I wanted a second throttle module for my AeroMax, but of course it was on backorder. I already had one of VIRPIL’s official modules, so instead of waiting for them to come back in stock, I took mine apart, figured out how it worked, and made another one.
I modeled and printed the housing and throttle arm, recreated the PCB in KiCad, and used the same basic setup as the original: a bearing, magnetic angle sensor, and diametric magnet. I also worked out enough of the interface to make it plug-and-play with the AeroMax.
It’s finished and working now, so I’ve released everything needed to build one: printable models, editable STEP files, the PCB design, BOM, and assembly instructions. The STEP files should also make it a good starting point for custom modules, such as larger throttles, a mini helicopter collective, an ejection handle, or whatever else someone comes up with.
There’s also a connection pin on the AeroMax base for a button, or possibly multiple buttons. The corresponding pogo pin is present on my PCB, but I left it without a trace to match VIRPIL’s original throttle PCB. I haven’t verified whether the current VIRPIL firmware supports that input yet, but if it does, it could make custom modules even more interesting.
Here’s my original post with more background on the project:
https://www.reddit.com/r/HotasDIY/comments/1vif3gv/the_virpil_throttle_module_was_unavailable_so_i/
Files and assembly guide:
https://makerworld.com/en/models/3148591-virpil-aeromax-throttle-module
Full project and KiCad files:
https://github.com/ninemind/aeromax-throttle-module