Custom DIY Usb Transmitter
 

Hello All, After breaking my faux Vrc adapter I decided to make my own usb transmitter... I have this old Logitech Attach 3d Pro.. had all the bells and whistles until the twist potentiometer decided to crap out on me... 50 bucks down the drain- Or so i thought.

Just recently i began playing Duratrax Real race G2 which is a pretty neat simulator- one of those games where the graphics suck so hard that you just HAVE to play them more- the physics are also quite real- based off the Great planes physics engine. So anyways- when I downloaded (and by downloaded i mean bought it ;) ) I needed a usb controller- i dug though all my junk and found the old logitech with the entire twist mechanism and upper portion missing.. worked great but its kind of hard to drive an Rc Car with a joy stick. So then I had the idea to just take a standard Rc transmitter and use the potentiometers of the trigger and wheel- and run them through the board of the joystick.. It should work since they are just potentiometer inputs to the control board... should have- this working by tonite....



Im at school would anyone be so kind as to go onto my photobucket and post the pics up? Its Asdf1010

Omg! were do all of you electronic nerds come from? I count like five on this forum alone:eyes: I couldn't figure out a bread board if a topless blond paid me to....(BTW was that you LinkPimp? I didn't know you had surgeries......) I don't have foggiest Idea how you know this is going to work, but keep up the good work. it sounds cool:great:

Nah, was not me... But I am blonde. Explains alot, I have heard that before.

As far as a topless blonde chic paying me to use a bread board, I think I could make it look like I knew what I was doing. Or maybe you meant a topless blonde dude? Anyways there are many more than 5 electronics nerds here. Save for you, me and nitrofluffer I think everyone else here is more nerdy in an electronics sort of way.

You had to throw my name in the hat huh?

I try to learn all the electronics stuff, but I can pissed off when it doesn't work, so I don't try...

Ben is a funny guy :lol:....How in the hell you're abe to make such a complecated thingamathingy and you can't bend a motor mount back straight? :lol:

OHHH, SNAP!!! Good one Lutach... I like that!

Nice Lutach...:lol:

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...0604090658.jpg

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...0604090702.jpg

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...0604090715.jpg

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...0518091001.jpg

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...604090715a.jpg

That should be all the pictures...

Thanks.. :)


Im a robotics nerd :)






Here is a picture of Yours truly and Mike D (eovnu87435ds) before a Match at the FIRST robotics philadelphia regional competition..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/georgem...7615846271258/






Anyways.

So i took apart this transmitter isolated the potentiometer inputs from the steering and throttle- and hooked the steering to the joystick board and it WORKS!!!! Woot. Thes pot's suck hardcore though- no resolution but they will do.now i have to desolder the trigger assembly from the main board..I am able to actually fit the Joystick board inside the transmitter

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...0604091531.jpg
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...0604091522.jpg

Which one of you is the girl? :lol:

Anyway, I've been wanting to do something like this for a while. I primarily like driving games, so I figure it would take less room than my Logitech MOMO and help he improve my pistol grip controller driving skill. But, if I was going to do it, I'd want to change the pots to rotary encoders - pots wear out too fast. Speaking of which (and slightly off topic), when are the higher end radios gonna start coming out with encoder-based controls instead of crappy pots?

the same time they come with built in usb interfaces...

UPDATE got the original pots from the joystick into the Transmitter- way better resolution.. i only wired them wrong about 12 times.

Here it is.

New Pots
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...0604091612.jpg

Old pot and trigger mechanism housing
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...0604091614.jpg

New pot installed on housing
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...0604091646.jpg
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...604091651a.jpg

Stock steering wheel assembly
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...0604091655.jpg

New pot fitted and glued.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...0604091701.jpg
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...0604091715.jpg


Minor modding was needed to adapt the plastic components to the new Pots- all things that can be done with a sharp exacto and a couple dril bits. Hotglue really helped out providing a good adhesion but removable if necessary

That impresses the hell out of me Ben. Now that I've seen it I would be willing to try it but before I would have been apprehensive. Cool shit, stick with it you're going to have a bright future.

Thanks harold, hows the PIF maxx going?

Hooray for faulty Logitech parts making a kick ass usb transmitter:intello:

ohhhh, ok. now that I see were your going with this, I have a much more clear mental picture:yipi:.....I think even I could do this.
The way I under stood it you were converting your transmitter to talk to a usb mounted wireless mouse receiver, as I have a wireless mouse by Lodgetec it's what I immediately thought of. I had forgotten they even made corded mice these days:whistle:
On the other hand what you basically did, was stuff the X & Y joystick pots along with there respectable electronics into the transmitter to serve as ch 1. & ch 2. (correct?) You then will close up the transmitter, with its new usb cord hanging out, the computer will recognize it as the joystick as if nothing had ever happened(right?) While you practice your driving skills with a properly shaped controller:party:

I like it:yes: If I may make a suggestion, when you reassemble, install the battery tray and run some dead batteries in it so it will have the proper weight balance .

Very nice Ben, veryy nice