HDMI and USB connections from PC to 2DOF rig

hi all, i'm still thinking about building a 2DOF motion sim with continuous roll and pitch. i'd like to keep the PC on the ground if possible since i doubt its good for it spinning around all the time.

i was wondering if anyone has put HDMI and USB through a slip ring like these cheepo Chinese ones on ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/12-5mm-Mini...817?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27df2821d9

alternately, has anyone used a wireless HDMI system like this http://www.atlona.com/linkcastAV which sell for about $200

my preference would be the slip ring if it works because of cost. i did a search on it, and its not clear anyone has tried it let
http://www.mtbs3d.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=138&t=16442&p=100589#p100589

thanks

i guess another option is a long cable(s) and limit the rotation to a few turns. it looks like VGA may be better than HDMI for longer runs
http://forums.audioreview.com/home-theater-video/best-cable-long-run-dvi-vga-hdmi-23889.html
50' RGB cables are cheap and i can get a 50' USB cable with booster like this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/50-FT-15m-H..._USB_Cables_Hubs_Adapters&hash=item43c0268fb5

its not ideal to limit the number of rotations but i guess i can live with it

Hi @steveh2112 , I had planned on doing the exact same thing 3 years ago but then went another route. First, I would say no to video on a slip ring, especially a cheap one! Just like a cheap potentiometer, it will no doubt add a lot of noise into the signal. Also, not only would you need video/audio in, but also joystick and keyboard out (unless you go wireless). The slip rings I was looking at were over 100usd each http://www.ebay.com/itm/Slip-Ring-w...020?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f305b56d4 .

I was planning on putting the computer/laptop in the cockpit myself. The only potential issue doing this I think would be the hard drive. But a solid-state hard drive solves any potential problems there. A massive heat sink on a cpu may be a problem too though due to its shifting mass.

But if you are going to design a rig that has complete and continuous rotation, I think limiting rotations is a bad idea personally. You either must always be aware of how many rotations you have made so you don’t go one to many and rip out the cable, or have a counter or something that signals you at maximum limits. I would use a slip ring instead to bring power into the cockpit and gaming computer and to distribute power to the motors. I would use the two computer method with simtools via wireless leaving the motor controlling computer external from your rig. Therefore your motors power supply and controllers will be external also with the slip ring delivering power to the motors. One thing to be careful of is that the slip ring can carry the required current for your motors. It may be necessary to combine two or more circuits of the slip ring to carry the load assuming you have enough circuits available.

I gave it up though because, while I think it would be a fun amusement type ride, it won’t give the correct g-force responses. I’m not a pilot but I read that fighter pilots can’t tell upside down from right side up when g’s are gluing them to the seat without either a visual reference (i.e. horizon) or instruments. This would definitely not be the case with a simulator when it goes upside down!

thanks. i'm starting to think you are right about putting the pc on the rig and allowing continuous rotation.

a solid-state hard drive seems like a great idea but i worry a bit about PCI cards popping out, i guess i'll just have to make sure they are well plugged in.

those cheap sliprings have 12 wires at 2A/240V each so it should be possible to get power to the rig and control back easy enough

i do realize i cannot simulate g forces like in a real plane with this rig. my first step is simply to mock up a 2DOF joyriders type rig in plywood, mount my laptop on it and have 2 helpers spin it around by hand to get a sense of what it will feel like. then decide if i want to keep going.

If your PCI cards are properly installed they should never come loose. They should lock in at two different places: the case and the motherboard. Just make sure that if you have a large graphics card or something, that its mass doesn't allow it to shake around to much!

And for testing purposes, you must be planning on doing something like this :