CtrlAltG13 modular - a hotas setup inspired by the Logitech G13

This is a reupload of my older model, which i did because it went way further than being only a Logitech G13 derivate.

This is a HOTAS (hands on throttle and stick) setup,
which i completely designed from scratch in Fusion 360, over the course of about 2 months.

The idea is, that its modular, you can edit all files (im publishing the fusion 360 AND step file with it), you can switch out all modules.

TL;DR:

• began as a rebuild of a Logitech G13 with mechanical keys and no display
• is now a modular build, where you can add and change everything you want, and maybe make your own mods for it
• every modular unit used an arduino pro micro and mmjoy2 at the very start, but now im using bluepills and freejoy for the setup (its really way easier that way, also no playing around with arduino)
• i also did a rework of the defender cobra m5 base, to be much smaller
• its meant to be mounted to a chair, the mounts for an IKEA Markus & for an Backforce One are coming with it
• now with three addons for the left thumb, two were for StarCitizen in mind (can ofc be used with any other game; the small joystick is also great for stuff like farming games), the other is for Helldivers2 and is more of a gimmick
• the Throttlemotion is not really great, and i have to redesign that. I think ill have that ready when StarCitizen drops live, so 2030.

Print instructions

All files are made with 3D printing in mind.

Most of them can be printed without (!) supports, or at least with only a few.

BOM:
I dont have a proper BOM, as its all modular and depends on what you want or do with it, but let me give you the main parts
- the brain is always a Bluepill. You can get these cheap through aliexpress, like 2 to 3€ per pop. Make sure to get the ones with USB-C, as Micro USB is from yesterday.
- the potentiometers are bogstandard 10kOhm ones
- the minijoysticks are JH-D400X-R4, these are 10-15€ per pop. They give you 4 axis, and one button on top
- the keys are in my case red cherry for 25€ for 50pcs (price ofc depends wildly on what you want).
I wish i could use blue ones, but the clicky noise drives my wife up the wall so thats a no.
The design is modeled so that its a pushfit and you can push any standard key in, so it doesnt matter if its original cherry, a clone, kailh, whatever. All should fit.
Dont forget that keys always come without keycaps (!). Just order the ones you like.
- the rotary encoders (like on the throttle and for volume/mute) are EC11 with a pushbutton; you can get 10 for 3,50€.
- for each module you also need an usb-c-cable with data to attach that to the bluepill. I got the 10cm ones from aliexpress for 30ct a piece
- on each side of the chair i also mounted a 4 port usb-hub. The usb-hub on my left plugs into the same 4 port usb-hub on the right, and so i got one with a one meter usb-cable attached. The right one itself plugs into a 2m usb male to female cable, as i could find no usb-hub with a 2m long usb-cable on it. This means you have only one cable going from your chair to your pc.
This cable is secured with cableties on both ends, so you cant pull the ports on either side out if your falling over the cable.
Make sure this cable is of some quality; i paid 15€ for a braided one and its still fine after all the years.
- a bunch of 1N4001 diodes. You pay about 1,50€ for 100pcs.

Electrical:
For making this all work you need any normal sized leftover cable you have laying around, and diodes. I always use 1N4001 for everything.

For an idea on how to do the cabling for your projects, and where to put the diodes and in which direction, please refer to the freejoy wiki; especially the part of “connecting buttons directly to controller” (in our case its keys, but this doesnt matter):
https://github.com/FreeJoy-Team/FreeJoyWiki