Nice project! I can't believe you punished yourselves so much by writing it in assembly. Props for that though.

Eliminating the PC part would be a good next step. That part would probably be a lot easier if you used gameport joysticks. There are a lot of those floating around for next to nothing at thrift stores. The microsoft sidewinder 3D is one of my favorites, but I can't use them anymore since none of my current computers has a gameport.


-Jake

Originally Posted by jakestew

Nice project! I can't believe you punished yourselves so much by writing it in assembly. Props for that though.

Eliminating the PC part would be a good next step. That part would probably be a lot easier if you used gameport joysticks. There are a lot of those floating around for next to nothing at thrift stores. The microsoft sidewinder 3D is one of my favorites, but I can't use them anymore since none of my current computers has a gameport.


-Jake

THe gameport is definively dead nowadays ...

JP

Originally Posted by jakestew

Eliminating the PC part would be a good next step. That part would probably be a lot easier if you used gameport joysticks

I can't use them anymore since none of my current computers has a gameport.

So how long before you develop a workaround ?

Originally Posted by srnet

So how long before you develop a workaround ?

I would say that it is only a matter of time...
A new board to develop with USB host... an then to debug..

JP

> THe gameport is definively dead nowadays ...

There's 24 MS Sidewinder 3D joysticks on ebay right now, for cheap. Almost all of the thrift store joysticks I see are gameport models. If you're looking to do a project on the cheap using hardware that most people are getting rid of seems like a pretty good idea.

I would also think that a gameport version would also work well by modifying a USB stick to directly tap the pots.

> So how long before you develop a workaround ?

I don't know enough about how USB works to give much valuable input. But I would think there has to be some fairly simple (probably still a lot of work) way to interface to a HID device like a joystick.

I know there are some "USB in software" interfaces using simple uCs like the Atmega8. So I don't think you'd need a full USB host interface on your uC.


-Jake

Originally Posted by jakestew

> THe gameport is definively dead nowadays ...

There's 24 MS Sidewinder 3D joysticks on ebay right now, for cheap. Almost all of the thrift store joysticks I see are gameport models. If you're looking to do a project on the cheap using hardware that most people are getting rid of seems like a pretty good idea.

I would also think that a gameport version would also work well by modifying a USB stick to directly tap the pots.

> So how long before you develop a workaround ?

I don't know enough about how USB works to give much valuable input. But I would think there has to be some fairly simple (probably still a lot of work) way to interface to a HID device like a joystick.

I know there are some "USB in software" interfaces using simple uCs like the Atmega8. So I don't think you'd need a full USB host interface on your uC.


-Jake

My board is already using HID usb slave. This was quite easy to do starting from microchip examples provided witht the MPlab framework.

An other story is the USB host. You need a usb host if you want to connect a joystick to your board (as if it were a PC)... Examples exist provided also by microchip. But I need to develop another breadboard to test them...

Another idea would be to use an old joystick, to output the pot signals and to input them on a µcontroler ADC to genrate the PPM signals. Quite easy to do IMHO.

JP

I found an example...

USB Joystick to PPM converter (2 min 4 sec)

Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any info about this? Can anyone tell what this guy is using?

Looks like maybe he's got some sort of USB host dev board. It would be nice to figure out how to do it with just a regular uC.

You'll have to forgive me as my USB knowledge is not up to par. But even without a full host interface there must be some way to intercept the data. You might have to write the decoding algorithm for each joystick you want to use, but it should be possible.

I'm just thinking how cool it would be to fly with a joystick for cheap. Using just a joystick and a TX/RX module would be pretty cheap and interesting.

Originally Posted by jakestew

I found an example...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-NjX8rpyuQ

Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any info about this? Can anyone tell what this guy is using?

Looks like maybe he's got some sort of USB host dev board. It would be nice to figure out how to do it with just a regular uC.

You'll have to forgive me as my USB knowledge is not up to par. But even without a full host interface there must be some way to intercept the data. You might have to write the decoding algorithm for each joystick you want to use, but it should be possible.

I'm just thinking how cool it would be to fly with a joystick for cheap. Using just a joystick and a TX/RX module would be pretty cheap and interesting.

Yes it is exactly what I have in mind : a USB host board ...
JP

Here is a software implemented USB host...
http://people.ece.cornell.edu/land/c...t23/index.html

For the purposes of simply reading the joystick I would think that you could probably use just a subset of the code and get it running on smaller uCs.

I just don't know enough about what you have to send and receive to make the project work. If you do nothing but provide power will the joystick still transmit it's data? Do you have to request each reading or does the stick just put out framed data continuously? Could you just automatically send out data request packets every so often without really having to do much?

I'd love to get involved in the project, but I already have my CDI project with tons left to do on it. Keep up the good work though!

I'm going to be playing around with the cheap bluetooth modules that are out there now. (Search "bluetooth backplane" on ebay)

I'd like to eventually tie everything on the ground together with bluetooth. For example... Radio <--BT--> TX module. TX module with FRSky telemetry --BT--> smartphone telemetry display.

Having joystick --BT--> TX module would also be really cool!

Originally Posted by jakestew

I just don't know enough about what you have to send and receive to make the project work. If you do nothing but provide power will the joystick still transmit it's data? Do you have to request each reading or does the stick just put out framed data continuously? Could you just automatically send out data request packets every so often without really having to do much?

...

I'd like to eventually tie everything on the ground together with bluetooth. For example... Radio <--BT--> TX module. TX module with FRSky telemetry --BT--> smartphone telemetry display.

Having joystick --BT--> TX module would also be really cool!

The answer is ... No

Unfortunately a USB is a "plug and play" device which starts to "connect" to the host by enumerating its "capabilities" after what the host switchs to the right driver to go on speking to the device. The protocol is quite complex and left to the initiative of the "master" (ie the host)

JP

I'm new. First post. Hi. Mostly I loves the electronics, but I also loves me the r/c gadgets.

This r/c joystick is exactly the same idea I had mere days ago. I want to hook my Logitech USB joystick up to an r/c transmitter and drive/fly stuff with it. Fortunately, I happen to know a thing or two about electronics design and firmware programming.

I've also done some homework on the subject, have a good idea how to proceed and have some spare time. Anyone already forging ahead on this, I'm glad to assist. Otherwise, I'm glad to forge ahead.

Originally Posted by osmosis321

I'm new. First post. Hi. Mostly I loves the electronics, but I also loves me the r/c gadgets.

This r/c joystick is exactly the same idea I had mere days ago. I want to hook my Logitech USB joystick up to an r/c transmitter and drive/fly stuff with it. Fortunately, I happen to know a thing or two about electronics design and firmware programming.

I've also done some homework on the subject, have a good idea how to proceed and have some spare time. Anyone already forging ahead on this, I'm glad to assist. Otherwise, I'm glad to forge ahead.

Hi,

Ok ! Let say that I have everything to etch and solder PCB and I know rather well PIC24F
But I have no time to jump into the USB host side of "usb port".
I have also everything to generate PPM frames, so the only missing part is USB host.
Here the best link I have ever found on USB joystick interface (usb host). http://www.microchip.com/forums/m524525.aspx

Question : is it easy for you ?

If yes, we can go on togheter
JP

I have been flying with a DIY RC joystick for just over 2 years. I have always used saitek syborg evo joysticks (have about 4 of them now lol) and tapped straight into the pots. I also added 3, 3 way switches and a hat switch for trimming.
It has served me dam well but like all cheap joysticks it has all plastic parts, crappy bushes, lots of slop and less then efficient centring method. So I put down $30 and bought one of these to replace the main mechanism.

http://www.superdroidrobots.com/shop...px?itemid=1263
I mounted the main box where the old mechanism used to sit and adapted the handle of the joystick to mate onto the outside of the yaw mechanism.
And its a super nice gimbal, metal parts really smooth and it centres great, the best part is that there is absolutely 0 slop on any axis.

Hi, Sorry to crash into your subject, but i thought that 'maybe' someone here can help me,
I am looking for an R/C gimble and how to set it up electronically on my Buddy box outlet (trainer plug Robbe FX-30) to run my pan and tilt system on one of my FPV planes, don't worry (as if you are ) about the Radio programming this won't be any problem to me
thanks Paul.

Originally Posted by paulinfrance

Hi, Sorry to crash into your subject, but i thought that 'maybe' someone here can help me,
I am looking for an R/C gimble and how to set it up electronically on my Buddy box outlet (trainer plug Robbe FX-30) to run my pan and tilt system on one of my FPV planes, don't worry (as if you are ) about the Radio programming this won't be any problem to me
thanks Paul.

Hi Paul

Here is Jean-Pierre (inFrance !)
I will go on in english for everybody to understand, but you can contact me directly on my email address freedom2000 at free.fr
A few months ago I did a headtracker system that can be connected to a Rx trainer port.
here is the video :

JPWiiMultiCopter headtracker Yaw Pitch (2 min 4 sec)

This a version with gyros + accelero + magnetometer

I have another one only with gyro+accelro but without yaw tracking...

Gyroscope for FPV cam (1 min 24 sec)

JP