Modular A-10C gauge controller for DCS Bios

[lesthegrngo]

That's one of the reasons that I convert to .pdf, it 'fixes' the text in the right place. Do you want me to send you the .svg file I made in Inkscape?

 

Les

[lesthegrngo]

Guys, I thought I would just take a step back and give an update on my progress.

 

I've been doing a lot of bits and bobs on this project, as you can see by my continual stream of questions. I still have a to-do list a mile long, I've started keeping a log of all the jobs I have to do and seem to be adding items faster than I'm knocking them off. I also have to design and build the left console, so a huge amount to do still.

 

However of late I seem to be constantly working on bits on a table somewhere, and my long suffering wife pointed out that there was supposed to be an end product somewhere and that I never seemed to be any closer to finishing. It's a fair point and so in order to demonstrate to her (and also I've come to realise to myself as well) I downed tools and have put everything together that has been built so far so that I can see some progress.

 

I'm pretty happy with it. It's not supposed to be a fully accurate replica, I've modified dimensions, layouts and details to support to requirements of my build. One of the not very obvious requirements I have is that as I move around the world with my work, and so everything that I make has to be able to be disassembled into modules that can go into boxes. That imposes its own unique restrictions.

 

Nonetheless I'm proud of it so far, and I'm pleased at how far I've come and good some details have turned out.

 

I still have to address the elephant in the room sometime, namely the RS485 network. I have bought a TinySine RS485 shield in order to come back to it one day, however I'm still not quite ready yet. No doubt I'll have to ask help on this forum again (with apologies in advance to Hansolo and VincVega), and I am still hopeful that I can enlist the help of someone locally who can work with me and hold my arms at my side when I am about to throw stuff at the wall again (that happened a number of times).

 

Some of my designs and concepts have changed drastically since the outset and I have learned a lot. I have had to learn to use Arduinos, sketches and programming, I2C units, PCF8574 modules, MAX7219 modules, LCD displays, OLED displays, laser engraver, CNC router / engraver, QCAD, Inkscape, custom PCB design, stepper motors and drivers...... the list goes on

 

So I thought I'd share the progress with you all and repeat my thanks for all the help I've been given over the past year

 

Hope you like it

 

Cheers

 

Les

Edited April 13, 2020 by lesthegrngo

[Lobinjaevel]

It looks amazing! Great job learning everything needed, I'm still working on it, don't look forward to the programming part even tho I took 3 courses in highschool, I never really got it :)

[lesthegrngo]

Thanks Robin

 

Pm sent re this

 

Cheers

 

Les

[lesthegrngo]

One part I forgot to mention in the post was the wires - wires, wires, wires, miles of bloody wires.

 

I need to find a way to cut down on the wires, by making power busses and making use of 'hard' wiring. If nothing else, keeping track of what connects to what using which cable is not easy, and a couple of mis-placed wires has already resulted in a couple of rather crispy bits

 

Cheers

 

Les

[lesthegrngo]

I'm getting there. This is the majority of the Dash now done, and with the exception of the altimeter gauge and the multiple TISL OLEDs all is working, and the majority together. I have to sort out the lag, combining all the gauges and displays where possible onto one Arduino will help

 

I want to make some patch cables and modules in order to try and cut down on cabling, and make bus bars for 12v / 5v etc. There are still lots of multiple pin headers that have to be connected up, I wish there was a better solution but with the limited time and resource I have I'm going to have to put up with it. I may make some PCB based transfer 'wires' to help link it all together, and make solid state routings to the Bodnar boards and Arduinos, as space is tight. I'm also going to have to get better at making short ribbon connectors with headers to help with that.

 

If anyone has some good connectivity ideas, I'm listening.

 

Next up is the Up Front Controller and the dash brow, and also to see if I can get the four built in displays working with Ikarus. I think that the two MFCD's can stay as they are using MonitorSetp.lua, but I was unable to get the airspeed indicator working with Helios, and also the artificial horizon was missing some functionality and I was unable to understand how to configure it in Helios. Of course I still need to finish the Altimeter too, once the Optocoupler arrives, and the TISL OLED multiplexer sketch is ready, apart from the minor detail that I don't have the multiplexer board yet. from what I can tell it should be easy enough to implement though

 

Cheers

 

Les

Edited May 24, 2020 by lesthegrngo

[lesthegrngo]

Up Front Controller finished, now have to complete the dash brow on which it will fit. I have to say, this was one of the easiest panels I've made so far, and one of the thinnest, at about 10mm thick.

 

Hope you like it

 

Cheers

 

Les

[Blue73]

This is really great Les, wish I had the room for something like this! I assume you laser cut into white acrylic painted black for the panel faces? If so which laser cutter do you use?

 

cheers

 

John.

[lesthegrngo]

Thanks John

 

Yes, that's the process I use, rattle can spray paint on what they call opal white acrylic. I use one of the K40 clone laser cutters, which after replacing the cheap laser tube with a better one (I think it was from TenHigh) has been great, for the price

 

Cheers

 

Les

[lesthegrngo]

Here are the dash 'brow' coamings, basically MDF machined so that I can bend the MDF to the correct curve. Thankfully a simple curve not a compound one, and once sanded and painted I think that they will look OK

 

Cheers

 

Les

[lesthegrngo]

Here is the coaming almost complete - sorry about the pictures being upside down

 

The fire handles say PUSH rather than pull deliberately, just in case someone wants to point that out, I couldn't be bothered to make them pull type at the moment. The UFC needs a reinforcing plate behind it as it is a bit thin and flexes a bit but that's easy enough. I thought the cut and shut method would work for the curves and so it proved, although as ever a nice thick coat of matt black covers a multitude of sins :music_whistling:

 

Best of all, once screwed to the top of the dash it has consolidated the assembly really well, making the whole lot feel more solid.

 

Cheers

 

Les

Edited June 10, 2020 by lesthegrngo

[Blue73]

That looks sharp! :thumbup:

[lesthegrngo]

Thanks - this is what it looks like in place, and I'm very happy at how it turned out. The whole lot feels really solid and so all the switches on the dash have a realistic chunky feel to them.

 

I envy you over there, I used to spend loads of time (and money...) in Bunnings when I lived in Melbourne. You also have Jaycar, plus loads of places to get aluminium extrusion, nuts, bolts, great modelling shops that sell all those tiny little gears, bearings, tubes, etc that would make all this soooooo much easier

 

Cheers

 

Les

[lesthegrngo]

Finally started on the left console, all of it is designed around the fitment of the Thrustmaster Warthog Hotas unit, which is nicely in place. As you go along you learn from previous mistakes, so while the groove for the individual panel rails has been cut, I will put them in later so that I can space everything nicely.

 

This is the last large part, from now on everything will fit to the existing frame and consoles. Machining the large pieces of MDF on my small router took a bit of work and planning, so I'm relieved to have those bits out of the way now, with just the outriggers remaining to connect the console to the main frame. I'll try and knock those out tomorrow, so I can concentrate on the remaining panels

 

Cheers

 

Les

Edited June 14, 2020 by lesthegrngo

[lesthegrngo]

On connection duty today, making patch modules to couple all the right hand console panels in such a way as to make it easy to connect them, with a dedicated electronics and connections board.

 

It came as a shock to realise that just for the right console, I have used 3 64 button Bodnar boards, one Arduino Uno, one Mega and two nanos. Admittedly the CDU accounts for more than one Bodnar board on its own, but still I am amazed. I think I have to order another three 64 button boards (I already have 5!) to complete what I think I have planned.

 

I also had to order another 1000 Dupont female pin crimp connectors - making over two thousand used so far

 

I am beginning to realise just how much I have put into this so far and am curious as to just how much exactly I've invested in this - and just as keen to prevent my long-suffering wife from finding out too!

 

Is it just me, or is this a bit of an obsession...?

 

Les