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#4520361 - 05/10/20 04:41 PM DIY Sim control  
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 4
Dawood94 Offline
Junior Member
Dawood94  Offline
Junior Member

Joined: May 2020
Posts: 4
Hello, thank you for having me in this awesome forum. I am not sure if this is the correct sub forum as this is my first thread. I would like to have your thoughts about building a flight Sim system.

My goals are:
[list]
[*]Surface control stick with a trigger and 3 buttons. (Force feedback would be nice).
[*]Throttle control with button box for flaps, trimmers, ignition, propeller pitch, air brakes and cooling systems.
[*]Rudder control pedals.
[*]

My resources are:
- Access to a carpenter.
- Access to 3d printing and laser cut wood.
- CAD software
- Electronics store specialized in DIY projects for engineering students.

My Capabilities are:
- Can operate power tools.
- Basic electronic knowledge.
- Basic mechanical knowledge.

I would like your thoughts on the design process. I plan on using MMJoy coupled with an Arduino. Will I need external power supply ? Do I work on the electronics first or mechanicals ? This project is timeless or budgetless. ( Done when it's done kinda thing). Any help would be appreciated.

Inline advert (2nd and 3rd post)

#4520366 - 05/10/20 05:36 PM Re: DIY Sim control [Re: Dawood94]  
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 748
AndyB Offline
Member
AndyB  Offline
Member

Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 748
Ayrshire, Scotland
Hi Dawood and welcome to the forum.

Firstly, are you aiming for a cockpit or just things that bolt/clip on to chair/table ?

Do you have finances to buy what your want or need/want to build it ?

Personally, I started by drawing out the panels I wanted in the sim and making them. Then fitted the electronics to them. There then comes a natural point where you need somewhere to fit the panels and that's when I started the cockpit build.

As far as power supply, I used old PSUs from computers as they generally supply enough power for most electronic stuff and they are relatively cheap.

What simulator software do you intend using ?

Cheers,

Andy


Andy's simpit: http://www.simpit.me.uk
#4520390 - 05/10/20 10:13 PM Re: DIY Sim control [Re: Dawood94]  
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 4
Dawood94 Offline
Junior Member
Dawood94  Offline
Junior Member

Joined: May 2020
Posts: 4
Thanks for the quick reply I plan on making buttons and panels strapped to my desk. Nothing fancy . I like building things. So mostly I won't buy much. I am planning on using it for games like warthunder or dcs. I would love it if you recommend some sims for me.

#4520400 - 05/10/20 11:46 PM Re: DIY Sim control [Re: Dawood94]  
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 7
Vintage Joystick Offline
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Vintage Joystick  Offline
Junior Member

Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 7
Kent, UK
On the electronics side it's worth having a look at Leo Bodnar devices - http://www.leobodnar.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=94 They are reasonably priced, excellently designed and make interfacing switches, buttons and variable controllers easy. For example the BU0836A can connect to a multitude of switches and it plugs straight into your computer with a single USB. Hope that helps...

#4520401 - 05/10/20 11:55 PM Re: DIY Sim control [Re: Vintage Joystick]  
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 4
Dawood94 Offline
Junior Member
Dawood94  Offline
Junior Member

Joined: May 2020
Posts: 4
Will I be able to use more than one controller in one chip ? If not, will I be able to use all 3 controllers at the same time with 3 USB ports ?

#4520532 - 05/11/20 06:40 PM Re: DIY Sim control [Re: Dawood94]  
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 748
AndyB Offline
Member
AndyB  Offline
Member

Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 748
Ayrshire, Scotland
Hi Dawood,

Leo Bodnar's boards show up in windows as seperate devices so you can use multiples easily. They don't need drivers either - plug and play. I used a BU0836A in my pit for my Collective, Cyclic and Rudder pedals as well as the buttons on the cyclic and collective.

If you fancy a go at flying helicopters then try Enemy Engaged Comanche Havoc. It was released to the community many years ago and has been heavily modded and improved. Have a look at the EECH forum of this site.

Cheers,

Andy


Andy's simpit: http://www.simpit.me.uk
#4520562 - 05/11/20 11:54 PM Re: DIY Sim control [Re: AndyB]  
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 4
Dawood94 Offline
Junior Member
Dawood94  Offline
Junior Member

Joined: May 2020
Posts: 4
Originally Posted by AndyB
Hi Dawood,

Leo Bodnar's boards show up in windows as seperate devices so you can use multiples easily. They don't need drivers either - plug and play. I used a BU0836A in my pit for my Collective, Cyclic and Rudder pedals as well as the buttons on the cyclic and collective.

If you fancy a go at flying helicopters then try Enemy Engaged Comanche Havoc. It was released to the community many years ago and has been heavily modded and improved. Have a look at the EECH forum of this site.

Cheers,

Andy

Thanks ALOT for the tips. I tried looking up those boards but I couldn't find any (I live in Egypt) and yes I would be interested in copters only I am a total beginner. I am mostly stuck with Arduino now.

It's a rather large project and I honestly no idea where to begin.

Last edited by Dawood94; 05/11/20 11:55 PM.
#4520628 - 05/12/20 11:56 AM Re: DIY Sim control [Re: Dawood94]  
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 748
AndyB Offline
Member
AndyB  Offline
Member

Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 748
Ayrshire, Scotland
Hi Dawood,

Leo does do international shipping ( http://www.leobodnar.com/shop/index.php?main_page=shippinginfo )

If you are a total beginner I'd stick to light aircraft until you get the whole flying thing sorted in your head. Helicopters (even simulated ones) are more complex to fly never mind dodging missiles and gunfire !!!

I'd suggest you sit down and write out what it is you want to be able to do with this set up. Two lists are useful, one for now and one for future. That way you can build in a bit of future proofing in to it. You don't want to build this thing and then have to rip it apart in a year or two.

Keep it as simple as possible.

Cheers,

Andy


Andy's simpit: http://www.simpit.me.uk
#4520669 - 05/12/20 08:06 PM Re: DIY Sim control [Re: Dawood94]  
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 3,955
Sokol1 Offline
Senior Member
Sokol1  Offline
Senior Member

Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 3,955
Internet
Originally Posted by Dawood94
Will I be able to use more than one controller in one chip ? If not, will I be able to use all 3 controllers at the same time with 3 USB ports ?


Bu0836A manage:
8 analog axes 12 bits resolution (potentiometer, Hall sensor in analog mode)
1xPOV HAT (8 directions)
32 buttons (or 16 encoders).

You can use one Bu0836A card for more than one controller, but this is not much desirable, because BU0836A use diode matrix for wiring buttons, what mean a lot of wires between the two controllers.

As cheap alternative - for place one control card in each device, you can use an STM32 board (<$5), and flash with FreeJoy firmware, that besides axis analog inputs has support for axis in digital mode:

8 analog inputs (12 bit output resolution)
axis configuration options: calibration (manual or auto), filtering, offset, deadband (center or dynamic), curve shapes
axis to buttons function (up to 12 buttons per axis)
buttons/encoders to axis functions
128 digital inputs (buttons, toggle switches, hat povs, encoders)
digital inputs configuration options: normal/inverted button, 3 types of toggle switches, radiobutton sequential button
5 shift modificators
4 hat povs
16 incremental encoders
shift registers 74HC165 and CD4021
digital sensors TLE5010/5011, AS5600, MLX90393 (SPI interface only)
external ADCs ADS1115 and MCP3201/02/04/08
3 PWM channels for lighting
24 LEDs (single or matrix) bindable to button's states
device name and other USB settings
user-friendly configuration utility
updating firmware on USB
saving and loading configuration from file
https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topi...stm32/?do=findComment&comment=923722

BTW - An joystick grip with on 3 buttons only is too few, you will need more,even for a WWI CFS.






Last edited by Sokol1; 05/12/20 08:07 PM.

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