My preferred setup for DIY controllers are a Teensy2 micro controller and the MMJoy2 software.
With this setup I can make buttons, switches, encoders and axes, that will work as any USB game controller in Windows.
I just received stock of more Teensys and PCB’s. I also have a bunch of TLE5010 contactless magnetic angle sensors. Just put a magnet that rotates with the axle of your joystick gimbal or throttle lever, and the TLE sensor will pickup the magnetic field and translate it to fractions of a degree in angular displacement.
If you have a project brewing, let me know. I’d be happy to sell this stuff at cost. I’ll even program the Teensy controller for you, and help you out, here on this forum.
Good find!
Yes, those are great for pot replacements.
But if you’re going to put the glory of the USB to a homebuilt controller, or using a real aircraft part, a TLE sensor is really easy to use as it doesn’t have to have physical contact with the axis.
I’ve been looking to make a sort of universal instrument panel, with stuff like gear, chute and hook levers, and whatnot. Recently 3d printed the Hornet UFC drawn up by Brun on the ED forums, though I haven’t gotten around to actually finish it yet.
Still in early preparation stage, collecting stuff, and well, knowing myself, it could be a while before I start putting stuff together.
Anyway, for interfacing I have some Pro Micro boards and a couple of Micro boards. I don’t suppose they will work with your shift registers ?
My original plan was to try my luck at Matrix wiring it all, but shift registers seem a lot more elegant, albeit a bit harder to make. (manufacturing boards vs wiring and diodes…?)
They will.
I did my first project with a matrix, and while that was a fun experiment from which I learned a lot, shift regs are much better! Easier, smaller and cheaper…
Hey @Troll. I forgot all about these but I saw a project on /r/hoggit (re-posted from /r/starcitizen) that has me thinking of a switch panel to put in front of my VKB stick mount. If you have any left I wouldn’t mind buying a few from you (including postage).
I am thinking of two of the ‘processor’ boards and 4 of the shift register boards. Let me know what you have left, or when you are putting in a new order
Not so much a physical project but an idea I have had…would be interested in hearing your thoughts.
I have scavenged a small monitor from my late parent’s condo–about a 17".
I’m thinking about section up some type of bracket to use the monitor with my Cougar MFDs - the idea would be both on the same monitor. I’ve seen the projects where one MFD is used with a small monitor. Any way to get two to go to the same monitor?
Essentially:
1: Vertically ‘stack’ the monitors in Windows - put one on top of the other in the virtual desktop;
2: You create an entry in one of the monitor config .lua files to define the DCS screen size which will be, if stacked vertically, the horizontal resolution of the biggest monitor and the vertical resolutions of both monitors combined (taking care to ‘remind’ DCS that it should only display the map and GUI on the top monitor;
3: Define the space that the sim is displayed (the viewport) to correspond to the position and size of the top monitor;
4: Define and position the space for the MFD outputs to be drawn as it corresponds to the bottom monitor;
Example: Top Monitor is 4k, bottom monitor is 1080p and it is centred below the top. Then the DCS resolution is 3840 x (2160 + 1080). The Viewport is set to 0,0 - 3840,2160 (meaning starting at 0,0 and extending across 3840 pixels and down 2160 pixels). This would be set as the Map and GUI resolution as well, otherwise it will stretch across both monitors. Then the MFDs assuming 300x300 fits within the ‘hole’ … lets assume that they are in the top corners of the lower monitor … MFD1 wound be set thus: as (3840-1920)/2,2161 - (3840-1920)/2 + 300, 2161 + 300. (meaning that if the 1080p monitor is centered on the bottom of the 4k monitor, it’s X position is the difference between the widths of the monitors, divided by two (so it is offset from the bottom left of the 4k monitor by 3840-1920)/2 pixels) and it’s Y position is 1 pixel lower than the 4k monitor).
Clear?
I will see if I can dig up a diagram someone created.
Oh yeah. And you need to tinker with the kneeboard dimensions because it will, by default, try to use the full monitor.
I guess this is a cautionary tale. I bought 2 8inch monitors and build a 3d Printed frame to hole them behind the Thrustmaster MFDs. It was annoying to set up, but once it was set up it was amazing! … Until DCS was patched and i had to go and re-enter all the values in all the places again. I abandoned it within a few patches because of this.
Copy that. If you are editing the .lua files, could you save the edited lines of code in an ASCII text file and then reedit (copy paste) after a patch install?
I would recommend using a mod manager such as OVGME to undo the changes before every update, then redo them after the update, both with a single button press.
Hi @Troll … just joining the forum, and just starting with mmjoy & diy controllers …
A quick question if I may, do you still have any of the shift-register PCB’s for sale ?
