DIY Arduino Flight Joystick (w.i.p)

While it would be much easier to just purchase a joystick off the shelf, the one in my price range—the Thrustmaster T.16000—is currently unattainable due to supply chain issues caused by the pandemic.

So why not try to build something?

There’s a few great tutorials online about how to use an arduino to build a DIY joystick, particularly this one. I love the result, but I’d like mine to sit on my desk rather than the floor, and I’d like a more advanced joystick, i.e. more buttons and triggers. The principles of the building a more advanced stick will be the same, but I have a lot more switches and triggers to wire up and plan out, and I will require more inputs on my Arduino, so I will be using the Arduino MEGA, with 50+ inputs.

Part 1. Sidestick Controller, with Triggers and Buttons

I will be using the awesome VKB Gunfighter mk.III as the basis for my design with some modifications. It’s form will be simplified and flattened so it’s easier to make out of wood, and it will feature 9 buttons, and 3 triggers. (Yikes!). You should consider a simpler design at your own discretion.

I couldn’t find an image of what’s inside, so from a studying a side view of it, I’ve interpreted the design roughly as shown here.

 

 

( coming soon )

Part 2. Gimbal, with Hall Effect Sensors

( coming soon )

Part 3. Arduino Wiring andProgramming

 

Part 3. Arduino Resources

Part 4. Throttle Stick (optional)

If you want to keep everything on one stick, you can include a potentiometer (slider or rotating) on the stick base. I want to use a separate throttle for H.O.T.A.S.

( coming soon )

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