AAO generic HID Device Bridge App

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

Hello @ll,

I’ve just uploaded another (free) Bridge app to the AxisAndOhs Weebly website (bottom of the Downloads page)

This bridge is for generic HID devices. So if you have exotic hardware (GoFlight and the likes), where the actual communications protocol is unknown, but that Windows picks up as HID devices, you can try them with the Bridge to see if button presses can be read and transmitted to the AAO WebAPI.

This is currently strictly for incoming events, there is no option to write data back to the device (= displays and LEDs will stay dark).

Please make sure to read the included PDF before starting.

Edited September 14, 2021 by Lorby_SI

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

To add: the HID Bridge version 1.04 can send data back to the HID device too. If that works or not depends on the hardware, if it can be controlled with the Windows standard HID device methods or not.

 

[gboz 157]

On 9/14/2021 at 8:01 PM, Lorby_SI said:

Hello @ll,

I’ve just uploaded another (free) Bridge app to the AxisAndOhs Weebly website (bottom of the Downloads page)

This bridge is for generic HID devices. So if you have exotic hardware (GoFlight and the likes), where the actual communications protocol is unknown, but that Windows picks up as HID devices, you can try them with the Bridge to see if button presses can be read and transmitted to the AAO WebAPI.

This is currently strictly for incoming events, there is no option to write data back to the device (= displays and LEDs will stay dark).

Please make sure to read the included PDF before starting.

Does this work side-by-side with the VRInsight MCP Combo II Bridge?
Thanks.

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

1 hour ago, gboz said:

Does this work side-by-side with the VRInsight MCP Combo II Bridge?
Thanks.

Can't see why not. The AAO WebAPI doesn't care about how many clients there are.

 

[dmahr 0]

Hello,

what does 'button' mean with respect to the HID device bridge? Is it just a bit in the input report of a generic HID device? Which HID Usage Page is appropriate for using the bridge?

Thanks for your answer,

Detlef

 

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

1 hour ago, dmahr said:

Is it just a bit in the input report of a generic HID device?

I suppose so, yes.

1 hour ago, dmahr said:

Which HID Usage Page is appropriate for using the bridge?

Sorry, no idea. I'm not really knowledgable about HID devices, the Bridge is just using an open source HID library in a generic way. My only frame of reference were the Saitek Panels... 

As it says on the AAO website, these additional Bridges, Plugins, Gauges etc. are just leisure/hobby projects of mine that I chose to share...

 

Edited September 20, 2022 by Lorby_SI

[dmahr 0]

Thanks for the quick response. 

I will check it out. As I am building my own HID devices for the Sim, I am free to implement any kind of HID device.

Detlef

 

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

1 hour ago, dmahr said:

Thanks for the quick response. 

I will check it out. As I am building my own HID devices for the Sim, I am free to implement any kind of HID device.

Detlef

 

If something needs to change with the Bridge, just let me know. 

[dmahr 0]

In fact, it works.

I built a simple generic HID device with 10 encoder inputs. The HID report sends 8 bytes, whenever an encoder event is recognized. Your Bridge sees the 8 bytes output as 64 consecutive bits. These bits contain the encoder number, the encoder event (up or down), the encoder turning speed (fast or slow) and a counter value. 

Now I have to translate this bit stream into some useful Sim events according to your HID Bridge manual. I am curious to see if it works.

Detlef

 

Edited September 20, 2022 by dmahr

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

44 minutes ago, dmahr said:

Now I have to translate this bit stream into some useful Sim events according to your HID Bridge manual.

If I remember this correctly, then the Bridge is sending Button Events to AAO via the WebAPI for every bit that you are masking out of the buffer, so just a binary action. Sounds like your device is more complex than that and the Bridge would have to be expanded accordingly.

If the button events are indeed received in AAO, you can do whatever you want with them, you have the full feature set of AxisAndOhs at your disposal. 

Edited September 20, 2022 by Lorby_SI

[dmahr 0]

Hi,

here are my findings:

I can isolate 'buttons' from my report. A single bit triggers a single button. A bit-field triggers another button when matching a certain bit combination. Unfortunately I can not inject a certain value (a bit-field) into a variable depending on it's change.

When I use my generic HID device for incrementing/decrementing a trim operation (rudder trim, i.e.) there are delays in the reaction. Maybe this is due to the Web API. Reconfiguring my HID device as a joystick, I have smooth reaction. A good feature is to have a multiplier "Roll" especially for the trim wheels. There is also a "Fast" feature for fast rotations of an encoder. Best of all would be to have a combination of both: slow turns have a multiplier of 1, fast turns have a selectable multiplier. I use this feature with success when dialling OBS's or trim wheels. Until now I write my own little programs to attach joysticks and keyboards to the Sim. But with AAO I found an universal program dealing with most of my demands.

Currently I am building a device network based on CAN FD and a CAN-USB bridge to connect it to the PC. This is why I try to utilize your HID-Bridge program.

Detlef

 

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

The HID Bridge is clocked at 150ms. So worst case there can be a delay of 200 ms (or slower), depending on what you do in AAO.

If you want, write up the requirements that you have in as much detail as possible, and send that to the support email address, that you can find on the last page of the AAO manual. If it can be done with little effort, I will put it on the list for a future version of the Bridge.