SimRail Controller hardware we've built.

[Gazz292]

On 12/27/2023 at 1:52 PM, Pitek said:

So here is also my controller (EU07 etc.) and I'm still waiting for data output. 

 

 

very jealous, 

I wish i could find someone selling the driving desk parts from an EU07 style loco,  got a couple of grand for the right bits,  just finding someone who could sell to me that's proving impossible (me being in the uk dosen't help, might have to take a road trip to Poland with the trailer on the car. 

 

[Deadlost]

Currently in the process of making some controls inspired by the traxx. I'm making 2 modules for now, one for the left hand (throttle) and one right hand(brakeside).
I'm trying to limit my functions to 1 usb joystick card per side. (using 12 buttons and an arcade joystick )

Been using joytokey to give key commands, and worked flawless before(before the last big update). When I use it now, it gives commands I don't have control over, can it be the gamepad support messing it up? is there a way to deactivate gamepad?

Waiting on the case to get done printing and continue design of the right hand side if it works out as intended.
Also have bigger module in progress, with housing for saitek throttles with notchplates etc, but on hold until native joystick support is here.

 

[Gazz292]

the new 'input' system with new control animations seems to have made the controls 'sluggish' to those of use using controllers it seems.

I really notice this when i use a rotary encoder to turn the EU07's wheel,  the encoder sends out 1 keypress for every click it's moved, and before the update i could spin the encoders knob as fast as i could, and the wheel in the sim would match the speed i was rotating the knob.. i could move from notch 43 to 0 faster than the fast move button combo did.

but since the update, if i rotate the knob too fast the wheel in the sim misses a lot of steps it should have moved,
on my arduino boards i've added a 70 millisecond delay between repeated keypresses so the controls do not miss steps., 

 

Not sure if this is the case with your controllers, 

I only have a button box using JoyToKey, and haven't noticed any difference in how that is working, 

I don't think the gamepad thing can be disabled, but i do know there is a 'gamepad switch sensitivity' slider in the control menu, i expect this adjusts how much the analog controls on the gamepad have to move to activate a switch,  but i could be wrong. 

[Deadlost]

I'm not sure, but I feel the throttle on the traxx is also more fiddly to change positions also(from throttle to 0 to braking.

I'll test some more when the box is complete.

Here is what simrail reads the buttons:
button 2 stand up/sit down

button 3 acknownledge/deadman

button 4 panto up

button 5/6 zoom in and out

button 10 is menu.

It's not joytokey ruining it, as no keyboard keys are sent when pushing buttons, so seems to me its something in simrail.

Tested in the "other" sim and I have similar issues there, so I think the sim engine mistakes my generic usb joystick for a xbox/ps controller?

So my request to simrail team is a possibility to disable game controller.

 

EDIT:
My issues was releated to Steam settings. Steam was set to emulate xbox controller, turned it off and voila, my device behaved as intended!
It only became a problem once simrail added game controller support 🙂 
 

Edited January 1 by Deadlost

[Howky]

 

Ideal would be support from the creators if a communication protocol via IP Address, Port com.

Where for example Simrail would send a message at a configurable interval from speed, pressure, voltage, amps etc.

And vice versa I could send him a message via arduino for example.

For example to change direction I would send a command:  Directions0, Directions1,Directions2
Directions0 - Backwars
Directions1 - Neutral
Directions2 - Fowards

But even better would be if I could set in simrail via a configuration file for example. That the Directions element is the letter A

and then only send the message A0, A1, A2

I use a similar system with Open Rails and TS22

 

[Deadlost]

Both sides up and running, enjoying some test drives and trying to drive hudless.

 

Edited January 3 by Deadlost