Tutorial: Creating a SIM Panel
Posted on November 10th, 2007
Do you ever get frustrated about having to remember the key commands to all of your favorite sims? Especially things like engine startups and turning on lights and flaps, which you only do once or twice per sortie?
Here is a quick tutorial on creating a simple, inexpensive USB panel, for use with EECH or any other simulator. It can allow you to put all of these little tasks on switches with labels, so that you don’t need to remember them.
The panel we will be building is based on the Ultimarc A-PAC USB controller, which is relatively cheap (US$39+ship) and easy to use. You will not need any electronics knowledge! This board has screw-in terminals rather than requiring ribbon cables and solder. You do still need to solder wires on the switches, but I’ve included a soldering tutorial video link below.
The A-PAC can handle up to 28 buttons/switches. The on/off switch signals are converted to momentary keypresses in software, as you will see end of this tutorial.
Tags: sim pit panel DIY cockpit simulator USB
Filed under DIY, Simulations, interfacing | 3 Comments »