Best (?)Momentary Switches

[72hundred]

Hi,

 

Where is best place (ideally European, but can be worldwide) to order switches to emulate the COURSE and HEADING switches found above the AMPCD in the F-18 (in the attached image)? I think they're called momentary switches? The go both to the left and right in the aircraft.

 

I'm planning to build them into 3mm flat metal plate, and would appreciate any tips mounting them. Also wondering what boards etc are required to make it a USB input into the computer.

 

Thanks.

 

 

https://forums.eagle.ru/attachment.php?attachmentid=234253&d=1588194569

[Raisuli]

Hi,

 

Where is best place (ideally European, but can be worldwide) to order switches to emulate the COURSE and HEADING switches found above the AMPCD in the F-18 (in the attached image)? I think they're called momentary switches? The go both to the left and right in the aircraft.

 

I'm planning to build them into 3mm flat metal plate, and would appreciate any tips mounting them. Also wondering what boards etc are required to make it a USB input into the computer.

 

Thanks.

 

 

https://forums.eagle.ru/attachment.php?attachmentid=234253&d=1588194569

 

 

A "Left Right" SPDT momentary switch is an "Up Down" switch mounted sideways. There's a million (give or take a few hundred thousand) places to buy them, depending on how much you want to spend, but most of them come from Japan, Taiwan, or China if you don't want to spend in excess of 100 euros each for the sealed, insane duty, 'real thing'.

 

 

 

3mm plate will be fine, need 1 and possibly 1.5 holes. 1 big one for the barrel (depends on the switch) and possibly a second half way through the plate for the alignment washer. If you don't want to use the washer you can flip it over, but torque the switch down so it doesn't rotate.

 

 

If none of that made sense I'll start over. You need SPDT (on)-off-(on).

[Deadman]

you don't need to spend 100 euro for a mil spec switch I know a member that picked up mag switchs in Europe for less than 15 Euro a switch. Figure out what you need for the type of switch ie two position or three use my switch list to cross reference and there ya go. Watch on eBay.

 

https://www.ebay.de/itm/5-NEW-NOS-OTTO-21649-T3-14111-ON-OFF-ON-Toggle-Switches/164161286013?epid=1923994401&hash=item2638c66f7d:g:4PYAAOSw5uZelixx

Edited May 1, 2020 by Deadman

[72hundred]

Thanks guys this is great info.

 

I guess the next question, for connecting it to USB for DCS - any tips?

[Raisuli]

I use teensy boards, personally, but there's a bunch of ways to do that. My first question is "how many switches" and second is how much you like writing light code, because teensy/arduino need 'sketches', which is a little code, to work. I can give you the basics and you can go from there. Apparently there are some that just work, but they're a little more expensive. Those dual pole devices are 2 switches, by the way, so a single device might count as more than one switch. A 12 position rotary is 12 switches.

 

 

e-bay. Caveat emptor. I've bought switches from e-bay; they're in my junk switch drawer, but that doesn't mean they're all junk. I'm going to steal that link above, just to see what Deadman sees, in fact.

 

 

Just be aware; I bought all several hundred of mine from Mouser; mostly NKK. Expensive in total (I try not to add it all up) but I've had zero problems with any of them.

 

 

Just started initial work on my Mk. 2 SimPit; going to be a blast to design and build.

[Sokol1_br]

I guess the next question, for connecting it to USB for DCS - any tips?

 

Ready to use solutions like Leo Bodnar like BBI-64 (64 buttons, no analog axes inputs), or Bu0836A/X (32/34 buttons, 8 analog axes inputs), or DSD-64.

 

DIY - FreeJoy firmware flashed in STM32 boards (<$5).

 

- 128 digital inputs (buttons, toggle switches, hat povs, encoders)

-radiobutton sequential button

 

For connect all this buttons will be need make additional Shift Register boards.

 

And more:

 

 

8 analog inputs (12 bit output resolution)

Axis configuration options: calibration (manual or auto), filtering, offset, deadband (center or dynamic), curve shapes

Axis to buttons function (up to 12 buttons per axis)

Buttons/encoders to axis functions

Digital inputs configuration options: normal/inverted button, 3 types of toggle switches, radiobutton sequential button

5 shift modificators

4 hat povs

16 incremental encoders

Shift registers 74HC165 and CD4021

Digital sensors TLE5010/5011, AS5600, MLX90393 (SPI interface only)

External ADCs ADS1115 and MCP3201/02/04/08

3 PWM channels for lighting

24 LEDs (single or matrix) bindable to button's states

Device name and other USB settings

User-friendly configuration utility

Updating firmware on USB

Saving and loading configuration from file

 

 

Edited May 1, 2020 by Sokol1_br

[72hundred]

Thanks Raisuli,

You're very generous to offer the help. There's a good few other elements to this project so I'll probably simplify where I can. Thanks though.

 

Sokol1_b4,

Thanks that link for the BBI-64 info that's what I'm looking for alright.

 

Thanks guys!

[Togg]

APEM 637H/2,

6,18 € at Farnell (for exemple)

 

Datasheet :

http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/1697794.pdf

 

 

Good point: you can download the CAD model.

 

 

 

 

I use APEM switches for my little project:

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=269592

Edited May 6, 2020 by Togg

[Sperrfeuer]

...APEM...