WildBillKelsoe Posted April 30, 2013 Posted April 30, 2013 Hello, I'm very interested in creating a trim box with as much CH products accuracy as possible. However, I have no idea about anything, nor do I have any soldering experience, nor the tools needed. Completely new to the field. I was thinking about a wooden box, with the leo bodnar controller you used, but does the potentiometers connect by wire to it? what about power, is there needs for power, or is it derived from Mobo? http://www.leobodnar.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=65&products_id=203 I'm lost here: There is 12 bit joystick controller, 12 bit joystick board, and load cell joystick controller. Which one is used? what is each one for? Here is some pots I found, I think I need a multi-turn pot, or a hall effect one (for DCS P-51D) in general: http://www.potentiometers.com/ http://www.potentiometers.com/select_precision.cfm http://www.potentiometers.com/select_multi.cfm http://www.potentiometers.com/select_mil.cfm and this one, what do you think of it: http://www.potentiometers.com/HRS100.cfm and which one of these knobs would you recommend: http://www.potentiometers.com/select_turn.cfm probably oak wood would house the components. Am I missing something? All Products Special Offers BU0836 10-Bit Joystick Board BU0836A 12-Bit Joystick Board BU0836X 12-Bit Joystick Board BU0836-LC Load cell Interface BBI-32 Button Box Interface SLI-F1 Wheel Display Controller SLI-Pro Wheel Display Controller SLI-M Wheel Display Controller LagTester Pedal Cable - DFP, G25, G27 Shifter Interface - G25, G27 Loadcell Amplifier Push Buttons Rotary Encoders Potentiometers Hall Sensors Cables Hat Switch / Thumb Stick / POV USB Panel Socket LED Beacon Li-Po Charger AWAITING ED NEW DAMAGE MODEL IMPLEMENTATION FOR WW2 BIRDS Fat T is above, thin T is below. Long T is faster, Short T is slower. Open triangle is AWACS, closed triangle is your own sensors. Double dash is friendly, Single dash is enemy. Circle is friendly. Strobe is jammer. Strobe to dash is under 35 km. HDD is 7 times range key. Radar to 160 km, IRST to 10 km. Stay low, but never slow.
zaelu Posted April 30, 2013 Posted April 30, 2013 Because DCS has many aircrafts with trim controls on HAT buttons as well as some on knobs/wheels I made my trim box with rotary encoders. This gave me the possibility to have both things on same physical control. The encoders have two controls for turning them in each direction and one for pushing them vertically... basically I also have reset trim axis on the same axis if I want. This is the case for P51 where we can have reset trim for each individual axis. Also if I don't need the trimmers (like in Ka50) I can use those commands for something else. The down side of this is that for example in P51 I need to turn a lot of times the knobs of one encoder to have the trimmer moving a few degrees because of very small indentation for each "click". But also I have better control over them cause I could count how many clicks of trim I put in one axis. And the really bad part is that the system is a bit more complicated for some with little or no soldering experience :) ... but still doable. P.S. The encoders being completely digital have no spikes or other bad sides of the potentiometers. [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] I5 4670k, 32GB, GTX 1070, Thrustmaster TFRP, G940 Throttle extremely modded with Bodnar 0836X and Bu0836A, Warthog Joystick with F-18 grip, Oculus Rift S - Almost all is made from gifts from friends, the most expensive parts at least
Sokol1_br Posted April 30, 2013 Posted April 30, 2013 ... nor do I have any soldering experience, nor the tools needed. Soldering required by this kind of project is simple and is easy to do, see this tutorial: http://www.aaroncake.net/electronics/solder.htm Buy a 30/40 Wats iron, solder wire, solder flux, and practic with spare wires first. I was thinking about a wooden box, Pay atention to thickness of the walls of wooden box, if too thick difficult fit the potentiometers. with the leo bodnar controller you used, BU0836A or BU0836X (IMO-the last features dont worth the additional cost, since anyway you need do solder in another end of wires... but does the potentiometers connect by wire to it? Yes, just 3 wires like in the drawing. Note that you dont do soldering direct in controller (BU0836A...) pins but use provide 3 way conectors and solder the wires in them: http://www.leobodnar.com/shop/images/2BU0836A_08.jpg what about power, is there needs for power, or is it derived from Mobo? Derive from Mobo by USB interface cable (A/B printer cable). http://www.leobodnar.com/shop/index....roducts_id=203 I'm lost here: There is 12 bit joystick controller, 12 bit joystick board, and load cell joystick controller. Which one is used? what is each one for? All are the same USB conttroler - the second include additional easy fit connectors for wires and multiplexers to eliminate diode use. The third provide suport for one load cell sensor (like one used in precision scale), to make "brakes" in racing sim controllers. The first two are adequated for the project. If you go to use multi turn pot's use one "Turn-Counting Dials" or will be difficult know if trim are centered, ie. before flights. Consider Zaelu tips about use encoder instead pots. :thumbup: Sokol1
WildBillKelsoe Posted May 4, 2013 Author Posted May 4, 2013 zaelu and sokol, what do you guys think about this hall effect pot? http://www.potentiometers.com/HRS100.cfm or these? http://www.potentiometers.com/select_multi.cfm and what about that turn counting knob pot? http://www.potentiometers.com/MW22.cfm so an encoder is more good than a pot, why? thanks AWAITING ED NEW DAMAGE MODEL IMPLEMENTATION FOR WW2 BIRDS Fat T is above, thin T is below. Long T is faster, Short T is slower. Open triangle is AWACS, closed triangle is your own sensors. Double dash is friendly, Single dash is enemy. Circle is friendly. Strobe is jammer. Strobe to dash is under 35 km. HDD is 7 times range key. Radar to 160 km, IRST to 10 km. Stay low, but never slow.
WildBillKelsoe Posted March 2, 2014 Author Posted March 2, 2014 OK I'll answer my self after some digging.. A pot has a limited range of rotation. Meaning that you turn it till it locks left or right. The encoder is like the pot, except it does not have a limit (think of car radio volume knob. You turn it to infinity and if you cross the maximum volume it can raise, it will still turn). From those few facts, I think I'll go ahead with pots (apologies to Ms. Pots of Iron man hehehehe), a teensy 2.0 and solder kit for basics. I'll post progress in this very thread and that of tjhowse (if he permits it). AWAITING ED NEW DAMAGE MODEL IMPLEMENTATION FOR WW2 BIRDS Fat T is above, thin T is below. Long T is faster, Short T is slower. Open triangle is AWACS, closed triangle is your own sensors. Double dash is friendly, Single dash is enemy. Circle is friendly. Strobe is jammer. Strobe to dash is under 35 km. HDD is 7 times range key. Radar to 160 km, IRST to 10 km. Stay low, but never slow.
Sokol1_br Posted March 4, 2014 Posted March 4, 2014 (edited) A pot has a limited range of rotation.A common pot typically turn 270 degrees. Are the so-called "multi-turn" pot - essentially a ordinary pot coupled in reduction gear - so for each knob turn the pot' wiper advance only ~ millimeter, achieve great precision. But notice that allow a limited number of turns, e.g some model allow 10. Encoder is a fine solution, but :D you need a USB controller that handle encoder (e.g. L.Bodnar BU0836 up to 16, if not buttons are used). A Teensy 2.0 is a good and relative cheap option, but you need write of find a firmware that handle encoders - most that exist are only HID device (8 axis, 32 buttons + POV HAT). MMjoy firmware for Teensy 2.0 (dont work for Teensy ++ 2.0) say that support for 4 encoders (and 8 x 12 bits axis and 64 buttons - 8 used by encoders): http://code.google.com/p/mmjoy/ Good luck. BTW - In a couple of months your project will will make birthday. :smilewink: Sokol1 Edited March 4, 2014 by Sokol1_br
WildBillKelsoe Posted October 9, 2015 Author Posted October 9, 2015 I am reviving this old thread after I read a few about microcontrollers. What do you guys use if you want to make a radio panel and want DCS to output the frequencies on a LCD display? should I use a pot or rotary encoder to tune the radios? I know a pot has a limited range of travel but a rotary encoder doesn't. Effectively, our car radio volume knob is a rotary encoder, yes? AWAITING ED NEW DAMAGE MODEL IMPLEMENTATION FOR WW2 BIRDS Fat T is above, thin T is below. Long T is faster, Short T is slower. Open triangle is AWACS, closed triangle is your own sensors. Double dash is friendly, Single dash is enemy. Circle is friendly. Strobe is jammer. Strobe to dash is under 35 km. HDD is 7 times range key. Radar to 160 km, IRST to 10 km. Stay low, but never slow.
Sokol1_br Posted October 9, 2015 Posted October 9, 2015 To make a LCD display you need a controller with Output ability. Sample: http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4173826/F3_I/O_controller_KREML#Post4173826 should I use a pot or rotary encoder to tune the radios? First you need look at the plane for what the options you have in controls. Some allow use pot/joy buttons/keys to control radio, other planes can have not all these options. With a custom code (e.g. Arduino) and using resistors you can make a potentiometer send key/button press, if no analog (pot') option is available. But in that case use a Encoder is more easy - if you have a controller compatible with Encoders. A Rotary Encoder is a solution to handle controls that need keypress or joy press, but with a rotary device to mimic the real one. Effectively, our car radio volume knob is a rotary encoder, yes? Typiycally a volume control use a logarithmic potentiometer, but with today electronics you find audio controls done be... encoders. :)
WildBillKelsoe Posted October 9, 2015 Author Posted October 9, 2015 Sokol, thanks for your reply. I am thinking leo bodnar with 8 dual rotary encoders with incremental detents ratio 1:2 and 3 linear 200K pots (for P-51D). I don't know if 200K would be in excess but there is an option for free turn (360 degree non stop pots too, also I think from leo bodnar). I kind of want to have detents for setting trim but somehow I think pots are better for trimming (might even CNC a large wheel with 0.25 inch diameter fit for these pots). Something to gain the best control through larger arm (like centrifuge machine) I am not very familiar with programming but can learn. leo bodnar seems like a plug and play option in dcs. what do you think? My project aims to control P-51 trim tabs (pots, thinking 200Kohm linear pots) and tune radios or so in UH-1H). Remember I am starting (not even with solder experience), so leo bodnar looks like I need to just solder the 3 terminals to wires and twist the ends into a V and plug these into bodnars clips. AWAITING ED NEW DAMAGE MODEL IMPLEMENTATION FOR WW2 BIRDS Fat T is above, thin T is below. Long T is faster, Short T is slower. Open triangle is AWACS, closed triangle is your own sensors. Double dash is friendly, Single dash is enemy. Circle is friendly. Strobe is jammer. Strobe to dash is under 35 km. HDD is 7 times range key. Radar to 160 km, IRST to 10 km. Stay low, but never slow.
Sokol1_br Posted October 9, 2015 Posted October 9, 2015 (edited) For USB controllers - like L.Bodnar ones use 1~100k pot' - better stay in 10~50k. The general rule is: little pot value more amperage is consumed from USB (what can be a problem if several are used), high value more noise (spikes) on reading. Instead this 360 degrees pot on Bodnar page - is for racing sim wheels - use the called multi turn pot', a pot that for a small advance in reading values is need several turns on knob, thus good for trim. L.Bodnar boards is a "plug and play" option, but handle only inputs (buttons, axis) not is output - don't send information for display. Bodnar boards is perfect for your trim box project and learn about. :thumbup: I am not very familiar with programming but can learn. Are several work already done, take a look at HELIOS, DCS Bios to don't wast time "reinventing the wheel". :D Anyway for inspire: http://arduino.svglobe.com/a_output.html Edited October 10, 2015 by Sokol1_br
WildBillKelsoe Posted October 10, 2015 Author Posted October 10, 2015 thanks Sokol. I will get multi turn pot and leo bodnar as u suggested. try first with P-51 if I like. I dont need output like video on page u show me. I need pure input. AWAITING ED NEW DAMAGE MODEL IMPLEMENTATION FOR WW2 BIRDS Fat T is above, thin T is below. Long T is faster, Short T is slower. Open triangle is AWACS, closed triangle is your own sensors. Double dash is friendly, Single dash is enemy. Circle is friendly. Strobe is jammer. Strobe to dash is under 35 km. HDD is 7 times range key. Radar to 160 km, IRST to 10 km. Stay low, but never slow.
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