Note and Advert: I have 9 of these boards fully assembled, updated and programmed, cleaned / washed and packed in a sealed bag ready to be sent out... If anyone is interested in getting one please shoot me a message... Price will be something like $20 plus your choice of shipping method. These do not come with a box / container; you'd need to 3D print your own or make one. I'll eventually get a small / micro cnc and make them out of wood or a 3d printer.. If you want a usb-micro breakout board I can throw on in but you'd need to cut a usb micro wire and then solder the wires to the headers or holes ( header included )...
These come with the following features and / or accessories:
- Color-Coded columns for the shunts / jumpers for setting to G25/G27 and for Normal boot vs programming mode ( Default the colors are vertical 3-pin RED for Shifter, Vertical 3-pin WHITE for pedals, vertical 2-pin YELLOW for normal boot, Vertical 2-pin WHITE for programming mode ) - NOTE: These colors can be changed if you are color-blind or have a color-deficit - I have many different colors to choose from which should allow for more of a contrast between them - the programming port colors can not be changed unless I put them on the pins where the dupont wires should go ( there'll still be enough room to program ) so I put black on left, white on right which should be a good enough contrast to know the rest of the order; if not let me know and worst case I'll resolder them for you!
- Color-Coded programming ports ( Black = Ground, Red = 3.3v power, Green = SWCLK [ on STLink V2 ], Blue = Data IO, White = Reset Switch ).
- Basic Shunts / Jumpers - OR BY REQUEST easy-grip thumb-shunts / jumpers if you decide you want to develop for it where you need to easily move them ( normal shunts / jumpers provided by default in case you put into a box as the thumb ones are slightly higher than the db9 ports ) - just ask... If you only have one type of pedal / shifter unit then I'll provide 1 for the boot mode, or if you have 2 or more pedals / shifters then I'll provide all 3 ( slightly more expensive for me but I won't pass the cost on ) or if you think you'll get more later I'll throw in all 3... Just ask :-)
- The latest stable firmware / software ( or development by request ) pre-installed..
- A User-Guide - Which covers the pin-outs in greater detail along with trouble-shooting and warranty information ( I stand behind everything I do both software and hardware - if I messed up a solder joint and something falls off [ which shouldn't happen and I already tested the usb ports to hell and back ] then I'll take care of it for you -- if you put a jumper on the wrong way [ this is why I have colored columns so you know how they fit plus it is outlined in the guide ] and fry the chip, then I will repair it for you and charge you cost of parts [ all of the resistors, caps etc.. are pennies so the big thing is the chip which is $1 to $2 or more and the crystal is slightly more - the rest shouldn't break at all ] + $5 repair fee and return shipping [ replacing all of the resistors, caps, crystal and chip without changing headers or db9 ports would be ~$4 maybe more depending on chip cost and shipping at the time ] )!
- Warranty - Described in User-Guide. I stand behind my work!
They may come with ( Installing software to start making changes to firmware ):
- Auto calibration for pedals ( simply depress all pedals once and release when you plug it in and it'll be calibrated just like Logitech does it -- the benefits of this is that you can make a hardware dead-zone to stop the clutch pedal traveling more than 50% and then that range from 0 to 50% becomes 0 to 100% in the software and if you use this on a different computer where you didn't calibrate the pedals using Windows or whichever OS you're using, you don't have to drudge through those menus )
- Auto calibration for shifter - This is a possibility - I will be looking at options to set up the shifter settings within the hardware without launching the utility by holding 3 buttons on boot or simply 3 or so awkward buttons for 5 seconds ( and if a light can flash or something then I'll do that ) then you simply take it through each gear.. so Neutral you'd move it left and right fully.. 1st gear when in gear you'd move it left and right ( so the software can detect how wide the gate is; each joystick is different... ), 2nd gear the same, and so on ( center gears wobble the most )... Once done you'd hold the same buttons again or simply press a single button... These settings would be saved in the on-board memory ( as the current utility does it ) so it only needs to be done once any time you swap shifters on the same board ( ie your friend brings their shifter although if I can detect hardware id I may allow storing last 5 used )
- Additional options in the Windows Dialog - This is something I'd really like to add such as artificial dead zones ( while the auto-calibration for pedals will detect the noise when the pedals are idle and ignore it automatically without compromising speed / response ), artificial pedal range ( so you could set 0-100% logical to be 0-50% physical so you only need to press a pedal halfway for it to fully engage [ nice for clutch as it is more realistic for it to disengage fully before being fully depressed and most games require the logical to be at 100% or you encounter issues which is silly ] ), dead zone ( if you have a disability such as a shaky foot and you want it to ignore those motions you can set a percentage of swing to ignore and if there are enough people asking for this then I'll see about coding something more intelligent so it detects your disability wave and filters that from the pedal to give a better ride so instead of a percentage you can shake the pedal at the normal rate and deviations will affect the logical % )... and more...
They do not come with:
- Micro USB Wire ( I don't have that many left especially since cutting up a few to make hardware debugging tools but in special cases I may be able to send one for $2 random length, color and brand or lack of brand )
- Box / Container - Eventually I'll make some out of wood using micro cnc or when I get a 3D printer ( but I want to get a 3D printer in order to improve the industry with some mods I've been designing ).. Right now you'll need to make your own... I don't use one on mine - you should be fine as long as it isn't sitting on a metal desk or on electrically conducting material...
Photos of units almost how they come - Random pick:
Temporary seal from dust after final test and cleaning... These will be re-packed with pre-cut foam inserts to fit the nooks properly and then wrapped in foam before being sealed in the envelope and put into a box for shipping....
https://www.dropbox.com/s/y4qqghpae...y_Josh_Acecool_Moser_20170523_110722.jpg?dl=0
Bag opened - no foam as this was just protection from dust...
https://www.dropbox.com/s/cfkzwraxs...th_Foam_for_Shipping_20170523_110741.jpg?dl=0
Top down photo with jumpers / shunts removed to show colors...
https://www.dropbox.com/s/1m463k6he...Top_Down_Random_Pick_20170523_110807.jpg?dl=0
I have 1 spare STLinkV2 which is gold in color - running latest firmware... I may sell this if someone absolutely needs it as they take forever from China to arrive... For now I use 1 for developing for the board and 1 for an Arduino board I'm doing another project for...
Post:
I finished putting all 10 together ( the first board I did I desoldered all components as the supplier I used gave me 11 which was nice and I'm using that board as dev board ) and got the usb connectors to work with soldering paste I may have already mentioned...
Does anyone have any info handy regarding the hidden buttons for G25 / G27? I'm doing research on those so I can add support to version 1.1 ( or later if different chip needed; need to install software to rewrite the hex files so I can add auto calibration and more )... I'm going to take my G27 shifter apart to look and see what I find and then implement the buttons; I also want to see if I can remove the vertical shift block for all other gears ( imagine 12 slots for all gears [ if possible then for games such as the Truck Simulators instead of a button the high-low { ie 1/2 would be first gear up, and first gear pushed down } could be for that, then the next set could be a switch ie the splitter? ] then 7 gears won't be an issue; ie we won't need to use reverse for 7th and another button for reverse )
I just need to verify the data that it isn't too much for the pin but it'll probably be fine...
I'll be installing EmBitz 1.11 for development on the firmware - I already have Visual Studio in case I mod the shift calibrator ( but I will likely have a shift calibration system act dynamically, or hold 3 buttons on shifter when plugging in or something [ or simply several awkward buttons ] and if I can get the light to flash then Neutral left right shake, first gear then move left right [ to detect how far the walls need to extend to prevent accidental shift ] and if you want gear to engage on the hump can then hold it in there and press a button.... ) but I probably won't touch that in favor of auto calibration...
Below are photos also some tips for soldering, cleaning, etc... if you're interested in building these... Photos of some debugging tools I made to help with construction ( easy to do [ for the usb micro-to-micro you could simply have micro to wires to use ohm-meter on instead of what I did - I did that way because I purchased too many of the usb micro breakout boards although since the next revisions are getting smaller I'll likely opt for a micro-header to this inside a box which I'll likely make out of wood on a micro-cnc ] )
Photos:
Debugging and Programming cables ( pink usb is ST Link V2 with 10cm F/F wires hot-glued together to make it easier to plug and program )[ Other wire is usb micro on both ends -spliced usb cable and I bought ( too many ) usb-micro-breakout boards so I use this to test the connectivity of the usb connector to ensure no shorts and so I can look at certain points on the board to ensure everything is connected properly so I know if I need to retouch a solder joint before plugging it in ]..
https://www.dropbox.com/s/cpril0rlo...d_Programming_Cables_20170523_093609.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/tkyael05p...ming_Cables_Top_Down_20170523_093543.jpg?dl=0
9 Units freshly assembled, updated and programmed... Cycle was pre-wash, assemble, test using debugging cables, touch-up if necessary ( 1 unit needed resistor touched up and 1 had a short in usb from too much paste underneath because the paste was dry on that one before I added more flux to the mid - SODA lead-free soldering paste ), power test, update / programming, test all buttons ( this is where I noticed the resistor issue on the one; bad connection, ie didn't connect so the gears didn't emulate buttons ) and gears and pedals, final wash to rid of all flux / oils and left-over solder spatter if any ( I usually solder at just above melting ), re-test and confirm all working, then seal in bag ( partially so if I end up updating software I can update these before they go out ) to prevent cat hair and dust from contaminating.......... freshly cleaned boards...
Note: Initial board clean was done with basic soap and water ( won't harm it )... Post assembly cleaning methods ( Soap and water CAN be used but it takes a long time to dry and you shouldn't let it sit, you'd need to blow it out using a compressor - NOTE: I recommend the other method )... Recommended method for cleaning off all flux, etc... after assembly... I used a light to medium stiff round brush and 91% alcohol and the brush to get it all over the board and everywhere needed in decent quantity... The board should glisten.. Next take a stiff nylon bristle brush ( like the 3 pack at harbor-freight with bristles + metal except you use the 1 brush without any metal on it ) and scrub like hell... If anything falls off, you did something wrong - the solder joint wasn't strong enough ( this shouldn't happen at all as long as you heated the pad and the wire before applying solder if hand-soldering... if using solder-paste then simply use solder-paste and heat-gun and you'll be fine ) but that shouldn't happen... the alcohol will evaporate; note don't get it into the ports where you plug the shifter / pedal cable; it isn't needed there... only on the board surface - front and back...
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9i6rfbjcr...Sealed_Ready_To_Ship_20170523_093615.jpg?dl=0
Programming port ( Asked question regarding height of RomanST77's if he snipped the metal as my L pins are the same length so I simply set them up high but I don't know if I'm going to set them down a bit or leave them ) color coded with black / white on outer to act as key for those who suffer from color-blindness or varying color-deficits ( Blk = Ground, Red = Power 3.3v, Green = SW CLK, Blue = Data IO, White = Reset ) - I ship these with a header strip connecting all pins to help protect against inward bends and breaks...
https://www.dropbox.com/s/lgs8mw8b1...ter_Programming_Port_20170523_093315.jpg?dl=0
Top down view of the cleaned board [ mine in use, with cats in house so you may see some hair or dust but the ones shipped should be completely free or as completely free as possible as I cleaned them and then sealed them in non-electrically conducting PVC bags ] ( the one in use; I ship these with standard shunts / jumpers but can swap them out for thumb-shunts / jumpers for those that want easier time swapping if they decide to do dev work )
https://www.dropbox.com/s/14m2m4pt0...ew_Post_Build_Washed_20170523_093308.jpg?dl=0
I did experiment a bit with solder used on some.. The reason my crystal looks like dull solder joints is because I used paste for the main connection and added that for extra stability because I'm using it for dev so that top layer doesn't matter - all solder used is LEAD FREE....
If you decide to follow the colored header method I used for the programming port; feel free.. A simply trick is to use a razor-knife to cut the different color headers apart cleanly ( but with a little extra on the outside to apply pressure against the neighbor pins / plastic stand-offs [ I almost decided to rotate the plastic so the cuts would face up / down if looking at top-down but I found the extra force applied to the neighbors helped with soldering because it locked it in place ] ) and then using a solid 5 long un-cut solid plastic header-standoff piece to join the pins the programmer plugs into ( hovering over the board ) together... Then the entire contraption holds itself together nicely and when you put them in the through-board holes it won't budge which is really nice and you solder it while keeping the 5 piece header-stick on it and can be used as stabilizer / protector for shipping and you can keep it on while programming; there is just enough grab on the Dupont female pins that it can remain on as a retainer...
https://www.dropbox.com/s/2qvs5cpoy...ing_Headers_Assembly_20170523_102521.jpg?dl=0