The Custard Pit :)

[grainny]

nice nifty work there devon custard. it seems you are getting slowly attached to pitbuilding but not flying, that is how this complex (or dweeb, drooly nose, brain lock madness) normally starts, so fly more.

 

is DC Industries up and running again? may one order cnc panel faces or complete boxes for a harrier pit side? cheap?

 

yours

grainny

Edited May 29, 2014 by grainny

[Devon Custard]

Im in the process of moving, about 2 weeks until exchange of contracts and its at the tense moment.

 

Youre dead right about the flying bit, and actually ive had to pack up the sim PC. Right DC Industries is focusing on software development. Ive been working on my personal version of a UDP Bridge since i started my tutorial on it and its nearing completion. Right now ive got a working import of all the LUA files that allows me to browse all the objects, kind of an interactive database of the cockpit panels.

[DerekM]

Im in the process of moving, about 2 weeks until exchange of contracts and its at the tense moment.

 

Youre dead right about the flying bit, and actually ive had to pack up the sim PC. Right DC Industries is focusing on software development. Ive been working on my personal version of a UDP Bridge since i started my tutorial on it and its nearing completion. Right now ive got a working import of all the LUA files that allows me to browse all the objects, kind of an interactive database of the cockpit panels.

 

Interesting, I'm doing something similar in LabVIEW. The problem with my solution is that unless you can get LabVIEW in your work-place or you're a student, LabVIEW is not cheap. So I'd guess your application will be much more applicable for other users.

 

Edit to add: Good luck with it!

Edited May 30, 2014 by DerekM

[grainny]

dear devon custard,

 

there is one slighty teensie weensie faulty with packing away your sim pit PC: that is you may never use it again!!! since it is possible to build and improve your shiney baby pit forever, it is also likely that you keep putting off flying until you feel ready... (but we never really feel ready).

 

sooo by the time a new sim game you like turns up and you want to try it out; you unfurl the sim PC, start the engine but... whoa!! its now too old, seriously underpowered, slow, needs new graphics card and more ram. what then?

 

will DC Industries kick in, break open credit purchase agreements and save the day by buying a totally earthquake ginormous scary monster octoquad i9 PC or will devon cowardly cowardly custard-out like a french walrus moustache?

 

yours

grainny

Edited June 17, 2014 by grainny
fresh air

[Devon Custard]

Err tks for your interest grainny.... I think? :)

 

Packing away the pit hasn't meant that construction has stopped. Im concentrating heavily on my own version of a UDP bridge. Similar in style to Boltz's A2DCS but not focused on the Arduino its a generic bridging solution.

 

Slowly working my way through all the various switches and controls to ensure Ive got working code to handle everything.

[MacFevre]

So how's that moving going? I've had more houses than I can count on one hand, so I'm well aware of the time and energy involved, and honestly, don't know how your working on pit stuff and doing that at the same time. But good luck!

[Devon Custard]

Lets just say ill be very glad when its all over....

[Devon Custard]

Moving house saga is taking its toll, i retreated to the sanctuary of my mancave this weekend and.....

 

 

Finalised my painting/engraving process.

 

White trannslucent acrylic.

Painted black with acrylic paint. (airbrushed)

Cut and engrave.

Done.

 

The paint was the key, every other paint ive used burnt as soon as i engraved on it. This stuff doesnt even notice the laser it evaporates and doesnt burn the surrounding areas. And of course the white acrylic underneath just looks clean.

 

I was grinding my teeth when metalnwood was saying it was so easy and i was probably not focusing right. it was the paint choice all along. Acrylic paint ftw!!

 

Also built a working switch matrix with shift registers for the arduino. Can turn my arduino into a 64 input device with 11 pins. Thats first pass, when i find a suitable multiplexer i can reduce that down to probably 6 pins. Means im not buying megas :)

 

Gearing up to tackling steam gauges, ive been putting that off, but as ive solved most other technical issues its just down to those. I have the opencockpit servo cards so its just a matter of hooking up servos and tuning the scripts... (just he says!!)

 

Noticed that the forums been slow, is everyone enjoying summer or something?

 

DC

[Thick8]

I noticed some particulate texturing on your panel. Have you considered using a black on translucent white plastic? It's both laser and CNC engravable. If you're set on the paint method the I would recommend that you buy a tack cloth from an auto paint store and "blot off" the panel between each coat to remove any dust that will cause an "orange peel" texture . You need to apply thinner coats as well in a linear back and forth motion like a machine would. Not a pendulum motion like a person would. I used to own a mobile automotive paint business and would be willing to make a video of proper paint application if there is interest in it. I figure I owe you for all that you've shared about building the electronics. I'd be lost without it.

John

Edited June 15, 2014 by Thick8

[MacFevre]

I haven't been on much myself. Between the youngest graduating from high school and moving up to uni, and getting ready to go on holiday in a few days, I haven't had much time to do anything on the pit. It's been very disappointing, and I can't wait to get back to it. Soon!

[Hansolo]

Yeah forums seems like on summer holiday. I haven't been much on either. Been flying with a Norwegian crew which is highly skilled thus I have been trying to hone my skils :smilewink:

Need to get back to the building again soon as well. Have a ton of small project that I need to get in to; fire pull handles, bought an TACAN from the UK that I will try and hook up against and Arduino, have to look into my NMSP etc.

 

@DC, your Arduino project with UDP is that going to be like straight to the Arduino via an Ethernet shield or still through a USB connection? Your electrical panel looks great. Do you have a link for the paint?

 

@Thick8, I would be very interested if you are going to make a "how to apply paint properly" video :thumbup:

 

Cheers

Hans

Edited June 16, 2014 by Hansolo

[metalnwood]

Nice one Devon, glad to see you sorted the issues :)

[Devon Custard]

@HMA

 

Ive got two potential solutions for Arduino in mind, for straight output to Arduino i.e just driving gauges or lamps USB will do, or if im feeling flush then ethernet.

 

For panels containing switches etc , i.e pushing data BACK to DCS it has to be ethernet/UDP. Im ordering Wiz820io as these seem to be pretty neat / tidy and will work with any Arduino.

 

Im close to showcasing my bridge software it just needs tidying up. Spent a lot of time looking y2kiahs thread and stumbled over his IDE/Bridge environment. Seems that many people are doing the same thing. Right now im desperate to find panel measurements, seems to be a distinct lack of panel designs freely available. If there was an uptodate manual for the A10C id buy one in a heartbeat if it had schematics that i could share readily.

 

Wonder if DCS would share......

[Warhog]

Your panel engraving turned out very nice. Have you tried backlighting it yet. I purchased 5m of green 5050 leds from China for $13.00:

 

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/261426610696?var=560314535922&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

 

I cut them into small strips and since they have double sided tape already on them, I just peel it off and stuck three or four 5" strips behind a panel. It distributes the light evenly throughout. With your white acrylic it should read beautifully.

 

I too was wondering what paint you were using. Before I started using engraving plastic, (Rowmark-ultra thin black layer over 0.06" thick white), I was using white styrene plastic and airbrushing it black. I use Modelmaster or Tamiya Flat or semi gloss acrylic paint thinned with 20% thinner. I airbrushed the front with an Iwata Eclipse airbrush and my compressor is set at 16-18lbs pressure. Several THIN coats, did I say thin?...Yes THIN coats ;) and several of them. Although it dry's almost instantly when using THIN coats, it still needs 24 hours to harden up before you attack it with a laser of cutting tool.

 

@Thick8 - a quick video on airbrushing would be a good idea. Not that airbrushing is difficult to do or to do well but a video really would help those who have never even held an airbrush before. For those who prefer the white plastic and painted surface, an airbrush is the best way to achieve an excellent finished product. Although if you do go to all the trouble of setting up an airbrush station it might be much more cost effective just to buy some engraving plastic and be done with it. You are then assured of a perfect finish.

 

What panel dimensions are you looking for DC? I have a few panels drawn in AutoCAD. If I have any you might need I am happy to send them your way in one of several formats (.dwg .dxf .pdf) I've used AutoCAD for 20 years. I do everything in it. Let me know what your looking for. I've attached a quick and dirty PDF of one of my panels. It was a trace over from a picture of the panel with some minor adjustments to fit a 1x8 LCD display. As I get closer to setting up panels with LCD displays I find they all need adjusting to fit what is commonly and inexpensively available. Trying to find a display that is an exact match is difficult so some of these panels, if not all, will require some massaging to get an LCD display in place.

[agrasyuk]

24 hours? I don't have patience for that :) , I engraved after about half hour after painting (cheap canned aerosol flat black). The "secret" for any paint to stop catching fire is air assist - 25$ from light object.com , made a world of difference http://www.lightobject.com/1820mm-Laser-head-w-air-assisted-Ideal-for-K40-machine-P675.aspx

[Devon Custard]

@ warhog

 

Pretty much most panels, im editing my own designs at present from reactorones pdfs but there are many missing. Mostly its the dimensions, height and width. If i get the outline with the dzus cutouts so much the better.

 

Ive got CMSP done actually, but thats a good reference design to compare against.

 

So send me ALL youve got :) you got my email(sent it in pm the other week) DXF is fine.

[Devon Custard]

And those LEDs look really cool. Gonna buy a couple reels.

[grainny]

devon custard,

 

the forum is quiet because the romans are on holiday, once summer turns cold they shall return... to the agora.

 

could you please pm me with a price for a black engraved panel with panel backgounds, exactly as you have in your photo. i have switches to put in and i will finish it off with an electronics box from maplin. however i will have my own not-A10 data for the panel which am happy to send to you.

 

 

grainny

Edited June 17, 2014 by grainny

[Devon Custard]

Gotta love dealing with the yanks, ordered some bits from digikey and they misshipped. I may not get the bits, i may end up chasing them for weeks, but damn theyre polite and friendly. I dont care if they get off the phone and curse me roundly, they answer the phone and are goddamn NICE.

 

Sigh, if only us Brits could be like that.

 

Anyway, MAX7219's arrived today, rebuilding my caution panel and starting on my radio panels now using them. No more 595s or 4511's, thank god.

 

Anyone else using a Wiz820io? Thats a W5200 on a small form factor board. Got one of those to evaluate.

[grainny]

devon custard,

 

thanks for your reply.

 

 

 

 

grainny

Edited June 22, 2014 by grainny

[klitsmell]

What button caps are you using for the UFC and CMSP? Or are they custom? There are a lot of options out there and I can't seem to find the "right" ones. Just wanted to see what everyone else is using :)

[Devon Custard]

What button caps are you using for the UFC and CMSP? Or are they custom? There are a lot of options out there and I can't seem to find the "right" ones. Just wanted to see what everyone else is using :)

 

I paint an acrylic sheet and then engrave through the paint, and then finally cut the buttons. The buttons are glued onto laser transparency sheets.

 

 

Its one of many approaches. Depends what you have to work with. I was tempted to create a mold and make some rubber buttons but engraving the letters felt like it would awkward/difficult.

 

Also considered 3d printing them, however i wanted transparency buttons for backlighting. So went with acrylic. I however have a laser engraver so not difficult. A cnc would be just as good if you have one.

[klitsmell]

That is on the wish list... But sadly, I'm just looking for the quick and dirty solution!

[Devon Custard]

well finally the wife has let me start building again....

 

so after some tinkering in the new garage, and playing with my first pcb (i stink of ferric chloride right now) a rough prototype of the CMSP...

 

Couple of typos on the fascia, gotta wire the rotary switch in, trim and loom the wire but it works....

 

 

 

 

Gotta paint the garage floor this weekend and then its full speed ahead for DC Industries :)

[Devon Custard]

hmmm small coolant emergency this weekend, had the laser working on the the CDU base and it decided to spring a leak on the water pump. Typically i was not watching it at the time, when i got back in the garage floor was covered in steaming coolant. ARSE!! Had to build a new enclosure and sank the entire pump and tube. Wont matter so much if it springs a leak.

 

Anyway heres the new coolant tank

 

 

And a couple snaps of work on CDU mk2

 

 

Designing and etching the board, then tinning the tracks the tracks and finally soldering the tactile switches took about 3-4 hours max. And was a dream compared to the first time around with prototype/matrix board. Etching is the only way to go.

 

 

JPEG of the circuit if anyones interested, send me a pm if you want the fritzing files(ill get around to posting them here at some point :doh:)

 

 

Finally a snap of the new man cave. Aka Cockpit workshop.

Edited September 1, 2014 by Devon Custard