Connecting toggle switches to Bodnar card

[Boeing 747 Flyer]

Hello everyone,

Unfortunately been having a few problems connecting toggle switches to a Bodnar (BU0836X) Card. I'm using DPDT switches and have only soldered one side as so to act as a SPST switch. I tested it with a Multi-meter, the current flows correctly, but when connected to the Bodnar card it is not recognised at all by FSX.

So, if I need to buy some new ones, would these be acceptable: http://www.rapidonline.com/Electroni...switches/30255

They are simple SPST ON/OFF toggle switches.

Thanks,

Jack

[ANDYSMITH]

Hi , I have 8 of Leo's cards and I can say that you don't really NEED swithes at all to make it work. Just touching two wires together will send a button command the exactly same as a switch so don't worry about what type of switch, the one you have will work great. But you must check in the Windows control panel, Game controllers section and see if the card (leo's card) shows up in the window. If so, highlight it and then select "properies" and you should see a bunch "32" of red circles, now when you flip the switch the corresponding red spot will light up. If you can get this far then FSX will also read it . You will also have to check the box on the flightsim joystick page to "enable joystick" then you can assighn the button to whatever you want. Hope that helps.

Andy Smith

[Boeing 747 Flyer]

Thanks, I have managed to get it working now.

However, I am wondering what type of rotary encoder to use for HDG and SPD select on the MCP. Any ideas?

[km3099]

hi, quick question..... im designing a flight simulator for the Air Cadets (RAF) and i am wondering wether or not SPST switches can be wired directly to the controller. and if i leave a switch on for a length of time wether or not it will interfere with other switches on the board, or even FSX.

Thanks for the help

Keith

[abrinson]

Try this video. It may help. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eB7FTO87Mzo .

[ian@737ng.co.uk]

hi guys ......
for 747, the Rapid switch is fine, i have some connected to a BU0836X. for encoders, i use CTS288 (from Opencockpits) on the BU0836X. set these up in the Encoder utility as type 1:1. i also use cheap encoders from Sure Electronics (on e-bay) with good results. set these up in the utility as type 1:4.
i founf that the best setting for the Pulse Width was 64ms.

for keith ....
if you are using a BU0836X board, each input is independant and therefore will not interfere with any other, irrespective of whether it remains in an ON state. once a switch has been actioned (i.e turned on or off), that switch change state is acted upon and the card then waits for the next switch change it sees.
if you are using a standard BU0836 card, then because it uses a matrix system, you will need to use diodes in line to make each row/column pair independant.
but once you do that, each input will be independant and will act exactly as the X Board does.

hope that helped you out chaps.....

rgds ... ian

there's a diagram on Leo's site

[Boeing 747 Flyer]

Hi there,

I have yet another question. How do you connect potentiometers to the card?

I have a volume control knob, taken from a real aircraft, with three wires: Wiper, Right hand maximum and left hand maximum. It is a 2.7K Ohm Value pot. Can you please tll me if it can be connecte, and, if so, how?

[jnr641802]

To wire a potentiometer to the BU0836x card using one of the group of eight inputs i.e x/y/z etc etc ,all I did (to make a 737 nose wheel tiller ) was connect 1 wire end to the left switch terminal ,the other end to the 5v board terminal,then the middle switch terminal to the 'x' board terminal,then the right switch terminal to the 'gnd' board terminal, and connected the supplied cable to a powered usb hub.I must point out that I am hopeless with electronics but this worked fine for me.


regards Jim

[Boeing 747 Flyer]

Thanks alot, but can a 2.7K Ohm pot be wired? Is it too low-a value?

[jnr641802]

Sorry I only concentrated on the first part of your question, my mistake ,i.e 'how do you wire a potentiometer'.The one I used was a 100k ohm ,better see if better advice is forthcoming I think.....


regards Jim