Re: [Flightgear-users] Custom radio panel or Saitek Pro Flight Radio Panel

[Hal V. E. <hv...@as...>]

On Thursday 19 November 2009 04:59:28 pm Nicola Quargentan wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I'm a newbie of FlightGear and I want to make my simulator more
> realistic (I'm a little private pilot). So I saw some screenshot of the
> John Wojnaroski's cockpit, but I cannot found nothing about software
> configuration. Ok, make my joystick work is very easy (I have also
> Saitek Pro Flight Yoke System and rudder) but what about input from some
> switches like Pro Flight Radio Panel? Can it works?
> I will also build some knobs (like obs) to manage vor and adf: I want to
> use a Microchip pic whit some A/D converter (12bit) and an USB port.
> 
> Has anyone tried the products of Saitek?
> Where I can find some documentation about my project?
> 
> Thanks and sorry for my english.
> 

You might consider using a joystick controller board like the ones here:

http://www.lbodnar.dsl.pipex.com/

These are inexpensive and allow for numerous analog inputs as well as many 
buttons/switches.  In addition binary encoders are also supported (these would 
work nicely for the frequency control on a radio). You should be able to use 
these to create things like a radio panels, trim wheels, flap controls, switch 
panels and other controls for your custom cockpit.  You can use more than one 
and no special drivers are needed (these are HID/USB joystick devices that 
work with off the self drivers).  So once you have something setup (like a 
radio stack) you would interface it to flightgear just like you do with a 
normal joystick.

Also you might want to have a look at:

http://www.simkits.com/

They have USB driven instruments and if you ask them they will send you 
interface documentation.  I have gotten a copy of the docs and it looks like 
these devices would be very simple to interface to flightgear.  But it would 
require writing some code to make it work.  The down side is that these 
devices are not cheap and by the time you have a full complement for a 
complete cockpit you would have spent a considerable amount.

Hal