Real Cessna Throttle and Mixture ...

Thanks to Martin Feist giving the right pointers and guidance, Vansaircraft for the HW and Lars for the assembling!

I'm using follow components:

- Throttle & Mixture including the long cables from a real Cessna.

- There I'm using 10k Ohms potentiometers sliders like they are used in sound mixers

- Joystick Board: http://www.leobodnar.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=94

1. The long cables have a screw thread at the end --> Simple to connect with the potentiometers

2. Connect the potentiometers to one of the analog inputs with true 12-bit resolution from the Joystick Board. Check here: http://www.leobodnar.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=94&products_id=180

--> After that, your mixture and throttle appear like a regular joystick

Enhancing Cockpit

Made pretty good progress with PID tuning, can be set now to be really smooth like in a plane. Currently embedding the learning into a little tool allowing to configure and auto-tune directly the board from Thanos.
Added finally my dream: Fully working G1000! (entire Cockpit mounting can be done with 4 screws). Using HW from Emuteq and SW from Flight1tech.

Created HOTAS console mounting kit for play seat, allowing to swap from Car to HOTAS within 1 minute:

... and testing after tuning....

Schneidy in an F/A 18 around the Matterhorn...

Testing rudders (with BFF)

Dirt-3 with x-Sim

Dirt-3 in Snow with x-Sim.... early in the morning... 

Controller Fine tuning with Schneidy and Hägi

With help from my friend Schneidy we've optimized the parameters to have smoother and more dynamic moves:

• VDF's (Optidrive P2) we've ended up with Acceleration and Deceleration ramp time from 0.5 seconds each (P1-03 and P1-04)
• Thanos board:
• P = 30
• I = 150
• D = 30
• Motor Max = 100 %
• Motor Min = 1 % 

--> See config steps around 5:22 in this video Step by step explanation of features, functions and connections for AMC1280USB

Note: Older firmware from the Thanos-board hat less resolution of the PID (e.g. in the Video from the link above). Recent firmware (the one I'm using) has another digit to the values. So P=30 now was a 3 on the old firmware, I=150 (15) and D=30 (3).  On Thanos's blog you will find step-by-step guide how to upgrade the firmware.

***

After many other testing and troubleshooting session with a wonderful expert and friend Hägi, we've managed to get the right PID settings. If AMC1280USB would measure and print out the oscillation period, we could make auto-tuning using it in addition with my motion tester:

***

Since Thanos added in l-release CLI access to the board, I've started to extend the motion tester with it:

Some Cabin Modifications...

- Changed Monitor position (20 cm more away from the driver)
- Added extension boxes for foot pedals (kids ready... :-) )

Installed x-Sim with Race 07....

... finally testing and tuning has started!

The youngest test pilot goes "aerobatic":

First take-off on grass-runway:

Construction Engineer 2 gets challenged by crosswind and gusts:

... and the teenager already manages a perfect landing at "Gruyere" aerodrome:

Special thanks to:

• Thanos Kontogiannis - 6 DOF Motion Simulator Electronics
• Ian Hopper - BFF BuiltForFun
• Miguel Nunez und Sandro Keller - EMZ
• Andy and Lars - Schlosserei Preisig
• Lukas Meister - Elektro Meister
• My kids, especially Lars with his patient and endurance
• My fantastic wife, allowing us to extend our living room with "six additional degrees of freedom" ;-)

The making of:

... and some interesting dimensions:

.... and last but not least the corresponding xSIM config: