[simpits-tech] RE: The Cougar Has landed - Mating Season

[Marv De Beque]

I don't plan to replace the internal PCB on the grip.  I might see if
Thrustmaster can give me some development help.  They should have a vested
interest.
-- 


> From: "Joseph Fagner" <crease-guard@attbi.com>
> Reply-To: simpits-tech@simpits.org
> Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2002 01:29:27 -0500
> To: <simpits-tech@simpits.org>
> Subject: [simpits-tech] RE: The Cougar Has landed - Mating Season
> 
> 
> 
> Marv Wrote:
> 
>> First the Bad News:
>> The screw on gray collar must go.  In fact, so too, the shaft that it
>> attaches to on the grip side.  The screw on collar is too big for a
> real
>> base.  Also, the mounting angle is wrong.  The Cougar sits strait up
> off >its mount.  The real grip leans forward 13 degrees.
>> I will need to make a coupler that adapts the Cougar grip to my base
> and
>> corrects the mounting angle.  This will add a little to the price of
> the
>> base, but not much.
>> The user will need to open his grip to make the mod (4 screws).  Once
> made,
>> it will not fit the original base unless you remove my adapter and
>> reinstall the original parts.  At least it is not a permanent mod.
> 
> Not a big deal.  The bad news isn't that bad
> 
>> Some Good News: 
>> I can make an adapter that is easy for the user to install.
> Fortunately,
>> Thrustmaster used a tiny plug and socket on the inside PC Board for the
>> wires, so you can unplug their mount and plug mine in.  That means no
>> soldering required!  There is one screw you need to unscrew inside the
>> grip.  It is easy, even for the mechanically declined.
> 
> So your mount will replace the small PCB on the inside of the stick
> grip?  If so, then we could use EPIC to program the buttons on the stick
> 
>> Right now it looks like I will make an extension cable to plug into the
>> Cougar base.  This will allow the user to keep his software the same.
> 
> If you swap out the PCB inside the stick, then you won't be able to use
> the software that came with the stick will you?  My understanding is
> that the cougar functions as a single unit and if you make one part that
> is modified, it won't really work with the rest of the stuff as it sits?
> Am I overlooking something
> 
>> I don't know how I will interface the output of the force sensor to the
>> Cougar's base, if at all.  If I can, it will require a mod to the base.
> I
>> am steering away from that idea.  You may need to use the game port or
> EPIC
>> for the force transducer interface.
> 
> From my perspective as a Viper builder, I will be using Falcon 4.0 (I
> hope to the powers that be that a new version comes out, but it doesn't
> look good).  You can only have one game device installed under Falcon.
> This means using the cougar as it's built and having another Non-gaming
> device control your switches and what not (i.e. Phigits) or modifying it
> to plug into the EPIC and using the EPIC interface for the joystick and
> switches.  The latter is what I think you are saying Marv, correct?
> 
> As for the EPIC, I was out at Desktop sims the other day and was talking
> with Paul and he eluded to some folks trying to disable the game ports
> on the EPIC and using the cougar as it stands with is current software
> and then using the EPIC for the other switches and rotaries.  Anyone
> have any insight to this?  I ask all these questions as I want to know
> exactly what I can and can't do with the cougar as it sits and with your
> mod Marv, before I lay out that kind of money on the EPIC.  I want to
> make darn sure I can use the thing.
> 
> Jay "crease-guard"
> 
> 
> 
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