A-10C Altimeter

I'll probably never build a full pit, but may end up building bits of one.

After helping lesthegrngo with his altimeter display jitter, I decided to finish building an A-10 altimeter.

The thread with Les's display issues is here: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=273469

That thread really outlines why I've chosen to use an Arduino Nano for each of the two OLED displays, and an Arduino Mega as the DCS-BIOS interface and the rest of the functions.

The Nanos receive a serial data stream from the Mega which contains some frame start bytes, then the 7 display digits - 3 for the altitude and 4 for the barometric pressure.

One Nano uses the altimeter digits to run a 128x64 pixel OLED with a "scrolling drum" pattern adapted from code written by "Middlefart".

The other Nano uses the same code to show the 4 barometric pressure digits.

The Nanos use their hardware UART to receive the data, so there's no processor time taken up receiving data.

Likewise, the Mega was chosen to interface with DCS-BIOS so its second hardware UART could be used to send the data to the display processors, again with very little processor overhead.

Attached is a Fusion360 mockup of the displays - not a lot of room there.

Looks a lot like an AUU-34/A hybrid did you use any Mil spec or did you just SWAG it?

Looks a lot like an AUU-34/A hybrid did you use any Mil spec or did you just SWAG it?

The case and face outline is based on RomeoKilo's drawings, but as far as I can see, they have no face in the drawings.

The face is a copy of the game's Altimeter (see attachment).

Though I may redo it as your comment about AAU-34/A led me to MIL-A-83419C, which has dimensions.

keep looking you may find a C model

Nice work, but mine is done and I'm happy with it (for that read "I can't be bothered to redo it")

For the gauge face on mine, I just used Qcad and Inkscape to make something that looked OK and fitted in my pre-existing dash parts without too much hassle. I disappear down too many rabbit holes as it is!

Cheers

Les

keep looking you may find a C model

I just went through all 166 pages of your build thread. I didn't see an available image of your altimeter...

Have you informed ED of your displeasure with their choice of instruments?

 

 

You are under no obligation to read anything here.

If you choose to, please don't bitch about it...

I have no displeasure with ED's choice of altimeter in the A-10 A or C model. As far as i have documents the unit is still an AAU-34/A Kollsman Servoed Altimeter. The model that I have currently in the A-10 FMT that i have It is not a build but a rebuild from an A-10-A model in to a C model.

The reference to search for a "C" model is if you search for an AAU-34C/A Solid State

Barometric Altimeter you will find the lay out for the type of Altimeter you wish to make

I thought I had made it a clear hint to look for some thing perhaps i need to simply it for you.

3 minutes of a google search and hey what a find

http://innovative-ss.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SSBA_A10.pdf

Now as far as you telling what i can or can't say well now that is just a waist of your time. Cheers

The reference to search for a "C" model is if you search for an AAU-34C/A Solid State

Barometric Altimeter you will find the lay out for the type of Altimeter you wish to make

I thought I had made it a clear hint to look for some thing perhaps i need to simply it for you.

3 minutes of a google search and hey what a find

http://innovative-ss.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SSBA_A10.pdf

Oh I understood you, and found that one, as well as MIL-PRF-83419F on ASSIST Quick Search.

But it's not the one that's in the game.

As for being the one I "wish to make": Maybe I wish to make the one that's in the game...

And still no images of yours...

The Altimeter that is currently in DCS A-10C is the AAU-34/A.

It is a mechanical altimeter with out and LCD displays. So by using the LCDs

You are making some thing closer to the unit i sent you a link to.

Unfortunately you may have missed the post in the tread where i stated that the pit is in storage and it still is. Finding an affordable house that the wife like in the are we are living in has proven to be a challenge.I will post a pic i found in the hard drive of my AAU-34/ and an AAU-19/A simulator instrument on my thread Cheers

Well, I have got something that works, looks OK and am happy with. I admire perfectionists, and love the attention to detail but there comes a point where you have to say 'OK, good enough and I'm happy that it works' and move on to the next part rather than get too focused on one detail.

But that is how I build. How you build is entirely up to to you and I wish you well with it.

Cheers

Les

lesthegrngo I have scanned threw the list of your threads but don't seam to see a build thread. I am not familiar with your build do you have a link? Cheers

There's no official build thread, this is the nearest to it that I have got

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=242208

I never planned to do a full cockpit, but as time goes on I have been adding more and more to it, certainly much more than I originally envisaged.

It's not accurate, the intent was to make what scale aircraft modelers call 'stand-off' versions, which essentially look sort of correct but are adjusted to make sure they function within the limitations imposed by scale / tools / materials / what-have-you. That means I can play with sizes, switch types etc. The basis for the rig is my F1 simulator frame I made back in 2007, so everything I make has to be made to fit that. That creates some pretty interesting conflicts in the design.

Additionally, I move around the world a lot with my job (this is the tenth country I have lived in) so everything I do has to be capable of being essentially broken down and 'flat-packed' - sort of Ikea style - hence the reference to 'modular' in the thread. Everything in the build is modular to a greater or lesser degree.

I have designed it all my self using a combination of solidworks 2008 and Qcad, and the materials are a combo of Ebay sourced bits and bobs (mainly electronic components, OLEDS, LCD modules, Screens, Arduinos) and stuff I can get locally. The latter imposes its own restrictions too, as MDF sheets are not for sale here in Hungary, only plywood. However MDF is much better for a lot of the panels, so I end up using textured floor coverings, which are pieces of MDF covered in a plastic or similar covering to give it colour and texture. Of course, that means you have to be creative due to the texture (where possible I try to remove it) but more importantly the thickness of the material varies wildly, so my build is littered with bits made from odd thicknesses!

But despite this, I have surprised myself with what I have been able to achieve and am really happy with both the project and my progress - well except for RS485, anyway....

There are parts that I look at and think 'I could do that better' and maybe one day I will, but you have to balance looks and functionality with time, after all the intent is to finish it and use it. For example my fire 'handles' are actually push switches, and are marked with the word 'PUSH' instead of 'PULL' as in the real thing. Why? Because it is a lot quicker to do like that right now, and in game it is used so infrequently that for the purposes of my use will do fine

Purists will not like it. But I do, and I'm building it for me and not them, so that's OK. But that is not to say I don't admire some of the incredible builds being shown on these pages

Cheers

Les

Thanks for the link found a few pics Who Are the purist?sounds pretty bad there.