots in the spare stick too (if money is tight). I had to do that to fix my Saitek pedals when the board fried!

The problem is that those pedals are basically just a potentiometer (And typically a poor one at that).
They do not have a HID controller, so what's missing is the whole "brain".

- You could buy a Cougar and plug it in direct. (Big added price.)
- You could gut the circuitry from a broken CH or Saitek USB pedal set.
- You could wire it to an A-Pac, or a Bodnar PCB. (And have the added benefit of having I/O available to make a switch box, or home made trim wheel, or throttles, etc. in the future)

And as well as finding a "brain", you may want to consider upgrading the pot now, too. (They are usually very noisy by this age.)
You can use Cubby's hall effect upgrade, or buy a high quality replacement position sensor (which was the route I took with mine).

EDIT: Sorry Hitch. I kinda repeated what you already said. We must have been typing at the same time

Err, ok, thanks for the replies, I think.
As I said I am a noob at this - I have a set of CH pedals that I am using now. I wanted to use the Thrustmaster pedals as I have a Warthog HOTAS.
Is there anywhere I can get step by step instructions to either wire up an A-Pac or Bodnar and upgrade the pot, or put in the circuitry from my CH pedals ?
I think I would prefer not to strip the CH pedals, but will do if necessary.
Many thanks,
FD

Definitely pay attention to GrizzlyT, he is the MAN with this stuff and helped me out more than once. In fact my first few homemade projects wouldn't have gotten off the ground without his help!

I'm not to great with regards to replacing pots or swapping them with Hall sensors as I've never really had to do it but its not difficult and not a whole lot can go wrong. As for the Leo' boards I think the most user friendly one is the version with screw in terminals. I'll let someone with more experience answer the technical side of your questions as all of my projects used existing game controllers....

Is important to notice that use a USB'erized Elite pedals dont offer any advantage over use Warthog + CH (PRO?) Pedals.
In fact you lost brakes, that Elite dont have and lost the possibility of use (CH) programing software - in the rare case of pedal need this...

A Elite pedal USB'erized' is not recognized by Warthog Target software because of use a new third part USB controller.



Is just mater of wire the pot' 3 pins: +5v, Signal and Gnd in one correspondent (+5v, Signal and Gnd) imput in A-Pac, L.Bodnar USB card.

http://i1042.photobucket.com/albums/b423/Skoshi_Tiger/Flight%20Sim/Olympus013sm.jpg

http://www.leobodnar.com/shop/images/2BU0836A_06.jpg

Actually the pot' inside Elite pedal use 2 wires in 2 pins, just replace for one cable with 3 wires.

The only wire that really matter is the Signal one in center pin.
The outside pins only invert the response.

The connection between these new USB card and your computer is done by common a USB A/B printer cable.



Dont make sense disassemble a functional CH pedal to remove his USB controller.
Mechanically the CH is better than Elite pedal (and have brakes.
Elite construction is more subject to friction, the upper part slide over bellow part plastic against plastic.
CH use metal rollers between these two parts.

But you can do this and is ease, just remove one screw that fit the USB board inside, take note of wires colors, what go to what pin in potentiomer.

Anyway if possible you can use CH pot' inside Elite - just notice if fit.

In CH pedal the pot" are only fit ("plug and play"), in Elite is glued:

http://i703.photobucket.com/albums/ww39/kcole4001/controller%20project/c17.jpg

And, since Elite dont come with brakes, to use CH ones you need create a way to fit brake potentiometers inside... Another reason because this approach is not very advisable.



As explained above, is better sold CH and use the money to buy a USB card. Or leave as spare.

BTW - DSO USB boards are more cheap and have free shipping.
Are 10 bits and work in the same way that BU0836 or A-Pac.

Sokol1

Ok, thanks for that Sokl1
I have been looking here - http://simrace.hgsitebuilder.com/circuits - which board do I need ?
And where do I get pots ?
Is any of this available in the UK ?

"- You could buy a Cougar and plug it in direct. (Big added price.)" - I guess from this that the Cougar has a game port on it - Anyone got a broken/spare they want to sell ?


p.s. Sorry to be such a nuisance.

From DSD get DSD 12 Bit Controller.

To replace original pot you need know his axis measures (length, diameter, D recess if use) to find one similar, to avoid need to change something in pedal.

Potentiometer used in Elite pedal is this model - show inside a Tm TQS.

http://thrustmaster.vanree.net/images/tqs-potentiometer.jpg

Get the USB card and test the existing pot', maybe still good.

To buy a new look for pot' type "linear" (response, this dont mean a slider type pot' ) 10 to 50k.

L.Bodnar (BU0836A) send from UK and sold quality pots too, but to use these is need do change in pedal to adapt.
http://www.leobodnar.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=81&products_id=193

You can use a different pot from the one show in picture linked above - include a slide type - the problem is that in this case needs to adapt the pot to mechanism instead just replace.

Sample of conversion

This Thrustmaster RCS Rudder Pedal (model prior to Elite) is too gameport, I buy in eBay auction for 11$.

http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/5944/rcsd.jpg

I remove the gameporte cable, and use a piece of original Tm connection cable to wire potentiometer to the new USB controller, this cable have only 2 internal wires, but I need 3.

http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/8608/mped3.jpg

So I use wires external mesh as ground wire. I choose use this cable only because this fit nice in the side bar.

Replace the original pot for a new, 10k linear type. In this pedal pot are bolted, ease to replace.

And inside this small box are the new USB controller (DIY Mjoy8 10 bits 3 axis).

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/6792/mped.jpg

This controller allow up to 3 axis, case want add "toe brakes".

A USB a/B printer cable connect the pedal to computer.

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/9757/mped4.jpg

A "new" rudder that cost around 30$. But despite being "hight end" at the time, mechanically (gears in pot, heavy spring, friction between parts) this pedal is pretty bad...

Sokol1

Now that we've got all the facts out there, you have to ask yourself, "What is my goal here?"

- You know that you won't be able to work with the Warthog's software.
- You know that the price of a controller, wiring, and potentially a pot, is going to cost you.
- You realize (I assume) that gutting a working CH set is not sensible.
- You still have to contend with rest of the pedals being used.

I'm sure you didn't pay alot, but still....
From a financial standpoint, your money is better served on a new replacement set.

But that's not to say its not worth it! Far from it!
Most of us get off on the building, just as much as the using. There's alot to learn, with this project. And it gets your feet wet, in several areas of modifying and fabricating. Plus, it leaves you open to some future expansion projects, with the remaining I/O in the controller.
All good fun

So we're back to it. What's your goal?

Do you need another set of pedals?....And the cheaper the better.
Then take a pass.

Or, are you looking for a project?
Which will likely cost you more than you want. Take longer than you hoped. Frustrate you more than you expected.
And yet be deliciously friggin' satisfying, when you get it done and working!



In case you're leaning towards embracing the dark side, here's the link to the position sensor I used in my upgrade. (I'm not sure about UK availability, though.)
Vishay/Spectrol 657

Or, the alternative hall effect upgrade kit, from Cubby. (Keeping in mind that "kit", for a noob, means instructions!)
Cubby's upgrade

Keep us posted.