DCS BIOS, or Arduino USB HID controller?

[DigitalEngine]

First, I'm a complete rookie at this and wanting to get started at this time.

 

I'd like to build a physical cockpit mock up for use with Virtual Reality, based on one of the non-clickable aircraft platforms FC3, Su-25T for example. I've discovered a way to track my physical hand positions in virtual reality while in the Su-25T. Basically rudimentary hand tracking using the HTC Vive controllers.

 

First step, as far as I can see, is deciding which is the basic I/O interface I should go with?

DCS-BIOS by Ian or this, Arduino USB HID controller, composite USB controller by Overpro?

 

The Arduino USB HID Controller seems the easiest way to go, as I mostly only need to deal with Input variables, but, it may not be the best in the long term, as, later I'd like to add force feed back to a custom joystick setup, plus go to the Clickable platforms and whatever other unknown Outputs I may desire in virtual reality. And it seems as if the Arduino USB Controller by Overpro is no longer actively supported.

 

In Ian's DCS-BIOS Developers Guide, he states

 

"Add your aircraft to AircraftList.lua Open AircraftList.lua. If your aircraft has a clickable cockpit, add a("Your Aircraft Name", true). If your aircraft does not have a clickable cockpit, add a("Your Aircraft Name", false). This will populate the constants BIOS.ALL_PLAYABLE_AIRCRAFT, BIOS.CLICKABLE_COCKPIT_AIRCRAFT and BIOS.FLAMING_CLIFFS_AIRCRAFT accordingly. After this, the CommonData export module will be active for your aircraft."

 

 

This leads me to believe that DCS-BIOS supports other airframe platforms than the listed A-10C, UH-1H, Mig-21Bis, Ka-50.

 

 

Plan on starting with the Arduino MEGA 2560.

 

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!

[FSFIan]

This leads me to believe that DCS-BIOS supports other airframe platforms than the listed A-10C, UH-1H, Mig-21Bis, Ka-50.

 

It does not. You would have to add support for your aircraft to DCS-BIOS (which requires knowing the Lua programming language and familiarizing yourself with the Export.lua environment). The FLAMING_CLIFFS_AIRCRAFT constant is not used anywhere in DCS-BIOS yet. It was meant as a convenient way to define an export module that handles things that work the same way in all FC3 aircraft, but are not general enough to work in all the clickable cockpit aircraft as well (in which case it would go into the CommonData module, which is active for all aircraft and exports a few general things like the current position, altitude and heading).

 

If you were targeting an aircraft with a clickable cockpit, I'd probably recommend DCS-BIOS, so you can properly interface toggle switches, multiposition switches and rotary encoders. For FC3 aircraft, even Export.lua cannot overcome the limitation of only having a "toggle" command available for most things, so adding a FC3 aircraft to DCS-BIOS does not give you any more power or flexibility.

[DigitalEngine]

Thank you, Ian,

So, is it best to go with Arduino USB HID controller, composite USB controller by Overpro I/O foundation for a F3C type platform, or would you recommend something else?

[FSFIan]

I don't know enough about the different commercial offerings and DIY variants of USB HID interface cards to recommend one over the other based on features.

 

My recommendation would be any DIY solution (most of them seem to be Arduino-based). Overpro's 2x128-button firmware is a good start. The market for (clones of) Arduino boards is much larger than the one for joystick interface boards, so no commercial offering will come close to the price of a DIY solution.

 

If you want to buy an Arduino Mega clone for use with overpro's firmware, make sure it actually uses an ATMega16U2 for the USB interface (and not the cheaper CH340 chip). Both ebay.com and AliExpress have offerings with an ATMega16U2, which is usually specified in the title. If an offer does not explicitly mention the ATMega16U2 chip, assume it has the CH340 and avoid it.

 

The choice of converter chip does not matter for most Arduino projects, but using a Mega as a HID device involves reprogramming the ATMega16U2, so it won't work with the CH340 which is a dedicated USB-to-serial converter chip.

[DigitalEngine]

Oh gee, :doh:

 

Thank you Ian,

you likely save me a lot of time on trying to reprogram the chip anyway, as I had already ordered this board,

"MEGA 2560 R3 Board ATmega2560-16AU CH340G + USB Cable for Arduino"

Which mentions the "CH340" and ATmega16AU, so I'm assuming its the cheaper CH340 chip installed.

Well, it was cheap, so not too much lost.

Although, (as a later project), I could use this board with DCS BIOS to do a DCS BIOS supported clickable platform such as the Ka-50, correct?

 

I ordered this one today,

Elegoo MEGA 2560 R3 Board ATmega2560 ATMEGA16U2 + USB Cable Compatible With Arduin

 

It should work??

Edited March 1, 2017 by DigitalEngine

[FSFIan]

"ATMega2560-16AU" has nothing to do with the "ATMega16U2". Part numbers can be tricky.

 

According to the datasheet pg. 410: "ATMega2560-16AU" = ATMega2560 processor rated for 16 MHz, packaging code AU (100-pin TQFP package)

 

And yes, the CH340 variant is fine for use with DCS-BIOS.

[jazzymanserg]

BUT DCS_BIOS working only with clickable aircraft. SU-25 and SU-25T are not clickable.

How you can use it for those aircrafts? You must change almost all functions of DCS-BIOS.

First mycocpits of SU-25A and Su-25T on 2xARDUINO NANO. 2 simple directx joy on PPJOY

so i have 64 buttons and 8 axis + 24 standarrt joystic buttons and 3 axis

Its enouth for those crafts

 

Now i built them on Ardu micro pro and nicohood prj NICOHOOD

nico joy - 48 buttos and 8 axis. So 2 Micro pro = 96 butons and 16 axis

 

Clickable cocpits of Mig-15 and L-39 i build on DCS-BIOS + Mega2560-16AU(CH340)

and ITS COOL and no hard

It is a pity that Ian doesn't want to adapt DCS-BIOS under FC3 nonclickable crafts

Edited May 25, 2017 by jazzymanserg

[RightStuff]

 

First step, as far as I can see, is deciding which is the basic I/O interface I should go with?

DCS-BIOS by Ian or this, Arduino USB HID controller, composite USB controller by Overpro?

 

The Arduino USB HID Controller seems the easiest way to go, as I mostly only need to deal with Input variables, but, it may not be the best in the long term, as, later I'd like to add force feed back to a custom joystick setup, plus go to the Clickable platforms and whatever other unknown Outputs I may desire in virtual reality.

 

I'd go both ways: Arduino HID and DCS-BIOS.

With Overpro's HID you can use buttons, switches and encoders for every module.

With DCS-BIOS you can make the eye-candy stuff (LEDs) for some currently supported modules.

 

At least that's my planning.

If there are some caveats on this approach, a headsup would be nice.