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arduino cards

Started by farrokh747, Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:35

farrokh747

Hello all -

does anyone have any experience with this i/o system?

http://arduino.cc/en/

http://arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardMega2560

I'm looking for onboard solutions for ACP boxes - the mega seems to have enough ports to handle one ACP, but not sure how/if the card software allows PSX to comm with the board. There's a crazy amount of wires coming out of the ACP, if you take all the vol controls/led's/switches .... So really looking to have the I/O in the box with USB out....

http://arduino.cc/forum/index.php/topic,70305.0.html

any thoughts from the gurus of code....?

cheers,

fc

EDIT: OK, some info on the mycockpit arduino forum - looks like work has been done for FSX....
http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/showthread.php/22878-Link2fs_FSX_inOut.-Anything-about-it.-Idea-s-bugs-etc

frumpy

#1
I do Atmel-chips once in a while... uh well, its cold outside,
good time for programming^^
Getting into it is not that easy, but once you understood
the principles, things get a lot easier.
I suggest starting off with an experimentation-board
first, they are cheap and fun to program:

http://shop.myavr.com/Kits/myAVR%20Board%20light,%20assembly%20kit.htm?sp=article.sp.php&artID=200017


Then you have the choice of different languages, like
assembler, C or Bascom. I suppose Bascom will be the
the best choice here, if you are oriented to quick results.


edit: Have you seen the motion-platform? Crazy...  :lol:
http://www.jimspage.co.nz/pictures.htm

Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers

Arduino, just as most other microcontrollers, can be interfaced to basically anything. There won't be a native out of the box solution for PSX, but anybody who can program a socket, can interface with PSX. You still need to find an Arduino programmer but that platform is very widely used and certainly no problem to interface.


Jeroen

farrokh747

Thanks, will poke around and see what comes up - i have zero programming skills, but maybe this is the time to start learning..


fc

frumpy

You will find lots of examples online. Try to find a few introductions
to Atmel-controllers. Check out digital input/output (buttons&leds)
and analog input&output (potentiometers&pwm), learn how
to solder basic circuits and understand how Ohms law works...
thats how I started. What I like about Atmels is that they are
pretty robust to misuse - they usually dont care if you put 5V
on the wrong pin  :o If I dont become a pilot in the meantime,
my longterm plan is to build a homecockpit too... so thats why
I try to learn those things... it can be a lot of fun :-)

Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers

Ha, yesterday at work we had a training on how to stuff your own CPU design into a blank FPGA. If your CPU misses a specific instruction and you need that because the CPU is too slow to do it in software, you silicon-morph it into the FPGA and hey presto, 300+1 CPU instructions. Fun!


Jeroen

frumpy

Hi guys,

I have a beginner-question here... I would like to check
the possibility of controlling FSX NAV-frequencies externally.
There is the Saitek panel für 130€, too expensive for me,
also it is not reliable (1 click does not necessarily change
the frequency the intended amount):
http://www.mypilotstore.com/mypilotstore/sep/6360

Basically I need two turnknobs (Nav1&2) each one giving
4 inputs (increase/decrease before and after decimal) -
together with switching knob to change frequencies
thats 10 digital inputs. Output is not required here.

1) Where can I get these double turnknobs cheaply?

2) Whats the cheapest way to interface FSX? USB
is prefererred. I suppose I can even use the board of
an old USB-Joystick from ebay, but i wonder if you guys
have better ideas here?

Thank you! :-)

farrokh747

hi -

you could try leo bodnar's cards for the i/o  http://www.leobodnar.com/  
http://www.leobodnar.com/products/BU0836X/

the dual concentric encoders would be expensive i think.... no idea about cheaper ones....

you'd only need one dual encoder per nav, and a transfer button = sorry, not sure which acft you're talking about...

if you dont get dual's in your budget, you could have 2 single encoders for the 100's and decimals each - they're listed on leo's site as well -

hope this helps

fc

frumpy

#8
Thanks for the link, still a little too much on the budget
for now. With dual encoders it wouldn't be much cheaper
than buying the Saitek panel. I'd rather save for actual
flying hours :-)

Quote from: farrokh747you'd only need one dual encoder per nav, and a transfer button = sorry, not sure which acft you're talking about...
I'm trying to fly the Bonanza in FSX for some IFR procedures.
To set the Nav1 is nasty, first the clickspots are hard to find
and then the whole thing works via the GPS. If I press "pause"
in the sim to set the NAV, the GPS does not work.

The Logitech Extreme 3d can be bought for 10-15 Euro
used at ebay, it's got 12 buttons to work with. I must admit,
the double encoders are really hot...

Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers

#9
This chap builds exactly what you want, exactly in the way you wanted it.
http://www.flightpanels.com/
I don't know the cost, but it is tough gear, very close to the real stuff in feeling.

Navigate the web site via the MCDU -- it took me a while to notice this.


Jeroen


The panel is real, the board behind it is the interesting bit

frumpy

#10
Okay, xmas is near. :-) Got a dual encoder from bodnar
and a 3€ usb-gamepad with 8 buttons (incl. shipping) of ebay.
The debounce circuit for connecting the encoder is kind of complicated,
however if it feels right and works fine it's worth a try.
I asked Santa for a Saitek yoke, I'll see if there is enough
space inside to fit the boards inside and encoder on top :-)

I also found a USB joystick board with an ATMega8.
I dont trust the 10bit ADC of the ATMega too much,
but 24 buttons are quite an argument :-)
http://www.flightsim.com/main/howto/mind.htm

-> Jeroen (avoiding the "@" here  :)  )
I have talked to him, a nice guy. The thing here are
the costs. But once I am older and have written off
all plans of becoming a pilot, I can dig deeper into
high quality stuff like that one :-)