Extranajero

I really shouldn't stray from the home cockpit section of the forum, every time I do I prove that I am an idiot... :D Just ran DCS again, checked the options and shadows default to high. I may be an idiot but even I know that shadows kill frame rates... I'll check out any improvement later...

I didn't know that...but it wouldn't have changed anything for me really because the motherboard and CPU were a gift from a mate. I couldn't afford the upgrade otherwise. I hope DCS 2.0 will run better on my system...maybe I'll be in luck for once :D

Spec of my previous PC :- Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.3mhz Geforce 9500 Spec of my new PC :- AMD quad core, not sure of clock speed - 3 point something mhz ? Geforce GT740 I haven't tweaked DCS or Flaming Cliffs graphics settings, they are at the default. I'd like to stress again that this isn't a moan. DCS is what it is - I'm just glad someone is making realistic flight sims at all.

I have just upgraded my PC and finally downloaded DCS World. Oh boy, it's not exactly frame rate friendly for users of older computers is it ? :( Since I went from my old motherboard to the new one, plus a new video card Flaming Cliffs 2 has gone from 25 fps to about 60 fps. DCS World ( which I didn't even attempt to run before ) is about 20 fps. This isn't a complaint, more of an observation ;)

You can do it quite easily then - one Arduino ( or clone ) and a few toggle switches.

How do the key commands for weapon selection work in -21 ? Do you have a key for each station or cycle the knob one setting up or one setting down ? If you don't have a key for each station I think you'll need a software as a well as a hardware interface.

It won't be difficult to find a rotary switch. You may have to accept one with 12 positions as usually they tend to have an even number of contacts - unless intended for a special purpose. Any ideas on how you would like to interface the switch ? Arduino or Teensy microcontroller, Leo Bodnar board ?

Thanks for the advice Ian ;)

I have been messing around with encoders and the Arduino recently and found them a little tricky. They need either hardware or software debouncing ( and possibly both ? ) I have given up because in my application ( not for a flight sim ) I can't miss a count and have things working the way they need to.

I may not use pots in the final design, but for now I am much more interested in the mechanical aspect of the stick. I personally don't think there is anything wrong with a pot as a position sensor. They have been used in many aerospace applications. The reason pots have a bad reputation is that the ones used in consumer joysticks are ( very badly ) made in Chinese Communist sweatshops. Edit :- Sounds like I was implying all consumer joysticks have bad pots - I'm sure this isn't the case. It's just that every one I have tried to mend has had terrible quality pots.

That is interesting, thanks.

Stopped work on the grip for now because the next job is making the hat switch buttons. I was going to machine them from aluminium, but I don't have any anodising capability and decided they wouldn't look right in a natural finish. So I have ordered some black delrin. But meanwhile I have been machining the base. Here is the pitch gimbal. I have chosen 30 degrees fore and aft movement and geared the pot 3:1 The shaft extends through the gimbal because I want to experiment with using a weight combined with elastic cords as a centering mechanism. There will be an extension threaded into the shaft to attach the weight and the cords.

Thank you !!! - those dimensions are enough for me to scale most or possibly all of the parts I need. I will have to make my CM panel again though, it is undersized.

I must get some of those shift registers and experiment with them. I have stopped work for now on the panel because the software is 90% complete and I can't do much more until I can get some casting resin to make the knobs. I wish I had some dimensions for Russian cockpit parts, but I can't find anything drawn to scale no matter where I look.

That looks like it will get the job done :thumbup:

I like that concept a lot. Although I already built a Freetrack setup and that is pretty good.

Another vote for cold war heavy metal aircraft... Lightning, Bucc, Phantom, Thud, Fitter, Mirage, Flogger, Starfighter, Delta Dart, Draken, Gino, Skyhawk, Viggen, Harrier, Voodoo Want me to carry on ? :D

Don't feel too bad about damaging the board, those SMD boards are awkward to rework. Leave the iron in place for a fraction too long and the tracks will lift.

I think Snacko means he wants to build a collective and is wondering which board would be the most suitable Ian. Snacko - don't forget you'll need analog axis's ( what is the plural of axis dammit ? axes ? axises ? :D ) as well as digital. Not all boards support analog.

weeb - I bought my Peatol lathe about 10 years ago, but if the same guy is still running the company he's very helpful and knowledgeable. They aren't new to the market, the same basic line of miniature machine tools ( Taig brand in the US, Peatol in the UK ) have been around at least since the mid 1980's There is a big user community for these machines, help won't be far away. I agree completely with Warhog about Chinese machinery. I have a Sieg X2 ( manual ) mill and it's fine, but only because I am a fairly skilled machinist and was able to take it apart, correct it's defects and put it back together again.

Weeb - the machine Warhog is using is sold in the UK under the brand name Peatol. I had one of their modellers lathes ages ago and while tiny it was very well made and very accurate.

Some years ago I worked on a 'digital' rifle sight that was basically an LLTV system displayed to the users eye by LCD. It was fine until the user tried to scan around quickly with it. The display didn't quite keep up with the users head movement and it induced motion sickness and headaches. Cheaper ( cheap being a relative term ;) ) thermal imaging sights suffer from the same issues, caused by display update lag. It was solvable, but not at the price point which the sight was going to be marketed at.

Fascinating, thanks, I just love stuff like that :)

It might well be possible to take an on\off\on switch apart and modify it then. I have done this before to convert latching to momentary. I'll see if I have a suitable switch in my Big Pile Of Junk and try it out.

So the action is centre off, down on ( latching ), up on ( momentary ) ?