KeyCat

CNC for PCB is great if you need a quick proto PCB and are in a real hurry but now days it's very cheap to buy small quantity PCB from China, like 5-10 USD for 5 pcs 100x100 mm max the expensive part is shipping via DHL/UPS/etc. unless you are prepared to wait 4-6 weeks for standard mail to arrive. Checked the manual for PoKeys and they have some nice features like the keyboard programming etc. and then just plug it in on any computer. One of the reason I'm going the MMJoy2 way is that I can get it exactly as I want it and my brother have some old HOTAS that needs to be updated to USB so I can reuse the TEDAC Controller for them I'm sure more people will show up when AH-64D releases to EA it's still very early days. When released I suspect the AH-64D forum section will fill up quickly. Know quite a few people that waited almost 25 years since LB2 for this - me included. Heeh, I think you are under estimating yourself. If your 3D modelling skills are low mine are at -100 I say, progress over perfection in our case as a hobby. IMO it's better to get something up running than never. Tinkering with electronics and 3D is fun but you must have time to use the stuff you build and fly as well. You can always improve it in the future if you get a better 3D printer.

Awesome! This is what I call a man cave :) Due to my current living situation my space is very limited in the apartment and have to be removable when I'm not flying. Maybe someday I will inherent a castle, who knows? :) Keep it up!

Finalized the design for the TEDAC Controller last night. Still haven't decided if I do a full HW MFD or do it with Helios and a small touch screen but with the 2x8 pin button matrix pinheader on board I now have that as an option if I change my mind. Haven't routed the PCB yet but that will be next week. All dimensions in mm and mounting holes are 3.2 mm Also made a mockup for the HW MFD to see how much space available inside. I just did a rough estimation on the space in the slots inside the frame by looking at the screen shots hannibal posted in the other thread. It would be better to just have one PCB with all 6x6 mm buttons and required matrix diodes to eliminate much of cable the wiring but don't think it's possible to have the PCB go all around in the frame and still allow for the encoders an rocker switches (marked as orange rectangles) so this was the second best option I could come up with. To make wiring a bit easier and not require to add the matrix diodes one by one to each switch an additional PCB (used SMD in the mockup but probably better with 1N4148 PHT for easier hand soldering) that connects to TEDAC Controller above (or any other controller capable to handle 8 rows and 5 columns button matrix, most can I guess) via 16-lead ribbon cable. Will still require some manual wiring between the buttons/encoders in the MFD but at least it will be a bit easier. Sounds like a great idea Viper. As I mentioned previously my 3D modelling skills are low. The electronics side of things are much easier for me. Even if I decide to not build the HW MFD I can still help finish the above mockup PCB's (or any other small PCB you may need in your other cool HOTAS projects). Another thing is if we select to use same LCD/buttons/encoders/etc we can bulk by for better prices.

Following your progress with great interest :)

Yea that would be a plus but I guess it won't take to long until we know more details and we also have great help from kgiller3 and others that know the real deal.

Thanks for the tip but will make a MMJoy2 based PCB with 2x24 buttons and 4 axis for the L/R handgrips.

I'm not 100% I counted correctly but my previous notes tells me... LHG 27 Buttons + 2 Analog Axis RHG 21 Buttons + 2 Analog Axis MFD 21 Buttons + one 3-way switch + 2 Analog Axis or 2 Rotary Encoders My goal is to use only one USB controller board along with an optional PCB for the MFD buttons/encoders that connects to the USB controller with a 14-lead ribbon cable. My preliminary controller board design allows for.... 24 Buttons for L Handgrip (via shift register so button just short to GND, which means easier cabling) 24 Buttons for R Handgrip (via shift register so button just short to GND, which means easier cabling) 6 Analog Axis 1 1x6 pin Button Expansion port connector (up to additional 48 buttons) 1 2x7 pin MFD PCB connector The optional MFD PCB allows for... 24 Buttons 4 Rotary Encoders (with 4 buttons) 1 2/3/4/5 or 6-way Selector switch

You definitely have a point there, didn't know Helios was affected by IC check. Regarding the 2-way rocker switches I found a possible solution on Thingiverse by a guy named huzarski. He uses dirt cheap PCB mounted 6x6 mm tactile switches (see HAT_Switches_Man.pdf in the ZIP-file) + some ingenious 3D printed parts to make 2/3/4/5 way switches for HOTAS etc. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3641494 Only downside I see is that they are quite big as well. Haven't tested it yet but worth doing...

Keeping things simple always wins! After digging arround for small square 4-5" LCD's with HDMI interface I actually think I'm leaning to use a standard 7-10" LCD with capacitive touch buil-in in conjunction with Helios to make the TEDAC frame/buttons/display and then start focus on making the electronics controller (a custom PCB based on AVR with the MMJoy2 firmware) for the left and right handgrips and somehow mount them on each side of the LCD. The controller will be the easier part, making the L/R handgrip 3D models not so, at least not with my current skills ;( Seems there are quite a few 7" LCD's avalable for a reasonable price and the one I'm looking at has resolution of 1024x600 pixels and 5-point capacitive touch interface via USB. https://www.amazon.com/Ingcool-Resolution-Capacitive-Compatible-Raspberry/dp/B08H8HZRLQ The benefit of going this route would be that it will be cheaper and much more flexible and I can use the touch display with Ka-50 if need be and maybe even to swipe left right to display L/R MFD in the AH-64 as well as being able to display the PDF-manual in game. Tried Helios many years ago and it's a great software. Saw that sobe started to make a pilot profile that he showed in another thread....

Love following your Mi-24 project - good stuff! Since my 3D modelling skills are lacking I started from the other end with the controller electronics but have not found any suitable 2-way PCB rocker switches. There are six of them on the TEDAC MFD frame and wonder if you found some suitable PCB mounted rocker switches or if you plan to use the same you use for your Mi-24 aiming station?

Check this thread for some info/pics on TEDAC.... That being said I also wait for a in game picture of the TEDAC

Very impressive!

Thanks for the info guys! Confirmed that picture off the TDU on page 639 is the same as the above so I can start making a schema and later a PCB. That left and right TEDAC handles looks grim

In anticipation of the Apache I've started to plan my "deskpit" and wonder if anyone seen any pictures of the CPG's TEDAC display unit (TDU). I have downloaded the operational manual (TM 1-1520-251-10) and on page 639 there is a picture (fig. 4-27A) of a TDU and wonder if that's the one we will see in the sim or will we get the old ORT shown on page 643 (fig. 4-28)? Plan is to build a simple CPG "deskpit" and I'm starting with the TDU since I have zero 3D modelling skills needed for the left and right handgrips. Any help appreciated....

Spot on and that's exactly what I've been practicing the past ~2 years. I don't want to sound like an "ass hat" but my CC card stays safe in the wallet and I will not buy a single module until promised multi crew features works in Huey/Mi-8/Gazelle that I already own.

In my case it's the latter. I've been giving up on MP for time being, for me it's just to much hassle ATM. My DCS flying is unfortunately restricted to shorter SP sorties now and then. This also stopped me from buying any new modules/maps since MP is the main reason I play games/sims. I still hope things will change for the better but as many others I have anticipated the DS for many years now. Would be interesting to see the result of a simple poll regarding this...

What ???? I do expect them to fix everything that broke with the 2.5x transition in a timely manner.

I have not bought EA so I don't know how it flies/performs/etc. but after looking at screen shots and recent videos and I love the weathered look in the cockpit as well as externally. Maybe a small thing but it gives me the feeling that the plane have a story to tell and not rolling strait out from McDonnell Douglas assembly line. So my hat is off to the modelling/graphic team :thumbup: Shots/traps in bad weather looks awesome and glad we get more weather stuff since that is paramount in all avionics. I'm holding of until it is feature complete and hope everything will pan out. Until then I have my Ka-50/Gazelle/Huey/Mi-8 and the awesome AH-64 to flap around in. Ohhh wait, just checked my DCS install and damn....no AH-64! Must been in my dreams last night.

Nice catch!

Good it works for you but it is one thing flying over water only. How does it perform when flying over land or land on a airbase?

Read my last line ;) I rather take a FC4 level AH-64 Apache than none at all! Of course if a AH-64 full fidelity module is planned and released as EA before we hit 2020 I'm all for it. But as I said, I highly doubt we will see one before 2030 if ever and by then I may be 6 feet under :)

Holy cow! That's a nice CPU OC you have :)

Actually this is not uncommon in any game. Many games can't handle devices plugged in after game started. Would be nice if it didn't crashed tho.

You missed AH-64 Apache as an option Why AH-64 in FC4? Since I don't think we will see any AH-64 full fidelity sim before 2030 anyway. If ever...

Not the first time ;) Care to enlighten me?