Free RC to USB interface with PIC18F2455/2550 (new version)

[alessio70]

if someone is interested at the address below you can find a little free project to build an interface for connecting your RC radio to the PC via USB using the new USB flash chips 18F2455/2550 from Microchip:

http://projects.qstep.net/

clicking RC Joystick NG^2 you'll be redirected to the last release of the project that has the following main features:

- flash pic: can be programmed more than once

- two joystick instead of one for a total of 8 analog axes with about 5000 points resolution each and 16 buttons (up to 24 channels readed from radio).

- joystick controls can be freely assigned by user to radio channels; these assignments are stored inside pic (non-volatile) eeprom and are programmable directly via USB with a software utility.

- few components and very small pcb (about 2x4cm, smt components)

- the project is totally free... on the site you can find the binaries, sources, schematics and layout of the circuit


require a radio equipped with a PPM output (buddy box connector).


ciao :-)
alessio e andrea

http://alessioandrea.qstep.net/

[Malc C]

Hi guys...

Looks like this was the natural progression from the work Mark and myself did on your original 4+12 NG2 code. All I need now is a transmitter that has 24 channels :)

Great work guys, and thanks for sharing. Can I suggest you duplicate your post under the sticky above so that link doesn't dissapear as the most moves down the list.

[Hell-e-Guy]

which simulators will this design work with?

[alessio70]

Hi guys...

Looks like this was the natural progression from the work Mark and myself did on your original 4+12 NG2 code. All I need now is a transmitter that has 24 channels :)

Great work guys, and thanks for sharing. Can I suggest you duplicate your post under the sticky above so that link doesn't dissapear as the most moves down the list.

it was really the final goal of the project since the first step with 745/765 ... but we were too lazy to complete it ;) :p

don't worry you don't need a 24 channels radio :) we have just 7 channels on our radio.... the assignments are software remappable and with 8 proportional axes now we can assign all our seven channels to proportional joystick axes...

[alessio70]

which simulators will this design work with?

every simulator that can use joystick (and in particular 2 joysticks) as input device... such as fms... non-interlink realflight g2...

obviously you can't use this interface with simulators like reflex... that has a proprietary interface that work also as a copy protection... and is prohibited to replicate.... and also realflight g3 or realflight g2 interlink version probably won't work...

[sameershah]

Hi,
Can you point out how is it different from the one which Malc C amd Mark J have put out? I see the schematic and it seems almost identical (except for the ICSP programing stuff). I understand that it is an improvement on the Malc C one.
Thanks.

[Malc C]

The hardware side of things will be more or less the same due to the pin-out of the chip (we used a different pin for the LED as it suited a previously designed PCB I had). Its the code that is different, making the device more configurable.

You see, you should of gone and got one of those Pic Programmers and then you would be able to try the diffrent codes and seen for yourself which one suits your needs ;)

[LukeZ]

The hardware side of things will be more or less the same due to the pin-out of the chip (we used a different pin for the LED as it suited a previously designed PCB I had). Its the code that is different, making the device more configurable.

You see, you should of gone and got one of those Pic Programmers and then you would be able to try the diffrent codes and seen for yourself which one suits your needs ;)Sameer - you know what I could do, is flash your PIC with TinyBootloader. Then, you can reprogram your chip as many times as you want, all through a serial port. Yes, I know you don't have a serial port, but USB-to-Serial adapters are inexpensive, or, you could probably much easier find a friend who has a serial port than you could a friend with a PIC programmer. Just a thought...


Luke

[sameershah]

ok. Thanks. I will try that.

[alessio70]

Hi,
Can you point out how is it different from the one which Malc C amd Mark J have put out? I see the schematic and it seems almost identical (except for the ICSP programing stuff). I understand that it is an improvement on the Malc C one.
Thanks.

from the hardware point of view they are very similar... for the software:

more resolution in pulse position (channel timing) measurement (5000 points versus 256)

the arrangement of joystick axes in two joysticks with 4 proportional axes should make the interface more compatible with simulators (for ex. fms in this way has 8 channel working instead of 6, realglight g2 non interlink had problems recognizing correctly one hid joysticks with 8 analog axes when I tested it several months ago...but should see two joystick with 4 analog axes... even if we haven't tryed it yet)

the assignments are now simply configurable via usb on the fly with a simple software utility...

ciao :-)
alessio e andrea

[Mark J]

hehe just like a bus!
nothing for ages, then along come 2 :D

Great that youve reworked your code and made it even better now.
I know I looked around for ages to find a decent DIY interface but always came up blank as all I saw were for the one time only chips, hence why Malc C and myself modded your code etc.
Nice now that there are more popping up as all it can do is to benefit other RC'ers and allow them to use thier own transmitters on the sims and maybe just maybe, we may be behind a future world champ who wouldnt have started without one of our sim cables :rolleyes: lol (hey you never know lol! :D )

Mark.