[Help] Light Panel

[Shark_tt]

Hello

After making my introduction, it's time to share my problems/questions with people who can actually help me :D

I want to do a little box, where I have some 5 or 6 switches and LED's (simple as that :-P)! But my problem is that I don't know who to plug/weld everything. I would like to ask if someone know where I can get a picture or diagram of the connections I need to do, and if it's not asking to much, to list what I do need to buy.

This is what I intend to do, kind of :-P
http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/7766/planoe.jpg

Thank you so much for reading this

Best Regards,
Paulo Santos

Edit:
I forgot to mention that I wanted to be able to connect it to the PC via USB (there's another problem! I don't know what software I need to use so that I can connect the device to the FS). And those LED's would turn on when I turn the switch on

[Buddym]

I have only worked with IOcards and Bodnar cards. Both are awesome, the Bodnar is a input device, no LEDs, but USB and works great. The IOcards is input and output, and very expandable. USB interface with the USB expansion card. There are more cards out there but I have no experience with them, so the combo of these 2 is my suggestion.


BuddyM

[autocadplease]

Wiring the LED and switches is easy, but communicating with FS without a controller card is well beyond me. You could buy a cheap joystick or game controller and use its parts and its USB controller. Might be easier just to buy a GoFlight GF-T8. http://www.goflightinc.com/order/product_info.php?cPath=1&products_id=77 or the remote kit http://www.goflightinc.com/order/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=62

I bought Leo Bodnar's BU0836X card (as mentioned by Buddym) http://www.leobodnar.com/products/BU0836X/ they are very versatile.

[Shark_tt]

Thank you! To both of you, for the fast replies :D

Buying the "thing" ready to roll is out of the question (these guys want 100$ for a couple of wires and buttons :sad:). I already saw some homemade projects of this kind, but none shows the wiring done :( And that's the part that I really need right now :rolleyes:

I want to do a complete homemade kind of project... This is where I will start. Does anyone have more opinions?

Regards
Paulo

[RadarBob]

If you want to use USB hardware interface, and build it yourself, your best bet is to use a PIC micro-controller with on-board USB.

But unless you are already familiar, by the time you have bought it and the associated components, learned how to program it, made the circuit board etc, you may have been better off buying one.

In my opinion, the price of the previously mentioned cards is about right.

Rob

[salautom]

well, if you like to solder:

http://www.opencockpits.com/catalog/master-card-p-30.html?cPath=21_27

you need a parallel port for that, if you want to connect to usb, you also need this one:

http://www.opencockpits.com/catalog/expansion-card-p-38.html?cPath=21_30

(they also have the assembled one's for a higher price)

[autocadplease]

Again, you could just buy a cheap usb game controller on ebay for $10 like this one http://cgi.ebay.ca/Dual-Shock-USB-Game-Pad-Joypad-Joystick-Controller-NEW_W0QQitemZ220412617313QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Joysticks_Game_Controllers?hash=item33519da261&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1215%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1309%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50 and open it up and use its button contacts as connections to your switches and just wire some LEDs to come on when the switch is on. FS will see it as a USB game controller - then just map the buttons/switches to whatever function you want.

Some info on wiring LED and modifying an XBOX game controller http://www.llamma.com/xbox360/mods/xbox%20360%20Controller%20LED%20Mod.htm. The main thing about LEDs is using the correct resistor.

[Shark_tt]

Hello everyone!


well, if you like to solder:

http://www.opencockpits.com/catalog/master-card-p-30.html?cPath=21_27

you need a parallel port for that, if you want to connect to usb, you also need this one:

http://www.opencockpits.com/catalog/expansion-card-p-38.html?cPath=21_30

(they also have the assembled one's for a higher price)

That's what I was loocking for!! I really wanted to do something like that, and solder everything by my self. That will be my next step, when I build my AP box :P
Now i'm going to do what I was told, and I bought a gamepad to try it this way... I'll post it here, so everyone can see/help.

Thank you, once again, for all your help!

Regards
Paulo Santos