Bluetooth 4.0 Buttons

capitan_penurias · Feb 3, 2021

Hello !

I build a bluetooth 4.0 button box, very useful if you want some buttons in your sim, but you are short of USB cables.
The build include 4 analog pots, a "mode" switch, and full of buttons. The mode switch allows you you remap the buttons again, so the combination is 19x3 buttons and 4x3 pots.

GitHub page (BLButtons)

Enjoy!

RedBull48 · Mar 13, 2021

This is a really awesome idea! I am planning on building a new rim for my fanatec DD1 base. I was planning on using an SRM emulator and fanatec QR to mount it to the base but that left me wondering about buttons on the wheel. I don't particularly care to have a wired usb for this purpose so perhaps I could use the same technique. Could you please share what hardware you used?

capitan_penurias · Mar 26, 2021

RedBull48 said:
This is a really awesome idea! I am planning on building a new rim for my fanatec DD1 base. I was planning on using an SRM emulator and fanatec QR to mount it to the base but that left me wondering about buttons on the wheel. I don't particularly care to have a wired usb for this purpose so perhaps I could use the same technique. Could you please share what hardware you used?

Hello. I use a ESP-32 (somewhat an arduino) that supports BL 4.0 (HID profile). I map the whole thing as a big joystick with lot of axis and lots of buttons ... and works fine. The only drawback is that some buttons can be pressed together, due I read them using a matrix. See the github page for more explanation, but it should work for a wireless rim. If you need help, drop me some lines.

Tom_Hampton · Mar 26, 2021

I'm building a button plate for my Simplicity SW20v3 using a BlueHID. Its direct wire (no matrix wiring), supports up to 8 rotary encoders, and a total of 36 inputs all over bluetooth 4. It has a very low power autoshutdown mode, and It will run off a 1500maH LiPo battery for ~120 hours between charges. That's 1-2 months at 2hrs per day.

RedBull48 · Mar 26, 2021

Awesome stuff, would be interested to see the outcome of your project as well @Tom_Hampton

StuyoDGr8 · Sep 16, 2022

Currently working on a project for custom steering wheel and will be implementing ESP32 for the bluetooth communication. It will be powered directly from my SRM Fanatec Emulator. Question is - I have several displays and want to drive them with SimHub as well, but also keep the buttons. I am not sure I can configure bluetooth HID connection in parallel with custom serial device - does anybody knows if this is possible?

In general standard Arduino pro micros work as gamepad and are also connected to SimHub, maybe it is possible? It should be simple enough to combine the display code with gamepad together in this case.

For the display part I am following This Guide.

Hak67 · Jul 18, 2023

StuyoDGr8 said:
Currently working on a project for custom steering wheel and will be implementing ESP32 for the bluetooth communication. It will be powered directly from my SRM Fanatec Emulator. Question is - I have several displays and want to drive them with SimHub as well, but also keep the buttons. I am not sure I can configure bluetooth HID connection in parallel with custom serial device - does anybody knows if this is possible?

In general standard Arduino pro micros work as gamepad and are also connected to SimHub, maybe it is possible? It should be simple enough to combine the display code with gamepad together in this case.

This Guide.

Hello,
I am currently working on the same project. I wonder if you have been able to do your project? I need a lot of support on this. Can you give me any code example on how to do this.