FC3 all in one USB control panel

[Apache600]

Update time,

Had a couple days off between ground school and sim, so thought i would get a little more work done on the project. All i need to do now is wire it, and it should be good to go. Won't be able to work on it again until the beginning of March though :(

 

 

 

 

 

 

and with this last pic, here it is without the throttle and joystick.

 

Can't wait to get this thing up and running!

 

 

 

Hey guys,

Well, just thought i'd slap together what i had so far. The project is still under way, and will hopefully be completed soon. There could be a massive delay soon as i will be leaving for 2 months for training with a new job. (I will be training to fly this http://fsbrasil.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/e175_delta_n202jq-c.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7162/6748287135_03bffdda95_z.jpg CAN'T WAIT!)

 

Anyway, as the title suggests, this is an all in one control panel for ALL of the FC3 (and su-25t) aircraft. This control panel will control all of the A/P, CM, Trims, Sensors, Systems, Kneeboard, Weapons, Modes, and Comm channels (F1-F12, plus a couple quick reference comm keys)

 

Here's a quick peek, you can see that none of the labels are on the panel, and I still need to wire it

 

 

 

It will be powered by 3 Leo Bodnar BU0836A USB boards, and require SV Mapper to run in the background to control the 2-way position switches. There will be no need to alter anything in the .lau files, so no worries of newer versions of DCS coming along to make a mess out of that.

 

I have an x-55 hotas that I use in conjunction, as seen in the pictures. but this is sized so that the Warthog hotas will also fit on it.

 

I started construction on this after building my dedicated SU-25T panel, which some of you may recognize from a post I had a few months ago

 

 

 

Here are some of the concept to fruition pictures i've got.

 

 

 

 

 

I'll keep you guys posted as development moves along.

 

- Apache600

Edited February 7, 2015 by Apache600
Update with new picutres

[Extranajero]

Great stuff !

[Mr_Burns]

Lovely work!

[Friedric]

Nice job man :-)

[Mr_Burns]

Hey I will post some of mine which remind me of yours, just not in quantity or range of switch types.

 

But I like yours.

 

I built a desk with places for panels because I am really flippant with "games". Today I played dawn of discovery Venice for 5 hours, yesterday and day before was Don Bradman Cricket! I will also get a steering wheel set up soon because I am wanting formula 1 type game.

 

Yours is great though, just detach SU and attach A-10....same desk..brilliant!

[1.JaVA_Platypus]

Hey, that is actually a very good idea! What kind of USB controller do you use?

[Phantom_Mark]

Lots of win, I like this setup :)

[Apache600]

Update time! (initial post edited)

[Ktulu2]

I must ask : Why in the world did you take time to put TDC and RDR master modes on this pannel? Those are a must on a hotas. Long range RDR could be else where (like antenna elevation, although I personnaly fing I would die in some situations if it was else where) but TDC and Auto Aquisitions mode and gun reticle are the kind of buttons that you need to operate FAST. Be quick or be dead. CMS pannel is also in that category : when you will get fired upon before the merge, you need to get MIN throttle, pull as hard as you can/make it go into a hill and flare like a mother f***. You can't do that fast enough without hotas, and even there, there are situations where it is the end anyway.

Other than that looks great!

[Apache600]

Klulu2,

I wanted to put every possible key on the control panel because I can :) Just because it's on there doesn't mean you also can't bind it to a HOTAS key. The only button not on that control panel is the "Weapon fire" key, because well ... every joystick better have a trigger at least.

Even for me, I bind a ton of keys to my joystick. Ex: Weapon change. but i still like having the option of selecting the key on the panel if i've got time before a run on the target.

Once you learn the placement of the buttons, you'd be surprised as to how quickly you can hit things like the countermeasures and what not. But i won't disagree with you, Gun reticle ... yeah, that is always good to have a toggle key on your joystick for that for those split second moments.

[Mr_Burns]

I really like it pal, nice work, thats right up my street to remove the keyboard for immersion.

 

Interested into what interface you use, I use Groovy Game Gear.

 

Do you use helios or scripting to use toggle switches?

 

[edit to add] I can only imagine the spaghetti of wires those painted plywood panels are hiding!

Edited February 8, 2015 by Mr_Burns

[Apache600]

I use Leo Bodnar. I've been looking at Groovy Game Gear products. They are a good price, but I need the potentiometer support. For toggle switch use, I use SVMapper.

I have an inside picture here of the SU-25T panel. Instead of using the BUO836X's like i've done in the past, i've been switching up to the BUO836A's since they are cheaper and smaller. Only problem is, is that I have to matrix out all the keys. Because of that, you'll see the numerous bread boards with diode matrix's. I have to do that so key ghosting doesn't occur.

 

Here's the spaghetti rat's nest you imagined :)

 

[Apache600]

I am happy to finally say, the control panel is complete!

 

Just got done testing it on a couple of the aircraft, and it is working 100% !!!

Here's a picture of the panel working with the F-15C. and another with the SU-25

 

 

 

- Apache600

[Mr_Burns]

Nice work! I like it.

[Warhog]

I really like the lines of the control panel. It gives it a lot of character as apposed to just a flat plate with switches.

 

It would be really outstanding if you could add a few digital readouts even; if it was only a clock and a volt meter for your PSU. Who cares what its for. It just adds to the visual interest and the dynamics of it would be even more enhanced.

 

Well done!:thumbup:

[Apache600]

Thanks for the compliments guys!

Warhog, I agree with you, I'd really like to learn how to do some of that. I've been keeping these panels as simple as possible so that I don't have to do any changes or anything with the .LUA files. All that's needed is mapping the keys and away you go.

With these being all the FC3 level of detail aircraft, is there anything that can be exported anyway?