You are very much welcome to answer this Camembert.
I directed it at Troll because he started the thread and offered to help.
A major reason that this is one of the best communities is that we help each other.
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No, I havenât⊠Iâve never needed to use external ADCâs as the Teensy2 I normally use has internal ADC. AFAIK the Pro Micro does too.
Why do you need external ADC?
Yeah the Pro Micro have internal ADC.
The internal Pro Micro ADC is 10 bit, the CI/P MCP320X chips are 12 bit.
The I/P MCP320X chips are 10 bit.
One reason is to free up available pins on the Pro Micro and another is to minimize the number of wires needed from a Pro Micro board in the controller base to a MCP and one or more shiftregister boards in the button/minijoy grip on a stick or collective.
If my assumption that I only need 1 ground wire and 1 VCC wire to connect the MCP and the first shiftregister is correct, then I will only need 8 wires from a Pro Micro in the base to an MCP and first of however many shiftregisters and buttons I can fit into a grip.
To be more precise, what I am wishing for are boards with input connections for wires from an Arduino board and output connections for wires to the supported number of potentiometers.
For my Warthogesque righthand grips on Saitek Throttle Quadrant project, I currently intend to put the Pro Micro in an external box at the base and a MCP3202 and 2 shift registers in the big grip and a shiftregister in the small grip.
I am considering converting the Saitek Throttle to MMjoy2 and then I would need a MCP3204 and a shiftregister in the base.
For the collective I intend to make, I am considering 2 minijoys in the grip (4 axis), dual throttle (2 axis), collective (1 axis) and zoom (1 axis). Here I would use a MCP3204 in the grip for the minijoys and another MCP3204 for the throttles, collective and zoom.
As for buttons and switches I would jam up the grip with as many buttons as possible and the shiftregisters as needed. I am considering making the base into a buttonbox, so that will also get shiftregisters.
I was considering the MCP3208 for the collective, but realized 2x MCP3204 would be better for that.
At this point I donât have full use for the MCP3208, but I could find it later and others could have uses for it. I also already have some of them.
Mega_mozg explains the MCP possibilities better:
From SimHQ mega_mozg Quote and replyâs
Quote
Firmware has support for up to 128 buttons + 10 axis inputs (2 axis reserved for mouse emulation, Windows Game Controllers see up to 8 axis), number of buttons use depend on Arduino board number of pins available.
Possibility to use for joystick: 128 buttons + 2 HATâs (8 buttons) + 8 axis
Possibility to use for mouse emulation : 3 buttons + 2 axis
Possibility to use for keyboard emulation : 12 buttons (or 15 without âmouseâ)
To maximize the MCU (Arduino board) pins use:
For axis - MCP3208 external ADC, what allow use 8 channel 12 bit (this free 4 pins on Arduino and allow 8 analog axis inputs)
For buttons - shift register IC 74HC165 or CD 4021B (this free 3 pins on Arduino and allow UNLIMITED button sources chaining one Shift Register IC in another, each manage 8 buttons)
Reply 1
now only one difference between any board - is a available pins count.
Sparkfun[promicro] - total 18 pins, and 9 can be used for internal(onboard ADC) axis.
Arduino[leonardo] - total 23 pins, 11 internal axis.
Arduino[micro] - total 24 pins, 12 internal axis.
PJRC[Teensy 2.0] - total 25 pins, 12 internal axis.
JRC[Teensy 2.0 ++] - total 46 pins, 8 internal axis.
so if you want more axis, you can use SPI connected external ADC:
a) âkma200â magnetic field angle sensor + 13 bit ADC;
b) âMCP3201â 1 channel 12 bit ADC;
c) âMCP3202â 2 channels 12 bit ADC;
d) âMCP3204â 4 channels 12 bit ADC;
e) âMCP3208â 8 channels 12 bit ADC;
f) âMMSENS(MCP3202+KMZ60)â magnetic field angle sensor KMZ60 + MCP3202 12 bit ADC + trigonometric math at controller, my new project digital sensor;
SPI is a very easy to use, just connect power and ground from controller to ADC and connect SPI lines MISO/MOSI/SCK and CS(chip select). pin âCSâ are individual for ADC, other pins is common for all ADCâs connected.
Reply 2
Originally Posted By: tirta
âso for pro micro, there are 18 pins.
If I use 6 for axis, there are only 12 pins left for buttons?
so 16 axis with 64 buttons are not possible for pro micro?
Are these correct?â
it is correct only if you want to use internal ADC.
but with two âmcp3208â connected to âpro microâ you can access to 16 axis(used 2 pins to âSPI-CSâ), and you have 16 pins to buttons 8*8 = 64.
The replyâs and example can be found on this page at SimHQ:
I see!
I have never built a controller that exceeds the directx limit of 8 axis and 32 buttons.
But wiring the MCP seems straight forward enough. I donât think Iâd bother with a PCB for it as you donât seem to need any other components?
Toll - Knower of All Useful Things: What recommends a TLE5010 over an Allegro A1324? It might already be answered in this thread, but I didnât see it.
THanks, GMcK
From my experience; the mounting of the sensor. The Allegro Hall sensors I have used required a surrounding magnetic flux where you needed two magnets rotating around the sensor. The TLE sensor just needs one diametrically polarized magnet and it will only have to be in the vincinity of the sensor, making the placement of the sensor less of a headache. But I never used the A1324 sensors, so things might be different? Think mine were the A1302?
Do you have a source on that? Out of interest, i had a glimpse at the data sheet and couldnât find it.
In general, using two magnets will give you a more linear relationship of magnetic flux change per degree, but iâm not sure how this applies to this sensor exclusively.
No, not really. That was just how you placed the mags around the hall sensor.
Hereâs a typical example of a Bic pen arrangement. When I did my six axis throttle quadrant I used diametrically polarized ringmagnets instead. But I had to put steel shields between every other axis to stop the hall sensors from getting disturbed by the flux from other magnets. It worked, but it was cumbersome. I used TLE sensors on my next project, and that was much easier.
Where do you find the handy boards the TLEs get mounted on?
I got mine from AliExpress. Sensor on board.
Here are a couple of links.
@Troll got any brilliant suggestion for a brake lever sensor? Iâm building a little addon for my Cougar stick and I think a full axis input would be awesome vs a single microswitch. Havenât really found any good solutions though, perhaps you have run into something fitting?
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Maybe?
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It certainly would. I assume thatâs how Soviet fighters really brake/steer - that the pilot can adjust the braking pressure to more easily get the turn he wants. The three old MiGs in the DCS collection 15, 19 and 21 all steer that way but having 3 different developers, each steers very differently.
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Interesting idea on the loadcells! I briefly considered the pedal sensors you see for racing sims but quickly dismissed it. I do think size is a limiting factor since I am running the HOTAS unextended currently. Cheers Troll!
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I can imagine it would make a huge differenceâŠsame with the L-39.
With the key press brake you need to pump the brake lever to make incremental turns and it results in a fairly janky turn, with the nose bobbing up and downâŠyou donât see that in footage of the real aircraft taxiing.
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I think the Russian system is quite smart, the hands control the brake force, the feet control the distribution of the force instead of putting both of these tasks on the same set of limbs they split it up. Though not very relevant on modern aircraft.
Thank you, Sir. Again
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Hey, new to the forums.
I want to make my own flight stick for Elite Dangerous, but donât really know where to start. Iâm completely new to this, but willing to learn anything necessary. If you or anyone could nudge me in the right direction, that would be great. Thanks in advance!
Also, I know this forumâs for mudspike, but it has a lot more controller DIY stuff than any other forum Iâve found.
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@Mr.Tuesday! Welcome to Wednesday and Mudspike! 
We do have some seriously disturbed individuals who build game controllers, frequenting this forum⊠
So, do you have a donor flight stick, or do you want to go all the way, and make something from nothing?
Tell us about your visionâŠ
I wanted to make something from scratch. I currently have too much time on my hands, and a recently finished 3-D printer, and access to pretty much any tool Iâd imagine to need.
I want a full setup, so flight stick and throttle, but no pedals. Starting with the flight stick, since that seems like the hardest thing.
Thanks for responding so quickly! Also, sorry if my project still isnât clear, Iâd be happy to clarify more.
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