Environment Sounds and ButtKicker Question

[Jackpilot]

Do not forget that PMSound (free BTW) can be set on each computer and just by checking the little boxes you can divert specific sounds to specific computers...ie: wind sound in front, avionics buzz from the panel, flaps or spoiler rumble on the sides, GPWS in the Overhead speaker...etc etc. can be used on your network, even if you do not have Project Magenta software.

[IanH1960]

I wonder if IanH1960's "screen motion simulation" could be used as an interface to accomplish this. Instead of screen output ... sound that drives the Buttkicker.

Hi,

Interesting thought - in the motion platform driver software the tubulence related movement effects come mainly from the vertical acceleration or gforce output from FS. This can be quite active in turbulent conditions.

However these acceleration fluctations are characteristically at lower frequencies than those you would normally associate with a "sound" output device. At a guess I'd say 2Hz at fastest depending on the aircraft type off course.

It might be possible to construct an output signal with higher frequency which would use the actual gforce movement frequencies and amplitudes as an input so that the generated output "sound" would match the actual vertical acceleration variation of the aircraft in some way. Not sure what it would feel like though.

Roughly what frequency range would the buttkicker output need to be?

Ian

[ddimm]

Hello Ian -

The frequency response of the ButtKicker is 10-250hz. From FlightSim.com - "The ButtKicker Gamer is a small, linear motor, which reacts to an audio signal sent by an 100 watt amplifier. The unit comes as a complete kit with amplifier, shaker, cables and all the accessories you need to connect it to either your PC or game console.

The shaker is similar to a loudspeaker, but instead of moving a cone, and transferring sound waves through the air, it attaches to your seat column and sends low frequency sound directly into your body. The effect is amazing and extremely powerful."

Here is a link to a review of the product from FlightSim.com. http://www.flightsim.com/main/review/bk.htm It may provide some additional information and insight on the product.

Let us know what you think. Thanks!!!!
Daniel

[KenK]

Hi everyone:

I have been doing this on my turboprop sim for a while with a small PLC
and an audio mixer found in the trash. It is not sophisticated but it does randomly jolt the seats. The diagram doesnt show this but I it is enabled by "gear up". So you you dont get jolted when parked on the ground.

It worked pretty well but i am revising it to use an output from my Phidgets led 64. The plan was to use Offset $0842 (Vspeed) then
set it up as a new variable with "range of values". Then I will use the setpoints to trigger a PhotoMos relay from the Phidgets card. The setpoint would activate only at high rates of climb or descent such as turbulence.
A capacitor might be required to extend the pulse width to the audio mixer input to achieve a hard jolt!!!

I havent had time to do this yet but maybe someone wants to try it.

Regards
Ken K

[Ronson2k9]

Could you use the force feedback module in FSX to trigger the turbulence feeling. I know not to many use it but it is there..

Just a thought..

[KenK]

Hmmm...

I never thought of that. I do use FS9 but it does have minimal force feedback. There is a thread here to enhance it on Fs9:

http://www.planesimulation.com/articles/fs9_QandA.htm

Maybe these values would crank up FSX bumps too.
I have to find a sound SDC this is definately something I will look into.

Ken K

[KenK]

The other part of the problem is converting the Force Feedback signals to
sound pulses . I think the transducer used in the MS Sidewinder for force feedback is a motor. The characteristics of this signal may be in an SDC someplace. I will check this out when I have time

Ken K

[ddimm]

Could you use the force feedback module in FSX to trigger the turbulence feeling. I know not to many use it but it is there..

Just a thought..

That's a really interesting idea....I remember using my old MS Sidewinder joystick and actually feeling the effects of a stall...If we could feel the shuddering along with hearing the stall horn... it puts us a little closer to "as real as it gets".

[Ronson2k9]

All you would need is the signal. If the signal is available you should be able to send that to switch to activate or deactivate the turbulence or amplify the signal to get the desired effect. When I first heard about buttkicker I had thought I worked off of FF but it was using sound.

I'm looking forward to what you can come up with on this one as I'm planning a floatplane pit and landing on water has quite a bit turbulence.

[KenK]

We would need to look at the FF signal with a scope and see when it occurs. I thought it was a linear signal that increased the torque on the joystick based on certain events like high g manuevers. But as some of you know, Turbulence can indeed be a High G manuever. I dont have a FF joystick to check this with. The D/A conversion for FF torque is probably done in the joystick downstream from the usb port. So an FF joystick would be needed to check this.

What I was hoping to do was trigger a ButtKicker pulse with any high excursion of the VSI (>3000fpm). The LED-64 has setpoints that can trigger an event when certain things occur like high VSI excursions.Why not an optocoupler to pulse Buttkicker?

Maybe some SDK explains FF . Im still looking at this too.

Regards to all
Ken K