triise's A-10C pit

[triise]

Thanks to Warhogs tips/advice/files I now have a pretty decent cut/engraving for the altimeter. Disregard the big white cut on the diagonal, as I was mixing the mm /inch setup in CamBam late in the evening. Will make another try later

[bnepethomas]

Nice job!

[cefs]

Looks very good. I suppose the weight of the x axis eliminates the play in the y axis bearings. If you do change the bearings and they are the press in type, if you see a row of small holes running down the outside of the carriage along the line of the bearings then there are grub screws holding the bearing in place and will need to be unscrewed before you can knock them out.

[Warhog]

Tore, I noticed the Vid stepper motor in the picture. I just wanted to point out that you can use that motor in most every gauge in the cockpit except the altimeter and the compass. Those two components use the zero setting vid60 stepper motors because they require continuous rotation.

 

I'm pleased that you have been able to get your machine running in an acceptable fashion. Keep in mind that as long as you refrain from cutting harder materials and you ensure you calibrate your machine in all axis you will most likely be able to maintain this degree of accuracy. Unfortunately I have never seen a gantry style mill up close so I can't really recommend additional upgrades to improve your cutting accuracy. I would spend some time with the guys at CNCZone. That forum will be able to answer lots of questions and assist you in getting better results.

 

Your doing well Tore. Keep reading and learning. There is so much more to CNC than you can imagine. :thumbup:

[triise]

John, how do you interface the steppers with DCS BIOS? I see that it currently doesn't have support for steppers, but there will be in the near future. Is there an alternative library I can use?

[triise]

triise's A-10C pit

 

Tore, I noticed the Vid stepper motor in the picture. I just wanted to point out that you can use that motor in most every gauge in the cockpit except the altimeter and the compass. Those two components use the zero setting vid60 stepper motors because they require continuous rotation.

 

 

 

I'm pleased that you have been able to get your machine running in an acceptable fashion. Keep in mind that as long as you refrain from cutting harder materials and you ensure you calibrate your machine in all axis you will most likely be able to maintain this degree of accuracy. Unfortunately I have never seen a gantry style mill up close so I can't really recommend additional upgrades to improve your cutting accuracy. I would spend some time with the guys at CNCZone. That forum will be able to answer lots of questions and assist you in getting better results.

 

 

 

Your doing well Tore. Keep reading and learning. There is so much more to CNC than you can imagine. :thumbup:

 

 

 

Yep, my plan is to use the VIDs for all my instruments.

I ordered from the link you provided for me in a previous post.

Currently the altimeter is the first project :)

(I have a VID 69 for that)

Edited April 11, 2015 by triise

[Warhog]

John, how do you interface the steppers with DCS BIOS? I see that it currently doesn't have support for steppers, but there will be in the near future. Is there an alternative library I can use?

 

Well Tore I'm not exactly sure. I do have one sketch that seems to work reasonably well but when it comes to the zero setting steppers, all I can say is :helpsmilie:.

 

Ian has said he planned to add a stepper class to DCS-BIOS. I, unfortunately, have not talked with him for a couple of weeks. My bad. I've been so caught up in building and then real life got in the way as well. I just haven't had a chance to get together with him. The last time we talked we got a sketch working with a stepper motor for my VSI and he helped me calibrated it. Now try and picture this. I have 6 PC's networked in the house. I do my development and gauge testing on one PC and I fly on another PC in a different room. So here we are, testing the VSI which I had just finished. It's hooked up to my development PC with a web cam on it so Ian can see what it's doing. I'm now in a completely different room flying the A10 calling out the readings I'm getting and, from Germany, some 6,500km away, Ian is watching my VSI comparing the readings I'm getting with what he's seeing on my new VSI. And then we switch roles and now he's controlling the aircraft from 6,500km away with me in the other room back at my development PC and the VSI I just built. It's such a strange world now a days.

 

It was just such an odd scene. New friends, working together, separated by huge distances. But its as if he's beside me, working together on a project, having fun doing it.

 

Anyways, back to stepper motors. Here is the code I'v been using which works well so far.

#include <Stepper.h>
#include <DcsBios.h>
#include <Servo.h>

#define  STEPS  720    // steps per revolution (limited to 315°)
#define  COIL1  6
#define  COIL2  7
#define  COIL3  8
#define  COIL4  9
Stepper stepper(STEPS, COIL1, COIL2, COIL3, COIL4);

int pos = 0;
int targetpos = 315;

void onDcsBiosWrite(unsigned int address, unsigned int value) {
   if (address == 0x106e) {
           targetpos = map(value,0,65535,0,630);  
  }
}

DcsBios::ProtocolParser parser;

void setup() {
 Serial.begin(250000);
 stepper.setSpeed(30);    // set the motor speed to 30 RPM (360 PPS aprox.).
 stepper.step(630);       //Reset Position(630 steps counter-clockwise). 
}


void loop() {
 // feed incoming data to the parser
 while (Serial.available()) {
     parser.processChar(Serial.read());
 }
 
   if(abs(targetpos - pos)> 2){         //if diference is greater than 2 steps.
     if(targetpos > pos) {
         stepper.step(-1);      // move one step to the left.
         pos++;
         }
     if(targetpos < pos){
         stepper.step(1);       // move one step to the right.
         pos--;
         }
   }
 
 // poll inputs
 DcsBios::PollingInput::pollInputs();
}
void sendDcsBiosMessage(const char* msg, const char* arg) {
 Serial.write(msg);
 Serial.write(' ');
 Serial.write(arg);
 Serial.write('\n');
}

 

Basically, you just hook the motor up to 4 pins on your Arduino board. Declare the pins in the sketch. You also need to tell it the number of steps in play. The max is 720 steps which is around 315 degrees. My VSI only needed 630 steps to sweep the total area required because I have gears on this gauge.. And since the halfway point is the actual starting point of this gauge, I set the start position to 315 steps. After it initializes, it move 315 steps (zero on the VSI) and stays there until the aircraft does something.

 

You can take this and modify it for any of the other gauges without too much problem. But it will not work on the altimeter as I had previously stated, that gauge requires a zero setting stepper motor and I haven't the foggiest idea how that's going to work yet. In fact I don't even have that motor yet. Its been ordered but I haven't received the shipment.

 

I won't be much help on this one Tore. Hopefully someone else has it already figured out and will make it available.

[triise]

I see now that it's not the VID69, but the VID60 you need for the altimeter. It has an internal zero setting mechanism, which the VID69 (as I ordered) has not. Which one do you have on order john?

[triise]

Well Tore I'm not exactly sure. I do have one sketch that seems to work reasonably well but when it comes to the zero setting steppers, all I can say is :helpsmilie:.

 

Ian has said he planned to add a stepper class to DCS-BIOS. I, unfortunately, have not talked with him for a couple of weeks. My bad. I've been so caught up in building and then real life got in the way as well. I just haven't had a chance to get together with him. The last time we talked we got a sketch working with a stepper motor for my VSI and he helped me calibrated it. Now try and picture this. I have 6 PC's networked in the house. I do my development and gauge testing on one PC and I fly on another PC in a different room. So here we are, testing the VSI which I had just finished. It's hooked up to my development PC with a web cam on it so Ian can see what it's doing. I'm now in a completely different room flying the A10 calling out the readings I'm getting and, from Germany, some 6,500km away, Ian is watching my VSI comparing the readings I'm getting with what he's seeing on my new VSI. And then we switch roles and now he's controlling the aircraft from 6,500km away with me in the other room back at my development PC and the VSI I just built. It's such a strange world now a days.

 

It was just such an odd scene. New friends, working together, separated by huge distances. But its as if he's beside me, working together on a project, having fun doing it.

 

Anyways, back to stepper motors. Here is the code I'v been using which works well so far.

#include <Stepper.h>
#include <DcsBios.h>
#include <Servo.h>

#define  STEPS  720    // steps per revolution (limited to 315°)
#define  COIL1  6
#define  COIL2  7
#define  COIL3  8
#define  COIL4  9
Stepper stepper(STEPS, COIL1, COIL2, COIL3, COIL4);

int pos = 0;
int targetpos = 315;

void onDcsBiosWrite(unsigned int address, unsigned int value) {
   if (address == 0x106e) {
           targetpos = map(value,0,65535,0,630);  
  }
}

DcsBios::ProtocolParser parser;

void setup() {
 Serial.begin(250000);
 stepper.setSpeed(30);    // set the motor speed to 30 RPM (360 PPS aprox.).
 stepper.step(630);       //Reset Position(630 steps counter-clockwise). 
}


void loop() {
 // feed incoming data to the parser
 while (Serial.available()) {
     parser.processChar(Serial.read());
 }
 
   if(abs(targetpos - pos)> 2){         //if diference is greater than 2 steps.
     if(targetpos > pos) {
         stepper.step(-1);      // move one step to the left.
         pos++;
         }
     if(targetpos < pos){
         stepper.step(1);       // move one step to the right.
         pos--;
         }
   }
 
 // poll inputs
 DcsBios::PollingInput::pollInputs();
}
void sendDcsBiosMessage(const char* msg, const char* arg) {
 Serial.write(msg);
 Serial.write(' ');
 Serial.write(arg);
 Serial.write('\n');
}

 

Basically, you just hook the motor up to 4 pins on your Arduino board. Declare the pins in the sketch. You also need to tell it the number of steps in play. The max is 720 steps which is around 315 degrees. My VSI only needed 630 steps to sweep the total area required because I have gears on this gauge.. And since the halfway point is the actual starting point of this gauge, I set the start position to 315 steps. After it initializes, it move 315 steps (zero on the VSI) and stays there until the aircraft does something.

 

You can take this and modify it for any of the other gauges without too much problem. But it will not work on the altimeter as I had previously stated, that gauge requires a zero setting stepper motor and I haven't the foggiest idea how that's going to work yet. In fact I don't even have that motor yet. Its been ordered but I haven't received the shipment.

 

I won't be much help on this one Tore. Hopefully someone else has it already figured out and will make it available.

 

Thank you John, this was very helpful. Will try this on one of my steppers now and see how it goes.

[hegykc]

For the altimeter, can't you define the 1 turn stepper as having 40*720 steps? But have it display only tens and hundreds? I'm no mathematician but there has to be an easy formula to code that?

Or manualy write the code for each thousand of feet?

 

Let's say max ceiling is 40.000 feet, so the hundreds needle would have 40 turns max. And have the needle turn only -720 steps on each start to hit zero position.

[triise]

UFC starting to take form...

[EntropySG]

Damn! Nice

[flashtom]

First test

${1}

 

Now I have a lot to learn about :book:

 

EDIT: Seems like the youtube embedding has a bug. The video is here:

 

Hi,Triise

 

may i know what kind of material what you are used for panel ?

 

it have black surface and white inside and penetrate the light.

 

thank.

[Warhog]

Hi Tom

 

The best material to use for professional looking results is engraving plastic. It's available in any colour. For this application I would use the matt black with bright white back. The black layer is only .0005" thick. The thickness you need is 0.0625" thick. When you engrave this material, you only need to cut .003" depth. For good backlight transmission you then need to flip it over and pocket out material on the backside anywhere there is text on the front. I go to a depth of 0.035". I'll post some pics later today.

[flashtom]

Hi Tom

 

The best material to use for professional looking results is engraving plastic. It's available in any colour. For this application I would use the matt black with bright white back. The black layer is only .0005" thick. The thickness you need is 0.0625" thick. When you engrave this material, you only need to cut .003" depth. For good backlight transmission you then need to flip it over and pocket out material on the backside anywhere there is text on the front. I go to a depth of 0.035". I'll post some pics later today.

 

Thanks Warhog, your information is always helpful ~~ and is there any other name for engraving plastic, i havn't found any infomation on taobao.com(China's eaby) and ebay.com.

 

At the same time, i am trying to make indicatior, and i had pruchased vid28 and vid29 stepper motor.

 

My communication tools between pc and dcs game is DCS-BIOS. as you said, DCS-BIOS havnt support stepper yet, is there any other solution?

[Warhog]

Hi Tom

 

These are the people I use for engraving plastic. It will be a good place to begin looking for a suitable replacement material in you neck of the woods.

 

http://www.rowmark.com/distributor/northamerica/canada.asp

 

You had asked about nixie tubes and stepper motors... I believe Ian was going to look at creating a stepper class for DCS BIOS which we may see in the next release. There are many examples to be found on the Internet that will let you include stepper motors if you are in a hurry and don't want to wait. I don't know when the next release will be as Ian is extremely busy with exams and school at the moment.

 

The nixie tubes, I don't think so. After discussing this at some length it was decided that because there are so many types of displays, only the most popular one would be included. That was the 1602 LCD type and there has been a tutorial already produced. Any other displays would need to be coded by the user. I think you will find that with a bit of research, you will find that somebody, somewhere has already written code for that particular device.

 

Hope that helps Tom.:)

 

John

[flashtom]

Hi Tom

 

These are the people I use for engraving plastic. It will be a good place to begin looking for a suitable replacement material in you neck of the woods.

 

http://www.rowmark.com/distributor/northamerica/canada.asp

 

You had asked about nixie tubes and stepper motors... I believe Ian was going to look at creating a stepper class for DCS BIOS which we may see in the next release. There are many examples to be found on the Internet that will let you include stepper motors if you are in a hurry and don't want to wait. I don't know when the next release will be as Ian is extremely busy with exams and school at the moment.

 

The nixie tubes, I don't think so. After discussing this at some length it was decided that because there are so many types of displays, only the most popular one would be included. That was the 1602 LCD type and there has been a tutorial already produced. Any other displays would need to be coded by the user. I think you will find that with a bit of research, you will find that somebody, somewhere has already written code for that particular device.

 

Hope that helps Tom.:)

 

John

 

Hi, Warhog, thanks very very much.

 

:D

 

i had been made a CMSP + CMSC panel, included 0801 and 2002 LCD, it works good.:smilewink:

 

I will find some way to apply nixie tubes.

 

BTW:

 

how do you make your vid29 works without DCS-BIOS, r u use arduino ? or other method?

 

Thanks again.

Edited August 23, 2015 by flashtom

[triise]

Ok, so now the summer is over and the project is in progress again. I've decided to do some modifications to my original plan. I'll be skipping some of the panels and also since windows 10 I can't get DCS-BIOS to work. I get no communication between the arduino and DCS. Don't know what is wrong...

I've decided to use Leo Bodnar boards instead and will have to work something out regarding LEDs and gauges.

I'll keep you updated.

[triise]

Ok, reverted back to Windows 7 again (thank you Microsoft for implementing the option to do this without any hazzle).

DCS-BIOS now works as a charm again. So I'll be going back to my original plans.

Got the CMSP LCD working tonight, and finished the Caution panel, as well as the ELEC panel. Not sure if I'm going to use a MEGA on the EW-panel, as it's the only one with enough pins for both the LCD and the switches. Also looking into using 2 Nano's for the panel.

 

Now back to some CAD/CAM work :)

[Hansolo]

He he I know what you mean Triise. I have tried to get W10 to work twice, but can#t for the life of me get the microphone to work. So back to W7, because it works :-)

 

Glad your setup is working again :-)

 

Cheers

Hans

[triise]

Ok, CMSP panel complete and works (almost).

I have some 3-pos switches on-off-(on) but I can't enter the menu on the DISP switch by momentarily switching it upwards. If I right click in the cockpit, it works. And I see that the switch rocks forward when I flip it on my panel, but it will not enter the menu... Any tips?

 

[FSFIan]

Sorry, that is a known bug that was filed months ago. I'll try to fix it today (the "quick and dirty but it works" instead of the "redesign the thing properly" fix).

 

My problem with DCS-BIOS is that everyone is building panels and finding errors faster than I could keep up next to my curriculum and moving to a new place. I hope that changes now that I have finally moved (since last weekend, I have access to all of my electronics stuff again).

[triise]

Ian;2504659']Sorry, that is a known bug that was filed months ago. I'll try to fix it today (the "quick and dirty but it works" instead of the "redesign the thing properly" fix).

 

My problem with DCS-BIOS is that everyone is building panels and finding errors faster than I could keep up next to my curriculum and moving to a new place. I hope that changes now that I have finally moved (since last weekend, I have access to all of my electronics stuff again).

 

I really appreciate it Ian, let me know if you find a quick fix for this. :thumbup:

[FSFIan]

Fixed in v0.4.1.

[triise]

Ian;2505066']Fixed in v0.4.1.

 

Great work! Thanks.

Just a silly question: how do I upgrade? I've had a bit of a hazzle with my installation and finally got it to work now, so I don't want to do anything silly. Do I have to copy all the files over? or do I just have to replace the SCRIPTS folder in DCS-BIOS folder?

 

Again, thank you for your fast response and help :)