Triggerhappy69

With my Pit?:music_whistling:

More info links on the subject: http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/content.php/172-Mikes-Tips-%28Rotary%29-Hall-Position-Sensors E#scpecially read what Gene Bucle write here: http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3225807/1.html ... Nice setup Gene..!

I really don't think the magnets aren't strong enough.. Did you try setting the magnet up like this? I have no experience with your controller card. But is there maybe some software setup we're missing? AND naturally you should check your hall effect sencor with a multimeter. They have a tendency to bust if you are unlucky and connect the wires wrong at first..! The "Two Magnet setup" I described earlier is like this: Check these links out: http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3225807/2.html http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3225807/1.html And these links from forums debating the theme of hall effect mods: http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=pt-BR&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com.br&sl=ru&tl=en&u=http://www.sukhoi.ru/forum/showthread.php%3Ft%3D32059&usg=ALkJrhjdwAvXjbRNJqI5a9Wmnsi2fqLzxw http://translate.google.com.br/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=pt-BR&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=ru&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Favia-sim.ru%2Fforum%2Fviewforum.php%3Ff%3D28 And READ THIS: http://www.jpfiles.com/hardware/uni_stick.pdf

Hehe.. And naturally I missed it..! :cry:

Thank you mate..!:smilewink: As far as I can see you need to place your hall-effect sencors like this: For best reference output from the hall effect sencor, when you have an approx +-20 to 30 degree angle variation. And most joysticks have about that.. As far as the card goes. It seems quite simple.. Just replace the pots in A-Pac's own picture with Hall effect sencors like this: Honeywells SS400 series Hall Effect Sencors work with an input voltage range from 3V to 30V. So you should get a good reading from this.. Make sure the magnetic field is perpendicular through the sencor when your stick is neutral. Like this: Here I have used round Neodyme magnets with mounting holes. The magnetic field here would come out from the Northpole on the round face of the magnet that you see in the picture. And circle arround in a curve, entering the southpole on the backside. This will give a magnetic field entering the sencors front that (in this picture) is perpendicular to the front face of the sencor.. I'll dig up some better explaining graphics for you if you want?

How can you stop skiing? I've drifted more into freeriding this winter. It seems that just skiing in prepaired slopes really bore me (unless I have students).. But floating in POW down a mountainside in virgin snow is a near religious experience for me..! Next on the agenda is finishing the RPM and Fuel gauges for the Left Front Panel. I hope to have these done in a couple of weeks.? Maybe a little longer... I belive most of my drawings still are to be found online. The CAD computer had a major crash before christmas, and I haven't had time to fix it yet. But gimme a couple of days, and I'll see what I can dig up..! Ps. I AM infact still working on it mate,... :cry: hehe

i would go for the second alternative, IF you've got sufficient space for it.!

Hell Yeah..! I'd Buy it..!

... Also the added lenght you can have on a center placed stick DOES give you more precise stick-handeling in stressfull situations. And makes holding a constant balanced position (like a nose high approach for landing) much easyer.! But I guess you're not going to extend your stick?

CnC Router..? Pics mate.. PICS..! hehe I´ll be looking you up on MSN or Facebook sometime this week, so we can get this working together..

I agree..! Really great job..!

Thanx guys..! :thumbup:

hey Stelios. I as you know I have just finished the first stepper motor controlled gauge now. And finally I have to thow myself into setting it up to run with DCS/BS.. I know you've been working on getting your steppers working for quite some time now. So why don't we keep in touch, and figure it out together? Have you buildt the gauges yet BTW?

I'M BACK..! Sorry for my abcense these last few months. But during winter I work as a skiing instructor every weekend. So there's no time for pitbuilding.. But now all the white fun has gone, and it's time to do some tinkering again.. Hehe. During winter I had the oppurtunity t learn how to programme microchips.. Started out with producing a prototype PLC for controlling some valves for a local company. And that experience really got me going..! So much new cool stuff to learn.. Next on my build-list are the remaining gauges on the front right panel, and the small gauges on the right main switch panel. (maybe I should read my PM's first..?)

Can I have it? Please? Can I?

You kinda are an expert Bucic. At least compared to me..? I base my questions and arguments on what I have been able to figure out alone, with no referances to correct me, by studying simple drawings, and the flight manual, of the AH64 Apache's trim system, by watching a short film showing the trim function in a russian HIND Helicopter and what I have seen in whatever helicopter i have been alowed near to.. So belive me when I say that YOU are the expert here..! And belive me, this is not even close to what I know you allready know on the subject. Here's how I think... The AH64 use what they call "Magnetic Brakes" to lock the return spirings for the cyclic and yaw in place. What they do for the collective I have to admitt I don't know? I just assumed they used magnetic brakes here to, but when now I have to agree with your statement that this would over complicate it..! However in the HIND I know from the watching the film that when the pilot wanted to move the collective stick, he pressed an electric button and you could hear what clearly sounded like a "solenoid" like sound before he could move the collective stick? So this made me think that maybe it was common practice in helicopters to lock the HOCAS in place with magnetic or soleniod activated brakes? What ever little personal experince I have doesn'y help me at all here. because I can't say I have noticed anything locking the collective stick in place at all..!? Probably a result of me being over exageratingly euphoric from realizing that I was in a helicopters front seat in the first place? And this pre-occupying my mind to such an extent that I was unable to think about details like thiis..? I put my trust in your expertice here my friend..

..... oh yeah.. Before you all go ballistic and start pointing noses at me and laughing... He doesn't read this forum..! I have mentioned this thread to him, but he's not into pitbuilding. At least I think he's not..? DAMMIT..! I really should start thinking ahead more before I post stuff.. LMAO..

Tell him thanx from me.!:thumbup: I've already sent a request for info to them.. Well Christmas is just arround the corner. And I've had to put pitbuilding aside for another project. My father (..the old engineer..) is retiring from a hectic life of civil engineering, and moving back home from Abu Dhabi to slow things down and enjoy the fruits of he's life.. LIKELY..!:megalol: He's even worse than me when it comes to keeping busy. And since I am he's favourite son (and as far as I know.. he's ONLY son?). I have been dreading this for quite some time now.. I mean, who do you think he'll be focusing on when he moves back home? ... Yours truly naturally..! I'll be forced to actually live up to my potential, and that will seriously rob me from all my beloved, seemingly meaningless but really fun, time consuming digressions in life..! :helpsmilie: So I came up with this idea. If I make sure he's always busy doing something else, he would'nt have time to think about me? And I kinda' think it's going to sort off work maybe.... So how do you grasp the attention of a guy who's been spending the last 20 years building fully automated oil rigs in Germany and giant PEH plants in Abu Dhabi..? ...... Simple.... you give him a hexabot robot in pieces, and no instruction manual on how to assemble it..!!! So I did some reading on different robotics forum, and with a mental picture in my head, and some printed pictures of what they look like, I started what will probably be the most hectic build of my life..! I have untill the 24th to design, produce, assemble it (I want it to work remember.. 'cause if not ..? I don't even want to think about that scenario.. LMAO), dissassemble it and organize all nuts and bolts into plastick ziplock bags, and make sure the required wires and switches are in place.. Phhuh..!:cry: This is how far I came tonight: ... no seriously. I havebeen wanting to build one for quite some time now. And this was the perfect excuse for doing it. My idea is to give it to dad in pieces, and with no manual. But knowing him him figure it out how to assemble it by the second day of christmas. And that's when I come over for a family dinner to start the real reason for giving this seemingly bizarre gift. It will give us both a project that we both can work together on..! The assembly is just for building up to the REAL challenge.. We have to make the thing walk..! And the Arduino card controlling it is as dumb as a polarbear in a turtleneck sweater trying to get in to a giraffe only club..! :huh: So all in all It's a gift for me to... 'cause he's really cool to spend time with, and I have to admitt that I love that old fart..! ps. did an inventory on my opencockpits cards.. It thought it so cool that I left it all on the table and went to bed.. Did I hear anyone say NERD..!? Merry Christamas to all of you guys..! With all the eating and family affairs, and me going on my skiing instructor course the 27th, I'll most likely be just reading the forum untill I get home on january 2nd 2011.. On new years eve i'll be somewhere way up in the mountains, far away from anything electric. And I will LOVE IT..! ...oh yeah, and a happy new year to..!:joystick:

... I almost forgot... Hellfrog.? I've been a reader of your forum for quite some time now, and I want to compliment you on running a really cool and informative site..! All you other guys should definately check out the Check Six forum. If I remember right it was here I first found information on how to use hall effect sencors. and the thread on that Mirage cockpit is just to drool over..! I know we all call them frog eating surrender monkeys. But the french flightsim and pitbuilding community like Check-Six and 3rd Squad are really waayyy up front when it comes to breaking new ground. (and you kick ass in inventing new extreme sports to... I just love Freeriding and Speedriding to.! My friends and me were planning a trip to Valdez this winter to do both things. But I signed up for a skiing instructor course, and that kinda' blew it for me this year.. Darned..!:doh:) ... sigh.. It's a fact that you can't do this, and think about work at the same time.. And I LOVE IT!

... I'm itching to get the other three gauges done now..! It's going to look sooo cool...!

Brilliant idea this..!!! Actually US military choppers use a magnetic clutch to achive the same effect. And all the ding-dongs and do-da's in my cyclic setup is an attempt to mimmic this force-trim. If I had known about this thingy (it looks like some kind of huge solenoid that locks the axle running through it by friction?), I would certainly have gone for this myself..! Could you maybe ask him from me what this things original function is, and how it works? And be sure to compliment him richly from me for thinking out of the box, and just in general being brilliant!? I give him two thumbs up!!:thumbup::thumbup: ....thinking.... I'm not sure I would buy a book written by me? But if you are voulentering to be my ghost writer, I could probably pull some strings and fix you up with a free copy once you're done? LoL.:smilewink: Seriously, thank you ever so much mate. But when would I ever find time for building if I was to write a book? I would probably be considered the James Joyce of pitbuilding genre.. Probably informative, if understood..!:cry: Hehe. Well I'm not an expert on the subject, but I seem to recall my collective being stuffed full of ellectro-things Bucic..? :huh: Reluctantly I agree Pitbuildr. We have other fora for that..! (...allthough it leaves me strangly aroused to read th...... Naaaaw..! Just kidding..!) Tonight has been all about wiring the Exhaust Gas Temperature gauge. Man I hate soldering..! Mainly because allthough I sat there for two hours, achieving nothing but a headache and blistered finger tips, before I had to give up for the night. This is the milestone where I finally get to see if my building skills actually work..!? And there is a fat little boy inside me making faces and telling me that it probably will not..! I've gotta tell you guys, I really hate that fat kid..!:helpsmilie: But I did dull the instrument indicators, and wired up the faceplate lights.

You'd be welcome to come over and play with me... (eeeh...!? That obviously came out wrong..! But you catch my drift right?) (Edit: I actually wanted to delete this post out off shame... But I can't help myself from finding language mistakes sooo funny!)

But can I etch out pieces form brass with the same etching fluid? Normally I use Ferrotrichloride or some other powder substance I can't remember the name of right now (I probably shouldn't have mentioned it then.. right!? hehe). I'll have a talk with my old man about it when he comes home for christmas. Seem to remember that one of he's majors were chemistry.. (..gotta love the guy.! He's really cool. AND a walking encyclopedia as such) H*LL NO..! You just keep on reading this mate..! 'Cause I want to see where you are going with your pit..! (BTW.. Really good job there.!) It's not quite finished yet. I still have to dull out the black paint on the indicators with a topcoat of dull laquer. And the photointerrupters need to be replaced by new ones. For some mysterious reason I ordered 30V interrupters instead of 5V.. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!

No wonder she think it's cool..? Because IT IS COOL..!:thumbup: I like the way you've managed to combine the structural strength and "workability" of wood with the visual correctness and simplicity of aluminum plates for the panels mounting.. Actually I like it so much I am planning on steeling this way to do it, if you don't mind? Keep us updated with LOTS of pics mate.. I'm allready looking forwards to the next ones..

Thank you.! This instrument will be run by a Opencockpits USB Stepper card like these: Link to USBStepper Card manual: http://www.andare-ing.com/uploads//USBStepper%20(english).PDF One of these can run three stepper motors up to 24V and 1 amp per core. It has four input axles indented for connecting potmeters (manually adjusting zero and such in the cockpit), and three inputs for connecting position sencors (see picture below). By having a small "flag", rotating with the main needle axle and breaking the light beam between the LED and the Light Dependent Resistor as it passes between the two, the stepper controller will know where the set zero point is. The next instruments (fuel gauge and RPM instrument) will both be run with servos. And for controlling them I use Opencockpits USB Servos Cards (see pic below): Link to USBServo Card Manual: http://www.opencockpits.com/uploads/manual_usbservos_eng.pdf As you see I have stacked up on these cards. Because allthough each card control 6 servos I'll be needing more than just these three for the complete pit. The face-plate light LED's are controlled by a USB Outputs Card. This card is connected to any USB port and can control up to 64 outputs and up to 50 volts each (500ma per output). You can control the intensity by software and you can connect the cables without soldering. You can also connect 5 analogue inputs (8 bits) for general use. This card is such a jack of all trades when it comes to outputs I just love it! Link to USBOutputs Card Manual: http://www.opencockpits.com/uploads/manual_usboutputs_eng.pdf And/Or Paralell with these I'll have two or three Opencockpits MasterCards connected through a USBExpantion Card: Link to Mastercard and USB Expansion card manual: http://www.opencockpits.com/uploads/manual_expansion_master.pdf Each Mastercard has 72 digital inputs and 45 digital outputs. It has a bus to connect up to four displays cards. Each diplays card controls up to 16 7-segments displays. And I can have up to four displays cards connected to each Mastercard. Making it possible to control 128 7-Segment displays with my current setup. But if I need more I'll just buy another Mastercard and connect it to the USB Expansion card I allready have. It can hold four of them, and I've just got two so far...:thumbup: To illustrate how the stepper motor works in a flightsim instrument, look at the pics below from Scott Hendry . Here you can clearly see the position sensor flag as it passes throught the sensor. You can see pictures and info on the instruments he's building or designing here: http://home.exetel.com.au/flightsim/flight_instruments.htm Link to Scott's pitbuilding website (he's instrument building is simply kick-ass!): http://home.exetel.com.au/flightsim/index.htm