Creating a Basic DG Control Panel - Orbiter-Forum

Tchail · 05-08-2017, 06:00 PM

Hello Everyone,

I was browsing on the web and spotted this article about creating your own game controller:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Lets...me-controller/

So it has inspired me to create a basic control panel for the Delta Glider.

Looking at the DG cockpit, I've started by creating a list of controls:

Hatch - Open / Close (Toggle - 2 position)
Airlock:
Inner - Open / Close (Toggle - 2 position)
Outer - Open / Close (Toggle - 2 position)
Ext. Light
* Dock / Off / Land (Toggle - 3 position)
* Strobe-Beacon / Off (Toggle - 2 position)
* Nav / Off (Toggle - 2 position)
Radiator - Extend / Retract (Toggle - 2 position)
Gear - Up / Down (Either 2 position Toggle or 2 position Slider w/ LED)
Airbrake - Retract / 1/2 / Full (Either 3 position Toggle or Slider)
Elevator Trim (Either 2 position momentary rocker or potentiometer wheel)
Airfoil CTRL - Off / Full / Elev (3 Position Rotary Selector)
HUD Mode - Orbit / SRFCE / Dock (??? - 3 position push button w/ LED)
RCS Mode - Off / Rot / Lin (3 Position Rotary Selector)
RCS Prog (Momentary Push Button w/ LED)
* KILL-R
* PRO-G
* RET-G
* NML +
* NML -
* HRLVL
Dock Release (Momentary Push Button w/ LED)
Nose Cone - Close / Open (Either 2 position Toggle or 2 position Slider w/ LED)
Retro Doors - Close / Open (Toggle - 2 position w/ LED)
N Cone Ladder - Stow / Extend (Toggle - 2 position w/ LED)
Status Panel (LED)
* Row 1:
* * Gear
* * Retro Cover
* * Nose Cone
* * Outer Lock
* Row 2:
* * Radiator
* * Airbrake
* * Hatch
* * Inner Lock
Hover (Slider - potentiometer)
Scramjet
* Left (Slider - potentiometer)
* Right (Slider - potentiometer)

I know this is ambitions, and I'll probably have to scale back. But I wanted to start somewhere.

Right now I'm looking at various sources for components. Once I have some dimensions, I can start refining the panel layout.

-T

paddy · 05-09-2017, 03:44 AM

Do, please, keep us posted.

**Face** · 05-09-2017, 05:02 AM

I'd make the dock release something more "secure", like a capped mushroom switch:

paddy · 05-09-2017, 09:09 PM

Quote:

I'd make the dock release something more "secure", like a capped mushroom switch:

This comes in 10, 20 and 30cm sizes !!!

**Face** · 05-10-2017, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paddy

This comes in 10, 20 and 30cm sizes !!!

Well, it doesn't have to be such a big thing, but at least a switch cover should be there IMHO: https://www.lockout-lock.com/panel-b...-switch-covers . AFAIK it is even rendered like a mushroom switch in the DG panel, at least in the 2010 version.

paddy · 05-10-2017, 12:23 PM

Not wanting to hijack thread but... a friend of mine leant against a wall mounted master switch and the whole news room went dark... the next day the CEO and about 20 others all came in to discuss the event. When he asked "So what exactly happened?" my mate leant against the wall.... and it all went dark AGAIN. Within the hour there was a cover fitted!

Tchail · 05-10-2017, 10:52 PM

Thanks for all of the kind words!

Quote:

Originally Posted by paddy

This comes in 10, 20 and 30cm sizes !!!

These look great! Where can I find them?

I've began collecting parts.

I swung by the local Radio Shack (which is going out of business, so I was agle to get parts at 90% off). So far I've purchased a bunch of sub-mini toggle switches, along with a few center-off toggle switches, and a few dual position slide switches.

I found 3 position rotary selector switches on eBay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/182306432504...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

And I've ordered some bi-color (red/green) 3mm LEDs:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/401119296879...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I thought they'd be good for landing gear and nose cone indicators.

I also found this site which seems to be a good source of aircraft-type parts:

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

What I can't seem to locate are lever switches, of the type used for the landing gear and nose cone.

I've looked at Mouser and Digikey, but my head starts to swim at the shear number of components available...

**Notebook** · 05-11-2017, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paddy

Not wanting to hijack thread but... a friend of mine leant against a wall mounted master switch and the whole news room went dark... the next day the CEO and about 20 others all came in to discuss the event. When he asked "So what exactly happened?" my mate leant against the wall.... and it all went dark AGAIN. Within the hour there was a cover fitted!

Not wanting to double hijack the thread...
An area I used to work in had several "emergency by-pass" shielded push-buttons. A voice-over type person exhibited strange fascination with these and we had to keep an eye on him, just in case he did a Father Ted:

http://imgur.com/gallery/OJhA80Z

N.

05-08-2017, 06:00 PM	#1
Tchail Orbinaut	Creating a Basic DG Control Panel Hello Everyone, I was browsing on the web and spotted this article about creating your own game controller: http://www.instructables.com/id/Lets...me-controller/ So it has inspired me to create a basic control panel for the Delta Glider. Looking at the DG cockpit, I've started by creating a list of controls: Hatch - Open / Close (Toggle - 2 position) Airlock: Inner - Open / Close (Toggle - 2 position) Outer - Open / Close (Toggle - 2 position) Ext. Light * Dock / Off / Land (Toggle - 3 position) * Strobe-Beacon / Off (Toggle - 2 position) * Nav / Off (Toggle - 2 position) Radiator - Extend / Retract (Toggle - 2 position) Gear - Up / Down (Either 2 position Toggle or 2 position Slider w/ LED) Airbrake - Retract / 1/2 / Full (Either 3 position Toggle or Slider) Elevator Trim (Either 2 position momentary rocker or potentiometer wheel) Airfoil CTRL - Off / Full / Elev (3 Position Rotary Selector) HUD Mode - Orbit / SRFCE / Dock (??? - 3 position push button w/ LED) RCS Mode - Off / Rot / Lin (3 Position Rotary Selector) RCS Prog (Momentary Push Button w/ LED) * KILL-R * PRO-G * RET-G * NML + * NML - * HRLVL Dock Release (Momentary Push Button w/ LED) Nose Cone - Close / Open (Either 2 position Toggle or 2 position Slider w/ LED) Retro Doors - Close / Open (Toggle - 2 position w/ LED) N Cone Ladder - Stow / Extend (Toggle - 2 position w/ LED) Status Panel (LED) * Row 1: * * Gear * * Retro Cover * * Nose Cone * * Outer Lock * Row 2: * * Radiator * * Airbrake * * Hatch * * Inner Lock Hover (Slider - potentiometer) Scramjet * Left (Slider - potentiometer) * Right (Slider - potentiometer) I know this is ambitions, and I'll probably have to scale back. But I wanted to start somewhere. Right now I'm looking at various sources for components. Once I have some dimensions, I can start refining the panel layout. -T Last edited by Tchail; 05-08-2017 at 06:04 PM.

05-10-2017, 08:33 AM	#5
Face Beta Tester	Quote: Originally Posted by paddy This comes in 10, 20 and 30cm sizes !!! Well, it doesn't have to be such a big thing, but at least a switch cover should be there IMHO: https://www.lockout-lock.com/panel-b...-switch-covers . AFAIK it is even rendered like a mushroom switch in the DG panel, at least in the 2010 version. Last edited by Face; 05-10-2017 at 08:36 AM.

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05-09-2017, 03:44 AM	#2
paddy Orbinaut	Do, please, keep us posted.

05-09-2017, 05:02 AM	#3
Face Beta Tester	I'd make the dock release something more "secure", like a capped mushroom switch:

05-09-2017, 09:09 PM	#4
paddy Orbinaut	Quote: I'd make the dock release something more "secure", like a capped mushroom switch: This comes in 10, 20 and 30cm sizes !!!

05-10-2017, 12:23 PM	#6
paddy Orbinaut	Not wanting to hijack thread but... a friend of mine leant against a wall mounted master switch and the whole news room went dark... the next day the CEO and about 20 others all came in to discuss the event. When he asked "So what exactly happened?" my mate leant against the wall.... and it all went dark AGAIN. Within the hour there was a cover fitted!

05-10-2017, 10:52 PM	#7
Tchail Orbinaut	Thanks for all of the kind words! Quote: Originally Posted by paddy This comes in 10, 20 and 30cm sizes !!! These look great! Where can I find them? I've began collecting parts. I swung by the local Radio Shack (which is going out of business, so I was agle to get parts at 90% off). So far I've purchased a bunch of sub-mini toggle switches, along with a few center-off toggle switches, and a few dual position slide switches. I found 3 position rotary selector switches on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/182306432504...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT And I've ordered some bi-color (red/green) 3mm LEDs: http://www.ebay.com/itm/401119296879...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT I thought they'd be good for landing gear and nose cone indicators. I also found this site which seems to be a good source of aircraft-type parts: http://www.desktopaviator.com/Products/parts.htm What I can't seem to locate are lever switches, of the type used for the landing gear and nose cone. I've looked at Mouser and Digikey, but my head starts to swim at the shear number of components available...

05-11-2017, 09:21 AM	#8
Notebook Orbinaut	Quote: Originally Posted by paddy Not wanting to hijack thread but... a friend of mine leant against a wall mounted master switch and the whole news room went dark... the next day the CEO and about 20 others all came in to discuss the event. When he asked "So what exactly happened?" my mate leant against the wall.... and it all went dark AGAIN. Within the hour there was a cover fitted! Not wanting to double hijack the thread... An area I used to work in had several "emergency by-pass" shielded push-buttons. A voice-over type person exhibited strange fascination with these and we had to keep an eye on him, just in case he did a Father Ted: http://imgur.com/gallery/OJhA80Z N.