External USB TDC panel - wouldn't it be awesome?

[palatum]

Just had a early sunday morning crazy idea. Like the title says; having a replica (or homemade) TDC panel connected to your PC through USB, and then you could do the torpedo settings on this panel.
I have absolutely NO idea how this could work in terms of programming... Correction: I have absolutely NO idea hoe this could work, whatsoever...

But it would be awesome to have a 22x22 inch TDC panel connected

-pal

[postalbyke]

In my mind, it becomes harder when the dials have to move themselves to respond to bearings from your scope...

so...

the tdc would have to know where all the (real) dials are pointed, and tell that to the game (which would need reprogramming to read that)
and
the game would have to tell the tdc where all the dials should be pointed (it can get sticky here)

hmm... hold on.

edit: they can hook up car gauges to driving games, so there might be some success possible in displaying information, but getting info to input might be really challenging.

If you wanna make the hardware first, I'd look at projects like "arduino" and search google for things like "game gauge" I'm sure it's possible, but I'm also sure it won't be easy. Be the first to do it!

[palatum]

Originally Posted by postalbyke

edit: they can hook up car gauges to driving games, so there might be some success possible in displaying information, but getting info to input might be really challenging.

Hi, I tried the mighty Google, there are Flight simulation cockpits
http://www.fscockpit.com/index.html
that replicates all the dials and gauges in a real cockpit, and there is software that could take care of the data transfer between PC and panel. However, those cockpits mostly have electronic gauges, which only displays information from the game. The TDC panel would have to be able to display information, AND be an input-provider.

I believe the RL TDC was som sort of electro-mechanical computer connected to the periscope, so the connection between the scope and the TDC would have to be considered.

I was just having a crazy idea. Always good to get feedback to get you back down to earth...
I'm gonna search through those flightsim sites and see if I can understand a bit more about the basics, and take it from there

[zygoma]

I love the idea, but even as a non-programmer I can imagine the complexity. There are rotary encoders that output pulses to a control line, like those used as volume controls on lots of modern two-way radios, but as has been noted the hard(er) part is having the control's position updated by the game conditions.
I've been thinking about the R/L TDC, and am even more amazed at the minds that thought out what kinds of linkage could couple all those indicators and controls to each other and to other parts of the boat, including the eels themselves. Even just the complexity of the flexible cables (or whatever) got crammed into the periscope(s) and survived all that raising & lowering & twisting.
The mind boggles.
-- Zygoma --

[palatum]

As there is not much positive to say about war, it has shown that innovation and progress in terms of technology greatly benefits from it. Sad, in an interesting way...

However, I have decided to start with something "easy"... I'll get a Arduino-board, or preferrably a starters kit and start off with learning the basics by trying and failing. After that I'll start with a simple external FIRE-button. Should be relatively simple compared to my initial idea....

[Puster Bill]

I actually attempted to make a simple TDC-like device using LEGOs. I got something that would show the AOB for a bearing provided you were on a 90 degree course. Never went much farther with it.