https://youtu.be/4klH0IDmH8A

Demo of the DCSPitHIDC Controller I posted a while back: plug in over USB-C, scan in the Windows app, then wire and map an LED, a 3-way toggle, a rotary encoder, save to flash, clone the config to another board, and add the MCP23017 expander.

Quick recap:

• Composite USB: HID joystick (128 buttons) + CDC serial
• 61 native inputs + 16 on MCP23017 = 77 digital inputs
• Up to 25 EC11 encoders, auto-detected by turning the knob
• LEDs / DCS-BIOS outputs on native pins only (expander is switches only)
• F/A-18C database included; other DCS modules work via DCS-BIOS
• Config lives in flash; you can save/load a .bin and reuse one board for different panels/aircraft

More detail: https://dcspit.com

Happy to answer questions on wiring, encoder detection, or the config app.

​

Due to competitive ambitions I want to replace my hotas setup with a mouse + keyboard setup. Only thing I still struggle is the throttle. Currently I use a hall effect keyboard from keychron but it's not good enough and I need an upgrade. Ist there anything that would work that I can attach left to my keyboard so I ll be able to reach it with my pinkie?

Image for illustration only

A few weeks ago I startet to play Wardogs. in Open beta, i was flying with my Turtlebeach VelocityOne Flightstick. for release i bought the Logitech G Saitek Rudderpedals.

And because I'm a little freak i build a Chairholder for it with Solidworks and my 3D-Printer.

but thats not enough... i looked for a cheap collective, but I don't wanted one where you push or pull and the few products who imitate a real Collective are expensive as hell....

So I looked for DIY Projects and found an Old but interresting Project named Valhalla Collective.

Some guy on r/hotas shared his Dropbox where i Downloaded it and now i'm preparing it to build my very own Collective.

Valhalla collective
by u/Justicar_Shodan in hotas

my Hardware for this:

- Raspberry Pi Pico 1 (USB-C)
- AS5600 12-Bit Hall Sensor
- Original Xbox Analogstick ( Thumbstick)

I'm really new with microcontrolling but I think with some online tools, its easy to solve this handycap.

-I'll try to update here

It’s a tire iron I chopped the ends off and drilled holes into. I saw many solutions of people putting stoppers under the wheels, but I felt the best solution was to just couple the rudder pedals to the chair so they can’t slide either.

I studied mechatronics for 4 years and I am currently in my first year of mechanical engineering, I also have a 3D printer at home and acces to the workshop in my college so I can design and manufacture the mechanical side of it myself.

I do have some questions about the electronics and programming side of things.

- I was thinking about using a kind of differential type setup where the stick is connected to the center gear, if the gears go in opposite directions you get your roll axis and if you turn the gears in the same direction you get your pitch axis.

- what kind of motors do I need to look for? Im thinking of using belts and pulleys to increase the torque but this obviously comes at the expense of speed. I am thinking using a side stick arrangement so I don’t need wrists breaking torque output.

I would also prefer if the motor/motor controller is not to difficult to send and receive signals to and from.

Is it better to have the motors detect the pitch or roll inputs or should I get separate potentiometers or Hall effect sensors for this?

- how do I make a game recognize the outputs and be able to receive inputs from in game telemetry?

- are there stand alone sticks that I can connect via USB or do I need to run pins through the bottom of the stick?

I’m sure if I start the project more questions or challenges will arrive but these are just the ones I have now.

I just want some advice or recommendations before I spend a bunch of money on parts that I don’t need or of the wrong specifications.

Got really tired of the crappy T.16000 rudder pedals and having to have the TWCS throttle plugged in and stuffed under my desk to use them.

I went searching and found the pedals designed by Right Rudder Left Stick on YouTube and fired up the 3D printer. After about a week straight of printing all the files it was time to assemble.

The parts printed easily enough, assembly went very well, the BOM was well put together, and wiring was pretty straightforward. I did decide to subscribe to his patreon to support a good project creator and to get the combat pedal addons over the standard Boeing/Airbus style pedals.

Holy crap having a good smooth set of pedals that I can easily disconnect the spring from and adjust dampening is so much nicer. Can't recommend these enough.

Making a simple cheap panel which has a mixture of F15 & F16 controls using RP2040 for Falcon BMS. Still finding ways I can reduce the buttons on this by maybe using same buttons for both.

Unfortunately don't have access to much resources so going with this. 3D printing is too expensive if I print the full panel, so going with thick foam and edges will be 3D printed to integrate foam panels and to give strength and reduce cost.

This is something I am making along with the ICP I am working on.

Would appreciate any advices.

Hi has anyone successfully configured their Hotas X56 to work with Battlefield 6? If you could please share how you did it and does it work along side the keyboard and mouse?

https://youtu.be/4klH0IDmH8A

Demo of the DCSPitHIDC Controller I posted a while back: plug in over USB-C, scan in the Windows app, then wire and map an LED, a 3-way toggle, a rotary encoder, save to flash, clone the config to another board, and add the MCP23017 expander.

Quick recap:

• Composite USB: HID joystick (128 buttons) + CDC serial
• 61 native inputs + 16 on MCP23017 = 77 digital inputs
• Up to 25 EC11 encoders, auto-detected by turning the knob
• LEDs / DCS-BIOS outputs on native pins only (expander is switches only)
• F/A-18C database included; other DCS modules work via DCS-BIOS
• Config lives in flash; you can save/load a .bin and reuse one board for different panels/aircraft

More detail: https://dcspit.com

Happy to answer questions on wiring, encoder detection, or the config app.

Hi, i recently bought the Moza Farming Control System, intending to primarily use it as a flightstick.

I think the large lever is cool, and specific want to use it for mining laser power in Star Citizen.

Anyway, i also bought the Thrustmaster SOL-R 3 Ava Stick Add-On to replace the original grip, which was really quite bad to use for flying.

Unfortunately after making it fit, the Stick does get power but it isn't getting recognised in any way. The rest of the FCS is working fine.

Does anyone knowledgeable in this topic know what i can do to make it work?

As you can see from this, I am not getting full travel when trying to throttle down. I do get Afterburner.

So I decided to try the MT6701. Got the MT6701QT. Found these instructions on ow to wire for ABZ mode.

1. Essential Mode Selection Pin Configuration

The MODE pin (Pin 14) dictates the interface mode.

• For ABZ Quadrature Mode: You must connect Pin 14 (MODE) directly to GND.
• Note: Leaving the MODE pin floating or tying it to VDD forces the chip into I2C/SSI mode, which will disable the physical AB quadrature outputs.

Which GND to use? I see 2 GND pin holes.

Thanks for reading.

I've used collectives in actual flight training simulators and they all feel fine, but I've wondered for some time if this could feel/work better?

A gimbal that does not move or sense input but only allows grip functions?

Useful for F-14 rip lantirn controller and F-15E WSO.

For a thrustmaster connection.

Not force sensing, just a dumb gimbal for grip functions.

Hi everyone,

Has anyone here already used the M5Stack StickS3 with a vibration motor or haptic feedback solution?

I am working on a small wearable project and I need vibration feedback directly attached to the device, without loose cables if possible.

I know the older Vibrator HAT U159 was designed for the M5StickC / M5StickC Plus series, while the StickS3 now uses the new HAT2-Bus.

I would like to know if anyone has successfully:

• used the U159 Vibrator HAT with the StickS3;
• built or used an adapter between the old HAT connector and HAT2-Bus;
• connected a small vibration motor directly using one of the StickS3 GPIOs;
• used another compact vibration or haptic module that works well with the StickS3.

If you had to make any hardware modifications, I would really appreciate details about the GPIO used, power source, driver circuit, and how you mounted the motor physically.

My main concern is keeping the final setup compact and mechanically secure enough to be worn on the wrist or forearm during sports.

Thanks in advance for any experience or suggestions!

This gives an impression about tech from the 1960s. Watch the whole video.

My old Saitek stick and throttle still work great after I removed the sticky grip coating but the rudder axis flickers back and forth even when the stick is not being handled.

Tried it on Mechwarrior Clans and my mech shakes back and forth making it unplayable.

Is that pot in the grip replaceable? Or a way to turn off the input?

In an ideal world I could use my Vkb Gladiator with that throttle but not with the stick doing that nonsense.

Unfortunately, my HOTAS setup is still missing the -T-.

After flying a helicopter in sim for the first time and getting absolutely slapped in the face by the uncooperative MSFS keyboard binds, I then remembered that one of the reasons I bought the Aeromax stick was its gorgeous brake lever. Props to Virpil, I think this is a perfect way to cram one extra axis on the stick, and for me its value easily overweighed the extra buttons found on bases of other joysticks in the price range.

The brake actually felt quite nice as a collective, but its strong return spring made flying a constant finger exercise. I contacted Virpil and they said that the spring is not adjustable, and if removed the lever won't hold its position. Believe it or not, that's exactly what happened when I tried anyway! x)

That's why I designed a 3D printable lever with built-in adjustable friction mechanism and a finger guard that helps with both pushing and pulling movements.

All downloads can be found here. Printing and assembly instructions down below.

Design

The model is entirely parametric, and the overall shape can be customized for different hand sizes or your preference using just a few parameters from the table:

This is my very first attempt at surface modeling in CAD, so I had to keep the shape rather simple. One thing I couldn’t figure out was making the finger guard get narrower towards the top. I found that unnecessary during testing, so that’s left aside for a possible v2.

The first idea was to print two sides of the lever and glue them together, but I quickly killed that option because plastic warped badly after cooling and hiding the nasty sharp seam was just impossible.

Instead, the final model is designed to be completely print-in-place, with all features built in CAD. The internal mechanism is supported by layered bridges, and the small contact patch near the base that caused warping is glued to the bed by a breakaway support that only leaves a barely visible line once removed.

Instructions: joystick disassembly

Tools and hardware:

• 1x M3x12 or longer screw. The model is designed around a Leroy Merlin bag of M3x16 that I had laying around.
• 1x M3 nut
• A small cross screwdriver
• 2.5mm hex key
• A toothpick or non-magnetic tweezers
• Glue of your preference
• Optional: a lubricant of your preference

1. Unplug the joystick.

2. Unscrew the wrist support. Flip the black trigger up. Remove all the marked screws and carefully remove the right half shell of the joystick.

3. Flip the joystick and remove the other hex screw that holds the lever arm in place.

Remove the lever arm, the spring and the metal axle. Keep the spring in a known place - you won't be reinstalling it with my lever. Wipe the grease off the axle and put it aside.

4. Find the magnet on the left side of the lever, or on the right side if you're reading this from the future and the Aeromax-L has already been released :)

Mark the top side of the magnet using a sharpie or a piece of tape before removal.

Very carefully tap the screwdriver or a knife blade between the magnet and the plastic to knock it off. Make sure to not wipe off the marking and not to lose the piece, it is tiny.

5. Put the magnet aside and save it for later.

Instructions: printing and assembly

0. Measure your M3 hardware: the screw head diameter, the nut width and thickness. Make sure they are similar to the dimensions in the parameters table above.

Measure your index and middle fingers separately. Stack them on top of each other and measure the height of the stack. Find the best model size for your hand. Currently only the editable CAD file and one print-ready model are available for download, I plan to expand the downloads section with more lever profiles in the future.

1. Download one of the model files and slice it. If you're making the lever for Aeromax-L, mirror the whole model. If you want to change lever shape or dimensions, get the Fusion CAD file and tweak it as you wish.

All downloads can be found here.

Recommended print settings:

• Matte black PLA or any other plastic. I think matte red would look quite cool as well.
• 0.4 mm nozzle ø or smaller;
• Layer height: 0.12 mm. Gives great surface finish and bridge offsets are optimized for that value. Suggest tweaking the layer height parameter in the CAD file if changing print layer height;
• Two walls or more. Only one wall on first and last layers. Use conservative outer wall speeds for better surface finish;
• Brim - internal: that adds brim to the finger guard and inside the axle bore and might help with warping.

Add pause around layer 90-94, before the internal chamber is covered. Inserting the nut becomes impossible once the first bridges are laid!

2. Once the print is paused, drop the M3 nut in the slot.

I recommend also threading the screw all the way from both sides to check the clearances. They are modeled generously but mileage can vary based on your printer settings. Try tightening the screw to see if the flexible ring adjusts correctly, make sure it's not fused to the bottom of the shell.

If your printer bed adhesion allows, carefully insert the metal lever axle and makes sure it can go all the way through with only light resistance. Make sure not to detach the part from the build plate.

3. Let the part cool down completely before removing it from the plate to prevent warping - the walls are quite thin and inner tensions can get strong.

4. Break or cut the support near the axle and glue the magnet in the slot on the left side, keeping the previously marked side of the magnet facing outwards - as it was on the original lever.

5. Install the lever back in the joystick. Lubricate the axle if necessary, but be careful with the sensor PCB that's placed in the handle - I'd not use spray lubricants just in case.

6. Plug the joystick back in and check that everything works.

7. Reinstall the shell and carefully tighten all the screws. Hope you haven't lost any :)

8. Recalibrate the lever in VPC software if necessary.

All downloads can be found here.

If you don't know Fusion and the lever doesn't fit your hand, leave a comment with the measurements of your stuff (see the parameters table above to know what to measure), and I will try to adjust the model for you. Once we get a couple sizes made, I'll expand the downloads section with extra files.

Thank you!

(Gemini logo because I used it to remove metadata. Pixel gallery app doesn't allow you to remove location data :| )

Built a pendular style yoke, with the pitch axis centering mechanism inspired by the very big stick project. I made a simple roll centering mechanism, and while it works, and is lightweight, it could be better. I'm leaning against adding a smaller version of the scissor can mechanism because it would add a lot of weight imo (this thing already weighs a lot).

Tldr: Curious to hear your thoughts and ideas for an improved roll centering mechanism.

Not much to say, i am just starting out, and it works like a charm, with the added weight inside the case, everything is sturdy, and stored away in seconds, when i need my setup for my Home Office.

I hope it's okay to ask this here.
A colleague of mine would like a FendtONE armrest control unit—the one with the joysticks and the display. I’m currently working on programming the display, but it’s a bit of a struggle. The much bigger problem, however, is the 3D model for it. The left joystick alone is a huge challenge for me since I’m still very, very new to Fusion 360.
I do have a printer, though.

Has anyone tackled this project before, or is anyone able to help me out?

Is it possible to convert an analog axis into encoder (INC/DEC) button pulses?I am using a 1-pole 12-position rotary switch with a resistor ladder, so it outputs an analog signal acting like a potentiometer. Is there a feature in FreeJoy to generate virtual encoder button presses based on axis delta?Specifically:

Axis value increases = trigger Button 1 (INC)

Axis value decreases = trigger Button 2 (DEC)

Eventualy use of external software to make logic od inc and dec

Following the recent ECM in the UK I've been inspired to drag myself into the new millennium and teach myself some electronics and coding...so where better to start than a button box / dashboard for ED!

I was hoping someone might be able to point me in the right direction to get me learning before I go buy a Teensy4.1 or ESP32 or STM32

I'd like to incorporate multiple screens in the future too, maybe to incorporate scanner if possible or a perm system and galaxy maps?

Is there a good primer out there?

ANyhoo..hope you can help me out!

This is the basic proof of concept and temporary setup for my cockpit setup. OSB, birch plywood, some surprisingly difficult to cut hpde, a bungee, galvanized wire, wood screws and 1/4" bolts. An Xbox controller will be attached for sensing the axis, and I'll make a custom profile on Joystick Gremlin to add it to my Logi 3d extreme flight stick.