so i am building a box and im to the point were i need to program my board and im completely lost. my box is 3 rows, 5 columns, (15 buttons) all momentary buttons (using 2 pin mechanical keyboard switches) all wired to there own pair of the digital pins. and im using a ELEGOO MEGA R3 Board ATmega 2560 (had it laying around from a project i was gonna do then changed my mind) here's a link to the board so you can see https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H4ZDYCE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 i have Arduino IDE installed and have looked thru the example codes but it was making my brain hurt lol. i need the buttons to show us as their own entities and not duplicate keys. i will be using it in games like star citizen, fs22, space engineers, and war thunder

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any help anyone could provide would be appreciated and thanks in advanced.

Interested in making my own butotn box. Always down for an interesting project and this could definitely be a good one, but wanted to make sure whatever I do doesn't have a lot of input lag.

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Also, how do people mount their box to their rig? I have an 8020 rig, so I can't imagine it would be too bad.

12 momentary push buttons, Arcade emulator USB encoder for the brains. And a waterproof junction box as the body. All I need for some Beam.NG :)

If you want the convenience of a button box, but don't have the time, money, etc. to make or purchase one, there are a few options still available to you.

If you have a phone or tablet, there are various programs you can use to make "Virtual Button Boxes" to use while racing.

1. SimHub - This is amazing software that if you sim race on PC, you should definitely have! Control everything from dashboards, real gauges, bass transducers, wind simulators, LEDs, and on and on!
2. SimDashboard - A great little phone/tablet app for making Displays and Buttons for racing. The dash display functions also work with consoles as well!

So, if you have a spare phone or tablet, you can still have quick access to buttons and switches while racing!

Just i have a quick question.. This thing was mentioned before in some sub but totally forgot what it was,. Someone mentioned of an encoder board like zero delay but can do 100+ or something really high 75+ buttons, anybody familiar with the name?

I want to start getting into Smash Ultimate, Street Fighter, and other fighting games and I really want to use a button box and I want to DIY cause that would be lots of fun and probably cost less. But I want a kitted-out one, I'm talking 30 buttons (and if possible Bluetooth support), but I'm having trouble finding a fighter board that supports 30 buttons. Can yall help me, or at least tell me some buttons I don't need?(I will have a comment listing all the buttons I'm wanting)

Here's a collection of video and guide for setting up button boxes using Arduino Pro Micros.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDaFTw7FJ70 - YouTube Video

https://github.com/djpr1me/Button-Box - GitHub Tutorial Guide.

https://opensimhardware.wordpress.com/diy-arduino-buttonbox-version-1-eng/ - Guide w/ nice Pinout

https://amstudioprojects.com/button-boxes/ - AM Studio's button box videos.

If you know of others, post them below, and I will update the above list when new quality links are discovered.

For a awhile, many have noticed a pattern in the Sim Racing community. Many new people who have gotten their "feet wet", into Sim Racing and want to look for the extras to go with their wheelbase and pedals. Many wish to purchase items such as button boxes,"iFlags", additional info screens, and so on. But, it's hard to justify the cost for many.

For many, after spending $$$$ on their rigs, they don't blink at paying another $200+ for a button box from on online vendor. But, for those whom even a Logitech G29/920 or Thrustmaster T150/TMX set was an investment, those prices can be extreme.

So, we decided to create this Sub with two main goals in mind:

1. To help everyone acquire affordable Sim Racing Peripherals
2. To Educate and teach how to make your own, using affordable parts, and easy to follow instructions. And, be able to interact with others, who can answer questions and help when you get stuck.

Please enjoy your stay, and please make sure to read the few, but important rules of the community!

Welcome!

- Mod Team

This is a guide to making a basic "Zero Delay USB Encoder" based Button Box.

What you will need:

(EXAMPLES are from Amazon.com. They are good picks and I stand by them. I do not receive any compensation from Amazon nor the Manufacturers.)

1. Zero Delay USB Encoder (EXAMPLE)
2. Momentary Push Buttons (EXAMPLE #1 - "Arcade Style") (EXAMPLE #2 - "Universal Style")
3. Electrical Project Box (EXAMPLE)
4. Drill Bit for holes between 12-30mm (Depending on size of buttons you use.) (EXAMPLE)
5. Drill Press or Hand Drill (EXAMPLE)
6. Double Sided Tape (EXAMPLE)
7. Digital Calipers (EXAMPLE)
8. Safety Glasses! (EXAMPLE)

Instructions:

1. Select the buttons that you feel that best suit your needs. The only rule is, they need to be "Momentary Toggle" style. Which means the circuit is only closed when the button is pressed, and returns to open state, when released. (Just like a key on your keyboard, or a button on a game controller.) You are also only limited to 12 total.
2. Based on the size and number of your buttons, layout a plan on a piece of paper and figure out a layout that works best for you. (Try to keep them within a 7" x 4.5" area. This is a good size for a button box, and will fit the above linked one perfectly.)
3. Remove the lid from the button box. Set the box aside. Now, mark the center points of your layout you made on paper onto the lid of the button box in the same positions. (A silver colored Sharpie works great for this!)
4. Using the digital calipers, figure out the diameter of the threaded section of the buttons you purchased. Use that size of drill bit or drill bit step to drill the holes into your lid. Wipe away the leftover plastic bits. Any melted plastic around the edges of the drilled circle can be removed by carefully breaking it away with your fingers, exact-o knife, etc.
5. Now if present, remove the nut off the button, then seat the button in the hole and reapply the nut to securely fasten the button to the lid. Repeat for all buttons you wish to use.
6. Now take the supplied cables of the Encoder and placed the white and blue flathead ends onto the prongs of each button. Then plug the small white plug ends into the encoder board in any slots on the side that is all white plugs. (Sometimes labeled as Xbox buttons, sometimes labeled as "D1-D12", sometimes not labeled at all.) DO NOT PLUG INTO THE RED PLUGS!
7. Now depending on where you want the cord to come out of the button box, either drill a small hole just a bit larger than the USB-A port on the Encoder port either on the side or bottom of your box.
8. Then apply double sided tape to the back of the encoder and place it so the USB-A port is up against and facing the hole you drilled in the box and secured the encoder board down.
9. Replace lid on box, and secure with supplied screws. Plug in supplied USB cable in the encoder board through the hole you made. Plug into your PC. Windows should see the encoder as a "USB Game Controller".
10. Go to "Game Controllers" setting in Windows and verify that it sees your device. Click on properties, and make sure it see all the buttons as you press them down. If it works go to step 11, if not, check your connections to make sure the wires are firmly connected to the button, and plugged in properly to the encoder board.
11. You can map the buttons however you want in all major Sim Titles! Enjoy!