A 20 Button USB Digital Interface

[Mr Steve]

A few weeks back, I came across an Adapter that allows you to connect up to 20 switches to the USB on your computer. So, I bough two of them and I must say, I think they are pretty good for the money. i was also surprised that i did not add switches using an x/y matrix, like other adapters but rather this board has wires running out of it directly from the ic. I think this arrangement makes wiring a lot easier.

It was easy to wire up a few push button switches to the board and I used FSUIPC to program the switches to work my FS2004 - GPS display. It turned out really good.

I'm now working on adding another 10 switches and have them programmed as an autopilot.
What I really like about the board is that all you need to connect the switches to the board is a 32 pin ribbon cable, like the ones you find in the floppy disk drive inside a computer. I just soldered every 2 wires from the ribbon cable to a push button. You don't even have to solder the switches to the board. I think that saves money in the long run if you very decide to redesign the switch panel. just remove the cables from the board and solder another bunch of switches.

The boards come from a placed called Desktop Aviator in the US. The board costs only $29.00 plus shipping.

http://www.desktopaviator.com/Products/ ... /index.htm

For anybody who wants to design and build their own cockpit, i think this board is worth looking into.

[JBaymore]

Thanks for sharing the listing.

One reminder here for the newer cockpit builder looking at this item:

This interface is mainly for normally open momentary type push button switches.  Sort of like glorified computer keyboard keys.  Which is certainly FINE for some simpit uses.  This would be great for something like a panel that allows you to select the responses to the default ATC and to pop open windows or something like that.

If you want to use standard toggle switches (NOT the mis-leading "spring return" toggle switches mentioned in some of the writing), then you need to construct a circult using an opto-isolator IC for EVERY regular (single pole single throw or double throw) toggle switch that yopu want to install.  That woprk gets a tad more complicated and expensive to do.

So if all you want is momentary buttons for your particular interface....this is another rather cheap way to do the trick.  

best,

.......................john

[npbosch]

Hi John,

Till

[JBaymore]

Norbert,

Hum.... that sounds a tiny bit suspect as to actual functionality to me.

The IC installed on the USB device is configured to act pretty much like a keyboard.

[npbosch]

John,

I could not better explain this as you did. Thats exactly why I thought it could not work. Besides that, these devices use sometimes a kind of matrix layout, that could cause further problems.

Best would be to use a special IO card like the ones we all know. Or a simple hagstromencoder, they can accept real switches.
But nonetheles that German chap proved that it worked.

Why did Pete Dowson build that in FSUIPC? For the landing lights there is a LANDING_LIGHT_TOGLE, a LANDING_LIGHT_ON and LANDING_LIGHT_OFF. The first one is for a momentary button. But for what are the 2 latter ones meant?

Real IO cards use their own software, but perhaps this is why Pete build that into fsuipc?

Regards


Norbert