USB Interfaces Vs. DCS-Bios

Hello, my name is Punk and I am an addict. I have been collecting and gathering bits and pieces for over 10 years to build a home flight simulator. I have finally begun to test things in application vs. theory. This brings me to my question of you various fellows with a similar disease for your opinion of what works best for you when trying to make that physical connection between switches and in-game actions.

I have created two test panels, one using a Bodnar BBI-32 Button Box Interface and the other using a Desktopaviator MODEL 2120 Pulse Generator, both are identified in Windows and DCS.

I began with toggles of varying quality, but even brand new mil-spec switches seemed to be bad connections since once swapped out the issues cleared up in 1 or 2 cases, but not in others, regardless of quality.

I had a lot of issues when I attempted to bind these directly in the game's settings with some switches working, but most not. I have been checking connections and polarity layout between working and non-working switches.

I next used bindings in RSMapper. While it seems to work much better, there are a few non-responding switch actions on both boards. Better, but overall similar issues.

Recently I added some cheap push buttons I picked up and some work well, some work now and then, and a couple do not show up at all in Win/DCS and one bounces between two different inputs at the same time. One even causes the button and POV input page to freak out in RSMapper.

I have not used Arduinos before so no DCS-Bios. I have an Uno from years back I have yet to try out and a couple Nano V3.0 Mini USB ATmega328 CH340Gs in the mail. So, in each of your own opinions, are the board issues normal and to be worked around or might the DCS-Bios method improve these issues?

I was hoping to avoid learning the Arduino route until I began to focus on the lighting and gauges, etc... Thank you for your time.

Salute,

Punk

Hi there

I am using and have used the Bodnar boards very effectively for many years, latterly on my A10C cockpit build but formerly with car sim stuff. You can have issues with them being set up wrongly though, if any on the inputs are set to rotary encoder input settings, they really mess you around. There are some setup programs on the bodnar site especially for this, I advise you at least take a look as it is a free download

Check out the Encoder configuration software on this page

http://www.leobodnar.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=94&products_id=205

Also you may want to try making sure that you have updated the firmware for the individual boards, I had one that gave me some issues until I did that.

As far as I am concerned they are pretty bullet-proof, so I think that where you can use them they offer a great solution.

Cheers

Les

Hi Punk,

I use both Bodnar and DCSBIOS.

My main controls, cyclic and collective are on Bodnar board, plus all their respective switches and levers.

But I moved on to DCSBIOS once I started back engineering some authentic panels, and found Bodnar boards too limited in functionality for that. DCSBIOS is complex, complicated and frustrating at times, but once cracked, it’s a brilliant system.

I have a couple of spare Bodnar boards now, but I will use them up for simple switching systems, eg electrics management panels, on off switches etc.

My point being, it’s ok to mix these systems. Just keep a record of everything!

Mole

Emulating a USB joystick is fine if you don't need bi-directional communication and the control bindings exist for what you're trying to do. Otherwise, DCS BIOS is really the only option if you want to do things like export gauges and control things that don't have bindings (for example, it lets you use analog dials for things that only have a digital increase/decrease in the official control bindings).