Futaba F-14 as joystick in windows mode ? - Need a driver for windows making serialport a gameport

[ZcuBa]

Fun with this controller.

NOW DONT KILL ME OK?
but I wanna try this gamecontroller in other simulators as well, but they obviously need the control device installed as a joystick...
(this works in FMS without those drivers.. so I know the hardware is fine)
problem:
to find drivers - description on how to make a serial device funktion in Windows as a joystick

[johnhlong]

Not exactly sure what you want.

Transmitters do not normally have joystick outputs.

There are cables (Adaptors) that convert the transmitters PPM trainer signals to joystick type outputs. You then plug that interface into the computer and select JOYSTICk and all works great for FMS and other game programs.

The cheap serial cables just do signal level conditioning so the serial port can receive these PPM signals. Now the problem is that this PPM signals arn't even close to what a Joystick signal looks like.

FMS has designed special software (as part of the simulator) to directly use the PPM type input.

To do it with a software patch for other programs you will need to:
1. Get/design a driver to receive the PPM signals (The FMS cable inputs them as Rings on a telephone). (RI Interupt).
2. Get/design a driver to translate PPM strings to 4 channel descrete analog signals to simulate a joystick.
3. Get/design a driver to emulate a joystick input so the game can use this new input.


All in all it is a lot easier to just use a ฟ.00 hardware interface kit like the one from Ken in England. (Remember the serial input is a specialized ring interupt, not a normal serial string of data as used in a modem.)

John
Seattle, WA
USA

[ZcuBa]

ok.
I however understand your post !

I already have fabricated a small electronics device.
(pcb mounted board) that converts ppm to analoge signals, and therefore condition 2 is currently functioning:

2. Get/design a driver to translate PPM strings to 4 channel descrete analog signals to simulate a joystick.

this seem to work in FMS, but not in windows, and for example, realflight and ms flightsim, require joysticks, this results in me needing a driver thatll take my transmitter output and make it useable by these simulators aswell.

I know this is not an easy task, thats why I asked you guys
if it had been easy I could have done it myself...

[johnhlong]

The current aproach is to use a small PCB circuit to convert the PPM signals to Joystick signals.

Then the Radio/PCB combenation can be used with any software that requires a joystick interface.

Ken, in england make a reasonable priced joystick converter kit.

John

[ZcuBa]

I have a curcuit !

I do not need a kit !
I do not wanna pay for something I already own !

........ could use some information on gameport and serialport input / output signals ....

[Steve Lewin]

Could you be a little clearer about what sort of circuit you already have.

If it's a circuit which connects the Tx to the gameport what else do you need ?

If it doesn't connect the Tx to the gameport then you need a different circuit that does do that.

There is no way AFAIK to put a signal into the serial port of a PC and get it to appear as though it came through the joystick port. The joystick port needs to see the equivalent of 2 variable resistors (not digital serial signals or analogue voltages, they don't work).

Steve

[ZcuBa]

ok I will try..

I have a curcuit that changes the ppm signal to 4 analoge signals to use with serialport.
however I have tried to build a converter to gameport, but I cant seem to make it work

I do not need them to appear as if it came from gameport
I need something thatll make windows add a serial device with 4 axis in the gamecontrollers menu.


are you sure there is no way ??
I would really hate to be forced to buy a "Tx to gameport converter kit" when the curcuit I have already work in fms !

[johnhlong]

This is getting interesting.

I would like to help, but your statements are confusing.

The serial port accepts digital RS-232 or digital RS-424 signals.
The serial port is just that, serial. That means it only accepts one input stream.

Can you send a scetch of what you designed? (You can leave off the values of the components if you wish to keep the design private).

Please send them to my E-Maill address:
johnhlong@yahoo.com

Can you go on line with Yahoo messenger so we could type real time to each other?

John

[johnhlong]

ZcuBa,

Your wish migh have been answered.

??? I haven't tried this yet but it looks interisting.

Click on this URL.
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John