DCS A10C Simpit Fuel Panel Prototype
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- Опубліковано 19 лис 2016
- This video shows a prototype fuel panel I have built for DCS (Digital Combat Simulator) A10C and outlines its construction.
Next year I should have a small dedicated space to build my simpit and in advance of this are building a series of prototype panels to prepare.
Panel Replicated: A10C Fuel Panel (Left Console)
Panel to PC Interface: Keyboard Encoder (Hagstrom KE108)
Chosen Fascia Material: 3mm Opal Acrylic (spray painted)
Scale: Panels from left and right console - common width chosen and applied of 152mm, other dimensions scaled from this
CAD / CAM Software: Vectric Cut2D (then CNC cut/engraved)
** For best viewing, stream at highest definition possible **
Man, you're thorough!
High quality panel and presentation, informative vid. Thank you for showing us the process and the result :)
Great video thanks again! I love your jumper wires, ideal for testing.
I’m interested in building my own pit for the F18C these videos been very helpful!
I’m slow coming to these, but your series is the best how-to I’ve seen, Craig. Thanks!
Thanks Ermintrude. Its nice to document the build and share it.
Love the clarity and references to purchase. Hope to see more videos. My panels come in this week and I'd love to go back to your findings as you go along.
Hi Ben, where are you getting your panels from
The panels I have are from 3 different sources. I recommend checking this guy out. He's doing great stuff and the quality is top notch. I got my glareshield and center MIP from him along with some panels.
lynx.dk/
The majority I got are from www.pcflights.com
and this website I recently found. They have all the F-16C and most of the A10C Thunderbolt.
hispapanels.com/tienda/en/ ---- I bought the IFF and Emergency Control Panel here.
Where did you find the knobs for the VHF FM panel? Also the ones with the double shaft with button on the encoder. Hope this helps
It's safe to say I'll never be building something like this, but this video was pretty inspiring in terms of problem solving and iterating on a project over time. It's amazing the mileage you've got considering you're not from an engineering background. I definitely agree with you on the note taking thing. I'm currently learning to code and building simple applications, and one of the worst things is to go back to code you wrote several weeks or months before and find yourself asking, 'what the hell did I do here'?
I think your tips are actually good for generally any kind of 'tech' building pursuit; especially for people like me who tend to run in there like a bull in a China shop.
Amazing work!
As someone who is about to build my new PC to finally get back into DCS and a wife on board with me doing a pit. I just wish I could do the work you do. Over my head.
Amazing! I wish I could do that too. Great work
I know it's been a while but dude this is awesome. I'm currently looking to make some panels using my 3018cnc. Everywhere I look the files are all for 3D printing.
Really nice work
Excellent work Craig. I really like how you did the back lighting. Having the led strips pressed right up against the panel didn't work for me. Next time I'll try and you stand-offs like you did.
The text came out amazing! If you or you dad do paid jobs, please let me know! Great job!
This is my uncle doing this work!!! I don't get how he does it but it's awsome!!!
Great tips on the wiring mate. Been fighting my own construction with different wiring setups. I like yours. Might give it a try.
Hello there, what aircraft / panels are you building
Trying to do mcp and efis for a Boeing 737. Short on space atm so thought I would start with something that I use a lot and that does not take that much space. Currently have access to a laser cutter and not rotary cnc. This is causing me a headache as well because I cannot paint and then cut because the paint lights on fire. So I have been thinking of just investing in a cnc myself. We will see. I just though I would write. I think your work is outstanding.
I know what you mean about space. I had to wait a year for a small space to be freed in the house and did a run of prototypes in that time to build up.
Although I've gone military I really like the airline sims. I went on a simulator of an Airbus 320 a few months ago. It wasn't full motion but had all the panels / controls.
I have been trying to learn as much as I can about cnc as it's my father in laws I use. I plan to build one next year although that will be a project in itself
Good luck with your project
Cheers
Excellent job.. My Arduino is coming in tomorrow, going to do a GA cockpit for X-Plane 11
How did that turn out?
Hi Craig, I noticed you were using the potentiometer as a variable resistor. ie one connection to one end of the track and the other to the slider. The ideal way of using the potentiometer is to connect a supply voltage to one end of the track and a ground connection to the other. The slider then has a varying voltage on it you can feed as analogue.
Nice work! Thanks for sharing. What grit sandpaper did you use to prepare the surface of the acrylic?
Hi Men! Awesommmme job! Can you explain me maybe more all the things I need for a panel, and how i get the panel communicate with DCS? I would like to build panels aswell! Maybe when possible can you send me the layout aswell for the knobs etc! Hope to hear from you
Great job Craig! Would you mind share your text engraving setting (i.e. the engraving feedrate), because as you suggested I sanded the acrylic before painting it, but anyway when I engrave the text most of the paint is chipping away. Thanks
Hello, I updated the FAQs on my website in response to your question. Check the following link for details of the cutting tool and tool path for engraving, cheers
mysimpit.co.uk/faqs/
Thanks for the video, I'll be putting something similar in my car. Do you know if there are companies that do CNC milling on a small scale?
Hi, awesome work!! can the software you use export files to a lasercutter or 3d printers?
looks amazing mate. gives me an idea. If you stuck a thin sheet (maybe max 1mm) of aluminium to the opaque acrylic, and then engraved the metal, you could get a very durable metalic panel. reckon that would work?
Hi James, I have been thinking about other ways to do the fascias. After looking at some Tornado panels I would like to have that type of finish and the light plate. Not sure on the best way yet and would probably be for a future project. Metal plating the acrylic is an interesting thought.
Hello, look at this is very helpful, I also try to do this dashboard, the problem I face is how to buy these circuit boards, please give a suggestion, thank you
Amazing work here! Can you please tell me what is the theme font for the letters that you are using?
Hi Nikos, certainly, if you click on the below link it will explain what font I use
Cheers 👍
mysimpit.co.uk/faqs/
Fantastic build. Thank you for sharing. May I ask, how are you powering the LED strips and controlling them? Thanks in advance!
Hi Grace By Seven, I power them by 12V supply. At the moment they switch on and off, into the future when I build the lighting panel I will run them through dimmer switches
@@CraigSmysimpit thank you!
Hello ! You are doing , amazing work ! Amazing quality !!! If this possible that you share file for acryl cutting ? I don't really know how to use any modeling program ... i'm really stuck ) I'm playing in VR , so i need only tactile filling , same as on the screen .
Hi VR4U, if you send me a message with your email address I'll send the file over. It's worth mentioning it's a crv file which is for use with Vectric software (I use Cut2D). I don't think it will work with the trial version. What I can do, is export the vectors to a dxf file if that's better/easier to view, although I'm not sure if you'll lose some detail around the measurements
thanks ! Please send on this email ! ganeshkaua@gmail.com
Hi VR4U, I've emailed across those files, cheers
what opacity % are u using for ur acrylics? how much light is the default opal letting in? i tried 78% and its to much. Think ill try more like 30%
Hi Markus, the light transmission is about 39%. I did originally get various samples and some were far higher transmission although alot more expensive. The opal acrylic I used was the standard one and with good back-lighting worked well. Cheers
Hi, what bits you used to engrave the text? I'm waiting for my new CNC and wanted to buy the bits... thanks
Hi Alberto, check out this link
mysimpit.co.uk/faqs/
I put those details on this faq
Cheers
This is awesome and I’ve started it myself for star citizen. Would I be able to have a copy of the cad file as well please? I just would like to know the basics like font, font size and how you did the lines as I’m new to cad cheers!
Hi Acerbus Shroud, drop me a pm at craig@mysimpit.co.uk and I'll send something over your way
Craig S email sent cheers
Hi, I've dropped you an email back and added a downloadable example to the FAQ section of my website
mysimpit.co.uk/faqs/
Good luck with your project
Cheers
Hey Craig, just starting to build my full A10C cockpit and was wondering where I could find some of those panel spacers. What are they called because I can’t find the name of them anywhere!
Hi Blackhawk, good luck with your build 👍. Here's a link to some spacers as an example, cheers
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00HUHBVOK/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_mu8pEbKK6APJQ
Hey. cool work. Where can I get panel drawings and which font is used in panels A-10?
Hi True, as regards the font and engraving, etc I put a few details at mysimpit.co.uk/faqs/
For panel drawings. There's some really good A10C cockpit diagrams / pictures over on the dcs website in the user files (download) section. You can design your panels using these as a guide
Many thanks !!!. What do you think about using sismo SIMCARD ETHERNET MOTHERBOARD for various simulators (fsx, p3d, xp, dcs)?
Hello, how can I build one of these? Do you have a guide or a list of necessary materials?
Greetings, thank you
Hi josé David jerez Martinez,
I have attached a link to another video I uploaded. In the comments for that video I was talking to a chap called Jeffrey and we covered a fair bit around what items/components would be needed. This should give enough detail for you to get started
Link Below -
Watch "DCS Warthog A10C simpit Landing Gear Panel Prototype testing, DCS bios" on UA-cam
ua-cam.com/video/pRd5SbNs3dA/v-deo.html
Cheers
Are you using DCS and Arduino? and/or DCS BIOS? I saw you mentioned keyboard encoder.??? Is the keyboard encoder the same concept as arduino and can use dcs. My question is what was the board in the video and how are you going to link the CDU and CSMS/ UHF/ ect. to function with the game software.
Hi Ben, at the outset of my A10C simpit I planned to use keyboard encoders for all the inputs and dcs bios for all the outputs. I picked up 2 keyboard encoders earlier this year and already had another 2 from many years before. The keyboard encoder can be used with any game that you can set keyboard bindings. The KE108 by Hagstrom is pretty bullet proof and you have a high degree of control over how the keyboard commands are executed. The Fuel panel in this video is using a keyboard encoder only. Ultimately I do plan (down the line, once the encoders are fully exhausted) to use Dcs bios for everything (for Dcs) and this is far more cost effective.
The inputs for the IFF and SVIP (ky58) panels have no keyboard bindings in dcs as they don't officially function (without 3rd party plugins) so I will use dcs bios for these inputs.
For the CDU, I'll likely use dcs bios to output to a small lcd/tft screen. For the CDU inputs I'm torn because I would in principle use my keyboard encoders but dcs bios will allow connection by way of matrix, so big reduction in input points. When I come to build the CDU I'll decide at the time.
Awesome thanks!! I've been watching your videos. You gave me some great pointers.
Craig would you be prepareed to sell me a copy of the CASD files you have produced? I am perfectly at home with Hardware but am not at all confident with CAD. ........Thanks
Hi Christopher, thanks for your positive comments. I probably wouldn't build new panels with the intent to sell, however when I redo some of the original panels I might put some of the original prototypes on ebay as seems ashame to strip for parts when someone could get use from them. As regards the CAD files, if it's not for commercial use then I'll email you one of them (I think I have the ILS one to hand). This can act as a template for you. Cheers
Craig, is this regular intensity or high intensity LED strip?
Hi rocketeer103, I put the link for these LEDs in with our conversation on the radio panel video, cheers
What is the make and model of your father in-laws CNC
Hi Reservoir Dog, my father in law is an engineer and built his CNC machine for his hobby. I can send a run down of the key components he used if you would like them and any others specs / details. Down the line, I'm hoping he will help me build one, he sure knows his stuff. Cheers
How did you actually get the dimensions?
Are they just inferred from the in-game model?
Oh, it is all explained at 4:24
I'd love to see more of that CNC machine. man, it looks nice