Howto:C172P Cockpit Project: Difference between revisions

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'''The Plan'''


==== The Plan ====
I intend to build a complete simulated [[c172p|Cessna 172P]] Instrument Panel with working instruments, gauges, controls and radios, built from scratch, starting soon.
I am planning to build a complete simulated C172P Instrument Panel with working instruments, gauges, controls and radios, built from scratch, starting in 2017.   
The project will be compact, about 40 inches wide, with seating and controls for a pilot and copilot.  It will be freestanding, but can also be attached to a table or desk.  I'd like it to be easy to transport so it can be demonstrated to others in a variety of settings.  During the project I'll be learning more about Electronics, 3D Printing, Routing and Milling and using basic machine toolsI've already started, I have a few drawings and CAD designs.  I am about to do some prototype circuits for things I'm certain to use.  As I go through the project, I'm doing a lot of writing both about the process and the results.  I hope these will be a help to others on the same journey.


This Howto will develop into a detailed project plan for building a C172P Instrument Panel. While not a step by step guide, it will include details on the prototyping, design and building of an instrument panel.  
  While working on this project I'm working on two related How To sections on the wiki.  This one and one covering cockpit building in general.
* [[Howto:Build your own Panel or Cockpit]]


==== Why are we here? ====


Cockpit builder Tom Gauvin gave a presentation on cockpit building at Flight Sim Con 2016 at Bradley Field near Hartford Ct. USA.  In his presentation, he pointed out that there is no mouse in the cockpit.  As a user of a flight simulator, visual and tactile realism is a major factor in the quality of the experience.  Having a realistic control panel in front of you or even a whole cockpit surrounding you will bring the experience up a to a whole new level over operating simulated instruments on a display screen with a mouse and keyboard.
==== Resources ====
[[Howto:C172P Panel Project - Specifications]]


==== You're invited to participate ====
'''Prototypes''': [[Howto:C172P Panel Project - Working Prototypes]]


I'm finding the project is quite a challenge because I'm working alone
'''Drawings and Photographs''' [[Howto:C172P Cockpit Project/Design Drawings and Pictures]]
at this point. 


I'm actively looking for anyone who's going to be
'''Spreadsheet of C172 Measurements''': https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13WAzYXTJ5VtTF4HeXYd2oaQTcCOABuSQmISIwCf_kmU/edit?usp=sharing
actively pursuing building or improving their instrument panel or
cockpit in the coming year, 2017.


If you would like to work with me on common goals, consider yourself invited.  No experience at any skill is required, but anyone with enough grit to get where
[[Category:Cockpit building]]
they want to go will be welcome.
 
If interested, you can contact me personally via [http://wiki.flightgear.org/Special:EmailUser/Callahanp e-mail.]
 
==== Design Notes ====
* '''Sim hardware'''
** ''Raspberry Pi3'' as master controller
** ''Raspberry Pi Nano's'', ''Arduino's'', ATMega or PIC microprocessors and peripherals to handle the low level hardware.
* '''Switches of various kinds''': spst on-off, spdt on-off-on, rotary, fuel selector and a master key switch
** ''Sixteen Banks of Sixteen switches''
** ''MCP23S17'' spi Port Expanders - only 2 are needed for 256 switches.
** ''raspberry pi nano or Arduino'' will cycle through the 16 banks every 125 ms and report changes to the master pi to hand off to the simulator
** ''ADC port'' - can handle a multi-position rotary switch if wired to a cascading voltage divider
** ''Magnetic reed switches'' or ''Hall Effect transducers'' will be used for the fuel selector
* '''Adjusting knobs''' for instruments, instrument lighting, volume and frequency on radios, throttle, mixture, carb heat, cabin air, cabin heat
** ''Potentiometers'' on an ADC port
** ''Rotary encoders'' on two gpio lines each
** ''Magnetic encoder'' chips on an spi or i2c bus
** ''3d printed'' knobs and parts for the Trim Wheel
* '''Pull switches''' and '''dual concentric controls''' on radios.
** ''brass tubing'' concentric sizes
** ''pocket clips and springs'' from cheap or free pens
** ''3d printed'' detents and knobs
* single and dual '''needles'''; movable '''compass rings''' and other rotating '''scales'''
** ''Air coils''
** ''X25.168 stepper motors''
** ''Air coil or stepper motor driver'' chips - For example: On Semiconductor ''CS8190''
** ''H-Bridge'' circuit or chip
** ''PWM gpio outputs'' from a raspberry pi 3, a raspberry pi Nano or an Arduino.
* '''Needle Indicators and Gauges''' requiring only 90 degrees of needle movement
** ''Meter movements'' pulled from cheap panel meters driven by pwm outputs
** ''Air coils'' if the meter movements don't do the job
* '''the ball''' on the turn and bank indicator
** ''electromagnets'' driven by ''pwm outputs'' moving a ''steel ball'' bearing in a ''plastic or glass tube''.
** ''damping fluid'' - if needed
* '''white buttons''' - pushbutton style  on some of the radios and autopilot
** ''3d printed'' - router engraved and painted
* '''Numeric displays''' on the nav/com and DME radios, '''alphabetic displays''' on the autopilot
** Max7219 or Max7221 on SPI or I2c
* '''LED indicators''' on the autopilot, KMA 20 and VOR indicators
** ''photo-transparency'' - for printed lettering
** ''3d printed mask'' - to separate indicators
** ''LEDs'' - white or orange - low current
* '''Flight controls''' including Yoke, Pedals, Trim Wheel, Flaps Control
** use ''Saitek Yoke & Pedals'' until suitable replacements are designed and built.(2018)
* '''Instrument Panel'''
** Frame
** Mounting panel sections
** Left L
** Right L
** Six Pack
** Switch Panel
** Right Seat Panel
* '''Console'''
 
==== C172 Instrument Panel Project Status Report ====
12/7/2016:
 
* Acquired a raspberry pi, a breadboard and several SPI and I2c chips and a bunch of resistors and capacitors. 
* Constructed an initial prototype of a switch bank using the MCP23S17 chip.  A final proof of concept for 32 switches is in the works.
* Planning a prototype of the circuit needed to drive 7 and 14 segment displays for various parts of the radio stack. 
* Considering the use of magnetic rather than rotary encoders in some parts of the application. 
* Started work on building an air coil that can be used in many of the instruments with rotary dials 
* Ordered a few panel meters to take apart to see if the movements can be used for instruments and gauges where the needle movement is 90 degrees or less 
* Joined [http://www.framinghammakerspace.org/portal/ Framingham Makerspace.]  This gives me access to a lathe, 3d Printer, 3d Router and other tools. 
* Work is progressing on building a bench power supply from a spare PC power supply.
[[User:Callahanp|Callahanp]] ([[User talk:Callahanp|talk]]) 03:34, 7 December 2016 (EST)

Latest revision as of 17:08, 15 March 2020

WIP.png Work in progress
This article or section will be worked on in the upcoming hours or days.
See history for the latest developments.

The Plan

I intend to build a complete simulated Cessna 172P Instrument Panel with working instruments, gauges, controls and radios, built from scratch, starting soon. The project will be compact, about 40 inches wide, with seating and controls for a pilot and copilot. It will be freestanding, but can also be attached to a table or desk. I'd like it to be easy to transport so it can be demonstrated to others in a variety of settings. During the project I'll be learning more about Electronics, 3D Printing, Routing and Milling and using basic machine tools. I've already started, I have a few drawings and CAD designs. I am about to do some prototype circuits for things I'm certain to use. As I go through the project, I'm doing a lot of writing both about the process and the results. I hope these will be a help to others on the same journey.

While working on this project I'm working on two related How To sections on the wiki.  This one and one covering cockpit building in general.


Resources

Howto:C172P Panel Project - Specifications

Prototypes: Howto:C172P Panel Project - Working Prototypes

Drawings and Photographs Howto:C172P Cockpit Project/Design Drawings and Pictures

Spreadsheet of C172 Measurements: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13WAzYXTJ5VtTF4HeXYd2oaQTcCOABuSQmISIwCf_kmU/edit?usp=sharing