[simpits-tech] May the Force Feedback be with you...

[Matt Bailey]

On Sunday 09 February 2003 09:07, you wrote:
>
> I liked the passive system described by one post with two cylinders
> connected by an adjustable valve, but when I thought about it, that only
> acts as a damper and does not replicate the forces felt on the stick as you
> hold it in any one position.  Plus slow versus fast transitions of the
> stick have completely different effects that are not at all like the real
> forces you feel on the stick.

	This idea was close to my idea, only I wanted to have the cylinders closed 
off. My idea was actually not originally intended primarily for a 
high-quality force feedback system, I liked it because it would be simple and 
could provide a realistic general feel without complex mechanisms (in fact if 
I ever build this system myself it may very well have no force feedback 
control). But it would also be quite suitable to force feedback. You would 
use regulators to adjust pressure inside the cylinders. The same thing you 
mention below, I think.

> Therefore, it must be an active system and you can start with aircraft to
> make it simple and add in the other dynamic functions as you go along on
> your project.  I would opt for two pneumatic cylinders that you could
> rapidly compress and decompress and start writing simple algorithms to
> control that.  As you master function, move on to other conditions.  At
> least the hardware will do anything you want it to.   All you need to do is
> upgrade your software.
>
> Interesting project!
>
> Marv

	Assuming you could compress/decompress the cylinders extremely quickly, I 
think the system would rock. :) How complex do you think the software would 
be? Assuming you could get a straight value from the sim (ideally, control 
surface pressure) I would think the biggest part would be when and how 
quickly to change cylinder pressure upon control surface pressure changes.

	-Matt Bailey