The Awesome Pedals - Hall Effect Rudder Pedals

Hello All,

After a year of dedicated DCS play, I've come to the obvious conclusion that rudder pedals are a must for any person that is serious about Flight Simulations. This is an under statement when you bring Helicopters into the picture.

After looking around for a couple of good pedals, I've realised that majority of the pedals out there are either ugly (personal preference) or expensive (irony to follow later).

It had dawned on me one day, "why don't you build your own and achieve something worth bragging about". So my journey at that day began.

Aim of Project

Build a 3 Axis (Rudder, 2 x Toe Brake) Rudder Pedals to be used as a standard USB device controller

Features

• 3 Axis
  
• 2 x Brake Buttons
  
• Rugged Design
  
• USB Interface
  
• Hall Effect Sensors (only on main axis, that level of accuracy isn't required for toe brakes)
  
• Has "Awesome" in the name
  

Inspiration

The biggest inspiration came to me from this wonderful piece of work called the Slaw Device. Later one of the guys in VSAAF pointed me towards BRD-F3 where i got the inspiration for the pedal assembly

Work Progress

At this point in time the 3D design of the pedals is complete.

Manufacturing drawings are in progress.

Materials have been ordered and awaiting delivery.

Workshop access secured and supervision is available upon request.

USB Interface firmware compiled and tested

Hall effect sensor incorporated

Pictures

TL;DR

Here's what most of you would wanna see in any case

USB Interface

I am using the LUFA libraries to compile my interface for the Arduino Uno. This was done earlier this year and can't for the life of me figure out where I've placed the files

Conclusion

I am filled with more excitement everyday, this will be the first project I undertake in Flight Simulation and I'm hoping to carry on with it up to the point that I've built a complete cockpit.

More details will follow as progress is made

Cool, a lot more polished (pun intentended) design compared to mine. What are you using too center the pedals? No hydraulic damper?

Cool, a lot more polished (pun intentended) design compared to mine. What are you using too center the pedals? No hydraulic damper?

Thanks mate,

I'm using springs to centre both the main and brake axis's shown in the photo (blue wiggly lines), I could have modelled it but too much work

Ah I see. The pedal springs will probably work great! As for the main axis, springs are certainly the easiest way, but a lot of the professional devices like Slaw's are incorporating both a cam and follower as well as a cheap hydraulic damper - so for me it made sense to emulate those design decisions. It might be a good idea to evaluate if it makes sense for your design to have these features before you take it to the machine shop. A hydraulic damper after all costs as little as 35USD on ebay.

I am very interested in your project, what kind of material are you going to use, and what kind of equipment does your machine shop have access to?

I agree with you about going the same way as other high quality products, that is why I have a large space between the links and the base box, for future upgrades. I have thought about a spring and damper system and gas spring systems, a cam and follower wouldn't be my first choice because of machining experience and tool availability reasons. i would certainly enjoy having the response a non linear damped system gives but that'll just delay the manufacturing process, for now i'd like a working prototype that i can use while i'm upgrading it.

I have the model setup as a parametric model, all dimensions are driven from a few basic ones (pedal spacing, link spacing, sheet metal thickness etc). the material i'm using is standard mild steel due to it being cheap and strong and readily available in a shop down the road from me that sells it in smaller sizes than the standard sheets.

The machine shop I'm using is the manufacturing workshop at the university, it has lathes, mills, pedestal drills, surface grinders, hand tools but nothing fancy. the lathes and mills don't have a wide range of cutters available so that is also a restriction and to top it all up, I will have to build that thing myself, my machining experience is not up to standard (I might have a total of 40 hours or so).

So priorities are to get a working simple prototype then start adding novelty features as I get the time for it

Cool, working with metal is always tricky and require so many tools that are not readily found in every garage - that's why I initially was going to do wood. I hope the waterjet cutting won't be too expensive for my project or I will be looking at making my pedals out of plywood.

Maybe in a couple of years 3d printing will spit out good enough composites as to make metal obsolete for such projects.

Aim of Project

Build a 3 Axis (Rudder, 2 x Toe Brake) Rudder Pedals to be used as a standard USB device controller

Although not problem for DCS modules - as controls allow "fake" toe brakes on planes that use differential brakes, why not equip the USB interface with 4 axis, one for (optional) "wheel brakes" using a bycicle like lever attached in joystick pole, for use e.g. in Spitfire Mk.IXe, Migs...? ;)

The problem with your pedals center system - looks similar to center springs in CH pedals, is than will have a pronounced fell in center position, a "clunk", why Baur, Slaw, VKB abandon this system - still in used in "entry level" pedals.

Although not problem for DCS modules - as controls allow "fake" toe brakes on planes that use differential brakes, why not equip the USB interface with 4 axis, one for (optional) "wheel brakes" using a bycicle like lever attached in joystick pole, for use e.g. in Spitfire Mk.IXe, Migs...? ;)

from the modules that i currently own, i found that most of them have different axis for each toe brake(M2kC, A-10C, F-15C). the ones that don't allow for an axis do have separate buttons for each wheel (SU-25T). that's the reason i have 2 brake axis and 2 brake buttons. I'm not too sure about the spitfire and migs, what commands do they have that control toe brakes?

The problem with your pedals center system - looks similar to center springs in CH pedals, is than will have a pronounced fell in center position, a "clunk", why Baur, Slaw, VKB abandon this system - still in used in "entry level" pedals.

my plan with the springs is to pre-tension them at the zero position, to force them to work against each other for zeroing and to eliminate the deadzone otherwise. but like i said earlier, i do plan on incorporating gas springs and a dampner eventually as i get the time. the cam and follower idea would be great but i do not have the right tools to make them

that's the reason i have 2 brake axis and 2 brake buttons. I'm not too sure about the spitfire and migs, what commands do they have that control toe brakes?

You can brake Spit, Migs, L-39... with button, but can brake better using an axis (only 1) for "wheel brakes" - that planes have their wheels brake pressed by lever in control column, for achieve differential brake (brake only right or left wheel) is need move the rudder bar for that side, a valve in rudder bar cancel the brake force in opposite wheel.

This "wheel brake" lever in L-39 control column.

BTW - VKB MCG and VirPil T50 grips came with this brake lever.

thanks @Sokol1_br, i will think of a way to incorporate that. one idea i have is to make a separate lever that gets mounted on the stick but is connected to the rudder electronics, just to keep the realism. so at the end i will have 1 rudder axis, 2 brake axis on the pedals, one brake axis on lever, and 2 buttons

my plan with the springs is to pre-tension them at the zero position, to force them to work against each other for zeroing and to eliminate the deadzone otherwise. but like i said earlier, i do plan on incorporating gas springs and a dampner eventually as i get the time. the cam and follower idea would be great but i do not have the right tools to make them

This mechanism doesn't work very well, springs tension cancel each other out near the center and leave big dead zone, which going to be even worse with a dumper.

update

Hello all,

Its been a while, I've done some work on the pedals and here is an update

here's the baseplate

and this is the box assembly

this is the magnet clip assembled on the main shaft

and finally the front link with the pneumatic springs

still got plenty of work to do, but it is coming along slowly

on another note, who do you guy post an image that fills up the screen, all my attachments are small in the post