Throttle box interface

[farabibinhai]

Hi there, I need some help and guidance. I am currently doing a project at university that requires me to build a throttle box interface for a cirrus aircraft. We are building a simulator. Different students got different parts to build. So we have the bare throttle box of a cirrus. Now i am to build a throttle box interface to connect that barebone throttle box of the cirrus. We are going to run the simulation on Xplane. Now i am super stuck as i need to write a report aswell.. I tried looking for info on how to build a throttle box interface and got nowhere. please i beg anyone to come forward and guide me thru this
Thanks
Regards
Farabi Bin Hai

[farabibinhai]

This is the throttle box

[pegger]

No easy task ahead of you.
Might I suggest you and your team get involved at cockpitbuilders.com
http://www.cockpitbuilders.com/community/index.php

You are going to need to leran about fabricating control links with potentiometers, interface cards, and I/O interfacing with the Xplane software at a minimum. Not an easy task and not something you are going to learn in a simple forum post.

I'm envious of your project possibilities with real aircraft parts, but i am nit envious of how much headach you are going to get trying to make the whole thing work. I hope you and your team have good funding and lots of time!!

Best of luck.

[ViperPilot]

I have to agree with pegger... you're looking at a very intricate project.

At the least, you're going to need someone with substantial Electrical knowledge, in order to convert the 24 volt power DC requirement of the Cirrus throttle box to AC power, not to mention tracing the Electrical Current leads to their compatible USB counterparts. Suffice to say, this may be something that cannot be achieved.

In the end, you might want to consider using 3rd party FlightSim controllers, like the Saitek MFD Panels. They will be much more compatible with the computer requirements you need to have.

[farabibinhai]

Sir for my part im given only 75 pounds..... its so confusing how do i connect all those connections to a potentiometer etc

[farabibinhai]

I have to agree with pegger... you're looking at a very intricate project.

At the least, you're going to need someone with substantial Electrical knowledge, in order to convert the 24 volt power DC requirement of the Cirrus throttle box to AC power, not to mention tracing the Electrical Current leads to their compatible USB counterparts. Suffice to say, this may be something that cannot be achieved.

In the end, you might want to consider using 3rd party FlightSim controllers, like the Saitek MFD Panels. They will be much more compatible with the computer requirements you need to have.

Sir i have been advised to use a teensy board for this project as it is compatible with xplane. but after i get the board i have no idea how i connect all those parts and to program each funtion which also i do not know. we were never taught programming

[Capt_Cronic]

first you need to link the controls to potentiometers and switches and maybee a meter.
these are connected to an interface board usually with a built in microprocessor to convert the analog inputs to digital and communicate with the host pc

I built my own fighter cockpit, I used "Arduino mega 2560" project board.
http://arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardMega2560

it has analog and digital, inputs and outputs.
you can connect lights, switches, potentiometers, meters, etc.

you WILL have to write your own firmware
then find interface software from the web.

research diy home cockpits on the web

[expat]

It may be the cheapest and earliest option to use some of your 75 pounds and trawl through ebay or such like and buy a throttle combo or stand alone throttle. Then use the poties and circuit boards as they are slaving in these parts to your Cirrus equipment......?

Matt

[Fozzer]

Unless you are an experienced Electronics Engineer, and Computer Programmer, or part of a team which includes such, I wouldn't even attempt such a project as you described.
It would take too long to learn the ropes!

Paul...6-year apprenticeship as an Electrical and Electronics Engineer (Retired).... ...!

[farabibinhai]

Sirwe have a electrical technician who is appointed to help us to help connecting all hardware... So i ordered a teensy board for 20 pounds... Someone told me to buy a joystick and use that circuit to connect the throttle and mixture, flap control, fuel pump and fuel valve. and the teensy board for the the fuel gauges, and the position lights around the flap control. Am i on the right track?

[pegger]

Re-jigging an existing plug-and-play device is going to be somewhat simpler than the teensy board idea. If you decide that the teensy board is how you want to proceed, then you have some serious homework to do.

Again, checkout http://www.cockpitbuilders.com/community/index.php
The people in that forum are more dedicated to what you are trying to do. I guarantee you will not get a step by step instruction manual by continuing this thread.

By the way...
Stop spending your teensy budget on teensy parts when you don't even know how you plan to make teensy things work. Do some learning, plan the project, THEN buy parts.

[expat]

Farabibinhai, please stop call "us" Sir...............we all work for a living..........

Matt

[Fozzer]

Farabibinhai, please stop call "us" Sir...............we all work for a living..........

Matt

I would be quite happy with; ......"O Master"........ ....!

Paul.... ....!

[Sprocket]

Re-jigging an existing plug-and-play device is going to be somewhat simpler than the teensy board idea. If you decide that the teensy board is how you want to proceed, then you have some serious homework to do.

Again, checkout http://www.cockpitbuilders.com/community/index.php
The people in that forum are more dedicated to what you are trying to do. I guarantee you will not get a step by step instruction manual by continuing this thread.

By the way...
Stop spending your teensy budget on teensy parts when you don't even know how you plan to make teensy things work. Do some learning, plan the project, THEN buy parts.

Absolutely..
I agree totally that re-jigging an existing controller would be the easiest way to go.

Some time ago I posted a "how-to" salvage my Saitek yoke, using a standard USB games controller:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=169099&p=1253959&hilit=sprocket#p1253959

The hard part IMHO is the hardware: You need to "translate" the physical "linear" throttle movement into a "rotary" potentiometer movement.
(Although, linear potentiometers are also available.)
Either way, there must be the absolute minimum of backlash, or mechanical sloppiness.


The good news is that the value(s) of the potentiometer, within reason, is not really critical. (10K - 100K)
The potentiometer simply forms a basic voltage divider, then during calibration the PC registers the values it finds.
(For instance, different joy-stick manufacturers use different pot values, yet they all work.)

Exciting project you have there.. Read and go through the Saitek post thread I posted. It may not be your total answer, but I hope you may at least get some ideas.

Jan

[farabibinhai]

O MASTERS THANKS FOR ALL THE ADVICE

so Wiring up the inputs (the throttle and mixture, flap control, fuel pump and fuel valve) is something that can be done with a joystick i understand. But if simulating the outputs (the fuel gauges, and the position lights around the flap control) i`d need something programmable like a teensy board right or can i just do it with a joystick aswell