PaulStoffregen
01-29-2012, 01:57 PM
I'd like to share a new platform for low-cost ($16 - $24) hardware interfacing I've been developing. It's based on Arduino, a very beginner-oriented hardware programming system. Flight simulation commands and data are mapped to variables within Arduino.
Here is a video demo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVZtq7NBJOo
Arduino makes interfacing LEDs, small LCDs, rotary encoders and lots of other hardware simple, but provides a fully featured programming environment, so you're not limited to only trivial projects.
The Arduino compatible hardware is called Teensy, which has been on the market for about 3 years. The hardware is not new. Teensy boards are in stock at Adafruit (USA East), PJRC (USA West) and Floris.cc (Europe), and they are very affordable!
What is new is special flight sim support, which makes commands and data available as variables within Arduino. All communication is by low-cost USB. It's possible to connect many devices using "multi-TT" type USB 2.0 hubs. Because the specific flight sim variables are embedded within the Arduino programming on each board, they always map to the correct commands/data, even if plugged in or reprogrammed while the simulator is running!
It's currently in beta testing, and currently only X-Plane is supported. Here are the beta test files:
http://www.pjrc.com/teensy/beta/flight_sim_beta/
Here is a lengthy thread where much of the development has been discussed.
http://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?showtopic=55952&st=70
I'm looking for feedback and especially for beta testers!
My hope is to bring the incredibly flexible and popular Arduino environment to the world of cockpit builders, to enable all sorts of create projects using very low cost hardware.
Here is a video demo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVZtq7NBJOo
Arduino makes interfacing LEDs, small LCDs, rotary encoders and lots of other hardware simple, but provides a fully featured programming environment, so you're not limited to only trivial projects.
The Arduino compatible hardware is called Teensy, which has been on the market for about 3 years. The hardware is not new. Teensy boards are in stock at Adafruit (USA East), PJRC (USA West) and Floris.cc (Europe), and they are very affordable!
What is new is special flight sim support, which makes commands and data available as variables within Arduino. All communication is by low-cost USB. It's possible to connect many devices using "multi-TT" type USB 2.0 hubs. Because the specific flight sim variables are embedded within the Arduino programming on each board, they always map to the correct commands/data, even if plugged in or reprogrammed while the simulator is running!
It's currently in beta testing, and currently only X-Plane is supported. Here are the beta test files:
http://www.pjrc.com/teensy/beta/flight_sim_beta/
Here is a lengthy thread where much of the development has been discussed.
http://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?showtopic=55952&st=70
I'm looking for feedback and especially for beta testers!
My hope is to bring the incredibly flexible and popular Arduino environment to the world of cockpit builders, to enable all sorts of create projects using very low cost hardware.