Happy New Year !!!!

Tim completed his Drone and successfully tested it in the air... 

... motions arriving on the ground...

... still looking how to send the motions to the platform.... hoping to find a way how to use Ian's BFF or x-Sim...

That would be real flying ... almost... whereas really real is still different :-)

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:

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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....