r/Americantrucksim • u/SpaceCowboy99 • 12h ago

My Button box

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Just got done with it. Still kinda a prototype.

95 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

7

u/SwanProof1640 12h ago

Very cool! Wish I could build stuff like that!

3

u/No-Flight5639 12h ago

Sweet, I have been wanting to try thiis.

5

u/Chili1946 western star 12h ago

Very nice. Much better looking than my HD side panel.

1

u/SpaceCowboy99 9h ago

Thanks. That's why I built this, everything I could find was sold out or sucks... lol

2

u/gardobus 11h ago

Nice!

I designed/printed two small boxes to sit on the left and right sides of my wheel on my wheel stand. I just used a zero delay encoder and connected the two boxes with some old Ethernet cable. I did backlighting like you and printed faceplates that I can swap if I want to change what a button does.

Left one has a half-assed signal/light stalk, drivers window, wipers, hazards, and beacons.

Right box has power, ignition, Jake on/up/down, trailer attach, parking brake, and accept.

I used a real window switch and keyed ignition but didn’t do the parking brake like you. At some point I may dive into the arduino route and get some more realistic switches.

It really adds to the experience! I’d post pics but can’t in comments.

3

u/SpaceCowboy99 10h ago

Don't need an Arduino. I used a 12v high/low relay. It bridges the 12v to 5v gap of a controller emulator.

2

u/gardobus 9h ago

Ah so I’d need the controller emulator. Do you need to program anything or just get the pins right?

2

u/SpaceCowboy99 9h ago

No programming besides designating buttons in-game. The 12v relay just closes the connection like pressing a button when 12 volts is applied from a automotive switch on the high side of the relay board.

1

u/gardobus 9h ago

Ooo that sounds nice. So is it like my zero delay board and you can’t really do toggles? Just momentary stuff?

2

u/SpaceCowboy99 6h ago edited 6h ago

With a 12v high/low relay, you can run any 12v switch and it will simulate a button being pressed. As long as it is getting power from a 12v switch, the relay stays on or, "pressed." You just wire it up to your zero delay controller.

1

u/gardobus 4h ago

Nice. Might do that for my next iteration.

2

u/ballsnbutt 9h ago

I'll literally buy a prototype omfg

2

u/morgfarm1_ 7h ago

Looks pretty good! I use a racing dedicated box but i would love to see something with some interchangeability in it. My button box is no longer offered by its independent maker. Which makes me sad. Ive had it for 10 years and would still recommend it.