Modding an Analog F16 FLCS/TQS

[Fjordmonkey]

I'm the lucky(?) owner of a non-upgraded Thrustmaster F16FLCS/TQS-set, and I've been thinking about using it as a basis for turning it into a USB-joystick/throttle combo, with or without rudder (can always map that to a button anyway). And since I'm about as useful in things like this as an fully loaded IL76 is in a dogfight, I thought I'd turn to people smarter than me (yep, that's you I'm talking about :D)

 

The stick/throttle has the following capabilities:

 

Stick:

Two axis (Pitch/Roll)

3 one-stage buttons

1 Two-stage button (trigger)

4-way hat switches

 

Throttle:

One axis (Throttle)

4-way hat switch

two dials (antenna and range), one with button-function. (the dials can be skipped as they're not really that important)

two 3 position slider switches.

 

Now then! Teh Challenge™!

 

Finding some way to get this over onto an USB-platform, either through re-using the parts already present, or buying new ones. I've been looking at the Ultimarc website, and looked at the A-Pac v2 and the A-Pac v1. Not sure which one would be more useful, nor if there are better options out there.

 

Any ideas/thoughts about this, or useful hints? Not sure if this will work at all, but hey, we won't know until we try (and quite possibly fail spectacularly) :P

[walternowi]

Check out the discussion here:

 

http://www.ch-hangar.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5194

 

The technical description is way over my head, but you can ask the original posters.

[Fjordmonkey]

Hmm, that might work. The only issue is that me and soldering-irons go together like an AIM-9 and an engine in full AB (Highly attracted to eachother, but the result is usually painful).

 

Looking at the BU863, and that might be a better choice than the A-Pac because of more axis. Have rudder-twist on my current Saitek Cyborg Evo, and I can't really see me flying without it. Especially not when Black Sharks comes along.