fundamental beggining info

[mI3O]

Hi everyone, I'm absolutely new to cockpit building and I've never made(bought, used) any kind of additional panel... I'm not sure wheter I'll be intrested in cockpit building and actually the only think I want to make is something very simple to try how it works... I'm planning to make just few switches for lights, nothing more (recently) but the only manuals and tutorials I've found were huge projects (or parts of huge projects) using expensive hardware. Could anybody post me a link to very fundamental tutorial or anything similiar?

Sorry for boring (and maybe for you witless) question and I'll appreciate every reply

m.gebauer (slovakia)

[David Rogers]

Welcome from Slovensko ! (I have been to Bratislava many times).

I'm not sure about the tutorial, but my advice would be to take a look at the "Hagstrom Keyboard Emulators". With one of these, you can set up many buttons and switches and then link them into key presses or FSUIPC assignments, within FS.

It is an easy way to get started for the sort of cockpit you are talking about.

Check out www.hagstromelectronics.com (http://www.hagstromelectronics.com)

Regards,

[mI3O]

Hi David (I've been to London once :-) )
thank you for your answer. The link seems interesting and that could be the next step after I ensure me wheter I would like to improve my cockpit making. So that's not exactly what I'm looking for (but is the best I've seen and I bookmarked it).
I've studied electrotechnics (actually I'm programmer and don't like elektrotechnics very much..) so I hope there are any pages with schemes how to build also the hardware interface (programm chip, or using old keyboard, etc) only in case of trying it, once again I'm looking for cheap example with few switches. Of course I know that for better solutions I have to pay more many, but I want to only try it... (may be later I'll spend my whole salaries on it :-) )

[BlackWidow]

http://www.desktopaviator.com/

Check this company out they have a 10 button USB interface that i think will do exactly what you want.

[pdpo]

Hi there,

welcom here

check out also the opencockpits website...they have relatively cheap cards with
many possibilities. In your case you could start either with USB keys card
or a mastercard with some input/output connection card (if you have soldering
posibility .. you'll not spend more then 50 euros... without soldering experience
add some 30 euro more for the mastercard)
This beginning will not be lost and as you progress and need more inputs or outputs
the USB expansion card is next with the possibility for extra 3 mastercards..

(I have no links to opencockpits .. just a happy user of there cards and supporting this
kind of groups who build something and put it avail for many without going real commercial
and keeping democratic pricing)

Greetz Peter

[Tomlin]

Also, you may want to order one of the Go Flight remote mount kits for the RP48. You get 4 rotary encoders and 8 pushbuttons for about $125 USD if memory serves right. The parts are very reliable and extremely easy to use in FS.

[Mike.Powell]

An inexpensive way to build a simple switch interface is to use the electronics from a cheap gamepad. If you want to expand its fuctionality to include throttle inputs, use a dual-action gamepad which has the little joysticks in the thumb positions.

There are also some chip level interface solutions, for example the BU0836 interface from Leo Bodnar, http://www.lbodnar.dsl.pipex.com/joystick/

Another approach is to buy a USB interface from Beta Innovations, http://www.betainnovations.com/

There are several good reference sites about home cockpit building:
http://www.fscockpit.com/
http://www.simprojects.nl/
http://www.mikesflightdeck.com/getting_started.htm

[Paul G]

the only think I want to make is something very simple to try how it works... I'm planning to make just few switches for lights, nothing more

Sorry, but I couldn't help smiling when I saw this. I thought that's all I wanted too. But the Internet is a dark and dangerous place. With lots of sim builders to sway you this way or that. Next thing you find yourself obsessed with exact colour matching and bidding on airline seats that have been impregnated with farts from a suitably qualified airline captain, for tens of thousands on ebay.

From what you're saying, Go Flight (goflightinc.com) might offer a decent solution. Their units are mostly plug and play, although are a long way from the realism that many are striving towards. However they're really easy to set up and built to withstand a nuclear impact. They are not expensive if you add up the cost of making them yourselves, but depends on whether you see yourself as a builder or pilot, or somewhere in between.

Welcome to the forum, and the dark side

[mI3O]

Thank you very much for all your answers. I'm getting really close to what I'm looking for. I've found out that there's been something called "MJoy", but the original product page is no longer available on web. I've read that this device can be build by myself because processor, who manages the device, should be programmable with a Freeware programmer... This is the way i would like to go.. Does anybody have info about that? BU0836 interface (thanks Mike.Powell) seems similiar and maybe uses same processor like MJoy (should be Atmel as I've read somewhere) but the yellow sticker conceals it (probably on purpose)

[mI3O]

I probably have my solution. MJoy I mentioned before seems exactly what I need. I found something here:
http://home.versateladsl.be/verlejan/Mjoy16E.html
there is also download page with manuals and schemes. It uses ATmega16 processor from Atmel (which is cheap enough):
http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/product_card.asp?part_id=2010
I rejoice at my new founded aim and hope I won't give it up :-)