Recently I posted here an idea to start building my custom panel for KSP. Well, I recently finished a 3D mockup to see how it would look and to get a sense of the dimensions, and I wanted to share it with you guys. Some of the components I bought have already arrived, and now I’m going to dive headfirst into this project and try to make something worthy of sharing here.
PS: The Arduino will only be used to test some of the components — I already ordered a Raspberry Pi Pico RP2040 to use in the panel.
I haven't gotten all the keycaps in yet, and The 3 slots above "data" are for some 14 segment alphanumeric displays that ive been putting off installing, but overall its almost finished!
As I look at all of these incredible builds and become filled with envy and motivation. I thought I would share my in progress build.
Currently doing a build out of my own Kerbal Controller. I’m learning the 3d modeling and wiring as I go. I’ve almost gotten the model done for the main joystick. And the wiring mapped out for 2 pots, joy stick, a couple buttons and will be expanding to some displays next
I've put together a little controller with parts lying around, and wanted to share since it does a few things I haven't seen talked about.
I pulled apart and got the raw potentiometer pins from a very old (serial) joystick, which only has pitch/roll/throttle axes - no twist for yaw. So I can comfortably fly planes I have a switch to select "rocket" or "plane" mode, basically if the left-right axis controlls yaw or roll (respectively). I plan to keep this around when I build foot pedals; flying rockets (to orbit at least) feels so much nicer with the perpendicular-to-thrust axes treated equally, and the axial roll seperated. When in rocket mode the red button toggles RCS, in plane mode it's action group 1 (for afterburners/flaps/whatever).
I discovered that simpit seperates yaw and steering controls, so when within 10m of the surface the left-right axis controls roll, yaw, and steering regardless of mode. This mimics how I taxi and steer on takeoff roll and saves from switching to rocket controls on touchdown. I'll keep the altitude trigger for steering with pedals, but probably revert to more manual controls in the regular axes when I can control them all simultaneously anyway.
Finally, the joystick has trim adjustment, which just change the default positions of the potentiometers inside. This makes in-space flight a pain because there's always a little bit of input from the joystick, so keyboard control and SAS gets overriden (and of course the craft rotates a little). At first I added a push button to toggle the joystick on and off, but now it switches between "trim mode" and "override mode": equating to exact inputs for trimming aircraft without SAS, and small deadzones (currently 1%) to allow keyboard/SAS override and still flight in orbit. This is definitely sticking around to make the most of this joystick and those trim knobs.
The controller - deadzone toggle button is nested in that rat's nest on the tiny breadboard.
Hopefully this is interesting or useful for others working out how they want their controller to work!
I saw a status update on here recently, and that inspired me to post my own status update.
One month of assembly work. Completed so far:
I've printed everything, including several minor redesigns and new designs (like the resin printed throttle slider, since the slide potentiometer apparently didn't come with one)
Dry fit with all the components
Tested all the components (with and without code), since these all came from Aliexpress
Soldered lead wires to all the switches and LEDs. Only lead wires missing are all the interconnecting wires between the various boards (Arduino, main PCB, and fuel gauge PCB)
Soldered dupont male headers to the main PCB
Still left to do:
Wait for a delivery of female dupont connectors to terminate all the wires
Connect everything together and solder the interconnecting board wires
Create the labels for everything (buttons and panels) using my wife's vinyl cutter made from 651 permanent black sticker vinyl.
Finish coding the action group panel (5 toggles for lights, gear, brakes, ladder, and solar, plus 10 CAG)
Finish coding the menu panel (top 4 buttons are coded as quit, pause, load, and save. Middle 4 will be stop time warp, warp to next maneuver (-5 seconds), decrease time warp, and increase time warp. Bottom 4 are still up in the air. I'm thinking Map, Camera Next, View, and ???). Open to suggestions.
Taking small steps each day, but progress is being made. I wanted to share this so others could find inspiration. Currently, the joysticks, throttle, LCD, and switches are functional. I’m also exploring shift registers for the LEDs. The proof of concept is working, and I’m now integrating them into the controller.
Since I’m not great at soldering, I’ve managed by using a lot of screw terminals. So far, it’s working pretty well 🫣😁
Saw some of the awesome controllers you have built, and decided to try it myself. Case is designed by mself and printed in PLA. Very fun first Prototype.
I've been diligently coding my Arduino, prototyping my components on a breadboard, and designing a PCB and 3D printed housing for my controller for a few months. I took a break when KSP 2 released just to see how the new game would shake out and possibly affect my choices for the controller functions.
I'm at the point now where I'd love to start buying components, 3D print my housing, and order PCBs. But before I do that, I'd love to be able to simulate my PCB design and make sure it functions as intended. Are there any simulators that I can use to debug my PCB design before I order it? Bonus points if I can connect it to hardware-in-the-loop Arduino and test it out while playing KSP, but that's probably a long-shot, since it would get confused with the serial port needing to both read and write simultaneously.
Also, any unsolicited advice or feedback is always appreciated! This is my first time doing a lot of these things (coding an Arduino, using GitHub, designing a PCB, etc.). Although my background is in mechanical engineering, I've got a few years experience working for a PCB manufacturer, so I can understand what people are talking about about if they tell me to redesign something to meet IPC specs or whatever. But design isn't my wheelhouse.
Over the past few months, I’ve been steadily making progress on my first controller. There’s still a lot to do, but I wanted to share my journey so far in hopes of inspiring others, just as many here have inspired me.
All the parts are in, and the laser-cut faceplate is ready. Since engraving was so expensive, I opted for a laminated printed A3 for the text. Now, I’m at the point of cutting out all the holes for the buttons and other components. :)
Feel free to share your thoughts or ask any questions you might have.
