thankyou @SierraAlphaMike, much appreciated
(I didn’t want to delve into too much detail, as I am a novice myself and a complete newb to electronics, so I err’d on the side of caution so as not to distribute mis-information)
what can i say @Hangar200… I like to watch… 
For multipple pots with mmjoy you can use the mcp3202, mcp3204 and mcp3208 chips for 2, 4 or up to 8 pots. If i remember correctly you wil only use 5 inputs on the arduino.
There is an mcp3208 circuit example file in the mmjoy download. As i remember it only have output traces for 7 pots.
I have been considering to ask Debolestis or Troll if they would be interested in creating pcb’s for the 3202. 3204 and 3208, but have not gotten around to it yet.
Unfortunately i don’t have the skills and instincts needed to create them myself.
As for LED indicators you could use switches with a double set of pins. I cannot remmember what they are called. 4 pins on an on of switch and 6 pins on a 3 position switch. You use one set of pins for the arduino and the other for the lightning. No need for programming just a seperate circuit for the LED’s.
Happy Simming
So I thought I’d work on a design that included a working MFD panel for those who are 2D and can see their controllers…
As can be seen this ‘full size’ panel is considerably larger to accomodate the MFD LED display (link to the display is in the posts above). Because of the adjustment in scale I’ve been able to use full size toggle switches and rockers in this design, so the switches will be a bit heavier duty and probably a lot more durable.
Most MFDs are small/square, where as the OH-58D MFDs are large & rectangular so to maximise on that, rather than using an off the shelf TM cougar MFD and losing some screen real estate, I’ve just added square momentary push button switches instead.
I hope this is a welcome variant.
Thing is… it’s big (250 x 350), it is a high as the virpil sized variant is wide. I’ve added some profiles around each panel section to give it a bit more character.
Text labels and lines completed
I’ve been looking at the real cockpit and comparing to the sim pic that i was referring to and I thought about it for a while, then decided to add some more buttons.
I’ve placed mini rocker swtiches at the top corners of the MFD (contrast and brightness)
also placed encoder dials with push button on the bottom corners of the MFD
I’ve also added 5 MFD push buttons to both the top and bottom of the MFD.
This will allow for the panel to be utilised on other platforms when not flying the OH-58D
(though for the life of me I can’t think of a good reason to…)
@gadget Any brilliant suggestions for LCD’s that fit nicely behind a cougar?
My desktop space is limited, and I figured I’d finally implement my cougars with the INS/CIVA unit I’ve been working on for a while. The cougars unfortunately are 1:1 ratio and a lot of LCD displays are obviously not. Any specific one you would recommend? been browsing aliexpress/alibaba a bit and haven’t had much luck in finding a screen that fits as good as possible.
I could put the INS displays underneath each other I suppose but I kinda like them next to eachother!
Very interested in LCD screens for cougers as well
It’s a mod I’ve been looking at doing for a while. I love the idea of a moving map on the harrier on my desk.
funny you should ask @TheAlmightySnark …
the guy who put me onto the screens #Kluge | AEF 161 SQN
designed up a panel to hold the 3 MFDs and the A-10C UFC as well as another little controller he has (unknown?) he used the same LED panel from the aliexpress link at the initial post. This is where I came across these neat & affordable screens.
I drew up a simple triple MFD panel with recesses at the rear so the panels would fit in snugly and leave only a few mm between the MFD and the panel, if you really wanted to you could reduce that to zero, but I dont really see the point for the minimum gain.
on the diagram above you can at least get an idea of the overlay of the screen size to the internal ‘screen’ dimension of the Cougar MFD’s.
Then another piece of material to hold the LEDs in place, secured in multiple locations to ensure a snug and solid fit.
at the front the MFDs are recessed in also, to help reduce the thickness between the LED and the MFD
I also included a recess at the bottom of the panel to allow for keyboard access (as require, but that is optional and removing that would reduce the panel height substantially, also eliminating the MFD’s (F-18-esque) offset would also allow for a height reduction, as can be seen on kluge’s example at the top…
apols for the late response, I’ve been AWOL/AFK since xmas eve.
Interesting! I sort of like the physical presence of the cougars so I wont recess them, I will use the screens you recommended then, sounds like a good plan!
@gadget That’s a Elgato streamdeck, it has a lcd behind the buttons, you can add a image on each separately and make folders on it aswell, great for
F1-12 amongs other! There are a couple of premade profiles on the DCS forum
I recessed the LED screens so that the panel to fix them in place would be almost flush, the only reason i recessed the MFDs slightly was to reduce the amount of material between the screen and the MFD, (there is still ample physical presence of the MFD) as some were adamant that the screen had to be the exact size so that it would fit inside the MFD, but then you would have the border of the screens as unusable real estate, but they couldnt be argued with, because they were right!
I got in the habit of saying at work “You can have it cheap, fast, reliable…pick any 2”.
Sounds reasonable enough, I’ll have to get the screens first before I can decide on an implementation. Fun shopping times ahead!
G’day @TheAlmightySnark, shoot me the approx dimensions that you have to work with & I can whip up a panel in fusion then produce a dimensioned drawing for you.
cheers
Cheers but dont worry, I am having a great time messing about with Kicad and Freecad.
Btw, I was browsing aliexpress and found something quite cool:
It’s a keyboard matrix with a LED display integrated! Perfect for making a small INS unit!
That would make an awesome Viggen computer display. Nav digits on the left, waypoint digits on the right, with the keypad below. I’m comfortable turning it into an input device, but I’ve never tried to use DCS’ output functionality.
…and at $2.60, cheap enough that I could by a bunch! 
…to replace the ones I destroy …when I crash the Viggens…actually, I probably didn’t have to explain. 
not quite enough for the PVI-800 in the ka50, but surely just right for a UFC in a fast mover, some DCS-BIOS skull-duggery and you’re off.
Yes exactly, I think I’ll turn that one into a smaller portable input, much like Troll’s button box and other assorted inputs like that!
