Rapti Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 Hello everyone, I am in the process of designing a ButtonBox for the F/A-18C. What functions should the box have in your opinion. What I have planned so far: Middle: - UFC Right: - Caution Lights - Ejection Handle - Hook - Canopy - Wing Fold Left: - Handbrake - Dispenser - Master Arm - A/A - A/G - Jettison - LaunchBar - Flaps - Gear - Master Cauton Light what else? - Console / Inst Pnl / Flood brigthness? - Dispenser? what doesn't make sense? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDSSTT Posted June 16, 2020 Share Posted June 16, 2020 Comm 1 & 2, as Push Encoders are a must. [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] http://www.csg-2.net/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapti Posted June 19, 2020 Author Share Posted June 19, 2020 Actual progress Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VpR81 Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Have you considered selective jettision + station select? Phanteks EvolvX / Win 11 / i9 12900K / MSI Z690 Carbon / MSI Suprim RTX 3090 / 64GB G.Skill Trident Z DDR5-6000 / 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD / 2TB PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD / 2TB SATA SSD / 1TB SATA SSD / Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora Pro 360 / beQuiet StraightPower 1200W RSEAT S1 / VPC T50 CM2 + 300mm extension + Realsimulator F18 CGRH / VPC WarBRD + TM Warthog grip / WinWing F/A-18 Super Taurus + F-15EX / 4x TM Cougar MFD / Slaw Device RX Viper V3 / HP Reverb G2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sierra99 Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 I'd recommend going through the checklist and listing In order what switches are used to start, taxi and takeoff. Obviously Some are more important than others...you need the gear handle during critical phases of flight... Then do the same for weapons employment A/A & A/G. The HOTAS provided a lot of functionality as far as combat goes. but you can increase or pare down the switches based on procedures rather than opinion... [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] Primary Computer ASUS Z390-P, i7-9700K CPU @ 5.0Ghz, 32GB Patriot Viper Steel DDR4 @ 3200Mhz, ZOTAC GeForce 1070 Ti AMP Extreme, Samsung 970 EVO M.2 NVMe drives (1Tb & 500 Gb), Windows 10 Professional, Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS, Thrustmaster Warthog Stick, Thrustmaster Cougar Throttle, Cougar MFDs x3, Saitek Combat Rudder Pedals and TrackIR 5. -={TAC}=-DCS Server Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3, i7-3770K CPU @ 3.90GHz, 32GB G.SKILL Ripjaws DDR3 @ 1600Mhz, ZOTAC GeForce® GTX 970. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shu77 Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 Laser, LSTC and TGP control, radar and INS rotaries, NVG and torch. Hornet, Super Carrier, Warthog & (II), Mustang, Spitfire, Albatross, Sabre, Combined Arms, FC3, Nevada, Gulf, Normandy, Syria AH-6J i9 10900K @ 5.0GHz, Gigabyte Z490 Vision G, Cooler Master ML120L, Gigabyte RTX3080 OC Gaming 10Gb, 64GB RAM, Reverb G2 @ 2480x2428, TM Warthog, Saitek pedals & throttle, DIY collective, TrackIR4, Cougar MFDs, vx3276-2k Combat Wombat's Airfield & Enroute Maps and Planning Tools Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapti Posted June 23, 2020 Author Share Posted June 23, 2020 How do you assign a normal keyboard input to a button? For example "salute" or "active pause" i dontr see any command for this in DCS-BIOS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapti Posted June 25, 2020 Author Share Posted June 25, 2020 Anybody? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No1sonuk Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 Anybody? Can you not do it in the controls section of DCS itself? Oh. You mean a joystick button assigned to a keyboard command? If that's the case, use software like Joy2key. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapti Posted June 25, 2020 Author Share Posted June 25, 2020 Its a button on a self made button box. Im usind DCS-BIOS to communicate with DCS and ardunuo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No1sonuk Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 Its a button on a self made button box. Im usind DCS-BIOS to communicate with DCS and ardunuo Some of them can't be accessed via DCS-BIOS. I recall reading that only the clickable cockpit controls were included in DCS-BIOS. You'll probably need something like a Bodnar board to connect the switches as a "joystick" to DCS. Then, if it needs a keyboard entry, software like joy2key can interpret joystick buttons as keyboard commands, including modifier keys and repeating. e.g. the eject commands are keyboard only, and need to be repeated 3 times in a short period. I figured out Joy2key, can auto-repeat Lctrl+E at a rate high enough to trigger DCS to eject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cigar Bear Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 Looks Great! Are you going to release the 3D files for these? I'd like to try to build it. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapti Posted June 26, 2020 Author Share Posted June 26, 2020 Some of them can't be accessed via DCS-BIOS. I recall reading that only the clickable cockpit controls were included in DCS-BIOS. You'll probably need something like a Bodnar board to connect the switches as a "joystick" to DCS. Then, if it needs a keyboard entry, software like joy2key can interpret joystick buttons as keyboard commands, including modifier keys and repeating. e.g. the eject commands are keyboard only, and need to be repeated 3 times in a short period. I figured out Joy2key, can auto-repeat Lctrl+E at a rate high enough to trigger DCS to eject.Thanks, i will try it with a bodnar board Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shu77 Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 I've been using a bodnar board for my project, the two big issues are the USB type B plug which is very large and and length to a project and the matrix wiring for switches can be a pest to work with if you are short on space. if you can work with that its great. Hornet, Super Carrier, Warthog & (II), Mustang, Spitfire, Albatross, Sabre, Combined Arms, FC3, Nevada, Gulf, Normandy, Syria AH-6J i9 10900K @ 5.0GHz, Gigabyte Z490 Vision G, Cooler Master ML120L, Gigabyte RTX3080 OC Gaming 10Gb, 64GB RAM, Reverb G2 @ 2480x2428, TM Warthog, Saitek pedals & throttle, DIY collective, TrackIR4, Cougar MFDs, vx3276-2k Combat Wombat's Airfield & Enroute Maps and Planning Tools Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No1sonuk Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 I've been using a bodnar board for my project, the two big issues are the USB type B plug which is very large and and length to a project and the matrix wiring for switches can be a pest to work with if you are short on space. if you can work with that its great. There's a breakout matrix board available for the BU0836A: http://www.leobodnar.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=94&products_id=274&zenid=3e26b42fb713cbfa71022bcb96b99934 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shu77 Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 Yeah thematrix isnt the end of the world, theres just a lot of cable at the end of it if you are working in a confined space. Hornet, Super Carrier, Warthog & (II), Mustang, Spitfire, Albatross, Sabre, Combined Arms, FC3, Nevada, Gulf, Normandy, Syria AH-6J i9 10900K @ 5.0GHz, Gigabyte Z490 Vision G, Cooler Master ML120L, Gigabyte RTX3080 OC Gaming 10Gb, 64GB RAM, Reverb G2 @ 2480x2428, TM Warthog, Saitek pedals & throttle, DIY collective, TrackIR4, Cougar MFDs, vx3276-2k Combat Wombat's Airfield & Enroute Maps and Planning Tools Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
y905 Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 Hi Rapti great design, thanks for the inspiration will try to build it with a cheap used programmable keyboard and the boadnar board, i think it fits great to my a10 vr pit and i can change the a10 ufc with this one when i will flight he hornet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapti Posted July 11, 2020 Author Share Posted July 11, 2020 Few test prints Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprool Posted July 11, 2020 Share Posted July 11, 2020 Ive just completed a button box based on this - and adapted the code for use with a £16 Teensy board. Works great - 12 push-buttons, 5 on-off-on momentary switches, 4 rotary encoders all on a matrix wiring system - good for improving your soldering skills Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprool Posted July 11, 2020 Share Posted July 11, 2020 pic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapti Posted July 15, 2020 Author Share Posted July 15, 2020 First iluminated button test... Housing for button 3D printed. Plates are milled. No resistor needed. 12V. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapti Posted August 16, 2020 Author Share Posted August 16, 2020 Prototype in development 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapti Posted August 22, 2020 Author Share Posted August 22, 2020 More progress on the prototype Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapti Posted August 22, 2020 Author Share Posted August 22, 2020 Lights :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapti Posted August 29, 2020 Author Share Posted August 29, 2020 I am already dreading to wire this. And all the LEDs not even counted... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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