Arduino board using Link2FS Multi
Apr 7, 2017 5:50:43 GMT
Post by Bushman on Apr 7, 2017 5:50:43 GMT
I'm just getting started on my simulator project, but figured I'd share my progress. To give you a little background, I got my private pilot's license about 20 years ago and haven't really flown since. I am by no means an expert in aviation, programming, electronics, or carpentry, but I love learning! My GPS panel is rather unremarkable, but I noticed there are only one or two posts regarding the use of Arduino for the microcontroller, which is what my system is uses.
For those who haven't played with Arduino, the board is amazing! Its beauty is in its simplicity. Now, for the first time, programming microcontrollers is so easy even I can do it. Automate your home, make fancy light shows, build robots or drones...only your imagination is the limit. For newbies, I recommend getting the official starter kit and doing the first 4 or 5 tutorial projects. After you have a feel for the system, just copy code from published projects and edit it. Each tutorial project takes 30-60 minutes.
www.arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoStarterKit
I knew there had to be Arduino flight sims out there. A Google search turned up this tutorial on Youtube:
Interfacing Arduino with Flight Simulator- Tutorial
Special thanks to Eric of MKme.org for sharing his knowledge.
I originally thought I would have to use the Arduino as a keyboard emulator. As it turns out, a generous New Zealander named Jim has written a program to make it even easier. Link2FS_Multi makes mapping switches to FSX a cinch. Thanks Jim! His page is here: www.jimspage.co.nz/Link2fs_Multi.htm . Eric explains how to use the program in his Youtube video.
One of the neat features of Jim's program is it's ability to send signals from FSX to the Arduino, so you could create digital or ANALOG displays, stall warning horns, annunciator lights, etc. (Maybe other boards do this too...I'm still learning)
As for the specific model of the board, I chose an Arduino Mega clone which costs a whopping US$12. The Mega has 54 digital IO pins, enough for one board to control the GPS, and a second for the Autopilot. An OEM Arduino Mega is about US$45. I'd love to support Arduino, but 3X the price is just too much.
The original:
www.arduino.cc/en/Main/arduinoBoardMega2560
The clone:
www.amazon.com/Elegoo-ATmega2560-ATMEGA16U2-Compatible-Arduino/dp/B01H4ZLZLQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1491536352&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=arduino+mega&psc=1
I created the GPS graphics in AutoCAD using Mark's image as an underlay. I added subscript (2mm text) indicating board pin numbers next to each label. This has made programming the buttons a little easier.
Here's a video. I now have some buttons working (the video is a week old). I haven't tried the rotary encoders yet, but Jim has already written the code for them as well.
This is my first real soldered circuit, so it ain't pretty!
drive.google.com/file/d/1iEW19Tjgqw6L29Uw1DNsyBc4Y775tthtYA/view?usp=sharing
Hopefully I will not need to edit the graphic. Taking this thing apart would be a major pain. I was thinking of creating a template overlay that could change the labels of each button. That way I could change it for different simulators or aircraft. For now I just want it to function.
Mark, thanks for the detailed instructions on your Youtube channel. This has been a really fun project. My ultimate goal is to build a sim pit that will double a productivity desk (I live in San Francisco where space is very expensive). More to come...
-Craig
Update: There are some GPS buttons that are not pre-programmed in Link2FS Multi (apparently the functions must be available in Simconnect?), but I have not explored all the features. I'm hoping it allow me to create commands for RNG up and down, but I'm not yet sure if that will work.
For those who haven't played with Arduino, the board is amazing! Its beauty is in its simplicity. Now, for the first time, programming microcontrollers is so easy even I can do it. Automate your home, make fancy light shows, build robots or drones...only your imagination is the limit. For newbies, I recommend getting the official starter kit and doing the first 4 or 5 tutorial projects. After you have a feel for the system, just copy code from published projects and edit it. Each tutorial project takes 30-60 minutes.
www.arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoStarterKit
I knew there had to be Arduino flight sims out there. A Google search turned up this tutorial on Youtube:
Interfacing Arduino with Flight Simulator- Tutorial
Special thanks to Eric of MKme.org for sharing his knowledge.
I originally thought I would have to use the Arduino as a keyboard emulator. As it turns out, a generous New Zealander named Jim has written a program to make it even easier. Link2FS_Multi makes mapping switches to FSX a cinch. Thanks Jim! His page is here: www.jimspage.co.nz/Link2fs_Multi.htm . Eric explains how to use the program in his Youtube video.
One of the neat features of Jim's program is it's ability to send signals from FSX to the Arduino, so you could create digital or ANALOG displays, stall warning horns, annunciator lights, etc. (Maybe other boards do this too...I'm still learning)
As for the specific model of the board, I chose an Arduino Mega clone which costs a whopping US$12. The Mega has 54 digital IO pins, enough for one board to control the GPS, and a second for the Autopilot. An OEM Arduino Mega is about US$45. I'd love to support Arduino, but 3X the price is just too much.
The original:
www.arduino.cc/en/Main/arduinoBoardMega2560
The clone:
www.amazon.com/Elegoo-ATmega2560-ATMEGA16U2-Compatible-Arduino/dp/B01H4ZLZLQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1491536352&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=arduino+mega&psc=1
I created the GPS graphics in AutoCAD using Mark's image as an underlay. I added subscript (2mm text) indicating board pin numbers next to each label. This has made programming the buttons a little easier.
Here's a video. I now have some buttons working (the video is a week old). I haven't tried the rotary encoders yet, but Jim has already written the code for them as well.
This is my first real soldered circuit, so it ain't pretty!
drive.google.com/file/d/1iEW19Tjgqw6L29Uw1DNsyBc4Y775tthtYA/view?usp=sharing
Hopefully I will not need to edit the graphic. Taking this thing apart would be a major pain. I was thinking of creating a template overlay that could change the labels of each button. That way I could change it for different simulators or aircraft. For now I just want it to function.
Mark, thanks for the detailed instructions on your Youtube channel. This has been a really fun project. My ultimate goal is to build a sim pit that will double a productivity desk (I live in San Francisco where space is very expensive). More to come...
-Craig
Update: There are some GPS buttons that are not pre-programmed in Link2FS Multi (apparently the functions must be available in Simconnect?), but I have not explored all the features. I'm hoping it allow me to create commands for RNG up and down, but I'm not yet sure if that will work.
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