|
|
Post by thefrog on Jun 26, 2015 9:55:11 GMT
Hi
I am thinking about building my own TPM unit, rather than shell out £100+ for the Saitek. I was wondering if anyone has any experience of making something similar. I have looked at the Dsktop Aviator website where there are some instructions on building one - (http://desktopaviator2.tripod.com/Articles/Throttle_Quadrant/) they use analog Slide Potentiometers, available on eBay for pennies. Would Leo Bodnar have an interface for one of these, does anyone know?
Many thanks
Dave
|
|
|
|
Post by MarkH on Jun 26, 2015 10:27:13 GMT
I am thinking about building my own TPM unit, rather than shell out £100+ for the Saitek. I was wondering if anyone has any experience of making something similar. I have looked at the Dsktop Aviator website where there are some instructions on building one - (http://desktopaviator2.tripod.com/Articles/Throttle_Quadrant/) they use analog Slide Potentiometers, available on eBay for pennies. Would Leo Bodnar have an interface for one of these, does anyone know? Good idea and it ought to be quite simple in principle. Getting the friction nut part to work and giving the action a suitably 'mechanical' feel would probably be the hardest bit. The Bodnar boards (BU0836X) will be suitable as they have analog inputs as well as switches. You can connect more or less any potentiometer (1k to 100k) to these. |
|
|
|
Post by thefrog on Jun 26, 2015 13:42:34 GMT
Many thanks Mark, I'm going to give it a go!
|
|
|
|
Post by MarkH on Jun 26, 2015 14:47:56 GMT
Many thanks Mark, I'm going to give it a go! We will want pictures  |
|
|
|
Post by MarkH on Jun 27, 2015 8:04:14 GMT
Many thanks Mark, I'm going to give it a go! Further to my previous comment, I should say something cautionary. That is, although I have one BU0836X board I have never actually gotten the analog axes to work satisfactorily. For my Twin Otter cockpit I have four analog inputs that I wanted to use, three from a butchered Saitek quadrant and one from a knob to use a rudder trim. I have only ever had two of these working simultaneously, and even then not very well. I decided to try and fix my rudder trim yestrday but have not been successful. The inputs are supposed to be independent but mine interfere with each other. Even connecting a single potentiometer to one of the analog inputs doesn't seem to work very well. So I would recommend a bit of googling first to see what others say about this. It seems most likely that I am doing something wrong, or that I am using inappropriate potentiometers, or have a faulty board or something else, but you never know. |
|
|
|
Post by MarkH on Jun 27, 2015 15:51:03 GMT
Even connecting a single potentiometer to one of the analog inputs doesn't seem to work very well. I am having more success with this today. I have a single pot connected to one analog input on short wires and it works well. After a bit of googling I found a lot of people struggled with this but generally it's just a question of getting the wires the right way around - and, while you're testing, connecting the potentiometer before you plug the USB cable in (or unplugging and re-connecting it once you have connected the pot). It's worth noting the potentiometer I have successfully used is a one from the Leo Bodnar site. The one that doesn't work is a Maplin one and it may be that I have cooked it when soldering. One more thing to try, which is to connect it up through my 1.5m umbilical. |
|
|
|
Post by MarkH on Jun 27, 2015 18:33:51 GMT
One more thing to try, which is to connect it up through my 1.5m umbilical. All is okay now, with rudder trim and two axes of my Saitek working good. One Saitek axis unplugged as it won't behave, but I think these are just cheap nasty pots. The Bodnar-sourced one works fine. (Of course it has a wider shaft, so I had to attack my panel with needle files to make the hole bigger, but that's a different story!) |
|
|
|
Post by thefrog on Jun 28, 2015 8:38:53 GMT
Thanks for the advice Mark. BTW I couldn't find slide potentiometers at Bodnar, but I have found the at mouser.com (uk site). Have you used them at all ever?
|
|
|
|
Post by MarkH on Jun 28, 2015 9:32:56 GMT
Thanks for the advice Mark. BTW I couldn't find slide potentiometers at Bodnar, but I have found the at mouser.com (uk site). Have you used them at all ever? No, but I'm sure all these components come from the same sources in the end. You just need to make sure you steer clear of cheap nasty ones. |
|
brian
Almost Aviator
Posts: 7 
|
Post by brian on Nov 2, 2016 3:31:42 GMT
Hi Guys,
In the process of building a C210 panel and have read the previous messages regarding TPM controls. However, I was wondering if there is any later info/help that you guys could give me.
I have the 3 genuine Cessna controls ... Throttle, Pitch and Mixture that I have modified and wish to fit them to my panel, but am unsure what would be the best way to go ....
1. What would be the best controler to use ie: DA 2090 Rotary Encoder - BU0836X 12-Bit Joystick Board - BU0836A 12-Bit Joystick Controller ... or any other ?
2. What would be the best slider Potentiometers to use and availability ie: 50K 60 or 100 travel - 100K ?
3. Wiring diagram if poss ?
4. As I'm trying to emulate the real thing - What sort of accuracy could I expect if built ?
Would really appreciate any info or help, past experience ? .... as this part of my sim is proving to be a bit of headache, I've also attached a pic of the Throttle control and of course the pitch & mixture controls are the same except they both have vernier for finer control.
regards, Brian
|
|
|
|
Post by MarkH on Nov 2, 2016 7:29:31 GMT
Hello Brian. I can only talk from a theoretical point of view as I have not done what you are trying. I would have said a longer-stroke potentiometer is better and you can connect it to a BU0836X. I would not use rotary encoders for the TPM controls. Looking at the Bodnar board specs, you can use pretty much any potentiometer so 100K out to work fine. You shouldn't need a wiring diagram - you have three wires, which you attach to the three labelled inputs on the board: e.g. GND/X/+5V for the X axis and so on.
BTW, I don't see your picture...
|
|
|
|
Post by thefrog on Nov 2, 2016 9:05:00 GMT
Hi
I made my unit last year.. I used:
Mouser No: 652-PTF01-152A-104B2
Mfr. No: PTF01-152A-104B2
Desc.: Slide Potentiometers Slide Potentiometers 100Kohms Travel=100mm
While the slide pots work perfectly, I never managed to get the controls themselves to work as smoothly as I would have wished. So it's still WIP!
Regards
Dave
|
|
brian
Almost Aviator
Posts: 7
|
Post by brian on Nov 2, 2016 9:43:38 GMT
Thank you Mark, just what I needed, thats given me the confidence to order the right gear first time ! What I've settled on is the Leo Bodnar BU0836A 12-Bit Joystick Controller and
BOURNS PTF01-152A-104B2 POTENTIOMETER SLIDES, 100KOHM with 100 mm travel .... that should do the trick. It's a pitty that LB does not sell the Pots as I could have grabbed the lot in one hit, but I've found a supplier here in Australia who can supply.
Your right, didn't send picture ... couldn't find attachment button (new to this game lol). But will send you a picture of the finish job when completed.
regards, Brian
|
|
brian
Almost Aviator
Posts: 7
|
Post by brian on Nov 2, 2016 11:11:40 GMT
Hi Dave, All noted, and very pleased to hear that the pots worked smoothly for you as I've already ordered the same along with BU0836A 12-Bit Joystick Controller. so I'm wondering why "I never managed to get the controls themselves to work as smoothly as I would have wished" would be interested to know what controls you have been using ? the controls that I will be using (although not a cheap option) are the genuine TPM contols out of a Cessna 210 which I managed to pick up (Used) from an aviation service company at my local airport (YPJT). Most of the cable part has been chopped leaving just the control guts and about 250mm of raw inner cable left to some how connect to the sliders, all these controls are as 'smooth as silk' the throttle is of course a straight push/pull and the steel shaft runs through some sort of nylon bushing and the Pitch & Mixture are vernier controled, so I'm hoping that when I've completed putting this TPM together, it will not only look the part but also 'feel'. Originally, I had intended to use the saitek TPM .... but of course when ordering all my other controls, radio's, switch & multi function panels along with 14 fips, I quickly found out that the TPM was not available ... and got really p'd off trying to source one world wide ... to no avail and so resorted to a work-around, which brings me to present and has rather put the brakes on the whole project, but relief at last finding a good source of technical know-how from you guys and some excellent youtube Almost Aviation video's. Have attached a pic of the throttle control ... pitch & mixture much the same but with blue and red knobs. Brian  |
|
|
|
Post by thefrog on Nov 2, 2016 16:00:41 GMT
Hi Brian
I'd love to have got hold of some real controls like you were able to do! I'm green with envy. I ended up making my own, using metal tubing with knobs made from items picked up at my local hardware store which sort of look ok, if you don't look too closely! I'll attach a pic when I can. I mounted it in a wooden box and although the pots work smoothly, the metal rods joined to them have to pass through holes in the box - and that's what causes most of the friction. The nylon bushing on your setup sounds like the sort of thing I needed to make, but didn't have the expertise. Maybe I'll try again at some point.
At the moment though, I'm working on adding to a panel I made last year, with controls for Comms and transponder etc.
Regards
Dave
|
|
