[simpits-tech] Easy way to handle rotary switches?

Gene Buckle simpits-tech@simpits.org
Wed, 24 Apr 2002 07:49:52 -0700 (PDT)


David, check out the rotary module that Ray builds.  You can see it over
at http://www.avsim.com/bluesideup.

The module will handle 4 rotary encoders and for $99 (if memory serves)
you get the board and four encoders.  It will work with either a keyboard
encoder like the Hagstrom unit or the EPIC input module.  I've got 2 of
them and he's done a good job building them.

g.


On Wed, 24 Apr 2002, Lee, David wrote:

> I am well into creating a generic "twin-type" cockpit. Momentary and toggle
> switches are no problem using a cannibalized old keyboard for the interface
> and the instructions in the excellent guide some of you recommended (I'm
> sorry - I can't recall the author but it was written in Taiwan). However,
> I'm coming to the critical decision of what to do about rotary switches. The
> heading, VOR, altitude bugs and the barometric pressure knob would all be
> nice to use rotary switches but I have yet to see a simple way to do this.
> The electronics needed for even one rotary switch seems pretty cumbersome.
> It seems most of the problems deal with how quickly you can turn a knob and
> still have it register as a keypress. I guess I'm not that picky - if I
> needed to turn the knob slowly or if it occassionally skipped a keypress,
> I'm not sure that would bother me too much. The alternative is to use
> momentary-off-momentary switches instead. Not very realistic but easy and
> cheap - although I wonder if the keypresses generated would prove too fast
> or too slow. Any advice? Thanks!
> David Lee
>
>