Well, a friend of mine referred me to these forums saying that if there was anyone who could help me, it's you guys - so let's see... I read that some people apparently managed to use the transmitter from their R/C airplanes as a normal PC-joystick - and I'd just love to do the same on my Windows XP machine here. Problem is: a) I'm pretty much of an incompetent nerd when it comes to tech-stuff. (my brother might help me out though; he's an experienced R/C driver, so he should know a thing or two about these things) b) Since I'm not a Real Life™ R/C pilot (yet?!), I don't have one of those multi-channel transmitter that usually have a data port for connecting a trainee's transmitter. So I would wanna use one of my bro's 2-channel transmitters (Graupner XS-6, Futaba Attack II or Sanwa Seven Ace) instead - that would be just fine for the games I'd wanna use the controller in. So I wonder if one of you tech-pros could tell me what I'd need to turn one of those R/C transmitters into a fully functional PC-joystick, and how to perform this miracle. Thanks a lot in advance!
it depends really... It's quite simple if you can take apart a transmitter... Then you could just hook up the potmeters to teh gameport... (simple) if you don't want to take it apart i see two solutions: 1: buy one of those boxes that you connect to the antenna, and into the pc... 2: hook up the full system (with recievers and all) and mechanicly hook the servo's to some pots connected to the gameport... if you do this you might want to use a powersuply of some sort... and run it on lower voltage, or else it will make noise on you'r speakers.. it also might be possible to hook up to something inside the servo, but i'm not sore how that would work, as it goes corrents trough there with other signal levels..
there's a couple of cables on ebay that might be of use. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3143129957&category=2563
craigey1: Well, those cables are for transmitters with a data port, but I don't have one of those... Thanks anyway. Smilodon: Well, I got another really old transmitter which I wouldn't mind to take apart - but how should I hook up the potmeters (I assume those are the control axis!?) to the gameport (I assume you mean any COM-port!?). And apart from that, I'd still need drivers to tell Windows what to do with the signals coming from the COM-port...
If your wanting to make a wireless joystick you will have a problem that most radio-recivers ouput directly to the servos, this is done using PPM (Pulse Posistion Modulation) this is of course, a digital singal, but the joystick inputs an anlouge signal, a standard digital potentiometer could probably be used i *think* joysticks on the game port are between 0 and 5v, but it would be worthwhile checking the specifications. If you can get away using the parrallel port, you would have little difficulty decoding the signal, but the cpu time required would be a bit nasty. I had a quick look for a servo controller, that didn't have the comparison circuit built in (would just be a PWM feed digital pot.) but i couldn't find any, you might find you can find a chip like that, and not use the comparison circuit. If not, i think a MCU would be the only way to avoid having a mass of logic chips.
Well, it doesn't have to be wireless. As long as it works well and the cable ain't too short, I'd accept like pretty much anything... Apart from that, I didn't really understand much of what you said - sorry.
I assumed that from the statement above that your brothers transmitter had the data port, while your one didn't. Never mind!
nope.. not the COM port... i'm talking about the game/MIDI port... it's a little bigger Dsub connector... it's used for normal (the old fasioned) joysticks and midi keyboards... i'm not sure if you have it (newer mobos and soundcads have skipped them for some rason), but often the soundcard/mobo has a internal header that you can connect a bracket with a gameport to... this port has analog inputs that you can connect the pots to... as for drives it's no problem... you just go to them meny where you normally calibrate and set up a yoystick (in windows) and choose "standard 2button 2axis yoystick"... or something like that.... it should work just fine.. jurst remember to calibrate... as for hooking it up you'll ned a yoystick cable (gamepadcables often miss the analog part so they don't neccesarely fit) or a extentioncable... search google or bit for chematics... (i can help you more on this, but now i'm going to bed.. )
Okay, I'll look into that - gonna check back here next Sunday (probably won't have time before that). Thanks a lot for the help!
The easiest solution IMO would be to attach potentiometers to the servos. The problems with this idea are that the servos will make a bit of noise as you move the sticks, and the reaction time can only be as fast as the servos.
but the sound in the speakers won't be that cool though... *bzzzZZZzz* those transmitters are pretty powerful, and can make speakers hum... the revosound could be cool, but i guess it will get annoying after a while...
you could try Here they have a forum for connecting transmitters etc oh and a cool flight sim download if your interested Kev
SiMonTiST: That reaction time issue would be a real annoyance though, cuz the servos probably react way too slow for most computer games... The sound would be very cool indeed, though... combatkev: I already tried it there - didn't get a single reply yet. OH WAIT, I DID! Well, better late than never, so let's see what we got here...
The D sub connector is for a "Buddy Box" and as far as i know only available on aircraft radios. also, i did a good deal of research in how the reciever controlls the servos, and it IS a PWM signal, but modulated really oddly. The duty cycle is like 1/10 on 9/10 off, and the total variance is about 1/20 of the total cycle. AKA a pain in the A** to use. i think the servo manufacturers make their own IC designed for it. *All information gained by staring My O-Scope for 45 Min. *
take one dual analog PS2 joybad (any brand, the cheaper the better really) and a USB>PS2 converter next remove the pots on the old controller and replace them with the pots on from the joypad stuff the rest of the eletronics in the box, wiring up any buttons you feel like. this will give you the option of having 2x full analog sticks, or with a cunning use of gates 2 single axis sticks. If and when I gain a spare RC controller I shall be doing this, untill then pitance wages prevent modding of any kind ATM.
