For those wanting Knitter switches, here are the direct ordering details. Your choice, MRP 1-20 or MRP 1-20R. The following is a cut and paste of serveral Knitter Switch emails. If you want to order, please send a fax (include adress and phone-fax #). You will get a performa-invoice with bank details. (For those without fax, the invoice can be emailed to you.)After receiving your payment, we ship the goods.We thank you for your above mentioned inquiry and offer without engagement as follows: Minimum Order Qty and Price Per PieceMRP 1-20: 20 pcs US$ 3,45MRP 1-20R: 20 pcs US$ 3,65Delivery: ex stock, subject to prior saleConditions: ex works, bank and handling charge USD 20,00Payment: pre-payment to our account with HypoVereinsbank Munich IBAN: DE72 7002 0270 0851 9293 98 SWIFT (BIC): HYVE DE MMShould you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.Best regards Ulrike Schrollknitter-switch elektrotechnische erzeugnisse Knitter & Co.KGneue poststrasse 17D-85598 baldhamtel: +49-(0)8106 - 362126fax: +49-(0)8106 - 362140email: [email protected]

OK, I've read through the knitter switch thread, but I'm still confused :-(Could someone possibly post an explanation -(preferably in words of but few sylables) for someone with no electronics background - of the difference between the knitter switch and a "regular" rotary encoder switch?Thanks,Richard

Richard,The (mechanical) rotary encoders most often referred to here have two switch contacts. When the shaft is turned, both contacts make and break. The timing between the activation of the contacts is slightly shifted so that if you looked at a graph of the switching action as the shaft is turned, you would see two square waves 90 degrees out of phase with each other. With a bit of logic one can figure out which direction the shaft is being turned.Rotary encoders work great for micro controller applications as they are essentially digital in nature. An issue arises when they are used with keyboard encoders. Somehow you have to handle the logic of turning the two square waves into simple switch closures the keyboard encoders (and the sim software interpreting the KBD input) work best with. It's not hard. It just adds more complexity and $$$ to the project.So, along comes Knitter Switch. This switch also has two contacts, but they act differently. One contact pulses on clockwise shaft rotation while the other contact does so on counter-clockwise rotation. So the logic requried to use a rotary encoder is not needed; less complexity and fewer $$$.Mikewww.mikesflightdeck.com

Thank you very much, Mike. So a knitter switch is - elctrically - the same as the SMK switch that Glenn posted a link to earlier? Turning clockwise gives A A A A, while turning anti-clockwise gives B B B B? And a regular rotary encoder would give AB AB AB AB if turned one way and BA BA BA BA if turned the other?Richard

Mike is correct. The Knitter switch rotates through 360 degrees. Turn the switch to the right and the switch will increase the FS2002 radio frequency. Turn it to the left and radio frequency decreases. The Knitter switch acts just like a normal contact closure switch; it closes at each detent stop (there are 18 I believe). It can be connected directly to a keyboard encoder. No other electronics needed.Here's another example. Connect the Knitter switch to a Hagstrom keyboard encoder. With the Hagstrom software, program a right switch turn to increase altitude. We'll say the keyboard commands for altitude are Shift-A and Shift-B. Then program Shift-B to decrease altitude. If you keep turning the switch to the right, you can increase the autopilot altitude from, lets say, 0 feet to 30,000 feet or whatever altitude you want.I do not have any of these switches "yet". I can only pass along what I read in some previous posts.Richard

RichardHi - looks like you did it. I now feel like a good cry. Just this afternoon I completed fitting the 'ordinary' rotaries to my current panel using the Kevin/Peter method.It's not all bad tho'. These switches only cost just over

Hi Bud,I guess persistance pays. Now if I can find someone in the US who wants to share the cost of twenty switches all will be worth the effort. I do have an idea who to ask. Richard

> Hi - looks like you did it. I now feel like a good cry. Just this> afternoon I completed fitting the 'ordinary' rotaries to my current> panel using the Kevin/Peter method.Ah, but assuming you assigned SHIFT or CTRL to a single input pin, and a letter to all other pins, then you're in great shape.Consider hooking up 10 rotaries... With the Knitter, you'd have to assign two keyboard encoder input pins to each switch -- one for increment, one for decrement. That's a total of 20 pins.Whereas with the SHIFT method, you assign one pin as that tied to all encoders, and then just one character input per encoder thereafter. So 10 rotaries = 11 input pins. You saved 9 pins for other usage! Not to mention you saved $2 per switch.OTOH, the Knitter is perfect for hooking to joystick button inputs. I'm looking forward to someone trying it for the "high speed" knobs such as OBS.Kev

Ok Kev. Can you make this work.I use Project Magenta's Airbus FCU (autopilot) software. Can the Shift / Control system do all of this: F1/F4 Increase/Decrease AirspeedF5/F6 Increase/Decrease HeadingF7/F8 Increase/Decrease Verticle SpeedF9/F12 Increase/Decrease AltitudeCtrl Y Decrease AltimeterCtrl U Increase AltimiterI believe not, so its either a rotary encoder or a Knitter switch. I also use the Hagstrom 36 input USB keyboard encoder. I have to use up all those inputs on something!Richard

Richard,Of course you're right. If the software doesn't allow changing key assignments, then the user would need a decoder or Knitter.Thanks for the reminder!KevPS. Is all of the Magenta stuff hardcoded like that?

I'd like half a dozen of these, so if you or anyone else want to share an order, I'm in.Richard

(After a little more thought...)If you're running the FCU on the same computer as MSFS, then you should be able to use the key2mouse module to translate Shift-key rotary outputs into mouse clicks (assuming the FCU allows mouse usage).If the FCU is on a different computer, some kind of software keyboard macro tool would also work, but I don't know of any offhand.As you said, though, if you have the inputs to spare, it doesn't matter.Cheers,Kev

Richard,OK, count me in. I'd like 3 just to try them out before investing in more.I'm in Canada...that's not too far from the US. ;)-Leo

Hi Kevin,Absolutely right. One of the things which has amazed me about your method is how good the 'pick up' in FS is. I'd imagined that I would have had to turn the knobs relatively slowly to ensure that the input was scanned correctly. However, I've found that even high speed twists are picked up OK. Must say I am so grateful to yourself and Peter for this idea.Bud