ok from my understanding you can use a shift register it will talk to the VPforce usb controller. Walmis made a passthrough adapter for VKB grips to still go to their vkb blackbox, maybe one of those options could work for your situation?
VPforce also has a loopback app, so any joystick can be "looped-back" to the Rhino base, games etc. will see them as one device, I use this with my vkb kg12 grip in IL2
@kingjamez_rf I have a motor kit on the way. The motors have integrated sensors so you won’t need your current X&Y axis sensors. Your flightsim will read the axes positions from the VP Force board that powers and controls the motors.
Have you checked Trak Racer? They sell the complete rig, but also all parts as Spare Parts too. I understood more about 8020 profiles after checking them. Download the TR80 lite model manual for example and you will see all the parts used to assemble it to have an idea for a DYI or you recognize you can get the TR80 lite "barebone" without extras since it is a base for a flight sim, just need to add the FLIGHT SIM CONTROL MOUNTS WITH 2 SIDE SUPPORTS FOR ALL ALUMINUM COCKPITS TR80-2SMEX-FS-EU for side hotas or/and a couple of profiles for center mount. Even if you go with a different brand you can add the Spare Parts from Track Racer you want. I found it a very customizable brand. They have warehouses in Netherlands and US. The TR80 lite barebone should cost around 420 euros + the flight sim arms 145 euros + shipping and tax (not so cheap unfortunatelly and depends on your country). One advantage is that it is also a sim racing rig.
The grip communicates with the VPforce main board through SPI. It’s the same way TM and Virpil communicate. If you have a debolestis shift register for the buttons it should be plug and play (just wire the adapter correctly). If you don’t have a shift register internally, walmis can supply one with your kit for $10 extra and then you just need to put that board inside the grip or somewhere between the grip and the mainboard and wire the buttons to it. If you have axis on your custom grip like a thumb stick you can pair the shift register with an arduino nano to handle the SPI conversion and pass that through the shift register. I’ve got the code worked out for that but I just haven’t shared it yet since I am in the middle of building my gimbal right now so haven’t been able to test it fully.
I chose VPForce partly because I could make my custom grips in a way that I could also get commercial grips like the virpil or TM in the future and use both. You can have up to 4 axis on your custom grip (thumb stick, brake lever, etc) if you go the arduino/shift register route or only buttons with just the shift register.
Thanks @t_oll and @theamazingreat ! That clears up a lot for me. Really appreciate it. It sounds like I can easily adapt my grips into the system. Super helpful. Looking forward to getting the kit in and starting the build of the gimbal.
I know, My space has grown more than it should over the last decade. Two stations for flying, one VR and one F-18 pit with TrackIR. I have seen many contraptions posted with so many parts nestled here and there, must take a half to full hour to reconfigure between the two hobbies.
In my imagination, the first idea that came to mind was a racing wheel attached to an arm or some sort of support that you can push and pull and lock in place, so you can have the wheel in the right position when in use and the unlock and push forwards when not
I've seen a video with that, guy was more trying to make a yoke/ffb yoke. Got a linier pot & some desk draw sliders & bolted the whole thing to some ply base
VP is better priced and better developed for DCS. I approached Brunner years ago with a large group purchase and they were unwilling to develop their software for DCS. How deep is the preorder here now 300+. Pretty short sighted on their part.
Could easily keep the part that connects to the base going just forward and backward with a gate limiter, and then the only hard part would be adding resistance (possibly even ffb?) to the yoke that turns like a wheel, and ofc have button fuctionality
Considering the ideal length (200mm+) and the actual heft something like that may produce, stronger motors may be required, so could be something for a next gen bigger version of Rhino
Crazy to think collectives weren't even on paper little alone mainstream with multiple grips from multiple bigger name companies when the tecs was first announced