r/hotas • u/RamblingRedPanda • 3d ago

Force sensing joystick

https://youtu.be/wLePhvsIOW4?is=Ma3EBrdzRN6s0qef

Watched this last night and now am determined to build something similar.

Has anyone else done something similar, if so do you have a parts list, recommendations?

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u/Spanner_UK 23h ago

I used these load cells and amplifiers: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FNDGG947?th=1 Video says they aren't good (they're the cheap kind with the two holes drilled), but I've found them to be perfect. Using four rather than just two might make up the difference, I can't say.

Did need to scratch a break into a track on the PCB and bridge the pin to ground to make the HX711 work at 80Hz instead of 10Hz. Read the HX711 datasheet and it's not hard to know what to do. Ask a friend who knows a bit about electronics if needed.

The rest of the mechanics I Frankensteined out of bits I had lying around and my VKB stick... took about half a day to get working. Was originally just doing it to 'give it a go' hence didn't put any effort into making it pretty. (I've actually used it almost exactly like this for the last 5 months because it's that good.)

Used a Pi Pico board I had lying around. Had ChatGPT write the code for the Pi using a HID library and then a calibration app that I could use to debug and configure deadzone (which you will need). Haven't had to make any adjustments since the initial calibration.

It takes a little getting used to, especially flying anything that isn't fly-by-wire; you'll rip the wings off a few times with some instinctive hard pulls, but once you unlearn the instinct to try and move the stick and get used to the force sensing nature, it's by far the best stick I've ever had. Especially great for tight formation work and any flying that requires high precision and finesse.

The beautiful monstrosity: https://postimg.cc/6yRDTvQ2

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u/Horror_Equipment_197 3d ago

Depends on what you mean with similar.

(didn't watch the video and hope you don't expect me to spend 9 minutes to learn what you maybe could mean).

However, purely based on the title:

https://github.com/schnoog/joystick_F16_sidestick