AndrewW's F/A-18C cockpit build

[Bullant]

I have been doing a lot of reading over the last couple of months.

And started buying some parts for prototyping last week.

So here's the gist of what I am planning.

 

Eventually I would like a fully functional F/A-18C cockpit, with every display and switch functional. This of course depends on exactly what is implemented and exported in the ED module when it is released.

 

The plan for my build is:

* 95" projected display for the outside visuals (already have this)

* DCS-Bios using the RS-485 master slave functionality. Arduino Mega for the master and heaps of nanos (pretty much one per panel) for the slaves.

* Will use Cat 5 to run the RS-485 signal.

* Separate 5V and 12V power lines running from a PSU to each panel.

* 8" HDMI LCD panels for the DDI and MPCD

* Building my own magnetically held switches for the 7 that require it using a variation on this idea

* Using Stang's plans for the cockpit and panels once they are released

* Building the panels out of acrylic with support for back-lighting via LED strip lights which will be controlled by the pots on the INTR LT panel

* Building servo driven instruments where possible

* Working HUD

* HOTAS - Waiting to see what Thrustmaster comes out with, but for the throttle I am seriously considering trying to build one of my own to get the full range of motion, finger lifts and all the appropriate detents.

 

Things I have done so far:

 

* Printed out the NATOPS cockpit display (page FO-19) at 414% for the front cockpit panels, as this seems to give the correct size for the DDIs.

* Printed out the side panels from the NATOPS manual (page FO-21) at 400% for the side panels, as this gives the correct size for the ESC panel.

* ordered the following parts for prototyping purposes

- Arduino Mega clone (A$14 ebay)

- Arduino Nano clone x 5 (A$18 ebay)

- 50 x MAX487 chips (A$5 ebay)

- 20 50K single linear pots, 10 x 50K single linear pot with switch, 8 x 50K double linear pot with switch (A$24 ebay ebay ebay)

- 3 x 8 Inch HJ0801A-01E LCD displays (US$135 ebay)

- 70 x tactile switches (KSA0M511 LFTR), 70 x Light gray tactile switch caps (BTNK0120), 4 x rocker switch (M2018TNW01-DA) - Digi-key A$108

- 5m Green LED strip, 12V and in groups of 3 LEDs (A$8 ebay)

 

The first plan is to make up a prototype DDI out of thick card stock and program the arduino to connect to the A-10C MFD. The digi-key order arrived today, so I will be doing that tonight. The switches are a perfect fit!

Edited January 10, 2018 by Bullant

[Bullant]

Great success!

 

I wired up a matrix for 2 rows of DDI/OSB buttons and had them interfacing perfectly with the A10.

 

 

Spent the rest of the night designing some PCBs to support the switches and their diodes, 5 switches per board.

 

Ordered 10 DDI boards and 10 MPCD boards (can you believe the spacing is .5mm closer on the MPCD??) and for the grand sum of US$15 I should receive them in the next 15-20 days.

 

Pretty simple design, and I plan on daisy chaining the Column signals hence the two pads for each column connection on each board. The printed 1:1 version lined up perfectly with both the components and my mocked up DDI/MPCD so fingers crossed!

 

[alt10k]

Your plan AndrewW is almost identical with mine.

 

One question, what kind of GPU configuration you have planned to use to connect all displays?

[Bullant]

Good question.

 

My current DCS PC has an ATI 7970 with 4 outputs (HDMI, DVI-D and Mini-DP x 2).

 

This works fine for my current setup with HDMI driving the projector and DVI-D driving the 22" Helios monitor.

 

For the final config, I am going to need 5 displays: Projector, HUD, 2 x DDI, MPCD

 

The projector, DDIs and MPCD are all HDMI, haven't started on the HUD yet but will likely use the same 8" LCD as the DDIs so that's 5 HDMI connections all up.

 

As an interim solution I was considering something like this which gives me 3 HDMI outputs from a single display port output. Be keen to hear from anyone who has used on of these or an alternative.

 

The biggest problem is going to be getting a graphics card to drive the required resolution.

 

Projector is 1920x1080

Each of the other 4 displays is 1024 x 768

 

That gives a total resolution of 6016 x 1080.

 

I have successfully run a 5760 x 1200 resolution eyefinity setup with this card, but not sure if the multiple monitors will make a performance difference.

 

I can't justify $1K for a 1080 ti just for DCS, but I am hoping they might be more affordable by the time I have my pit built.

 

edit: Just did some reading and found out that nvidia cards can't support more than 4 monitors. Full stop. Even with a hub. So ... either I hope ATI bring out a competitor to the 1080 ti or I try and stick two vide cards in the computer (not SLI/Crossfire) and split the 5 displays across them.

Edited January 10, 2018 by Bullant

[ward8124]

Which 8inch displays did you go for?

[Bullant]

Which 8inch displays did you go for?

 

HJ080IA-01E from ebay

 

There are hyperlinks after every item in the first post going directly to where I purchased each item from.

[Bullant]

Things are looking up. Got my first real aircraft part of the pit!

 

Couldn't pass it up, especially with the cover.

 

 

[jrsteensen]

Good question.

 

My current DCS PC has an ATI 7970 with 4 outputs (HDMI, DVI-D and Mini-DP x 2).

 

This works fine for my current setup with HDMI driving the projector and DVI-D driving the 22" Helios monitor.

 

For the final config, I am going to need 5 displays: Projector, HUD, 2 x DDI, MPCD

 

The projector, DDIs and MPCD are all HDMI, haven't started on the HUD yet but will likely use the same 8" LCD as the DDIs so that's 5 HDMI connections all up.

 

As an interim solution I was considering something like this which gives me 3 HDMI outputs from a single display port output. Be keen to hear from anyone who has used on of these or an alternative.

 

The biggest problem is going to be getting a graphics card to drive the required resolution.

 

Projector is 1920x1080

Each of the other 4 displays is 1024 x 768

 

That gives a total resolution of 6016 x 1080.

 

I have successfully run a 5760 x 1200 resolution eyefinity setup with this card, but not sure if the multiple monitors will make a performance difference.

 

I can't justify $1K for a 1080 ti just for DCS, but I am hoping they might be more affordable by the time I have my pit built.

 

edit: Just did some reading and found out that nvidia cards can't support more than 4 monitors. Full stop. Even with a hub. So ... either I hope ATI bring out a competitor to the 1080 ti or I try and stick two vide cards in the computer (not SLI/Crossfire) and split the 5 displays across them.

For the DDI and other in cockpit displays, you can get away with splitting them out to a relatively cheap second video card.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

[Bullant]

For the DDI and other in cockpit displays, you can get away with splitting them out to a relatively cheap second video card.

 

My current computer has an onboard Intel video card, as a quick test I enabled it and connected one of the 8" displays. Was really easy to set it up with the MFD export from the A10. I have no idea how windows is able to split the video across two video cards and don't really care, the process is proven and that's all that matters :)

[Bullant]

In anticipation of the Hornet module release on Wednesday, I threw together this prototype so I could test out the dcsbios logic.

 

Should give me the controls I need for my planned endless case I carrier recovery attempts without having to go head down with the mouse clicking switches. I just need to add (out of place) hook and wing fold switches to complete the setup.

 

 

[karlh]

Should be fun watching the progression. Keep us posted.

[aarenas52]

Looking forward to your build! How are you building the physical cockpit? I am trying to do the same but not sure where to start...

[Bullant]

I was considering cheating and going down the dogfight boss cockpit route, especially as they now produce an aluminium skin version complete with panels ... however looking closely at the photos I know there are things that will niggle me over time.

 

I am really hoping the openhornet project comes through, and hoping the might release the cockpit structure plans before the entire system is complete so that I could start working on the main structure.

[jimiC]

Andrew what function do the diodes have in the mpcd circuits ?

Answer might be self evident to some but I'm just getting my head back into electronics after 20 years

 

 

Edit

Went looking at various approaches . I assume the diodes are because you will use a key matrix to increase the number of buttons for a given number of io pins ?

Sent from my SM-G925I using Tapatalk

Edited September 8, 2018 by jimiC

[Bullant]

Went looking at various approaches . I assume the diodes are because you will use a key matrix to increase the number of buttons for a given number of io pins ?

 

Yes that's correct, I will be using a key matrix and it stops crosstalk.

[jimiC]

Yes that's correct, I will be using a key matrix and it stops crosstalk.

I'm proceeding with a similar setup . The stuff from digikey looks like a good fit

I'm going with arduino micro to run as a keyboard

That way I can use the mpcds across multiple aircraft quickly. I couldn't see a way to do this via dcsbios easily

 

Sent from my SM-G925I using Tapatalk

[RightStuff]

Yes that's correct, I will be using a key matrix and it stops crosstalk.

 

How did you built the matrix?

‚Flying wires‘ or a PCB?

[jimiC]

How did you built the matrix?

‚Flying wires‘ or a PCB?

He has made some pcbs each pcb is a single row of the matrix with 5 buttons on it each one a column

 

 

Sent from my SM-G925I using Tapatalk

[RightStuff]

He has made some pcbs each pcb is a single row of the matrix with 5 buttons on it each one a column

Interesting approach. Otherwise it‘ll be a mess with all the wires.

[jrsteensen]

I was considering cheating and going down the dogfight boss cockpit route, especially as they now produce an aluminium skin version complete with panels ... however looking closely at the photos I know there are things that will niggle me over time.

 

I am really hoping the openhornet project comes through, and hoping the might release the cockpit structure plans before the entire system is complete so that I could start working on the main structure.

 

 

We are still (quietly) plugging away. Unfortunately, everything will be released at the same time. We are modelling all the components/LRUs first, ensuring they are placed in the correct XYZ coordinates according to the real bird, and then building structure to accommodate the components. The reason we have decided to do a release all at once is in case we find issues as the design progresses. I would hate for people to have to rebuild the structure because I caught something during a QA check on the model.

 

 

 

Left console is still in work, really hung up bad on how to break the AUX down due to print size limitations. Of all the stuff Ive designed both professionally and personally, really didn't expect this to be the sticking point. Haha.

[ICEMAN2647]

WHERE DID U GET THE GAUGES AND THE PARTS FOR THE INTERIOR, LIKE PANELS, MFD,M ETC? IM BUILDING THE F18 AND I CANT FIND THE PARTS TO EVEN START IN INSIDE?

[Mr_Burns]

Iceman most of the people here are making their own panels, there are many ways to build you own depending on your skills.

 

 

If you are only after buying panels finished and plug and play you wont find many as the demand is pretty low and the price is pretty high.

 

 

 

Most people are using the Thrustmaster MFDs which are really the only ones on the market.

 

 

My suggestion would be to start with a touch screen second monitor and helios and potentially this:

 

 

https://www.dogfightboss.com/

[ICEMAN2647]

HOW DO U WIRE THE SWITCH ON THE PANEL, TO WORK EXACTLY IN SYNC WITH THE SWITCH ON THE DCS SIMULATOR MODULE GAME? I CANT UNDERSTAND THAT. IM BUILDING THE F18 AND I AM AFRAID TO SPEND MONEY ON PANELS AND SWITCHES CAUSE I DONT SEE HOW I CAN WIRE THE SWITCH TO A SIMULATOR GAME. CAN SOMEONE TELL STUPID (ME) HOW ITS DONE LMAO. TY TO ANYONE WHO EPLAINS IT THE CORRECT WAY.

[Svsmokey]

Try googling "usb controller board" or "usb interface board" . Should be quite an education...

Edited September 26, 2018 by Svsmokey

[ICEMAN2647]

Try googling "usb controller board" or "usb interface board" . Should be quite an education...

 

 

 

In other words im screwed smokey?