Edit April 2024:
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DIY Force Feedback Yoke v2
August/2018
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great news everybody! FFB Yoke v2 is currently under intense development and it's going really well. Most of the components have been delivered so I'm keen to announce that the first working prototype will show up relatively soon.
I'm very happy with the choice of OpenBeam V-slot system as well as the Banebots gearboxes which seem to be great quality.
You may have noticed I was tinkering with the idea of reinforced standard Saitek's yoke for heavy-duty FFB application.
Well, forget the idea. I mean I tried it. Poured a lot of resin around the inside walls, added a counterweight to the top half of the wheel and also installed proper toggle switches instead of the shoddy originals.
The result isn't bad though, however, it is not worth the effort. Simply because there is an amazing "real deal" product out there that I finally decided to get my hands on!
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Gentleman, let me introduce you to "VRInsight Yoke Handle". It is an absolute beauty! A heavy, solid aluminum cast, powder coated, super strong shaft collar and very easy access for switch and wire fitting. Love it!
and a few more teasers...
At this point, I would like to make a little call out again.
I believe that the v2 Yoke will be a great product, adopted by many simmers. Unfortunately, there only is a couple of flight simulators supporting force feedback. I love those sims, however, there is one title which in my opinion deserves FFB more than anything. I'm talking about Aerofly FS2.
Many of you surely know about this sim and how well it performs especially in VR. I am my self a huge fan, therefore, I would like to repeat this request over and over. I am looking for a programmer capable of writing AFS2 plugin. It would be basically very similar to FS Force or XP Force. IPACS (AFS2 devs.) released free SDK that allows for real-time telemetry data extraction so, in theory, it is possible. Sadly I don't possess the skills to create such a program.
If anybody out there knows how to do this, please get in touch...
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3D Printed Force Feedback Yoke
this project took nearly two years from sketch to first working prototype.
It actually began as a simple concept of "controlled tension bungee mechanism"
and ended up as a fully powered force feedback yoke.
All electronics along with DC motors used for this build came from Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback 2 joystick.
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October/2017
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Pitch axis - 1.8kg / 3.9lb.
Roll axis - 0.94Nm.
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Although the yoke feels strong enough in flight, it looks week "on paper" when compared to high end products like Brunner Innovation or Iris Dinamics.
Well I actually figured out how to significantly increase the forces with very little effort, reaching nearly the same performance as those expensive yokes.
Unfortunately current design as seen in the video above doesn't take that much load very well and the parts started to warp and bend when tested with the upgrade.
In conclusion I'm not going to do any design changes and publish this solution as ver.1 followed by planed ver.2 with aluminium frame, different bearings and upgraded gear ratio. The second version of the yoke will provide three times as much force as version one.
That brings me to another subject. I am desperately seeking programmer who's able to write GUI (similar to FS Force) with few extra features.
Generally it needs to hang between FFB HID/PID and the sim, allowing user to tune different settings. If anybody out there have the skills and want to contribute to this project PLEASE get in touch.
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December/2017
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Added 3D preview, containing all major components. You can study individual parts and theirs position within the assembly, use measuring tool to read out dimensions, layouts etc.
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Look under the hood to begin with...
- open up the preview (takes a while to load)
- left mouse click on the "cover" to highlight it.
- right click and select: Hide selected
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This preview has very helpful tools, try them to get your head around it ;)
Basic manipulation goes like this:
Left mouse click & drag = Rotate
Right mouse click & drag = Pan
Mouse wheel = Zoom
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May/2018
"Simple Hack Mod"
After thorough testing of the yoke with all flight simulators providing force feedback, I decided to take it to its limits and proceed with the simplified hack mod, increasing the default motor current to double of its value.
I was very surprised with the results though. The forces in the yoke were so greatly improved that the standard Saitek yoke wheel/handle, couldn't take it without bending and squeaking.
Well, I think this is a great improvement so in the next update I'll give you a description of the Simple Hack Mod as well as the Wheel upgrade to go with it..
July/2018
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For those of you following this project, here is a little expansion which will hopefully answer many questions I've been answering over the past few months.
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My apologies for the horrible pixelation!!
I have spent two days preparing and editing this video but unfortunately, limited export options of a free Lightworks version ruined the whole thing in the end.
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Force Feedback Control Stick
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Started as yet another MSFF2 joystick conversion, this project is developing into something quite unique.
After relentless research, I have come to conclusion that we really need an alternative to the brilliant MSFFB2 hardware so my intentions turned towards new chapter, OS-CL (open source control loading). Read more about OS-CL in the next article.
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October/2017
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Motion study of "short throw" FFB gimbal. Ideal for pedestal or desktop applications.
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November/2017
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Full scale "floor mounted" control stick, utilizing powerful OS-CL technology (also under development). This device is targeted to produce 5 Kgf at the end of the stick, providing enough force to turn your flightsim into gym equipment.
I am currently testing different DC motors for ideal candidate and waiting for other parts coming from far far away so I'll post more as soon as they arrive.
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Open Source - Control Loading system (OS-CL)
For a long time, I was asking my self why none of the big controller manufacturers don't want to make decent force feedback joystick or control yoke? Well, the answer to this is not straightforward but for what understand so far, Microsoft plays a huge part in it. Somehow the idea of gaming controller providing force or haptic feedback is theirs licensed intellectual property.
Sadly this was subject to many lawsuits between MS and other big companies, creating a very hostile environment for any kind of development.
There is definitely a great deal of demand for quality FFB devices within flight sim community but we really have just handful of options. Apart from MSFFB2 hack, done by Simprojects.nl, we can build one with BFF's driver cards and BLDC motors, or buy the finished product from Brunner-innovation, Iris Dynamics or Flight illusion.
Unfortunately, four out of the five options above will set you back somewhere between 1,000 to 2,200 US Dollars.
As much as I would like to, I don't see this price range as "affordable" therefore I decided to step in and make a change!
OS-CL is essentially an idea of comprehensive force feedback platform, including necessary tools, code, software and diagrams, allowing the average hobbyist to build high quality controller for as little as few hundred bucks.
Considering how challenging this task really is, I will need help from our community, without a doubt.
I would like to invite everybody interested in this project to join the forum and make that change.
There is also similar ongoing project on ED Forum (OSFFB) where I am contributing and seeking help with OS-CL too.
