Project: F1 Steering Wheel (WIP) input welcomed :)

Devil_Dog

I walk the line.
I finally decided to go ahead with a project I've been wanting to do for some time now. Building myself an F1 wheel. I pretty much know what I want but could also use some guidance as well for some things. Mainly the electronics. So I will be building this starting with the electronics layout and will build the wheel around that so to say.

The wheel will be attached to a G25 base but I will make it universal so I can attach it to other wheel bases so a quick disconnect will be in use as well. This is minor at this point but plays a key part as I want to keep this wheel and be able to use it when an upgrade comes around.;)

So here is what I want to do. I want to have hard mounted paddle shifters on the wheel and possibly two clutch paddles as well. I'm thinking of using hall sensors for the clutch paddles but need to do some research on how to apply this. For the shifters I can use buttons for this.

Now I do have some questions regarding the SLI-Pro. I'm unsure if I can hook up all of the buttons, switches and encoders to it. I don't know if I will need to add an additional HID device or not. Here is the short list of what I want to connect.

The front face of the wheel:
12 buttons
central rotary switch with 12 configurable positions
2 additional 12 position rotary switch
rotary switch for display brightness
two 12 position switches for changing display information
2 rotary encoders for thumbs

The back of the wheel:
2 buttons for the paddle shifters
2 buttons or hall sensors for the clutch


Total for the front:
6 rotary switches
2 rotary encoders
12 buttons

Total for the back:
2 buttons
2 hall effect sensors/or some sort of switch

Now is it possible to connect the above to an SLI-Pro or will i need to add another HID to achieve this?

Thanks and pics will be posted as this project progresses.
 
Hi Mike,
I am at a similar point with my project and looking at hooking up the same array of switches,encoders, buttons and hall sensors. Will be interested in to see replies
 
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Hi

Here is a list of the available inputs for the SLI-Pro :) You can use Potentiometer inputs for hall effect sensors, it will detect them automatically ;) You can work out what you can use from the list


CONNECTOR 1

1) Brown +5V supply for potentiometer and rotary switches
2) Red GND (shared among all buttons, switches and potentiometers)
3) Orange Button 1
4) Yellow Button 2
5) Green Button 3
6) Blue Button 4
7) Violet Button 5
8) Grey Button 6
9) White Button 7
10) Black Button 8
11) Brown Rotary switch 1
12) Red Rotary switch 2
13) Orange Rotary switch 3 (or Button 29)
14) Yellow Potentiometer 1


CONNECTOR 2

1) Brown +5V supply for potentiometer and rotary switches
2) Red GND (shared among all buttons, switches and potentiometers)
3) Orange Button 9
4) Yellow Button 10
5) Green Button 11
6) Blue Rotary switch 4 (or Button 30)
7) Violet Button 12
8) Grey Rotary switch 5 (or Button 31)
9)White Rotary switch 6 (or Button 32)
10) Black Potentiometer 2
11) Brown Button 13
12) Red Button 14
13) Orange Button 15
14) Yellow Button 16
 
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Hey Brian, Thanks for the input. My biggest hurdle is the hall effect sensors. I have never used them before so trying to figure out the best way to utilize them for the clutch paddles is my biggest concern. I've been doing some research on them but am still unsure of how I should do this.
 
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The hall effect sensors are not too bad to use :) Just place a magnet close by and turn it! The trick is getting the distance right between the magnet and the Alegro sensor (and once found, keeping it there) The sensor is a 3 wire connect to a potentiometer input from memory :)

You can get the sensors at Leo's site http://www.leobodnar.com/products/BU0836X/

'Magnetic (Hall effect) sensor Allegro A1302 (datasheet) : £1.49
This magnetic field sensor can be connected directly to controller analog input - connection diagram '

(the RED highlighted words are links)

Let me know if you need any more help ;)
 
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Thanks Brian. The challenge I'm facing is housing and mounting it. I'm not sure how to really go about it. Being that it will be used for clutch paddles I'm trying to figure out the best way to achieve this. Also, do you have any suggestions for what type of magnet would be best for this application.

Another note, I have a source here in the States to get the sensors. So I can get them within 2 days.;)

Thanks again Brian.
 
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I'm trying to figure out the best way to achieve this. Also, do you have any suggestions for what type of magnet would be best for this application.

Best method is to mount the magnet in the end of 'spindle / axis' that the paddle will rotate on like Fanatec do with the sensors on the clubsport pedals. (I will try and find a pic) ;)


EDIT: Stole a pic from Michael Heikes Thread, hope he does not mind! :)



20120113132315.jpg
 
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I was looking at my CSP's and thinking about that but being that it will be on paddles I need to come up with a way to do it on a smaller scale. That's the challenge I have right now.;)
 
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I would like to find some of these.
6830223365_d831130947.jpg


6830223433_42c5059ddc.jpg


I took apart an SRW-S1 to see what they are using.:oops:

So using a miniature pot is an option as well. I may have to think about this if I can't come up with a good solution for the hall effect sensors.
 
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Hi Brian, your posts are great help. One question - will the sli-pro recognize two hall sensors i.e one for each paddle or should the be wired into 1 only of the pot inputs on the sli?
 
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I have never actually used hall effects with an SLI-Pro.... But it would certainly be one per Pot input! As for the Zroso wheel, im not sure how many he has, but if you check the list above, you can work out the various combo's, but classic is 12 buttons, 2 encoders, 6 rotary switches... But you can trade some rotary switches for extra buttons (total of 20) and then use them even as extra Encoders (two button inputs per encoder). After than, the obvious way is to add a BU0836 or similar to give you up to another 32 button/16 encoders (wired in a matrix) :)
 
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encoders are for BRake Bias, Volume control (chat in iracing, Spotter volume), increase and decrease values (ie in adding tyre pressure, and fuel( so instead of ussing toggel switches or 2 x buttons) rotary encoders are much better. I want to get one on my button box. there are only 2 rotary switch, didn't have time to wire it. hmmm
 
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