INSTALLATION.md

Installation

There are two distinct versions of the software, one for standard 4 bit Gray code (trimwheel.ino), and one for the 2 bit binary code as used in the Leo Bodnar Rotary Encoders CTS288 (CTS288.ino).
Installation is identical except for the *.uf2 files.

NOTE

It has been reported that the software IS unreliable without the capacitors.

Materials

1. Your Trimwheel with its Rotary Encoder (RE)
2. (Optional) 2 off 100nF ceramic capacitors.
3. Raspberry Pi Pico.
4. Hook-up wire.
5. For (optional) HSI - HDG and CRS setting, 2 more REs & optional caps.

Load Software into Pico

1. Open the Pico in Bootloader mode (hold the BOOTSEL button down when plugging into the USB cable, then release button).
2. The Pico appears as a memory device, RPI-RP2.
3. Drag and drop the firmware file trimwheel.ino.elf.uf2 or CTS288.ino.elf.uf2 onto RPI-RP2.
4. The Pico can now be disconnected from USB.

Electrical

1. Connect the RE being used as a trimwheel to locations GP2 and GP3 on the Pico. Depending on the RE being used, GP2 connects to the input for 'pitch down' (the direction can be easily swapped in the FGFS configuration file).
2. Connect the Common or Ground pin on the RE to any GND location on the Pico.
3. Connect a 100nF ceramic capacitor between each of the RE data pins to the Common or Ground pin. (optional)
4. For the HDG RE, connect to GP6 and GP7. There is a GND location adjacent to GP6.
5. For the CRS RE, connect to GP10 and GP11. There is a GND location adjacent to GP10.

Configure FGFS

On Linux Copy Arduino-RaspberryPi-Pico.xml to ~/.fgfs/Input/Joysticks
On Windows Copy RaspberryPi-Pico.xml to %UserProfile%\Appdata\Roaming\flightgear.org\Input\Joysticks

Note You may need to create the directories/folders Input and Joysticks

Both these files have identical contents.

Preferably make the copied file Read-Only to avoid inadvertent overwriting.