BUO836X how do i connect slide pots e.t.a?

[dimimiras]

I plugged in all my different switches and pots and i have the following:

push button work fine

toggle switches (on -off switches like this gear switch) i have to go on the switch down to gear down then i have to go up the switch and again down to get the gear up.

rotary pots i connect them but i get the massage from the program that the controller is connected correctly when i try to move the switch either left or right .
slide pots 2of the do not work at all and one is working but in reverse axis .
I think that i connected wrongly because for a moment some of the pots where hot and a little smoke came out (i think i a way i Bern them?)
the only thing i do not know how to recognize in the pots which is the input, grd, and 5+v
touch.
please help with detailed instruction how to connect all the above.

Dimimiras

[iwik]

Hi,
Goto Leos website and select Bu836 and he has a pic showing how to
connect a pot.
There is a utility under his BU836X controller which configures the switch inputs to be rotaries or switches.
By default they are set to switches.
Hope this helps
Les

[jmig]

I plugged in all my different switches and pots and i have the following:

push button work fine

toggle switches (on -off switches like this gear switch) i have to go on the switch down to gear down then i have to go up the switch and again down to get the gear up.

rotary pots i connect them but i get the massage from the program that the controller is connected correctly when i try to move the switch either left or right .
slide pots 2of the do not work at all and one is working but in reverse axis .
I think that i connected wrongly because for a moment some of the pots where hot and a little smoke came out (i think i a way i Bern them?)
the only thing i do not know how to recognize in the pots which is the input, grd, and 5+v
touch.
please help with detailed instruction how to connect all the above.

Dimimiras

Dimimiras, I don't know what you have done but, I have never heard of a potentiometer being burnt out from 5vdc. I would caution you to be careful. I have myself burnt out an Opencockpits usb pot card by accidentally shorting the 5vdc to the ground. Pot are tough, chips aren't.

Pots or Potentiometers have three connection points. On a rotary pot the ground will be the center post. You can test a pot by connecting an Ohm meter to the ground and one of the other points.

When turning the pot you should see the meter reading go up or down, depending on which leg (post/point) you are connected to. The reading will move the opposite directing when you switch to the other side. Always keep the center post connected to the ground side of your meter.

I prefer an analog meter (one with a needle that moves) to the digital ones. This is only because I find it easier to judge the movement with a needle. With a digital meter look for the reading to increase or decrease.

A slide pot will be the same. The posts should be numbered. Number two (2) is usually ground. You test it the same way as a rotary pot. Ground goes to ground terminal and then connect to one of the other points.

If you connect the pot so the controls are backwards you can either reverse the two leads (keeping ground in the same place) or most software applets allow you to reverse the inputs. I know FS9/FSX allows this in the controls applet and FSUIPC does, also. I don't know about Leo's program. I have never used it. I prefer to use FSUIPC for these types of controllers.

I hope this helps!

[skywatch]

I am really interested on how the rotaries on this work so please give feedback. I have tried the DA 2090 board with FSX without success. Basically the rotaries do not keep up with me when I turn too fast. From what I can tell this is the same as leos board design and uses the same applet to control pulse width, etc. The DA2090 is basically not useable for me and I am now contemplating buying Hagestrom Rotary 5 boards becuase I have a Hage 108 and the rotaries on it work fantastic. Other option would be GoFlight remote mount RP48 kit which only has 4 rotaries.

So Leos would be the best and cheapest route asside from 2090 but if it cant keep up with turns of rotary like the DA2090 it is not a good choice.

Please let me know your results.

Thank you,
Scott

I do not have any encoders to try at the moment, but I can tell you that as a default it sends 48ms pulses for each detente. So only just over 20 steps per second. This timing is however adjustable within the software down to 8ms, so this might be the problem of people not setting it up correctly. I hope to get encoders within the next week or two and will let you know then.

skywatch

[iwik]

Hi all,
Regarding the connection of pots.Please note that an incorrect connection will ideed cause a pot to burn out.
You must connect the two ends of the pot to +5v and ground.
If you connect the wiper of the pot to say 5v and turn the pot towards
Gnd end then as you get closer the resistence gets lower and the current
goes up and if the pot is a carbon one then it will start to burn as the power dissapated in the resistance is greater than it can withstand
and it will SMOKE.
In most cases the centre pin is the wiper.the exception to this when a multiturn pot is used.Here the wiper is the end one.In a case like this the caseing usually has a drawing on it showing which is the wiper.
Hope this helps those that have a limited electronic knowledge.
I have tested a few rotaries with Leos BU836.
It is very good but if a VERY fast rotation is done, say for example moving the Heading bug 180 degrees the yes it will not keep up.
For radios ect i find it fine.
Some I/f have an acceleration mode which kicks in when the rotary is turned very fast.This is maybe why other i/F work better.
One would have to Talk to Leo about this but he seems to be unavailable
at present.
Hope this helps others.
Rgds
Les

[dimimiras]

Thanks good the pots are not burned .They are working now with only problem that there is a difference from one pot to the other when configured with dawson's fsulib .
my rotary pots are not working i do not know why.
also the utility for leo has values from 1 - 4, does any one know what to they stand for ?
i do not see any values of changing from rotary to switches e.t.a.
last when i configure my slide pots with fsulib if i do not tick the reverse and filter box i cannot configure the pot ,is there reason for that ?
Also i have some switches that have 3 prongs and is a 2 way switch for increase and decrease altitude .

Dimimiras

[jmig]

The 1, 2, 3, & 4 drop downs for each individual encoder are the pulses per turn. Leo says to try each one until you get the encoder doing what you want.

The drop down box on the bottom is for the delay in time between pluses in milliseconds. You would use this if the encoder was keeping up with your turns or running ahead.

Pots are not connected in the same area of the board as the encoders and switches. The pots go where you see the X, Y, Z...and are labeled. There is no difference in operation between a rotary and slide pots as far as FS9/FSX or FSUIPC is concerned.

A three prong two way switch is hooked up just like an encoder. One leg goes to the hot, ground and the other leg hot. The second ground is used. Encoders and switches share ports to the card.

[dimimiras]

now i have all working except hte the rotary pots.
i conect the rotary pot, i see that the axe recognized but when i turn it any way i have a reset of the leos configuration program plus a massage from windows that ''the game controler is not conected corectly ,please make sure that is coneccted to the computer''.
i tried to find the utility at leo's for changing pots to switches i canot find it.
all the conections are working prefectly (slide pots, button and switches) with minor instability of the uslib 3.71.
Any ideas ?(please note that the pots are old from a jeppesen fs 200 console ).
thanks

[iwik]

Hi,
To get the encoder config program go here
http://www.leobodnar.com/products/BU0836X/

and half way down the page is a DOWNLOAD link for the utility.
Try this and let us know.On my BU836 nothing happens when i try to
use an encoder when it is configured for switches.
Cant be sure on the BU836x.Get the utility and configure your board first.

Good Luck
Les

[dimimiras]

i have got this utility but it only configures the switches it has values from off to 4.This only configures the switches (32 switches) how ever in the BU836 type encoder there is a utility that configures switches and pots but this does not work with BU836X version.
I think i am doing something wrong but i do not know what.My electronics knowlege is very very limited!!!!!
there is something i would like to add.When i turn the rotary pot i get the filing that it is a multiple contact rotary, i can feel the the change from one to the other contact it is not smooth like ordinary pots.
Any help please?