Imagine that you have decided to upgrade the interior of your car. We ordered genuine leather seat covers, retightened the front panel, ceiling, doors and even the gear knob. But your new interior will look unfinished until you change the appearance of the steering wheel. The easiest and quickest way to do this is to put on the steering tape.

What is the steering braid for?

Surely you have wondered more than once: why do you need a braid at all, if the steering wheel can simply be painted in the desired color? For starters, it has a decorative function. You can choose suitable material and color range and thus refresh the interior of the car. The braid also has other useful functions. For example, it increases the thickness of the steering wheel for a more comfortable grip. The material under your hands will be soft and warmer in cold weather than the original bar plastic.

In addition, the braid protects the steering wheel itself from mechanical damage: scratches, chips, abrasions. If the material has deteriorated during operation, the braiding can be easily removed and replaced with a new one, while the steering wheel itself will have to be carefully and long-term restored. If you got a used car, whose steering wheel can no longer boast of a factory look, such a cover will help hide all the flaws.

Another important feature: the braid will provide a secure grip between the surface of the bar and your hands. Your palms will not slip while driving, which means your travels will be safer.

The appearance of the steering wheel has become much more expensive, now it looks like on cars of a higher class. I would also like to especially note that the steering wheel has become thicker, not as slippery as before, and most importantly, now it is pleasant to the touch. In short, I am pleased with what happened, including the price tag and ease of installation.
Arsenyhttps://www.drive2.ru/l/3031715/

Kinds

When choosing a steering wheel cover, you will come across a wide variety of materials. Among the most popular types are the following:

braids made of genuine and artificial leather;
fur braids;
wire braiding;
silicone pads;
foam rubber covers.

Useful braids can be distinguished as a separate category: in addition to their basic functions, they have a number of additional advantages. These include, for example, heated steering wheel covers and massage pads. Let's consider each of the types in more detail.

Leather braids

As we have already noted, both natural and artificial leather are used for the manufacture of braids. Naturally, natural leather will be stronger, softer and more pleasant to the touch than artificial leather. However, its price can be 3-4 times higher, which makes it unaffordable for many motorists. Both artificial (it is also called eco-leather) and natural leather have good performance characteristics. Such material will not fade in the sun and will not swell from moisture ingress. He is not afraid of temperature changes.

Usually, leather covers are chosen by males. This material looks solid and expensive, fits into the interior of any car. A leather case can be a good holiday gift.

When choosing such a braid, give preference to perforated leather. It is softer to the touch and more breathable for a breathable effect.

Fur

The fur used for the head braids can also be artificial or natural. Natural fur retains heat better in cold weather. Although, if you do not ride in the cities of the Arctic, then artificial material will cope no worse. Sheepskin is often used in the manufacture of covers.

Faux fur with a long pile is often dyed in bright colors, complemented with fun elements. Using such a cover will give out a cheerful and carefree personality in the car owner. Such braids are most often chosen by young women.

Wicker covers

Wire braided covers are also called retro braids, because they were very popular in the middle of the last century. Now such braids are used by those who want to stylize their iron horse like a classic car from the times of the Soviet Union.

Wicker covers retain their basic functions: protecting the steering wheel from damage and from slipping hands. At the same time, their price is much lower than that of leather and fur counterparts. The most popular material for making braided covers is ordinary insulated wire, which can be found in almost everyone's garage. Some craftsmen make braids from hard and thin linen ropes.

Wire braiding can be ordered in special workshops, or you can do it yourself using weaving patterns. Using different colours, you can create your own unique steering wheel design.

Silicone and foam cases

Often, silicone or foam rubber is used for the manufacture of steering braids. Manufacturing technology helps to make covers from these materials inexpensive, but perfectly copes with all tasks. The color scheme of such braids is very diverse: you can find both calm pastel shades and bright neon tones. Foam pads are often painted with a colored pattern, and transparent silicone protects your steering wheel, but reveals its original appearance.

Useful braids

Useful covers, as mentioned earlier, include heated braids. Any material can be used in their manufacture, but most often it is natural or eco-leather. It is enough to connect the wire from the cover to the cigarette lighter, and you are provided with additional heating of the palms.

Braided massage inserts are usually made of rubber. The special relief affects certain points on the palms, improves blood circulation, thereby preventing fatigue and numbness of the hands.

How to choose the right steering wheel cover

When purchasing a braid, it is not enough to choose only the color and material. It is very important to determine the correct size and shape of the part.

By size

The cover must be suitable for the size of the steering wheel. If you choose too small, you will not be able to pull it, and too large will be ugly to dangle and form folds. Use a meter tape to find the diameter of the steering wheel.

The size range of steering covers is represented by the following types:

S - the smallest size, suitable for handlebars with a diameter of 35 to 36 cm, usually used on small cars like Oka or Tavria;
M - the average size for steering wheels 37–38 cm, found on most modern foreign and domestic passenger cars with a sedan, hatchback or liftback body type;
L - large size, designed for rudders with a diameter of 39–40 cm;
XL - steering wheel diameter 41-43 cm, usually found on UAZ and GAZelle vehicles
2XL - this size is found on some imported trucks, the diameter of the steering wheel is 47-48 cm.
3XL - for steering wheels with a diameter of 49 cm, found in domestic KAMAZ vehicles.

It will be more reliable if you make the cover yourself or order it in a special workshop. Professionals will accurately measure the diameter of your steering wheel and prepare the perfect braid.

By car make and model

For the diameter of your handlebar, refer to your owner's manual. Have different models diameter may vary slightly. If you do not want to take risks with the selection of a cover according to the size of the steering wheel, use a ready-made solution: on sale you can find special braids made according to the pattern for most popular cars. Type in a query indicating your model in the search bar and choose from a variety of options.

By purchasing a cover in this way, you can be sure that it will fit not only the diameter of the steering wheel, but also the thickness of the rim, as well as the location of the spokes and buttons.

By sight

Everything is simple here: you have determined the size and model, and then you can proceed to visual selection. First of all, decide on the material. Leather, fur or modern synthetic materials will create a radically different image for you and your car. Think about the color scheme of the interior: if it is completely sheathed with black leather, then hot pink long fur will look ridiculous. If the upholstery contains inserts of red, beige, blue or other contrasting shades, the steering wheel in a similar range will support the color scheme.

How to do it yourself - instructions

If you do not want to spend money on ready-made braids, then you can easily make it yourself. To do this, you will need a standard set of sewing accessories, the braiding material itself, a pattern, as well as a little time and patience.

Materials and tools

First of all, prepare all the necessary materials and tools. These include:

selected material for a new cover;
old cover (if any);
cling film;
masking tape;
marker;
tailor's chalk;
sharp tailor's scissors and a stationery knife;
special threads for working with leather;
a sewing machine suitable for working with leather (or for the material of your choice);
glue.

Steering wheel cover making process

The process for creating the headband will differ depending on whether you are going to cover the spokes. If not, it will be much easier to do it.

Measure two main parameters with a meter tape: the circumference of the handlebar (future length of the product), as well as the circumference of the rim itself (future width of the product).
Based on these numbers, cut a strip of leather to the appropriate length and width. If you are using leather that is highly elastic, step back about 1 mm into the part. This will allow you to better and tighter pull the resulting cover over the steering wheel.
Sew the detail sewing machine at a distance of about 3 mm from the edge on both sides.

If you want the cover to cover the knitting needles, you definitely need to make patterns for future patterns. This is done as follows.

Wrap the handlebar tightly with cling film.
Apply masking tape in several layers over the film. It must cover the entire surface of the steering wheel, without gaps. Pay special attention to the knitting needles.
Use a marker to draw a line down the center of the inside of the steering wheel rim. Now you mark the place of the future seam. Divide the bar into sections from spoke to spoke. If you wish, you can make only one seam - the center one, but in this case you will have to try very hard when lacing.
Use a utility knife to cut the masking tape along the marked lines and remove it from the steering wheel. You have got some kind of patterns.
Attach the resulting patterns to the seamy side of the material from which the cover will be made. With chalk, carefully transfer the contours, observing all the bends.
Cut out the resulting detail. If you are using leather that is highly elastic, step back about 1 mm into the part. This will allow you to better and tighter pull the resulting cover over the steering wheel.
Sew the part with a sewing machine about 3 mm from the edge on both sides. If you wish, you can sew the parts together.
Coat the edges of the parts with a thin layer of glue and fix them on the steering wheel. If you have not sewn them before, make sure that the seams are invisible.

Making patterns for steering braids

It will be much easier to sew a braid with your own hands if you already have an old cover. All you need is to rip it at the seams and transfer the contours to new material, and then cut, stitch and put on the steering wheel.

How to properly dress and lace up the braid

Now you have to correctly put on and lace up the resulting braid. This process will differ, albeit not dramatically, depending on whether the cover is intended to cover the steering wheel spokes.

Methods of installation on the steering wheel with and without spokes

The main difference is the need to dismantle the steering wheel. If the braiding is not designed for the spokes, you can secure it by leaving the handlebars in place. But to install the cover with the material for the spokes, you have to remove the steering wheel in a regular way.

Remember to disconnect the battery before removing the steering wheel. If it contains an airbag, wait at least 5 minutes before disassembling the steering wheel.

There are one-piece covers on sale that do not need to be laced up. They are put on the top of the handlebars and then pulled with force over the entire wheel. It is advisable to have someone help you by fixing the overlay at the top. Otherwise, it may slip off. The edges of such a cover will close, and you do not have to waste precious time lacing.

If you made a braid yourself, or bought a lacing option, you will have to fasten it yourself. This is a fairly long, but completely uncomplicated process. You do not need to be able to sew and make beautiful stitches, because everything you need is already ready.

If your case is made of genuine leather, soak it in warm water for 15–20 minutes. This will increase the elasticity of the material.
Arm yourself with a sewing needle. It shouldn't be particularly thick as you have to run it under the threads.
You do not need to pierce the material with a needle. Pay attention to the line that you (or the manufacturer) made in paragraphs 3 and 7 of the instructions for making a pattern. Pass the needle under the stitches and tighten the fabric.
Start at the bottom of the handlebars and work your way counterclockwise. It is most convenient to do the first tie at the beginning of one of the lower knitting needles.
Straighten and slightly stretch the material. Try to avoid creases and distortions.
Treat the entire seam in a similar manner. On the needles, you will have to fasten and break the thread. You can estimate the required length and number of threads in advance by measuring the distance between the needles.
When the braiding is fully secured, flatten and dry again. The material will then fit snugly around the steering wheel.

If in some places it is not possible to perfectly stretch the skin, warm it up with a regular hairdryer. As the temperature rises, its elasticity increases.

He put it on the steering wheel, put the seam in the center, began to deal with the thread. I decided to sew through one, just looked at how leather steering wheels were sheathed on cars from the factory. As a result, an hour and a half or two work and the steering wheel is ready. The thread still has a meter left. Now he looks like a native, the whole village is on the steering wheel. I am very pleased with the result, the steering wheel has become more comfortable and pleasant to the touch.
Tyoma Vorobyovhttps://www.drive2.ru/l/422671/

Video: installing a braid on the steering wheel

Types of lacing of the steering braid

Lacing braids is not much more difficult than lacing boots. You can use threads to match the material. In this case, it doesn't really matter which method you use to lace the braid. But if you want to give your steering wheel an unusual look, use threads of one or more contrasting colors. Bright threads can be used even at the stage when the detail is sewn.

The braiding can be tightened in several ways. Whom which is more convenient and sweeter. I used the simplest one, when a thread is threaded through each seam, bordering the braid along the contour and pulling it together like a shoe lace. The thread was the same color, the solution was temporary - so I didn't show off. For the future, there were plans to use red thread for the screed. But, for this, at least you need normal leather + additional trim at least for the automatic transmission lever. So that the finishing of key elements does not differ from each other.
maahttp://mysku.ru/blog/aliexpress/17827.html

Some types of lacing involve the simultaneous use of two needles and threads. Study carefully and choose the scheme that suits you best.

Macrame lacing looks quite unusual, therefore it is often used when fixing the steering braid. The thread is passed under the stitch, pulled to the opposite side, and then passed under the stitch one higher. This produces a diagonal lacing through every second stitch on both sides. The thread is pulled tight and a seam is formed.

Video: macrame seam

In order to make the lacing, called sports, it is necessary to start weaving with the previous method, and before the final tie, start a second thread, which in the same way will pass under all the skipped stitches. This double macramé is considered a sports lacing.

There is a second version of the sports lacing. It uses only one thread, and it is threaded into each stitch, without gaps. After tightening, the seam looks very interesting.

Video: the second version of the sports seam

And there are also lacing methods that do not need a starting line. The holes for the thread are punched with a special device. Such seams include a pigtail, a herringbone and some others. You can understand the weaving patterns by examining the following image and video.

Video: herringbone seam

Video: cross stitch

There is nothing complicated in the sewing technique, we first hook the needle on one side of the braid, then on the other, then again on the first, and so on. At first I simply “laced up” the braid, and after I had “laced up” everything I was already pulling the thread. I did this for several reasons. Firstly, it will not be possible to tighten from the very first section, because the opposite end of the braid is not fixed, and, secondly, since the scotch tape will not stick, the edges of the braid walked around the steering wheel quite strongly.
SC0RPI0Nhttp://mysku.ru/blog/aliexpress/34499.html

Remember to pull the sides of the fabric only after you pass the cord under all the necessary stitches. This will make the seam smoother. For better results, practice in the area of \u200b\u200bthe braid before putting it on the handlebars. If you are satisfied with how the selected seam looks like, feel free to install the cover on the steering wheel.

Almost anyone can make a braid on the steering wheel of a car. If you are doing this for the first time, go for a case without needles. If you already have experience with other parts, then you can choose more complex materials and methods. As for the lacing process, it takes more time than effort. If you or the manufacturer have worried about the stitching on the details in advance, all you have to do is thread the thread under the stitches as if you were lacing your favorite sneakers. And a variety of seams and weaves will help make your steering wheel different from others. And if it is so easy to make a braid on the steering wheel, then why not save on the services of a car studio?

The potentiometer is attached to the base through a simple angle and connected to the shaft. Most potentiometers have a maximum rotational angle of 270 degrees, and if the steering wheel is designed to rotate 350 degrees, a gearbox is required. A pair of gears from a broken printer would fit perfectly. You just need to choose the right number of teeth on the gears, for example 26 and 35. In this case, the gear ratio will be 0.75: 1 or a rotation of 350 degrees of the steering wheel will give 262 degrees on the potentiometer. If the steering wheel rotates in the range of 270 degrees, then the shaft is directly connected to the potentiometer.

The base of the module is made in a similar manner to the rudder module, made of 12mm plywood with a hardwood cross member (3) for attaching the return spring. The flat shape of the base serves as a footrest. The pedal post (8) is made of 12mm steel tube, to the upper end of which the pedal is bolted. A 5mm rod passes through the lower end of the stand, which holds the pedal in the mounting brackets (6) screwed to the base and made of steel angle. The cross member (3) runs across the entire width of the pedal module and is securely (must withstand the full stretching of the springs) is glued and screwed to the base (2). The return spring (5) is attached to a steel eye screw (4) that goes through the cross member just below the pedal. This mounting design makes it easy to adjust the spring tension. The other end of the spring clings to the pedal post (8).

The pedal potentiometer is mounted on a simple L-bracket (14) at the rear of the module. The link (11) is attached to the actuator (12) on the bushings (9, 13), allowing the resistance to rotate in a range of 90 degrees.

The gear lever is an aluminum structure as shown below. A threaded steel rod (2) attaches to the arm through a bushing (1) and passes through a hole drilled in the L-bracket at the base of the rudder module. On both sides of the hole in the bracket, two springs (1) are installed on the rod and tightened with nuts so that a force is created when the lever moves. Two large washers (4, 2) are located between two microswitches (3), which are screwed one on top of the other to the base. All this is clearly seen in the figures below.

Wiring

A little about how a potentiometer works. If you remove the cover from it, you can see that it consists of a curved conductive track with contacts A and C at the ends and a slider connected to the central contact B (Figure 11). When the shaft rotates counterclockwise, the resistance between A and B will increase by the same amount as it decreases between C and B.

The whole system is connected according to the scheme of a standard joystick having 2 axes and two buttons. The red wire always goes to the middle contact of the resistance, but the purple (3) can be connected to any of the side ones, depending on how the resistance is set.

Since many games do not support dual axis, it makes sense to build a switch (below picture) that will allow you to switch between single and two axis systems using a switch mounted in the pedal module or in the "dashboard".

Electrical components

Switches - any that are, but, as described above, they must be of the instantaneous (that is, non-latching) type. These can be obtained from an old mouse.

A standard 15-pin D-type joystick connector is sold at any radio store.

Any wires, the main thing is that they can be easily soldered to the connector.

Connection and calibration

Attention!!! All tests must be performed with the device disconnected from the computer.

First, you need to visually check the soldered connections: there should be no extraneous jumpers and bad contacts anywhere.

Then you need to calibrate the steering potentiometer. Since a resistance of 100k is used, it is possible to measure the resistance between two adjacent contacts with a device and set it to 50k. However, for a more accurate setting, you need to measure the resistance of the potentiometer by turning the steering wheel all the way to the left, then all the way to the right. Determine the range, then divide by 2 and add the lower reading. The resulting number must be set using the device. In the absence of measuring instruments, you need to set the potentiometer to the center position as far as possible. Pedal potentiometers should be slightly turned on during installation. If a single-axis system is used, the throttle pedal resistance must be set to the center (50k on the device), and the brake resistance must be off (0k). If everything is done correctly, the resistance of the entire pedal module, measured between pins 6 and 9, should decrease if you press the gas, and increase if you press the brake. If this does not happen, then you need to swap the external contacts of the resistance. If a two-axis connection is used, both potentiometers can be set to zero. If there is a switch, then a single-axis system diagram is checked.

The last step is connecting to a computer. Connect the plug to the soundcard and turn on the computer. Go to "Control Panel - Gaming Devices" select "add - special". We put the type - "joystick", axes - 2, buttons 2, write the name of the type "LXA4 Super F1 Driving System" and press OK 2 times. If everything was done correctly and the arms grow from where they should be, then the "state" field should change to "OK". We click "properties", "settings" and follow the instructions on the screen.

All that remains is to launch your favorite toy, select your device from the list, if necessary, configure it additionally, and that's it, good luck!

Alexey Ch. (lxa4 at yandex dot ru)

A simple steering wheel for a computer can be made from an old keyboard. To do this, you need to remove the controller board with a cable from it. The controller associates keyboard buttons with the computer. For the steering wheel, you need to define two unused buttons, set them in the game settings as buttons "left", "right", track them electrical circuit and remove the four wires from the controller board.

A variable resistor R6 is used as a steering angle sensor, which is a voltage divider. To match the resistor with the controller board, you need to assemble the circuit:

The control board (Vcc) is powered from the controller board. A triangular voltage generator is assembled on the OP1 operational amplifier. This voltage is applied to the inverting input of the OP2 comparator and is compared with a constant voltage, which depends on the rotation angle of the resistor R6. At the output of the comparator, a PWM signal is formed, which is fed to the controlled switch V2 as part of the 4066 microcircuit. Also, the PWM signal is fed to the inverter assembled on the transistor VT1, and from it to V1. The outputs of the keys V1 and V2 close the outputs of the controller board, simulating alternate pressing of the buttons "left", "right". Depending on the angle of rotation, the duration of pressing changes from 0 to 100%.

Setting up a schema

For ease of adjustment, an LED is connected in series with a 1kOhm resistor relative to Gnd to the OP2 comparator output. Resistor R6 is set to the uppermost position (according to the diagram), then the resistor R5 is turned from the lower position up to the maximum LED light (maximum value of the angle of rotation "to the left"). Then the resistor R6 is set to the lowest position, and the resistor R9 is set to the minimum LED glow (the maximum value of the angle of rotation "to the right"). After adjustment, the variable resistor R9 can be replaced with a constant one

The pedals (resistors R7, R8) can be used in the same way. The buttons for the gearbox and additional functions are displayed directly from the controller board.

List of radioelements

Designation	A type	amount	Score	My notebook
OP	Operational amplifier	1	Search in store	Into notepad
4066	Multiplexer / demultiplexer	1	Search in store	Into notepad
VT1	Bipolar transistor	1	Search in store	Into notepad
R1-R3	Resistor	3

To make a handlebar and pedals, all you have to do is buy a few parts, read the instructions and tips, and do a little handwork. How does it all work. Most personal computers used for gaming have a sound card. This map has a gameport where you can connect joysticks, gamepads, steering wheels and more. All these devices use the capabilities of the game port in the same way - the only difference is in the design of the device, and the person chooses the one that is most suitable and convenient for the game he plays. The personal computer gameport supports 4 variable resistances (potentiometers) and 4 momentary push buttons (which are on while pressed). It turns out that you can connect 2 joysticks to one port: 2 resistances (one - left / right, the other - up / down) and 2 buttons for each.

If you look at the sound card, you can easily see the gameport, as in this picture. The blue color indicates which needles in the port correspond to the joystick functions: for example, j1 X means "joystick 1 X-axis" or btn 1 - "button 1". Needle numbers are shown in black, count from right to left, top to bottom. when using a gameport on a sound card, you should avoid connecting to pins 12 and 15. The soundcard uses these midi outputs for transmit and receive, respectively. In a standard joystick, the X-axis potentiometer is responsible for left / right movement of the handle, and the Y-axis resistance is for forward / backward. When applied to the steering wheel and pedals, the X-axis becomes the control, and the Y-axis becomes the throttle and brake respectively. The Y-axis must be split and wired so that the 2 separate resistors (for the gas and brake pedals) act as one resistor, just like in a standard joystick. Once the idea of \u200b\u200ba gameport is clear, you can start designing any mechanics around the main two resistances and four switches: steering wheels, motorcycle handles, airplane thrust control ... as far as imagination allows.

Steering module ... This section will show you how to make a basic rudder module: a tabletop enclosure that contains almost all of the mechanical and electrical components of the rudder. the wiring diagram will be explained in the wiring section, and the mechanical parts of the wheel will also be covered here.

In the figures: 1 - steering wheel; 2 - wheel hub; 3 - shaft (bolt 12mm x 180mm); 4 - screw (holds the bearing on the shaft); 5 - 12mm bearing in the bearing housing; 6 - centering mechanism; 7 - bolt-limiter; 8 - gears; 9 - 100k linear potentiometer; 10 - plywood base; 11 - rotation limiter; 12 - bracket; 13 - rubber cord; 14 - corner bracket; 15 - gear shifting mechanism.

The illustrations above show general views of the module (without gearshift mechanism) from the side and top view. To give strength to the entire structure of the module, a box with beveled corners made of 12mm plywood is used, to which a 25mm ledge is attached in front for attaching to the table. The steering shaft is made of a conventional mounting bolt with a length of 180mm and a diameter of 12mm. The bolt has two 5mm holes - one for the stop bolt (7), which limits the rotation of the wheel, and one for the steel pin of the centering mechanism described below. The bearings used have a 12mm inner diameter and are screwed to the shaft with two screws (4). Centering mechanism - the mechanism that returns the steering wheel to the center position. It should work accurately, efficiently, be simple and compact. There are several options, one of them will be described here.

The mechanism (fig. On the left) consists of two aluminum plates (2), 2 mm thick, through which the steering shaft (5) passes. These plates are separated by four 13mm bushings (3). A 5mm hole is drilled in the steering shaft, into which a steel rod (4) is inserted. 22mm bolts (1) go through the plates, bushings and holes drilled into the ends of the rod, fixing it all together. The rubber cord is wound between the liners on one side, then over the top of the steering shaft, and finally between the liners on the other side. the cord tension can be changed to adjust the wheel resistance. To avoid damage to the potentiometer, it is necessary to make a wheel rotation limiter. Almost all industrial rudders have a 270-degree rotation range. However, a 350 degree rotation mechanism will be described here, which will not be a problem to be reduced. Steel L-shaped bracket, 300mm long (14) bolted to the base of the module. this bracket serves several purposes:

It is the place of fastening of the rubber cord of the centering mechanism (two bolts m6, 20mm at each end);
- provides a reliable stop point for wheel rotation;
- reinforces the entire structure at the moment of tension of the cord.

The stop bolt (7) m5, 25mm long, is screwed into a vertical hole in the steering shaft. A 20mm m6 bolt (11) is screwed into the bracket directly under the shaft. To reduce the sound upon impact, rubber tubes can be put on the bolts. If a smaller angle of rotation is needed, then two bolts must be screwed into the bracket at the required distance. The potentiometer is attached to the base through a simple angle and connected to the shaft. Most potentiometers have a maximum rotation angle of 270 degrees, and if the steering wheel is designed for 350 degrees rotation, a gearbox is required. A pair of gears from a broken printer would fit perfectly. You just need to choose the right number of teeth on the gears, for example 26 and 35. In this case, the gear ratio will be 0.75: 1 or a rotation of 350 degrees of the steering wheel will give 262 degrees on the potentiometer. If the steering wheel rotates in the range of 270 degrees, then the shaft is connected directly to the potentiometer.

Pedals. The base of the module is made in the same way as the rudder module, made of 12mm plywood with a hardwood cross member (3) to hold the return spring. The flat shape of the base serves as a footrest. The pedal post (8) is made of 12mm steel tube, to the upper end of which the pedal is bolted. A 5mm rod passes through the lower end of the stand, which holds the pedal in the mounting brackets (6), screwed to the base and made of a steel angle. The cross member (3) runs across the entire width of the pedal module and is securely (must withstand the full stretching of the springs) is glued and screwed to the base (2). The return spring (5) is attached to a steel eye screw (4) that goes through the cross member just below the pedal. This mounting design makes it easy to adjust the spring tension. The other end of the spring clings to the pedal post (8). The pedal potentiometer is mounted on a simple L-bracket (14) at the rear of the module. The rod (11) is attached to the actuator (12) on the bushings (9, 13), allowing the resistance to rotate in a range of 90 degrees.

Gear shifter. The gear lever is an aluminum structure as shown on the left. A threaded steel rod (2) attaches to the arm through a bushing (1) and passes through a hole drilled in the L-shaped bracket at the base of the rudder module. On both sides of the hole in the bracket, two springs (1) are installed on the rod and tightened with nuts so that a force is created when the lever moves. Two large washers (4, 2) are located between two microswitches (3), which are screwed one on top of the other to the base. All this can be clearly seen in the figures on the left and below.

On the right, the illustration shows an alternative gearshift mechanism - on the steering wheel, as in Formula 1 cars. It uses two small joints (4) that are mounted on the wheel hub. The arms (1) are attached to the hinges in such a way that they can only move in one direction, that is, towards the wheel. Two small switches (3) are inserted into the holes in the levers, so that when pressed, they rest against the rubber pads (2) glued to the wheel and work. If the switch does not have a sufficiently rigid pressure, then the return of the levers can be ensured by springs (5) mounted on the hinge.

Wiring. A little about how a potentiometer works. If you remove the cover from it, you can see that it consists of a curved conductive track with contacts A and C at the ends and a slider connected to the central contact B (Figure 11). When the shaft rotates counterclockwise, the resistance between A and B will increase by the same amount as it decreases between C and B. The whole system is connected according to the scheme of a standard joystick having 2 axes and two buttons. The red wire always goes to the middle contact of the resistance, but the purple (3) can be connected to any of the side ones, depending on how the resistance is set.

Pedals are not that simple. Turning the steering wheel is equivalent to moving the joystick left / right, and pressing the gas / brake pedals, respectively, up / down. And if you press both pedals at once, then they mutually exclude each other, and no action will follow. This is a one-axis connection system that most games support. But many modern simulators, such as GP3, F1-2000, TOCA 2, etc., use a two-axis gas / brake system, allowing practical control methods associated with the simultaneous use of gas and brake. Both schemes are shown below.

Single-axis device connection diagram. Wiring diagram for two-axis device

Since many games do not support dual axis, it would be wise to build a switch (Figure right) that will allow you to switch between single and two axis systems using a switch mounted in the pedal module or in the "dashboard".

There are not many details in the described device, and the most important of them are potentiometers. First, they must be linear, 100k impedance, and by no means logarithmic (they are sometimes called audio), because they are intended for audio devices, such as volume controls, and have a non-linear impedance trace. Secondly, cheap potentiometers use a graphite track that will wear out quite quickly. The more expensive ones use cermets and conductive plastic. These will last much longer (about 100,000 cycles). Switches - any that are, but, as described above, they must be of the instantaneous (that is, non-latching) type. These can be obtained from an old mouse. A standard 15-pin D-type joystick connector is sold at any radio store. Any wires, the main thing is that they can be easily soldered to the connector.

Connection and calibration. All tests must be performed with the device disconnected from the computer. First, you need to visually check the soldered connections: there should be no extraneous jumpers and bad contacts anywhere. Then you need to calibrate the steering potentiometer. Since a resistance of 100k is used, it is possible to measure the resistance between two adjacent contacts with a device and set it to 50k. However, for a more accurate setting, you need to measure the resistance of the potentiometer by turning the steering wheel all the way to the left, then all the way to the right. Determine the range, then divide by 2 and add the lower reading. The resulting number must be set using the device. In the absence of measuring instruments, you need to set the potentiometer to the center position as far as possible. Pedal potentiometers should be slightly turned on during installation. If a single-axis system is used, the throttle pedal resistance must be set to the center (50k on the device), and the brake resistance must be off (0k). If everything is done correctly, the resistance of the entire pedal module, measured between pins 6 and 9, should decrease if you press the gas, and increase if you press the brake. If this does not happen, then you need to swap the external contacts of the resistance. If a two-axis connection is used, both potentiometers can be set to zero. If there is a switch, then a single-axis system diagram is checked.

Before connecting to a computer, it is necessary to check the electrical circuit so that there is no short circuit. A measuring device is required here. We check that there is no contact with the + 5v power supply (needles 1, 8, 9 and 15) and ground (4, 5 and 12). then we check that there is contact between 4 and 2, if we press button 1. The same is between 4 and 7, for button 2. Next, we check the steering wheel: the resistance between 1 and 3 decreases if you turn the wheel to the left, and increases if to the right. In a single-axis system, the resistance between pins 9 and 6 will decrease when the accelerator pedal is depressed and increases when the brake is depressed.

The last step is connecting to a computer. Connect the plug to the soundcard and turn on the computer. Go to the "Control Panel - Gaming Devices" select "add - special". Set the type - "joystick", axes - 2, buttons 2, write the name of the type "LXA4 Super F1 Driving System" and press OK 2 times. If everything was done correctly and the arms grow from where they should be, then the "state" field should change to "OK". We click "properties", "settings" and follow the instructions on the screen. All that remains is to launch your favorite toy, select your device from the list, if necessary, configure it additionally, and that's it, good luck!

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DIY steering wheel and pedals for a computer

As you probably know, playing various car simulators with the steering wheel and pedals is much more comfortable and realistic than using the keyboard. The steering device allows you to set a certain angle of rotation, which allows you to smoothly turn the steering wheel as far as required to accurately fit into the turn. The throttle and brake also need smooth control, so pedals are a must-have on the steering wheel. When pressed, they allow you to maintain a certain speed on the track.

If you do not want to spend extra money on buying a factory steering wheel, I suggest making a simple steering wheel with pedals and a gearbox yourself, especially since you can easily make them at home without having special skills. In addition, it will not be so a pity to break it. Of course, this is far from the factory model of the steering wheel, equipped with all the extras, but in order to feel like a racer and enjoy the game, it will do just fine.

Steering module

Diagram of a homemade steering module

The very design of the steering wheel is very simple, and with the necessary tools and materials, making the steering module at home is not difficult at all.

Try to plan what you are going to do first by sketching simple sketches. They don't have to be masterpieces, ordinary thinking or ideas. It's amazing how often you can spot mistakes in your thinking before they become real. This will save you a lot of time later.

The figures above show general plans of the module: top, front and side. The base of the tablet is made of thick plywood for added strength.
A 12mm long bolt is used as the steering shaft. The steering wheel and two bearings with an inner diameter of 12mm are fixed to it with nuts. U-shaped metal clips hold the shaft with bearings against the wooden supports. A stop keeps the shaft from turning in the center position. It is necessary so as not to damage the variable resistor with a sharp movement.
The resistor (potentiometer) is attached to the base through a simple steel bracket and directly connected to the shaft using a piece of rubber hose. For ease of connection, a small plastic handle is put on the axis of the resistor in diameter, which coincides with the diameter of the steering shaft. You must ensure that the centers of rotation of the steering wheel and shaft are exactly the same.

Making a steering wheel from wood

First, you must design your steering wheel. Then, armed with a ruler and compasses, draw a detailed rudder drawing. The shape in the place where the fingers are gripped is especially important, therefore it is necessary to find the most comfortable position for the hands. Remember, if you are an avid racer, then you will spend long hours gripping this wheel in your hands.
Making a steering wheel for a car simulator is not as difficult as you might think. It can be made from one or several layers of phoner by gluing them together. Saw out with a jigsaw, sand the sharp edges with sandpaper and cover with several coats of black paint, sanding each layer in between.

Then you will need to make a hub for the rear of the steering wheel. It is nothing more than a square or round block of wood that provides distance between the wheel and the front fascia as well as extra strength. Fix the hub firmly to the rear of the steering wheel with furniture glue or screws. Drill a 12mm hole in the center for the steering shaft (straight! Preferably on drilling machine) and the steering wheel can be painted.

Rudder return mechanism

From the steering wheel, first of all, a good restoring force is required, which, when cornering, will return the steering wheel to its original position. This centering method consists of drilling a horizontal hole through the steering shaft and inserting a 5mm cut head bolt there. File off the ends of this bolt on both sides with a file and drill holes in the resulting areas. They will allow you to fix the springs in this place. The steering shaft must also be ground off on both sides for a good fixation of the nuts.

Then screw the bolt into drilled hole on the axle and tighten the nuts firmly on both sides. The other end of the spring clings to the steel L-bracket. When the steering wheel turns, the springs stretch, when the steering wheel is released, the springs return to their original position and return the shaft back to the middle position. You can adjust the steering return force by tightening or loosening the springs.

Attaching the steering wheel to the table

An important factor in the manufacture of the steering wheel is the attachment system to the table. This locking system allows for quick installation and removal of the steering module, with a sufficiently rigid fixation.

We bend the U-bracket from the steel plate and drill 4 holes for self-tapping screws, as shown in the figure. After sawing the special presser foot from hardwood, you need to drill an 8mm hole in the middle for a 5mm bolt. Then, screw the foot to the U-bracket with self-tapping screws so that the foot moves freely in it. The distance from the base of the module to the foot should be approximately equal to the thickness of the table to which you are going to install it.

Drill a hole through the base of the steering module and firmly insert a threaded T-bushing or threaded insert into the hole that can accommodate a 5mm bolt. Then screw the U-bracket to wooden base module with two self-tapping screws, pass the bolt with the rotary handle into the hole in the foot and screw it into the T-sleeve. Make sure the presser foot is free to move downward when loosening the clamp. For less slip, you can glue a piece of thin rubber to the edge of the foot.

Pedal design

Designing homemade pedals

Everyone who loves to drive in car simulators knows how important it is to have pedals in addition to the steering wheel. They allow one arm to be freed up and give leg work, increasing the realism of control while making some maneuvers easier.

This design is very reliable and easy to manufacture. The base and pedals are made of plywood and are attached to each other using pieces of furniture hinges. A hole (about 10mm) is drilled in the base under the pedals for free movement of the lever.

The arm is made from a metal bar and folds to one side on both sides, as seen in the picture. You can attach it to the pedal with a small nail bent into a U-shape.

Springs are needed to return the pedals to their original position and must provide increased pressure. It is not necessary to fasten them, because they will be sandwiched between the pedals and the base.

Variable resistors (100k) are attached to the base via L-brackets on the back of the base. A handle is inserted onto the resistor shaft. It is made of wood or plastic. Use whatever material you have. Two holes are drilled in the handle. The resistor shaft is tightly inserted into one, and the lever into the other, so that it rotates freely. The handle will also act as a backstop, so make it stronger.

As seen in the picture, the pedals are connected to a resistor via a lever. When the pedal is depressed, the lever passes through the hole in the base and moves the handle downward. This increases the resistance of the resistor. The springs return the pedals to their original position.

In the same way, you can add a clutch pedal to the pedal set if your car simulator fully supports three pedals.

Gear shift

Gear shifting mechanism

Almost all modern car simulators support "direct" gear shifting: the player, like in a conventional mechanical box, moves the lever to the desired gear. For this, high-end computer steering wheels make a direct shift lever for 6-7 gears. In this article I will tell you how to make a seven-speed shifter, made in the form of a separate block, fixed in any convenient location separate from the steering wheel. It will be a 6-speed "straight" gear lever (excluding reverse gear), simulating a conventional manual transmission.

The main mechanism is made like a conventional joystick and allows the lever to tilt in the X and Y axes.

Mechanism molds can be made from 1mm steel. Bend as shown in the figure and connect together through the holes with a sleeve.
The lever itself is made from a conventional steel rod (approximately 8mm). A hole is drilled in the lower part of the lever and a bushing is inserted through the mechanism into it. This will be the center of rotation of the lever on the Y axis, which directly pushes the buttons.

Slightly above the lever axis, a hole is not drilled to the end. A spring and a small ball from the bearing are inserted into it, which coincides in diameter with the hole. In addition, two holes are drilled on the top of the mechanism. The ball falls into these holes and does not allow the lever to freely move away from the button, leaving it on.

This is necessary in order to fix the pressed button, because when the button is released, in many simulators, neutral is automatically turned on.

To avoid damage to the buttons from being hit by the lever when pressed, the buttons are mounted on a spring steel plate, which is directly attached to the base. The lever presses on the button, which, after switching on, through the plate will bend in the opposite direction. Plates of such steel can be obtained from unnecessary VHD video tapes.

A plate with guide grooves for gears is cut from aluminum and attached to the structure from above. At the ends of each rail, from the bottom side, 7 plates with buttons are attached.

It immediately becomes clear that the 4 buttons available from the Gameport will not be enough, so you need to find a way to get 7 independent buttons. The simplest option would be if the electronics were an old USB joystick or gamepad. There are usually enough buttons on it and you don't have to worry about soldering a new device.

There is another way to connect the device to Gameport by soldering a small board. As you can see in the picture below, by connecting the 4 buttons from the Gameport with diodes together, you can get a configuration with 7 buttons and one POV.

I cannot say anything about the performance of this scheme, because I myself did not use it. It is quite possible that for its recognition by the operating system, special drivers will be required.

To switch gears, you can also make paddle shifters, as in some sports cars and in Formula 1. The levers are located on the back of the steering wheel and can be used with your fingers, allowing you to stay in contact with the gearbox when turning the steering wheel. This device is supported by all games as two buttons are enough for it to work.

Shown on the left simple circuitwhich shows the basic arrangement of the control levers. The lever can be made of wood, metal, plastic, or whatever. Two screw holes are drilled at the end of the arm to hold it. The screws must be of a suitable length so that they do not press too hard or impede the movement of the lever. Two springs are required to lock the levers in neutral. To secure the buttons, you can glue them to the base of the steering wheel in the desired location.
When choosing a place on the back of the handlebars to mount the levers, make sure they will not interfere with the steering. If necessary, you can come up with your own convenient form.

Electrical diagram

Wiring diagram for connecting to Gameport

To connect the steering wheel and pedals, it is necessary that a sound card with a GAME / MIDI port is installed on the computer, to which gaming devices (joysticks, gamepads, steering wheels) are connected, or the gameport can be built into the motherboard of the system unit.

The steering wheel layout is no different from that of an ordinary joystick and does not require any drivers or special programs. The gameport supports 4 variable resistances (100k resistors) and 4 momentary buttons that are on while pressed.

In order for the computer to determine the gaming device, it is enough to connect two resistances to the X and Y axis to the gameport. In our case, these are variable resistors of the steering wheel X axis (3) and the gas pedal Y axis (6). The X1 axis (11) is used for the brake pedal. The remaining Y1 axis (13) can be used for the clutch pedal.

Resistors should be linear (not from volume controls!) From 50k to 200k (better to take 100k). The red wire (+ 5V) always goes to the middle contact of the resistor, but the axis (3, 6, 11 pins) can be connected to any of the side ones, depending on how the resistor is installed. If, when turning the steering wheel to the left, the cursor goes to the right, you just need to swap the external contacts of the resistor. It's the same with the pedals.

A standard 15-pin joystick plug can be purchased at any electronics store or radio market.
It is better to choose resistors from the expensive ones right away, they will be more durable. Cheap ones will start making noise in a couple of months (the steering wheel will twitch). In this case, cleaning and lubricating them (eg WD40) can help.
It is better to take a shielded 10-core wire.

Steering wheel calibration

Before connecting the steering wheel and pedals to the computer, you need to calibrate the resistors. For a more accurate adjustment, you need a special measuring device. The steering resistor must be set to the center position. If you use a 100k resistor, you can measure the resistance between two adjacent pins with the device and set it to 50k. The main thing is that when adjusting, the center of the steering wheel coincides with the middle of the resistor stroke. Well, so that the working area of \u200b\u200bthe resistor at the edges of the steering wheel does not end. The accelerator and brake pedal resistor can be set to minimum resistance (0k). If everything is done correctly, then the resistance of the resistor should increase if you press the pedal. If this does not happen, then you need to swap the external contacts of the resistor.

Attention! It is forbidden to connect / disconnect the joystick while the computer is on! This can damage your sound card or your computer's motherboard!

Before connecting to the computer, it is necessary to check the wiring of the steering wheel and pedals so that there is no short circuit of the + 5v (1, 8, 9) contact and the ground (4, 5), otherwise the gameport may burn out.

We connect the plug to the sound card. In Control Panel select "Game Controllers" then the "Add" button. In the menu select - "Joystick 2 Axis 2 Buttons" and press "OK". If everything was done correctly, then the "status" field should change to "OK". After that we need to calibrate the game pad. In the "Properties" click on the "Settings" tab, then on the "Calibrate" button and follow the instructions. When calibrating, I recommend using the DXTweak2 program additionally. The tuning criterion is smooth movement over the entire range of rotation of the corresponding axis without the cursor "stalling" at the edges of the range.
That's it, download your favorite car simulator, select your device in the settings, customize it and have fun!

For greater durability, instead of variable resistors, you can put an optical pair (LED + photodiode). There are no rubbing parts in such a device, and therefore there is practically no wear. Optocouplers can be obtained from an old computer mouse. + 5V is soldered to the middle leg of the photodiode, the output of the corresponding axis to any of the extreme legs. A resistance R of 100 ohms limits the current through the LED.

The best modern car simulators

Need for Speed \u200b\u200bSHIFT

Need for Speed \u200b\u200bSHIFT is a new racing simulator. It combines not only realistic physics, beautifully modeled car models and varied tracks, but also offers players the most authentic racing car driving experience possible. NFS SHIFT focuses on spectacular and unprecedented realism. Here you not only see the car and the track, but you feel every turn, every hill and every pebble under the wheel. You roll slightly around corners, tosses you on hillocks and ruthlessly shakes, flips and shakes in accidents. Colliding with another car or a static obstacle, you really feel like a participant in a serious accident. A sophisticated mix of sound and visual effects creates a stunning illusion of presence. You can drive 70 photorealistic cars, meticulously copied from real-life cars.
Need for Speed \u200b\u200bSHIFT takes realism in car simulators to a whole new level.

The GTR2 provides for the calculation of a huge number of vehicle parameters, due to which the control is as close to real as possible. Physics is real to the smallest detail - as it should be in a modern simulator, everything is felt - unevenness of the surface, the difference in grip on asphalt and curbs, the temperature of the tires. Braking and acceleration is a real challenge, forcing the active and subtle work of gas and brakes. A huge plus of the game is that it includes a serious driving school, consisting of two parts, in the first of which we are taught to brake, accelerate and correctly take turns and their bundles, and in the second, they give the opportunity to learn all the tracks available in the game in sequence, section by section. The set of cars is as wide as possible. The game uses 144 cars, recreated according to real drawings and telemetry data. The behavior of different machines is adequately different. Races take place on 34 tracks with photorealistic environments that were created using GPS and CAD data. The sound in the game is extremely informative and gives a clear idea of \u200b\u200bthe behavior of the wheels.

Live for speed

Live for Speed \u200b\u200bis a serious racing car simulator. The main distinguishing feature of LFS is its high level of realism. No arcade modes or management assistance. The most important attributes of auto racing have been implemented, in particular, the setting of various nodes, fuel consumption, temperature and tire wear, asphalt and unpaved tracks, which affects the behavior of the car and its characteristics. This advantage is achieved by modeling car models according to the rules of mechanics. The LFS has a detailed suspension design, its levers break from impacts. The cars themselves in LFS also receive damage, which is simulated in the process of contact of the car with an obstacle. You can compete against computer opponents or against real racers from all over the world. Moreover, the game has the best network code to date. You can even play on a modem, and conduct a tight, even contact, fight with more than 20 racers at the same time. LFS turned out to be a very successful car simulator, with excellent characteristics and an excellent set of features, despite the low system requirements for the computer.

rFactor

rFactor is another contender for the title of a modern simulator. Initially, only a few fictional cars and tracks are available in the game, but along with the game we get an editor that allows you to change most of the game to suit your needs, or you can connect to the Internet and download the creations of other players. It is thanks to the efforts of the players that the rFactor engine still looks acceptable. In addition to circular race tracks, there is a full-fledged garage, where you can customize the car almost to the grade of metal from which the body is made. The car is provided with an upgrade at the expense of earned funds, which, however, are removed without warning for violation of the rules, such as speeding in a pit stop or going to the red. After downloading the demo, you can get yourself a small mini-simulator for free, in which there is something to smash the head of a sophisticated "simulator". It should be noted that the game does not suffer from a lack of popularity, and there is always a company for the race on the servers. And the developers cherish and cherish their child with constant updates and additions.

Racer is a completely free, freely downloadable, non-commercial racing simulator. The strengths of Racer are its physics and graphics. The advanced shader systems are used, and the effects in the game are surprisingly realistic. All cars and tracks in the Racer game can be freely modified by the user. Moreover, some tools for editing Racer game come with the downloadable game and you don't have to scour the Internet to find the programs you want. Thanks to this policy, a huge range of cars is available for the Racer game: Formula 1 cars, trucks, ordinary sedans and expensive supercars. You can even find exotic vehicles such as shopping carts. Any Racer user can create their own car using existing tools, or side programs, such as 3D Max. The same goes for the tracks. Thanks to the many Racer fans, their selection is also huge, from mountain serpentines to famous racing rings. Racer is arguably the best non-commercial car simulator.

3D Instructor 2.0 Home version

The new training car simulator is a completely new development in relation to the first version. The main emphasis of the program is on the training of novice drivers and the realistic control of the car. This unique program will help you prepare for the practical exam in the traffic police and feel more confident on the congested streets of the capital. You will be able to drive a car in the exam mode, trying to score the lowest number of penalty points, or just drive around the city, practicing your driving skills in difficult road situations. The ability to set different traffic intensities - from empty streets to dense traffic jams, will help you to choose the traffic congestion for your driving experience, hone the attention and reaction necessary to avoid an accident. Here you can drive cars of different models: VAZ 2110, VAZ 2106, Toyota Corolla, GAZ 3302 (on-board Gazelle), as well as evaluate the variety of areas of the virtual city included in the game.

Textbook

Virtual driving technique

Learning to control a virtual car using the steering wheel and pedals is not as easy for a beginner as it seems. It can take about a week or two to just master the steering, a month or more to basic driving techniques and pedaling.
In almost all serious car simulators there is an arcade race mode, but if you want to achieve the maximum realism of virtual driving, I recommend that you refuse to help control. You will have to constantly study, work and improve your riding skills. Thus, at first you will make many mistakes, but the process of mastering the simulator will be faster.
Any car simulator needs a steering wheel and pedals like air, so make sure you make or purchase them to make full use of the tips in this article. All the tips about driving techniques can be applied to any car simulator you like. So, let's begin.

Choose the view from the cockpit.

All arcade "rear views", although they give a more complete picture of the dimensions of the car in the context of the track, but do not provide information about drifts and drifts. In the cockpit, you see the world as it is, so you can always easily recognize a skid by turning or offset from the car. In addition, whenever possible, you should always choose a view in which there is some part of the car in the frame - the hood, the windshield pillar, and so on. The displacement and rotation of the world is always better visible when there is an object in the center of the field of view. In the absence of such, one has to navigate, at best, by virtual devices in the corner of the screen. This leads to delays in reaction and increased fatigue. In addition, riding with a view from the cockpit develops an inner sense of the vehicle's dimensions.

Don't steer in the air.

After a wrong jump from a springboard, when the car flies sideways, there is a great temptation to taxi it before landing. Don't give in. Even if you are driving so well that with only your gut feeling, you can put the front wheels exactly on course while in the air - don't do it. Leave the steering wheel in the middle position. Keep in mind that the car will not behave as usual when landing - due to vertical acceleration, it will have much more grip, so any wheel turn combined with a sharp increase due to a fall will result in at least to skid. Place the front wheels in the middle position and after landing, let the car slip a little, after which, when it has already lifted on the suspension, and its steering will return to normal, smoothly level it. Although, of course, it is even better to follow the next tip.

Don't jump.

Try not to get off the ground. Of course, the jump is spectacular. But jumping on an unfamiliar track, often into a blind spot, as close as possible to the next turn, is very dangerous. Press down on bumps with reduced speed just prior to breakout. This will increase steering and prevent the car from jumping on bumps. Just release the throttle or apply the brake lightly. Of course, you will lose a few hundredths of a second, but otherwise you can beat the car and lose everything.

Prevent coups properly.

When cutting off a turn, the car often runs over with its inner wheels on a higher than the road bed, curb, stone and other obstacles. This could cause the machine to stand on the two outer wheels. It would seem that everyone knows how to ride two-wheeled bicycles and knows that in this case, you just need to turn the steering wheel in the direction of a possible fall. But this is just lip service, as the problem is usually not limited to bank. A collision with an obstacle located inside the turn leads to a straightening of the arc, and the car begins to go outward along a tangent to the turn arc. Instinct in such cases forces the steering wheel to turn inward, which inevitably leads to the car overturning. Control yourself, steer outward, put the car on wheels and only then solve the problem of leaving the trajectory.

Learn to Drift.

The steering wheel is, oddly enough, a very minor part of a racing car during Drift. The radius of the turn arc is set by gas and brake, and the steering wheel makes corrective movements to optimal angle skidding. Increasing traction results in more slipping and the car goes out. A decrease in thrust leads to a narrowing of the arc until sliding stops. As you already understood, the task here is not to get the car out of a skid as quickly as possible, but on the contrary - to sweep the rear of the car in a controlled skid as long as possible.

Usually, a turn of the steering wheel is needed at the beginning to take the front of the car inward before sliding in sync with braking or jerking the hand brake. Then, after the start of the skid, the steering wheel returns to the middle position and makes corrective movements throughout the slide. If the rear of the car is skidded more than the trajectory requires, you must immediately turn the steering wheel in the direction of travel, while maintaining the engine speed. Then the car will go in the direction of the front wheels. In order to complete the cross slip and straighten the car, you must smoothly release the gas. Remember that if you drive too often to keep your car on the track, it means you are not pedaling properly.

Combine multidirectional turns.

If you have two opposite turns on your way that follow one after the other, get ready to go through them in one go. In the event that you are passing corners with a controlled skid, then use the pendulum effect, applying the skid of the first turn as a counter offset for the second. At the moment the arc breaks, sharply increase the steering by throwing the gas and / or braking and turning the steering wheel, throw the car in the opposite direction. If the turns are not steep and skid-free, just try to gently smooth out the trajectory.

There is one general technique that allows you to go through the corners faster and safer. Usually the pilot tries to brake as late as possible, seemingly gaining time, but late braking on the turns, on the contrary, leads to the loss of several hundredths, or even tenths. Consider what happens as a result of late braking. We enter the first corner at high speed, saving some time on braking. We enter a skid, slide to the outside, as is done in a single turn. But in the case of a single turn, we just get out of the skid and accelerate, gradually returning to the middle of the track, here we need to go through another turn, which we are forced to enter from the inside, along a steeper arc and at a lower speed. As a result, we exit the link more slowly to the next straight segment of the track. Now let's do the opposite. We slow down in the first turn early, carefully "lick" the inner edge of the first turn and along a wide arc, with greater speed and with acceleration, and not with deceleration, as in the first case, and enter the second. The exit speed will be much higher, which will give us an advantage on the next straight leg. It turns out that we are killing two birds with one stone - we gain time and drive safer. So, if you are faced with a choice of which turn of the ligament to go faster - the first or the last, always choose the last one. It is both faster and safer.

Combine unidirectional turns.

It looks like combining multidirectional turns with one "but" - the second turn is usually not visible, so you need to proceed with increased caution. There is also a special situation - when the turns are twisted. In this case, you need to write out a special arc. As always, we should not be tempted to go through the first turn as a single, keeping in mind that there is a second turn that is much steeper than the first. When approaching a bend, calculate braking by looking at the rightmost visible point on the far edge of the first bend. This is not difficult, since we do not need to fantasize about the blind spot - we just focus on the farthest visible area. Bearing in mind that the second turn is steeper, we put the car into a skid in advance, and keep the car with our nose on the second turn. This gives us a full overview of the second part of the bunch, and all we have to do is just finish the arc and leave. The advantages are obvious - we do not take risks and prescribe an arc only in visible areas, we combine both turns into one arc, without risking additional braking in a turn, we go through the last turn faster, which gives us a speed advantage on the next section of the track.

In custody.

Having made a mistake, accept the loss of tenths of a second and calmly, without nerves, try to minimize losses. In any case, never try to fit your ride to a single ideal pattern - just ride, taking your mistakes as another input, along with the roughness of the track, the properties of the surface and other surprises. Experience will be gained with every lap on the track and with every online race. It can take a long time until you learn to ride more or less well. Here, the beginner needs perseverance on the way to the goal. And of course you shouldn't get upset about mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, even veterans. Just learn and have fun every second you drive.

Home " Advice " Electric circuit of the steering wheel. Homemade steering wheel F1 RBR

Some computer games require the use of additional peripheral devices - joysticks, for example, or a steering wheel with pedals.
All these devices, of course, are sold in specialized stores, but you can make them yourself.

In this article we will talk how to make your own steering wheel and pedals for your computer.

Most personal computers used for gaming have a sound card. This map has a gameport where you can connect joysticks, gamepads, steering wheels and more. All these devices use the capabilities of the game port in the same way - the only difference is in the design of the device, and the person chooses the one that is most suitable and convenient for the game he plays.

Gameport The personal computer supports 4 variable resistances (potentiometers) and 4 momentary pushbuttons (which are on while pressed). It turns out that you can connect 2 joysticks to one port: 2 resistances (one - left / right, the other - up / down) and 2 buttons for each.

If you look at the sound card, you can easily see the gameport, as in this picture.

The blue color indicates which needles in the port correspond to the joystick functions: for example, j1 X means "joystick 1 X-axis" or btn 1 - "button 1". Needle numbers are shown in black, count from right to left, top to bottom. when using a gameport on a sound card, you should avoid connecting to pins 12 and 15. The soundcard uses these midi outputs for transmit and receive, respectively. In a standard joystick, the X-axis potentiometer is responsible for left / right movement of the handle, and the Y-axis resistance is for forward / backward. When applied to the steering wheel and pedals, the X-axis becomes the control, and the Y-axis becomes the throttle and brake respectively. The Y-axis must be split and wired so that the 2 separate resistors (for the gas and brake pedals) act as one resistor, just like in a standard joystick. Once the gameport idea is clear, you can start designing any mechanic around the main two resistances and four switches: steering wheels, motorcycle handles, airplane thrust control ... as far as imagination allows.

steering wheel for computer

This section will tell you how to do main rudder module: a tabletop enclosure containing almost all mechanical and electrical components of the rudder. the wiring diagram will be explained in the wiring section, and the mechanical parts of the wheel will also be covered here.

Computer pedals

Module base " pedals"is made similarly to a 12mm plywood handlebar module with a hardwood cross member (3) for attaching the return spring. The flat base serves as a footrest. The pedal stand (8) is made of 12mm steel tube, to which the pedal is bolted to the top end. the end of the stand passes a 5mm rod, which holds the pedal in the mounting brackets (6) screwed to the base and made of a steel angle. The crossbar (3) runs through the entire width of the pedal module and is securely (must withstand the full tension of the springs) glued and screwed to the base ( 2). The return spring (5) is attached to a steel screw with an eyelet (4) that goes through the crossbar directly under the pedal. This mounting design allows easy adjustment of the spring tension. The other end of the spring clings to the pedal post (8). The pedal potentiometer is mounted on a simple L-bracket (14) at the rear of the module. The rod (11) attaches to the actuator (12) on the bushings (9, 13), allowing resistance to rotation be in the range of 90 degrees.

Computer Shift Knob

The gear lever is an aluminum structure as shown on the left. A threaded steel rod (2) attaches to the arm through a bushing (1) and passes through a hole drilled in the L-shaped bracket at the base of the rudder module. On both sides of the hole in the bracket, two springs (1) are installed on the rod and tightened with nuts so that a force is created when the lever moves. Two large washers (4, 2) are located between two microswitches (3), which are screwed one on top of the other to the base. All this is clearly seen in the figures below.

The illustration below shows an alternative gearshift mechanism - on the steering wheel, as in Formula 1 cars. It uses two small joints (4) that are mounted on the wheel hub. The arms (1) are attached to the hinges in such a way that they can only move in one direction, that is, towards the wheel. Two small switches (3) are inserted into the holes in the levers, so that when pressed, they rest against the rubber pads (2) glued to the wheel and work. If the switch does not have a sufficiently rigid pressure, then the return of the levers can be ensured by springs (5) mounted on the hinge.

Connecting the steering wheel and pedals to the computer

A little bit about how the potentiometer works... If you remove the cover from it, then you can see that it consists of a curved conductive track with contacts A and C at the ends and a slider connected to the center contact B (Figure 11). When the shaft rotates counterclockwise, the resistance between A and B will increase by the same amount as it decreases between C and B. The whole system is connected according to the scheme of a standard joystick having 2 axes and two buttons. The red wire always goes to the middle contact of the resistance, but the purple (3) can be connected to any of the side ones, depending on how the resistance is set.

Since many games do not support dual axis, it would be wise to assemble the switch (fig. right), which will allow you to switch between single and two-axis systems using a switch installed in the pedal module or in the "dashboard".

All tests must be performed with the device disconnected from the computer. First, you need to visually check the soldered connections: there should be no extraneous jumpers and bad contacts anywhere. Then you need to calibrate the steering potentiometer. Since a resistance of 100k is used, it is possible to measure the resistance between two adjacent contacts with a device and set it to 50k. However, for a more accurate setting, you need to measure the resistance of the potentiometer by turning the steering wheel all the way to the left, then all the way to the right. Determine the range, then divide by 2 and add the lower reading. The resulting number must be set using the device. In the absence of measuring instruments, you need to set the potentiometer to the center position as far as possible. Pedal potentiometers should be slightly turned on during installation. If a single-axis system is used, the throttle pedal resistance must be set to the center (50k on the device), and the brake resistance must be off (0k). If everything is done correctly, the resistance of the entire pedal module, measured between pins 6 and 9, should decrease if you press the gas, and increase if you press the brake. If this does not happen, then you need to swap the external contacts of the resistance. If a two-axis connection is used, both potentiometers can be set to zero. If there is a switch, then a single-axis system diagram is checked.

Single-axis device connection diagram. Wiring diagram for two-axis device

Ever since the first time I drove in a rally (NeedForSpeed \u200b\u200b1), I thought, "Why don't I make a steering wheel?" Indeed, it's not difficult at all! For a long time, hands did not reach this - there is no time to play anyway - there are enough other things to do, but my son, a passionate fan of cars in his little four years old, is not very comfortable to control the keys. Whether it's the steering wheel. It was for this young race car driver that I first of all tried. The idea itself is very simple. In principle, the steering wheel is the same joystick. Only slightly different mechanics and shape. The hardest part is the steering wheel itself. It is best to take a ready-made one from a children's car or even a real one (although this is probably cool, but it is still too big). I just cut it out of plywood and wrapped it in leatherette. Then you need to come up with a mount (depending on the design of your handlebar). The steering wheel should rotate freely and a variable resistor of 100 kOhm must be installed on its axis. It is imperative to make the limiters (and stronger), otherwise, at the first turn, turn the head of the resistor. I attach the steering wheel to the table with small vise - very convenient and reliable. Now the pedals are gas and brake. You can really make pedals and press on them with your feet (for example, put mikriki inside), but I did it easier - put the switch to three positions (gas-neutral-brake) and fixed it near the steering wheel, since my son, sitting at the computer, with his feet to the floor still lacks due to its small age.

Pinout of the MIDI port of the sound card:

N con. Appointment N con. Appointment
1 + 5v for XY1 9 + 5v for XY2
2 button 1 10 button 3
3 X1 11 X2
4 Ground 12 Ground
5 Ground 13 Y2
6 Y1 14 Button 4
7 Button 2 15 N.C.
8 N.C.

Buttons for gas and brake. The resistance of the variable resistor is from 100 to 220 kOhm - always with a linear characteristic of type "A" I have 100 kOhm. RY - can also be used to control gas-brake, although it is needed in any case during calibration. In the "Settings" in the "Control Panel" in the "Game devices" in Windows "do not add the device" Joystick 2 axes and 2 buttons. "You can also calibrate there. In the toy you select the joystick control item. In any case, each toy has a calibration joystick (in particular, NeedForSpeed \u200b\u200b1. It is there) The only problem I have is when you turn on the control in the toy on the joystick - switching between items is also carried out by this joystick, so it is worth turning the steering wheel slightly from the middle position and the cursor immediately starts to fly And in general, during calibration, fluctuations of the cursor are noticeable, which, however, during the game have absolutely no effect on anything. And I think that the problem is in my sound card, since it itself is very noisy (the cheapest, what can you do.) I think that with a good card there will be no such problems at all.

I finally bought myself a new sound card SB Live. As I expected - all cursor shake issues disappeared. The cursor stopped flying through the menu and in general everything works fine. I am satisfied. As I said, the steering wheel was cut out of plywood - I wrapped it tightly with thick foam rubber and already over it with black leatherette. It turned out very aesthetically pleasing and just cool. So I'm thinking of remaking the steering wheel mount (put on the bearings or something, so as not to dangle). I bought a neat little clamp to attach to the table. It remains to fix the RY resistor somewhere so that it does not hang on the wires and a very decent design will turn out. And it's nice to play and it's not a shame to show others. My son is already five and he drives like a real racer.

I installed NeedForSpeed \u200b\u200bIII. Everything is very cool! He himself discovered the joystick (ie steering wheel) and stood on it. I start without looking at the settings all impatiently, the engines roar, I switch the toggle switch to "gas". "3, 2, 1 GO!" everyone rushed forward, and I went back. Fine. I go into the settings - everything is correct: "back and forth" is set to control the joystick itself (that is, the RY resistor), but I do not use it (but it is connected! It just hangs on the wires). I put joystick buttons control in the settings. I'm starting up, gas at full, let's go. I began to wind me along the road as a novice driver drunk in "zyuzu". Very great steering sensitivity - just turned the steering wheel and you are already scraping the walls. Something wrong. Began to understand, entered the joystick settings. There is a "dead zone" mode of the central position - reduced to almost zero, it became much better. Then he noticed that my steering wheel has a slight backlash (it dangles speaking in Russian), tightened it tighter. And most importantly, the steering wheel turn was 120 degrees (I put the limiters like that), before it did not interfere, but now I had to rearrange them - the angle increased to almost 270 degrees. The resistor will not allow more (although more, in my opinion, is not needed).

The car has stopped "prowling" and no longer shakes from side to side. A slight turn of the steering wheel and the car makes a smooth turn along the highway, beautifully, as much as the soul sings. Now it's a pleasure to drive, and now I firmly know that steering the cursor keys from the keyboard is a big perversion. The only drawback in my design now is that there is no smooth speed control - the resistor dangles on the wires - you need to fix it and attach the lever so that it is civil to regulate the "gas" (or still make the pedals), but I'll choose the time.

And now I'm thinking, maybe I can also make a steering wheel. I launched Descent III here. He determined the joystick (i.e. my steering wheel), I even steered a little to the right and left and a separate resistor RY up and down, and you have to press back and forth on the keyboard, which is very inconvenient, if there were four buttons, then forward- back can be translated to them. I'll try to somehow use the buttons from another joystick (the conclusions on the MIDI port connector 10, 14) can work out.

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