Help wiring Switches

[alfredo_laredo]

Hi, I just bought for christmas the Hotas Thrustmaster and now I want to build a very very simple switch box. I dont live in the US nor UK so its hard to find good interfaces around here. My only option use the board of an old Logitech Attack 3 USB it has 9 buttons including the trigger and 3 axis.. for the moment I will not mess with the axis but I wante the 9 buttons to be 9 switches on my box. here is a pic of the dissasempled joystic

 

here is a pic of the switches that will be used

 

 

Now... I remove the Board, cut the wires that ended up at the Buttons interfaces like this one ( i cut the White green red)

 

I tested this 3 cables with 1 switch, the 3 cables should work for 2 buttons so after a few test I ended up with something like this and they work fine Windows Device manager recognizes this buttons as 6 and 7 with no problems.

 

As you can se in the above image the top part is the ON position, I wired the red cable to the top of one and then use another wire (pink) to the second button.

 

Excited by my simple succes, I use all my 3 switches that I had using the same trial and error sistem I individually tested the buttons 1-5 and Wired 1-3 using a similar metod as above, using the same Red wire betwen the 3 of them I ended up with this

 

 

The problem during windows testing is that I cant seem to be abble to turn all switches ON at the same time.. I can turn on switches 1,2,3 with no problem, but if I try to turn 6 o 7 the 1,2 and 3 shut everything off

I can Turn 3,6 and 7 but if I try 1 or 2 it shut everything off

 

So basicaly

1 and 2 ok

6 and 7 ok

1 and 6 or 7 not working

2 and 6 or 7 not working

3,6,7 ok

1,2,3 ok

 

Im not using any resistors or anithing else like that.. In not sure is I should.

 

here is a pic of the board

 

[Krebs20]

Diodes are missing. I'll be home in an hour and expain then. Or just look at your 3rd picture where the PCB is labeled D8 and D9. You will have to keep them in your wiring in order to keep it working correctly.

[Krebs20]

 

 

These are the diodes. They are needed to get your switches working correctly. Can I see the underside of this photo? It would help me to help you know where to place them on your switches.

[agrasyuk]

im using logitec 3d for several buttons that i couldn't fit to gpwiz board. to keep the joystich happy i did not do any common wiring at all - i actually soldered everything to the contacts of the tacltile switches. so all the diodes or whatever needed for the thing to function is untouched. that obviously means no 3 position switches (on-off-on) on that board as they have common contact, limitation i could live with. but it is working without a problem.

[alfredo_laredo]

Here is the back picture, thanks for the help.

 

 

 

[Krebs20]

 

 

I flipped and rotated your photo. Just to make it easier to look at. If the color lines don't match where they should follow to let me know. I had a hard time tracing them in paint.

 

On this board the red wire was the common. what youll have to do is place a diode between your switch the red wire. The black end of the diode will have to face the wire. Take a close look at your PBC and you will see the diodes have a black tip. You will have to solder them on. You can reuse the ones from the PCB if you desolderer them off. I recommend you do this for everyone of your switches. The place a diode on the common for each of them.

 

I'm only guessing on buttons 1-5 as I have not seen how the wiring went through the joystick. You will need to open up the flight stick and see how Logitech placed its diodes. Were there any diodes inside? My old extreme 3d had lots in the stick. You will have to map them out.

You will need to match what they did in order for it to work properly.

 

I hope this helps.

 

 

 

EDIT 2nd picture for fun

 

Edited January 6, 2012 by Krebs20
Added Information.

[alfredo_laredo]

ok, thanks for the help, just another question, as for the pic above, in your pic, the green wire (and also the white) goes to one pole of the switch, from there to the other pole and then to the Diode.. is that the way its supposed to be or can I just put the green in one pole and end it there and then another cable from the other pole to the diode

mmm basicaly the poles need to be interconected by the same cable?

[Krebs20]

I think i know what your saying. I drew a line threw the button in the drawings. This is what it is like when the buttons are pressed and the circuit is closed. I did that just to help me see where the current was flowing. when the button is not pressed, it wont be connected.

 

Is that what your asking?

[alfredo_laredo]

yeahh thanks!! for the help tomorrow i will restar the rewiring!