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The Time is Nigh!!


Grommet67

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Hi all,

 

I have been following the pit builds like y2kiah's and deadmans for several years waiting until I had the time and room to give it a go myself. I must say awesome builds. If I can do something half as good I would be happy.

 

The time is nigh.

 

I have begun assembling the basics, joysticks and basic interface cards, but like so many others out there I am a bit daunted by the electronics. I have made up a couple of basic panels using GP Wiz40 boards and wired up some rotary encoders and potentiometers. (only with the help of several posts from the forum) Hopefully I can get some motivation and support through this thread.

 

I have added the meager beginnings of what will become my simpit.

 

20130702_212354.jpg.dd74cd31bfb7f22e83dc70d162593762.jpg20130702_213205.jpg.41acf27c9c58ce0272ee449e6ed74fca.jpg20130702_212836.jpg.da25a786ad1830cf931d74932fe5e8df.jpg

 

Any help from here on in will be greatly appreciated.

 

Cheers, Trent.

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Looks nice. Happy building :thumbup: Best hobby I ever had and probably also the most expensive appart form motorcycling :lol:

 

Cheers

 

Hans

 

Yeah if you have a custom, and customize it, i guess its even more expansive than skydiving.

I wish i had the same ressources in my country as you guys have.

HaF 922, Asus rampage extreme 3 gene, I7 950 with Noctua D14, MSI gtx 460 hawk, G skill 1600 8gb, 1.5 giga samsung HD.

Track IR 5, Hall sensed Cougar, Hall sensed TM RCS TM Warthog(2283), TM MFD, Saitek pro combat rudder, Cougar MFD.

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Hi Trent. judging by your pictures you already past the point of "meager" . what interfaces besides gpwiz are using ? How do you handle encoders?

Hi Anton,

 

I started with 2 X GP WIZ40's they seem to be pretty good for straight switches (and reasonably cheap) The joystick interfaces on them seem to be basic digital arcade inputs though.

 

I got a Desktop Aviator "sweet Sixteen" Rotary Encoder Board which will handle 16 Rotary encoder switches and 8 anologs. I have had them bound to DCS controlling heading, bearing and QNH.

 

http://www.desktopaviator.com/Products/Model_2095A/

 

I also have a "Phidgets Advanced 64 LED controller" which I will use for the caution panel.

 

http://www.phidgets.com/products.php?product_id=1032_0

 

And I have just got a "LEO BODNER BU36 board". I haven't used that yet but it does have provisions for a 4 way hat switch as well as analog inputs.

 

http://www.leobodnar.com/products/BU0836X/

 

I am pretty new to this computer interfacing and electronics, as my background is jet engines airframes and hydraulics, but keen to learn and experiment.

 

Cheers, Trent.


Edited by Grommet67
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Hi Anton,

 

These are the type of rotary encoders I am using, they cost about $1US each on eBay and have 3 connections for the encoder (A, centre common, B) and two more connections for a centre push ON/OFF switch.

Rotary-Encoder.jpg

 

Simple to wire up to the Desktop Aviator card if you can solder. Took me a while because I cant solder. :(

 

Trent.


Edited by Grommet67
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Wow. Looking great. Wish I was as organized. I start with this, go to that while waiting for something to come in the post. Find that I want to do something else instead. Definitely don't have the patience to get everything together first. :)

Buttons aren't toys! :smilewink:

 

My new Version 2 Pit: MacFevre A-10C SimPit V2

My first pit thread: A-10C Simulator Pit "The TARDIS."

Dzus Fastener tutorial, on the inexpensive side: DIY Dzus Fastener

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Simple to wire up to the Desktop Aviator card if you can solder. Took me a while because I cant solder. :(

 

Trent.

:megalol::megalol::megalol::megalol::megalol:

Sorry mate, that just sounds to funny.

 

Best of luck whit your simpit. Panels look great.

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

The keeper of all mathematical knowledge and the oracle of flight modeling.:)
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Wow. Looking great. Wish I was as organized. I start with this, go to that while waiting for something to come in the post. Find that I want to do something else instead. Definitely don't have the patience to get everything together first. :)

 

 

Hey Mate, just had a look at your pit, you are a lot further down the track than me. It's looking good. At the moment I have the joysticks and a few assembled panels but no box to put them in yet.

 

Can you tell me where you got your front panel layout and dimensions from.

 

Cheers, Trent.

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Out with the old.

 

Work is getting rid of the old Procedure trainer. I would have put a tender in for it but the Wife wouldn't have a bar of it. So its off to the museum, shame could have been good in the man cave with a bar around it.

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20130711_171319.jpg.bd5903ddc6f3b7db040e928b6cdd5607.jpg

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I have had my first attempt at making a caution panel using the Phidgets card and solid acrylic block with light baffles to make up the light matrix. Seems to work O.K. Still needs a better face on it as it lets to much light through.

 

 

Posted a video of it working on google, check link below.

 

 

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/117362990415969101741/albums/5899670470085287873/5899670472912415154

20130712_214732.jpg.61f80be17b21d2e10a853e9614d4922d.jpg


Edited by Grommet67
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Hey Mate, just had a look at your pit, you are a lot further down the track than me. It's looking good. At the moment I have the joysticks and a few assembled panels but no box to put them in yet.

 

Can you tell me where you got your front panel layout and dimensions from.

 

Cheers, Trent.

 

Thanks. Just did a big update and tried to show a pseudo dzus fastener on the cheap. For everything you need, try Dimebug. That link will have the front panel, and the sides. Your panels are looking great.

 

Also, though it looks like you know all about it from your work, (would have been a very cool man cave,) once you start a pit build, it will never end. Even when it's finished, there seems to be one more thing you could do or one more step to make it more realistic. :D


Edited by MacFevre

Buttons aren't toys! :smilewink:

 

My new Version 2 Pit: MacFevre A-10C SimPit V2

My first pit thread: A-10C Simulator Pit "The TARDIS."

Dzus Fastener tutorial, on the inexpensive side: DIY Dzus Fastener

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Hey Mate,

 

I don't have any documentation on building one. All I did was used the panel template I had (came from "reactorone")

 

The light panel is a block of 25mm clear acrylic with "opal light" acrylic glued to each side. I cut using a tenon saw down to the last layer and then glued black pvc into the cuts to form the light matrix. I then drilled through the back about half way and glued the led's into each hole.

 

I am using a Phidgets LED 1032 control board to interface with Helios and DCS.

 

I have put some photos into an album if you want to have a look.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Cheers.Trent.

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Pretty much.

 

Install the card. Download the Phidgets software for the card off their site. This will set up a Phidget control panel on your desktop for testing the card (make sure this is shut down before using Helios profiles). The only got-ya is that you need to update the Phidgets library in Helios with the latest from the Phidgets download (just copy from one to other). Approx 3 files, you'll see which ones match up.

 

Once downloaded add it into the Helios profile as an interface (Profile, Add interface). It will show up as a game controller (Phidgets LED Board (serial no)). From there you can add led's as singles or groups (up to 64) and rename them. It also gives you the ability to adjust brightness, voltage and max current settings.

 

The last thing is to bind the individual led groups to DCS in Helios in the same manner as you would a switch (set power). After that you should be away laughing.

 

Hopefully i haven't missed anything. Should all work after that, hopefully that helps.

 

Cheers, Trent.


Edited by Grommet67
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