Boltz

Looks great :thumbup:

I wondered that before and DM answered it.

From what I read though it seems that the sort of laser I would be looking at (a 40 watt chinese one off ebay) can't cut metal and various other places said the same thing and something about the reflections would cause problems. I guess it could then be used to laser off the copper on PCBs which would be a great addition. Maybe I'll have to look at getting one after all. :music_whistling:

In the real cockpit all the panels are laser engraved to allow for backlighting and I guess the panels are cut by CNC since lasers don't work too well with metal. I hadn't thought of using dry transfers before.

Sounds like a good plan. :thumbup:

Actually I meant the flancs because Dimebug has plans for them but you must be one of the first to build curved flancs without using y2kiah's plans and a CNC. Looks amazing.

Looks great Jarnob. It's nice to see someone who has actually made the sides from Dimebug's plans.

I think this will be a one off chance to get these parts so I'm definitely interested in one of each DM.

Up Front Controller UFC This is my UFC so far. It has a front plate of 4mm clear acrylic drilled on a pillar drill which was then sprayed matte black. The tactile switches are soldered to a piece of prototyping board. The two parts are not yet screwed together and mounted to the enclosure, which is made from 6mm plywood and varying types of baton wood which was also painted black. All the electronics will be controlled by the one Arduino which will be mounted in the back and connected to my A2DCS software. The front panel has not yet been labelled and it may not due to the size of switch caps that I had. The switch caps themselves are round and grey (not pictured.) They still need to be labelled and then all labeling will be sprayed with matte clear coat paint to seal them to the surface. I just need to finish up the hardware of it and then it's on tot he software implementation which shouldn't take too long. I figured it would be best to tackle the hardest panels first so I've also acquired all the parts to build a CDU so it's back of to the workshop soon... Thats a 4.5" portable DVD player screen, VGA to Composite Adaptor, 4 port USB hub, another Arduino Mega and plenty of tactile switches and caps.

It can use single (input and output through same port e.g. 9012) or multiple ports (input on one port and output on another e.g. 9012 and 9013). There isn't much of a need to use multiple ports so at the moment I just keep it simple and use one. That's on the lua side of things (really nothing's is definite so anything can be done without too much work.) My program simply monitors the port/ports from a separate networked computer in just the same way Helios works. It then does all the logic and sends it to the Arduinos (no need to use one per panel, just use a few megas for everything.) Communications to and from the arduinos use a set format for example "C02D19V1" C=Arduino Number up to 99 D=Arduino Pin V=Value, not limited to 0,1 so potentiometers and other analogue devices can be used You don't need ethernet shields or anything like that either. In all of it there is minimal lua scripting as I had never heard of it before I found DCSW. I prefer to use C# and with my own program I get huge amounts of options available. Sorry for the long reply but I hope something in there answers your question which I'm not completely clear on. I just want to say again that nothing has been finalised so really anything is possible and it has been tested using many different input, output and software conditions. Please give me any suggestions that you have and I will try to implement them.

It looks great. Can't wait to see the simmeters in action. Especially the ADI, HSI and RWR. Nice work nobrot!

A little work in Excel has now meant that I have a spreadsheet that will generate the code for me that I just copy into the config file. It only works for switches at the moment but it should speed up the process. The example above is for my AHCP. Controller just means Arduino number. The keyboard part is because before making an export.lua file I tried using keyboard commands. That section still functions and may come in useful for sim commands such as views and pause if I can't find controller and event IDs. Also here is a screenshot of the software. I am not on any sim computer and have no Arduinos attached so it says error but with an Arduino connected it works great. The large space is a network monitor which is monitoring the export port and displays anything that DCSW is sending out. It's mainly just there for the development. At the bottom is a textbox and a "Test" button. Simply type something in there, hit test and A2DCS will send it straight into the input port. Great for testing the software without having to use any hardware and also for testing controller and event IDs as they seem to vary wildly across the internet. From my first attempt at a cockpit I have another very similar program designed for Flight Simulator X which worked very well and I based the DCS version off of it. I may look at connecting the two so multiple sims can be flown without having to reassign switches. Just make a profile and select it for different planes and entirely different sims. Boltz

Thanks everyone for the kind words. They have inspired me to continue with the software development. I will have to decide whether to make a user interface for adding new switches and output or leaving it as code. The latter would mean that you would have to copy some code and change the a couple of numbers. The first option would be better obviously because it would be much easier to add in new IO commands but the second option would take more advantage because you would be able to add in "logic" and I may be able to look at simulating some missing avionics and other panels such as the circuit breakers and SAS paddle switch on the stick and magnetic switch integration. The list goes on and on so I will see just how much I can include. I will probably leave it for now with editing a bit of C# code and in the far future when I am nearly finished it (in our hobby nothing can ever be finished :)) I will look at adding some sort of user interface just to make it easier to use.

Input and Output This isn't so much an update but just a more in depth look at how I implement the switches and output in my pit. Obviously there are not many panels yet and the only one properly connected up is the AHCP. On the rear it has a 15 pin D-sub connector which via a standard VGA cable goes another D-sub connector next to an Arduino Mega. For now this just plugs in directly as the solution is still mainly in its design and test stages. The arduinos (which handle switches, rotary encoders, pots, output and everything else) are connected to the Helios computer. The computer runs a piece of software called A2DCS which I have designed and now have it working with all input and output. I can use Arduino Unos and Megas and probably any others although it hasn't been tested. The software can handle as many Arduinos as is required and uses its own communication protocol. You simply flash the Arduino with a simple sketch depending on its job (switches, LEDs etc) and then add it to a config file. The program then writes it to an export port on the Sim computer which is coded into the Export.lua file. It runs alongside Helios perfectly but uses a different port just to be sure. I will get some screenshots and photos posted up soon, but it isn't particularly user-friendly. I prefer to focus on functionality. When it is further forward I will post it up along with the program and all codes, sketches and export.lua. I will look at using a "dofile" command so it can be added into the Helios A-10C Interface in Helios when you set it up. This is a much lower cost solution IMO than using Joystick Controllers and multiple different types of IO boards but it just requires some programming which will be finished soon and I will be able to get the results to you guys soon. Boltz

Could of fooled me. :doh: :lol: Great work!

I'm using a 22" and a 19" in portrait mode. The glass cockpit is great because it allows you to fly many different aircraft with different instrument panels which I often do. I was thinking of making some sort of bezels to overlay on the screen that would be quickly removable to make it more realistic.

I mainly got the upholstery nails because my seat is wooden and I could simply go round with a hammer and just knock them in at regular intervals but thinking about it now. Dropship's seat is metal so it would make more sense to use rivets! I've always thought of the smaller "pop rivets" and must never really have made much of a connection to the ones used in ACES II. I guess it really depends on the material. Those rivets are about the same price as upholstery nails as well so I guess you can go either way.

What have you used to make the "rivets". I have a bunch of upholstery nails that I was thinking of trying. Someone over at ViperPits recommended them.

It’s now definitely time for me to start my own thread on my A-10 build. This is what it looks like currently. The first thing I want to do though is thank everyone who has helped me so far. Dimebug's plans have been excellent, without Gadroc's Helios I would not have this cockpit, Duckling's panel layouts have helped with hugely with my panels and also all those of you who are also building pits. It's these that have inspired me to have a go. It is based on Dimebug’s plans but the MIP has been changed to fit around my two screens. The height has been increased and the part of the right hand screen sticking up will eventually be covered by a glare shield. These two things have caused the MIP to be around 80mm too high which makes a significant difference so I am looking at redoing the MIP with smaller screens and custom instruments. There is also an Instructor Station behind the cockpit. I has the exports screen which is connected to the main sim computer. It renders things like the MFCDs which are then captured by a screen exporting programme (I can't remember exactly who made it; I think it was y2kiah) and sent over the network to the Helios computer. The panels are currently made from a single layer of 4mm clear acrylic which is then cut to size and drilled on a pillar drill. The acrylic is then painted black. Labels are then printed from a small desktop label printer and clear coats of paint are used to seal them in place. This is my second cockpit but my first attempt didn’t get particularly far before I began to notice a lot of very fundamental problems like the height of the MIP… For it I did build a radio but after finishing the electronics I started on the new cockpit so it was never completely finished. Used the same process to make the panel and 74HC595 shift registers to drive the 7 segment displays. This is by no means a complete write up. I will add more pictures and info when I have time but please if you have any questions then I would be more than happy to answer them or if you want to see any photos of specific things just let me know. Boltz

You must have changed the posts per page or something. I currently see 57 pages of this build!

I've been watching this since DM got the trainer cockpit but must have missed the photos on page 46. This is looking great!

Accepted it. Will be good to see some pictures of what you come up with.

Deadman are you making an ACES II or do you have the real thing hidden in your garage somewhere? :)

Good luck. I am looking for some head tracking system at the moment. Probably going to try FreeTrack so I will need to build one of these as well.

I dont have a TrackIR so I don't know the necessary brightness but I would imagine that them being brighter does increase the contrast and so makes it easier for them to be picked out. Those have a forward voltage of 1.5v so three in series require 4.5v. If you give them exactly 4.5v (3x 'AA' or 'AAA' size batteries) then they will draw what they require and you will not need any resistor or fuses. If you give them the exact forward voltage they need then you don't require any additional circuitry. I don't have an accxount on any image hosting websites so I can't show you a diagram but three normal batteries in series connected to three IR LEDs in series will work. Try not to use rechargeable ones though as their voltage seems to vary a lot more from standard ones. Even better is to get a power supply that you plug into the wall that will provide 4.5v.