Modify your Joystick to Build a Panel

[Tnt Snipes]

I am thinking of making a Custom Hotas(Just to bridge the Gap till i Buy my own TM WT) out of Saitek Cyborg EVO... Keeping MS Sidewinder as a Default Stick...

 

Test 1:Two Joysticks working simultaneously

I wanted to see if both of them work simultaneously... and it did... i configured Saitek's throttle as the common throttle and disabled the one on Sidewinder... Success!!

 

Test 2: Saitek Operation - Button Coversion to a Toggle Switch.

Have opened ou Saitek as you can see... From a laymans point of view i see a main card in the center and Left and Right Circuit card on both the sides which are connecting the buttons to the main card along with LEd's.

 

 

Risky Bit, TigerShark i need your help in guiding me what to do next. Aim is to Attach a Two Way Toggle switch replacing current buttons, as far as i understand the upper four wires coming out of left circuit are for LED's and the Lower four are catering the three buttons... In which the green is the Ground one.... Plan of Action is to Cut off two wires say Red and Yellow and attach them on the toggle Up and down Poles and attach the ground one in the Middle...

Is this the way to go about it...?

Pic as under

 

Edited March 20, 2011 by snipes

[TigersharkBAS]

Like I said...its worth a try snipes. In theory it should work.

[wriley]

I think you are on the right track snipes. Looking at the silkscreen on the center PCB for the connector to the PCB on the left I see what looks like a controller port (P0.3) and button numbers (9,10,12). It might be worth checking if what I think are button numbers line up with what the joystick reports. Good luck.

[Tnt Snipes]

I think you are on the right track snipes. Looking at the silkscreen on the center PCB for the connector to the PCB on the left I see what looks like a controller port (P0.3) and button numbers (9,10,12). It might be worth checking if what I think are button numbers line up with what the joystick reports. Good luck.

 

Yes you are right.... i did manage to attach wires from the joy buttons to the toggle switch... configured on A10C controls and guess what...

It's Alive..... works perfectly, I am happy :)... only one issue which is a fact that 1 two way toggle takes up two buttons... and saitek has 11 buttons and a HAT switch... i'll be able to attach 5 two way and 1 one way i suppose... but thankx for the feed...

[TigersharkBAS]

Snipes...a single throw switch is ok. In the A-10 config file you can program an action for off, and one for on.

 

This will only use one joystick button.

[Tnt Snipes]

Snipes...a single throw switch is ok. In the A-10 config file you can program an action for off, and one for on.

 

This will only use one joystick button.

�I presume single throw switch would be required where single function is needed and double for two functions right? �an other thing i wanted to ask was i have two toggle switches having same six poles at the back but one is double throw and the other single throw. . . Why is that.

[TigersharkBAS]

A single throw switch can be used for any 2 position switch in the cockpit. This because in the lua file you define an action for "on" and an action for "off". A double throw switch and 2 joystick buttons are required for a 3 position switch (such as the Master Arm Switch).

 

I advise you to once again watch my video on configuring your panel in A-10. Pay particular attention to when I talk about the Inverter switch. You can see that I program an "on" code and then a "off" code.

[Tnt Snipes]

A single throw switch can be used for any 2 position switch in the cockpit. This because in the lua file you define an action for "on" and an action for "off". A double throw switch and 2 joystick buttons are required for a 3 position switch (such as the Master Arm Switch).

 

I advise you to once again watch my video on configuring your panel in A-10. Pay particular attention to when I talk about the Inverter switch. You can see that I program an "on" code and then a "off" code.

 

Your videos motivated me to open up my joystick and test out things... which worked as well... Yes i have seen that inverter bit and applied in my case... its working the way you have shown in your video...

[TigersharkBAS]

So....problem solved?

 

I have trouble getting what you mean sometimes snipes.

[Tnt Snipes]

Test 2: Saitek Operation - Button Coversion to a Toggle Switch.

Connected the Saitek buttons on the left side circuit to one of the toggle switches on my custom made panel.

It was a Double throw Switch, hence it had to be connected to two buttons, to give its full capability and in result it serves 3 positions function ON-OFF-ON...

 

 

Configured it for "Elcetrical Power Panel's Inverter Switch function" on DCS A10C, when its UP=Inverter Stby, OFF=Inverter OFF and ON=Inverter Test...

Since on OFF position the toggle does not send any signal, so you have to make some changes in the LUA files of your joystick's configuration page; see example: TigerShark's Video- How to configure on DCS A10C.

 

Dont get confused with Armament Panel shown in the picture.... This just for experiment purposes...

 

Result: Success

[TigersharkBAS]

Looking good.

[Tnt Snipes]

Phase 2: Operation Time...

 

Took every thing off from Saitek... no hard feeling. Thinking which way to go next... either attach it with my previously build Armament Panel OR Convert it into a double throttle similar to WT HOTAS (but ofcourse i'll have to see how much it would serve me in terms of number of buttons)

 

 

I have following options:

 

Buttons = 12

Axis Controls = 4

8 Way hat switch = 1

LED Connections = 7

 

Hands On Throttle Setup

 

China Hat = 2 buttons

Boat Switch = 2 Buttons

Speed Brake = 2 Buttons

Left Throttle Button = 1 Button

Coolie Hat = 4 way hat switch

Slew control = 4 Way hat switch

Mic Switch = 4 way hat switch

Pinky Switch = 2 Buttons

 

Buttons I have, 2 x 4way hat swiches are missing... if i could somehow use the remaining buttons and use remaining 4 positions out of my 8 way hat switch... then that would cover all of them...

 

And yeah one more thing with those 4 x Roteries i can make double Throttle as well...

 

Hence I Will go with the HOTAS option, panel i can always attach later on when i get my own TM WT

[Lacanian]

@snipes - I really like your buttons panel. Can you please tell me the material you used to make them?

 

Thanks.

[wriley]

That is a good looking armament panel, great job snipes.

[Tnt Snipes]

@snipes - I really like your buttons panel. Can you please tell me the material you used to make them?

 

Thanks.

 

Sorry mate for a delayed response, was out of the picture for quite some time... yeah the panel is made out of 1/4" THK MDF sheet spray painted black with a print out of titles pasted on top... Not back lit or something...

Costed me about 6$ in total... including switches...

[Tnt Snipes]

Based on Tiger Shark's threads i managed to edit A10 & Black Shark's LUA files inorder to adjust my toggle switches...

Can anybody tell me how to do the same with FSX, cant seem to find the LUA files!!!

[G00dnight]

Snipes,

Dont like to piss on your parade but;; been there done it failed..

if you connect the joy controller up to your panel and test all looks fine, Till you start switching more buttons to the on positions, if each joy button has its own ground no probs but most use a common ground, also the hat switch can only be used for things like rotary switches like on tacan panel etc. it is much better to get bodnar or phidgets boards even though they are pricey.