GARMIN GNS530 FOR X-PLANE BY SIMWARE KITS. exterminating mice from the cockpit REVISION 1.6

Transcription

1 GARMIN GNS530 FOR X-PLANE BY SIMWARE KITS exterminating mice from the cockpit

2 Introduction SimBuild Kits are designed to give the flight sim enthusiast a great hardware solution at a sensible price. The GNS530 kit features the correct size and aspect ratio screen, aviation grade encoders with soft touch knobs, all with a versatile and expandable low-cost Arduino interface. The approximate build time for this kit without finishing and painting the bezel pieces is 3-4 hours. Recommended Tools For Assembly (does not include finishing and painting of bezel) Item Good Amazon Choice Electronics solder station X-Tronic Model #3020XTS Digital Display Soldering Iron Station Electronics trimmer/cutter Hakko CHP-170 Micro Soft Wire Cutter Wire Stripper Hakko CHP CSP-30-1 Wire Stripper, Gauge Maximum Cutting Capacity flux core tin lead solder BNTECHGO 2Pack Solder Wire Dia.1.0mm/0.039Inch 63% Tin 37% Lead 1.8% Flux Rosin Core Net Weight 0.71 Oz/20g Precision Philips P0 screwdriver and small flat blade screwdriver Klein Tools in-1 Electronics Precision Screwdriver with Spin Top Thin CA Glue with applicator tip Local hobby store CA Glue Spray Accelerator Local hobby store User Provided Components

3 LCD Screen Link to product on AliExpress.com Or from ebay Link product on Ebay.com

4 Arduino MEGA We recommend the clone from ebay seller frentaly, they work fine and are much less expensive than the originals, and it comes with the USB cable. Link to product on ebay From ebay: 12VDC 2Amp Power You may have a 12VDC supply available, if not is great low-cost source. Order part#

5 3D Printed Parts All of the plastic 3D printed parts are made from the 2 supplied.stl files. The quantity of each component required is part of the filename. The recommended printing parameters are: Material: Black PLA Layer Thickness: 0.20mm Platen: If parts will not be finished, then 3MTM Original Blue Painter s Tape is recommended to provide a textured surface to the appearance faces of the components. Orientation The orientations are given below. Parts not shown have an obvious orientation to avoid the use of support. Sources There are a number of 3D printing services on the web, and are 2 good choices.

6 3D Printing Orientations Bezel Bottom Button Trim Button Trim Pieces Buttons (support req d) NAV/COM knob Clips (support req d) Board Supports (no support req d, the starter screw holes will bridge during printing)

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8 Bezel Finishing Depending on the quality of the printed parts finishing may not be needed or desired. If an injection molded look is desired or major defects need repairing, the following steps can be followed. 1. With Bondo #907 Patch and Spot Putty apply a very thin coat to the face of the bezel and allow to dry. Fill any large defects as well. 2. Lightly sand with 320 grit paper. Look closely you should see the filler in the valleys between the plastic strands. 3. Wipe down with a damp cloth and allow to dry 4. Repeat as necessary 5. Prime with hi-build grey primer using a couple of light coats and allow to dry 6. Sand with 320 then 600 and inspect for defects 7. Re-apply Bondo in any needed areas and repeat priming and sanding as required. 8. Use the back edge of a hobby knife or a jeweler s file to scrape out any accumulated putty from holes and button openings. 9. Repeat for the sides of the bezel and the trim pieces as desired. 10. Apply one last light coat of primer. 11. Don t apply the black paint coat until after the bezel is glued.

9 STEP1: Bezel Assembly Mount lower button trim 2 to bezel 1. Make sure it seats fully against the bezel. From the inside of the bezel apply 1 drop of thin CA glue to trim and bezel joint Mist joint from the inside with accelerator Repeat for NAV/COM trim 3, range button trim 4, and single button trim 5. Trial fit buttons in bezel openings. Buttons must drop into opening freely for proper operation. 6. Remove buttons 7. If you have finished and primed the bezel, wipe the parts down and then paint with a flat black spray paint. Go easy on the paint as the button openings are a close fit and excess paint will impede the button action

10 STEP 2: PCB Assembly Cut Headers to Size Prior to assembling the PCBs, the headers need to be cut to length. There are (2) 40 pin header strips in the kit. Using a pair of electronics wire cutters, cut the headers into the following number of pins being sure to cut between the pins in the notch: Strip 1: 25, 7, 7 Strip 2: 4,4,2,2 For each board the tactile switches and encoders are installed from the white printed side of the board and soldered on the other side. The headers are installed from the opposite side of the board and soldered on the printed side. When soldering in any of the components, it s very important to solder one pin, then look to see if the component is fully seated. If it is not, then re-melt the solder and while positioning the component, locate it correctly, then allow the solder to cool. Range Board

11 1. Solder tactile switches 2 to range PCB 1 2. Solder 7-pin header 3 to PCB in position from the opposite side 3. Confirm all of the pins have been soldered and set aside Encoder Board 1. Solder tactile switches 6 to encoder PCB 2 2. Solder the encoders 1 to encoder PCB, note the pins on the encoder, one row is longer that the other. The long pins mount to the holes labeled LONG PINS on the circuit board. 3. Solder the headers 3,4,5 in position from the opposite side 4. Confirm all of the pins have been soldered and set aside

12 Flip Flop Board You will first need (2) 1.5 pieces of wire stripped about.20 at each end. These are made from (1) of the M-F wire leads included in the kit. Cut the terminals of each end of the lead, then cut pieces of wire and strip each of the ends about 1/8. Solder tactile switches 2 to flip flop PCB 1 Solder the potentiometers 3 to the flip flop PCB Solder the headers 4,5 in position from the opposite side Solder wire leads to the micro switch 6. TIP: tape the switch to the worksurface to hold it in place when soldering. Use a minimum amount of heat to make the connections 5. Solder the other end of the leads to the PCB installing from the switch side 6. Double check that all the pins have been soldered. 7. Rotate the COM pot fully CCW and install the switch cam 7 in location and position shown noting the orientation of the notch. If the notch is not oriented properly the cam is installed upside down. This can be corrected by simply flipping the cam over

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14 STEP 3: Flip-Flop Board Installation 1. Carefully position microswitch 3 on mounting pad 7 on the inside of the bezel 1 routing the wires as shown. There is a pin on the switch that engages the lower hole in the mounting pad. With M1.6 screw 4, secure the switch with the other hole. Only very lightly snug this screw, it will strip very easily in the bezel. If you do happen to strip it you can use a small piece of thin double face tape such as Scotch Double Sided Permanent Tape to secure the switch. Don t use the thick foam type double faced tape as the switch will be in the incorrect position. 2. Position the 2 medium height buttons 5 into openings in the bezel confirming they freely drop into position. 3. Install the flip-flop board 2, route switch wires thru the openings around the mounting post as shown. 4. Secure flip flop board in position with one screw 6 in location shown. 5. Temporarily install one of the volume knobs on the COM pot and confirm it seats properly and the switch is activated by the cam when the knob is turned.

15 STEP 4: LCD Screen 1. Mount the screen 1 into the bezel 2 noting the ribbon cable goes towards the top of the bezel. Secure the screen with (2) clips 5 and screws 4. Carefully untape the LCD board from the back of the screen and reposition it and tape it in the middle of the back of the screen. This will allow you to easily free the LCD board later in the assembly.

16 STEP 5: Range Board and Encoder Board Installation 1. Position Range button 1, short buttons 2, tall buttons 3 into bezel Assemble range board 5 to bezel using screw 6 as shown. 3. Assembly encoder board 7 to bezel face with nuts 8.

17 STEP 6: LCD Board Mount Top of screen LCD screen not shown 1. Carefully un-tape the LCD board 1 from the back of the LCD screen. Slip mount 3 under board, and secure to the mount posts with screws Attach the left upright 4 and right upright 6 to the mount from the underside with screws 5 noting the locating tabs on the uprights.

18 STEP 7: Board Mount Installation 1. Assemble mount 1 to the bezel 2, thru range board 3, and flip flop board 4 with screws Connect the cable from HDMI board 6 to LCD board. 3. Locate the HDMI board 6 on the mid level of the mount assembly orienting the HDMI jack towards the bottom of the unit. Secure with screws 7.

19 STEP 8: Arduino Mounting 1. Assemble Arduino 1 to mount 3, using screws 4. STEP 9: Cutting Panel Opening The completed unit is designed to be mounted in an opening in your flight sim panel, or into a standalone panel used on a desktop. The panel 2 (not included) can be made from ¼ plywood, acrylic, etc.

20 1. Position template 1 over panel 2 in desired position. 2. Trace along inside of template 3. Cut opening in template being sure to just save the line. 4. STEP 10: Panel Mounting Hardware 1. Position lock nuts 1 in pocket of short clip 2 and long clip 3 2. Secure bezel 6 to panel 4 using screws 5 STEP 11: Install NAV/COM Knobs

21 1. Gently push the NAV/COM knobs 1 onto the pot shaft 2 aligning the D features. 2. Assemble encoder knob assembly 3 onto the encoder shaft 4. The outer (large) knob can be secured with a 5/16 or 8mm socket or nut driver. The inner (small) knob can be secured with a small flat bladed screw driver used in either notch adjacent to the central shaft. When securing the inner knob, leave a slight gap between it and the outer knob to allow for proper action of the push button. The cap simply pushes on. Wiring Assembly Before making the cable assemblies, the connector housings need to be cut to size. There are (5) 20 position housings provided in the kit. To cut the housings to length use a hobby knife and cut thru the adjacent position. You will lose (1) position with each cut but following the cutting arrangement below will provide enough housings. After cutting to length, trim the cut region edges square with the housing as required.

22 1. Cut 2 connector housings to (1) 13 positions and (2) 2 positions as shown above. 2. Cut 2 connector housings to (1) 12 positions and (1) 7 position 3. Cut 1 connector housing to (2) 4 positions Both the male and female terminals use the same housing. To install a wire in a housing, insert the terminal into the housing thru the larger opening. Push it into the housing until you hear a click as it slides past the lock tab. If when sliding the terminal into the housing you don t hear a click, it may not be in far enough or its upside down. The picture below shows a male terminal correctly oriented and ready to be pushed into the housing.

23 All of the cables are straight thru type, meaning pin 1 of one end goes to pin 1 of the other end. The sketch below shows and example arrangement for a 4 conductor (4C) and 2 conductor (2C) cable. STEP 12: GPS Cables Using the female-female wires make a 7-conductor cable, and a 4-conductor cable. Connect the 7-conductor cable between the range board and the encoder board, then connect the 4conductor cable between the flip flop board and the encoder board. Ensure the pin labeled GND is connected consistently between the boards. STEP 13: Arduino Cables Using the male-female wires build a 13-conductor, 12-conductor and (2) 2-conductor cables. Note the markings on the encoder and flip flop boards, these are the connection terminals on the Arduino. Note the 12-conductor cable connects between pins and the 13-conductor cable connects between pins on the encoder board.

24 STEP 14 (optional): LCD Screen Adjustment Board There is no provision for mounting the small screen adjustment board. The as delivered settings are normally acceptable. If desired, the small board can be plugged in and using the button or the included remote, the screen can be modified as desired. STEP 15: Software 1. Goto and down load the ArdSimX software Arduino library and plug-in (right side of the screen)

25 2. Place the ArdsimX plugin in the xplane11/resources/plugins directory. 3. Place the data.cfg file provided on the simwarekits.com website, in the ArdsimX folder replacing the default file. 4. You will need to load the ArdsimX Basic sketch to the Arduino. The website explains the process. The provided data.cfg is setup as board #1, the BoardNumber variable should be already set to 1 in the base sketch. 5. If you are using 2 of the 530s in your setup, change the BoardNumber variable to 2 in the base sketch and upload the sketch to the #2 Arduino. The data.cfg file from the simwarekits.com website does not need to be changed as the datarefs for both the #1 GPS and #2 GPS are included in the file. Only final thing on Ardsim, please consider making a donation to Vlad and Roman in appreciation of their superb work in developing ArdSim. It s superb. Details are on simvim.com on how to donate or subscribe to Patreon. STEP 16: LCD and PC Cable Connections 1. Connect the 12V power supply and your HDMI cable to the HDMI board. 2. Connect the Arduino to the USB cable and to your computer or USB hub. STEP 17: Positioning the GPS Display 1. In Windows go to the Control Panel Hardware and Sound Display Adjust Resolution 2. Select the small LCD display and select orientation to Landscape (flipped). 3. Every system is different but drag the LCD display to align the bottom of it with the bottom of your primary display. 4. The most recent version of X-Plane 11 allows for pop-out windows for the GPS units. With the unit pop-out into its own, drag and resize the data portion of the GPS to align with the LCD display. This usually takes a few trials and errors. STEP 18: Startup

26 1. Start X-Plane and bring up the plugin menu then select the ArdsimX plugin. The Arduino should visible with 24 inputs. Refer to simvim.com for further information. 2. Test out the button and encoder functions for proper operation. STEP 19: Bottom and Bezel Labels Achieving white printed graphics without the expense of screen printing or laser etching is a challenge. The provided white on clear labels provide an inexpensive durable alternative. 1. With scissors closely trim the desired label as close as possible to the graphics 2. Peel the split liner from the label and apply to the desired component. Additional Arduino Functionality The Arduino MEGA is an amazing piece of technology for only $10 (clone). It has 50+ digital and 16 analog inputs. The SimBuild GNS530 only uses 25 digital and 2 analog inputs. The balance of the inputs can be used for other controls. These could be switches, buttons, encoders, potentiometers, etc. The following other SimBuild kits can be connected into the GNS 530 Arduino to provide additional functionality at minimal expense. <TBD>