Flaps switch idea!

[No Longer Active]

Hi, Just come across this and was wondering if you could make a flaps switch with this, or how you would wire it up?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390070377635&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_3434wt_1057

Alex

[AK Mongo]

I am sure that you could. Looks like the motion is Rotary, not linear...so it may not be as accurate as you seem to be striving for, but it looks like it is just a multi position switch. Connect each of the terminals to your Buo836 and program and you are good to go.

[Holclo]

Or the "3 position" one would make a neat little gear lever if it could be wired up .
Bill

[caKus]

Hi,

Fender stratocasters have 3 pick-up. The 5 positions of the switch usually gives :
1 - pick-up 1
2 - PU 1 + 2
3 - PU 2
4 - PU 2 + 3
5 - PU 3

So, you can probably use the pos 1, 3, 5. The positions 2 and 4, are doing an analogic mixing and may be more difficult to use as digital data entry.

Kind regards.

Patrick.

[No Longer Active]

Hi All,

I dont know if I have showed you this, but this is my flaps switch, had it for a while now.

It's just a piece of aluminium bent at a right angle, 2 holes to screw it to the MIP and a large hole to insert the rotary with a locking hole so the rotary doesn't move about.

A small aluminium arm is fixed over the rotary shaft, and there is a mini hex screw at the end to tighten the arm to the shaft which is done with an alan key.

Simple but effective.......

http://alexpilot.50g.com/flaps.jpg

I would like to know this........

How do you assign a four position encoder to 'flaps' in FS using FSUIPC?

I am using a 12 pos rotary but will only be using 4 positions, how is this wired up to a BU0836? Is it 1 pos per card input + GND?

Cheers,

Alex

[Kennair]

Hi Alex,

Yes each position on the rotary switch will need to be wired into individual inputs on the Bodner card. The centre pin on the rotary is the GND and each outside pin corresponds to an input. Use a multimeter to test which outside pin is connected for each of your 4 positions. Remember too that the Bodner card can only take up to 12 buttons in the on position at any one time, so you'll need to think about what other switches you have connected to it and whether they are momentary or latching. If you want more than 12 switches in the ON position at once, you'll need to connect the switches via diodes (see Leo's website for a diagram).

As for the assignment in FSUIPC, have a look at "FSUIPC for Programmers" that came with the FSUIPC download and read the instructions for offset "0BDC" which sets the flap range and settings. Basically all FS flaps for any aircraft move equally thru the range 0 - 16383 with each detent falling equadistant between. For any particular aircraft flap number, divide 16383 by this number minus 1 i.e. for 4 positions divide 16383 by 3 to find the value for each flap position. If you come up with a fraction then round up to the nearest whole number. Confused? Good cos that's what this hobby is all about, being confused then the great feeling when you finally work it out.

Go to the 'Buttons & Switches' tab in FSUIPC and and put your rotary switch into the first, flaps up position, and select 'FS control'. In the 'Control sent when button pressed' drop down box select "Offset Word Set". In the 'Offset' box put "x0BDC" (don't forget the 'x'), and in the parameter box put '0' for the first setting. Then move your flap rotary to the second position, select all the above but put '5461' in the parameter box. Select the next position and put in '10922' for the third and '16383' for the last. This will correspond with the 4 positions of your flap switch. Load up your aircraft and voila, all the flap positions should be recognised and move accordingly. (I just tested this out on my sim using a spare rotary switch input and it works a treat)

Hope that helps and good luck.

Ken.

[caKus]

Hi all,

I guess there is a other option to connect Alex switch to a BU0836X : it consists in soldering a resistor between each couple of contacts of the switch. If you have 4 contacts you will need 3 resistors. Connect the upper contact to + 5V, the lower to the ground and you have a sort of potentiometer that you can connect to an analogic entry of your BU card. An FS and FSUIPC, there is an axis for flaps, so you can use an analogic entry.

I don't know if this is clear enough. It would be better with a schema, but it is so hot here in south of France (more than 30°C) that I feel a little lazy. If you need more explanation, just ask, I will do a schema.

Ken, you wrote that the BU card can only take up to 12 buttons on at the same time. Do you know if this apply to the BU0836X ? I was not aware of this.

Regards.

[No Longer Active]

Hi Ken,

Many thanks for the answer, I am glad someone come to my rescue. You mention that the Bodner card can only take up to 12 buttons in the on position at any one time, and I was wondering if this is still the case with the BUO836X card as this is what I have, and assuming that the x version already has diodes on each channel.

I am really grateful for your explanation, and will indeed include this on my new website which accompanies my new sim which is currently in progress, its a great help.

I was thinking of using FSUIPC mouse macros to patch each position of the rotary to each flap setting as I could only find flaps (incr) and flaps (decr) which isnt too helpful when you have 4 flaps settings, I went out my mind trying to work out how its done, and I am really glad that you have come to my rescue.

A million thanks to you pal, will post the progress soon.....

PS.....Can you tell me what is the difference between a 'Make Before Break' rotary switch and a 'Break Before Make' rotary switch, not too sure what's the difference between the two????????

Again, cheers pal!

Alex

[Kennair]

"Ken, you wrote that the BU card can only take up to 12 buttons on at the same time. Do you know if this apply to the BU0836X ? I was not aware of this."

No this only applies to the standard BU card not the BU0836X. The new version has completely isolated inputs and therefore you can have them all on at the same time without any diode protection, so connect away to your hearts content. I must clarify that the old version can have the same "all on" situation also, its just that you need to have diode protection in order to avoid phantom button switches. The 'X' series has this incorporated into its design.

As for the difference between "Make Before Break" and "Break Before Make", the name says it all. The first switch remains connected to one input until a connection is established to the next then breaks the first, and the second breaks the first connection then establishes a connection to the next. Your rotary switch is a "Break before Make". You don't really want a "Make Before Break" as you run the risk of briefly having two switches on at the same time, which could confuse some things.

Cheers,

Ken.

[No Longer Active]

Thanks for the clarification Ken, all makes sense now!

Will get this fella working it no time!

All the best!

Alex

[ian@737ng.co.uk]

hi alex......
mail me and i'll show you how to do it :o))
rgds ... ian

[cjellwood]

Hi Alex,

you can buy those switches as just 4 positions, I got some from ebay a while back. They have all the pins on the back but just click 3 times from base.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/5-3-Pole-4-Position-PANEL-Wiring-ROTARY-SWITCH-3P4T-/300441766458?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45f3b98a3a

Chris

[Cessna172sim]

Here is our flaps mechanism:
http://www.lentosimulaattori.1g.fi/kuvat/assorted+construction+pictures/flaps+Indicator/

[cjellwood]

looks a bit like the Simkits Flaps :)

http://www.leons-world.com/img/flaps_0.jpg

Chris