5-way and 3-way Trim Hat Module for Flight Stick and/or Throttle

CURRENTLY BEING REWORKED! DO NOT DOWNLOAD! WILL UPDATE WHEN ISSUES RESOLVED WITH PCB.

NOTE: This is a work in progress. More hats to come and modifications can be expected. Only testing done was with stand in 3d printed breakout board as the actual boards have not arrived yet. this is why some of the clicks don't sound the same in the video. The switch is not soldered to a solid pcb but loosely held to a flexing fake breakout board.

Also note that images and video of the print were fast printed prototypes with no post processing done so they are rough. This was only for proof of concept. Furthermore, these images are of a slightly larger version of the print with a 20 mm wide hat instead of the modified 17.75 mm style of the models I've shared.

Finally, a huge shoutout to r/HotasDIY. It’s the community that helped me get into designing my own throttle and the best resource for anyone looking to create a personalized, better, and usually cheaper virtual flight experience.

UPDATES

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UPDATE #2 1/28/2021: Added 2 Trim Hats, 3 Stadium Hats, 3 Virpil Knock-off Caps, and Renaming 2

New Trim Hats (China Hats)

• Trim Uniform
• Trim Shaped

New Stadium Hats

• Full
• Split
• Split Discreet

New Virpil Knock-offs

• Pyramid
• Rounded Pyramid
• Textured Walled Dome

Renames

• Hat_Cap_5way_Edge_Dome now called Hat_Virpil_Edged_Dome
• Hat_Cap_3way_Trimmed_CH now called Hat_Virpil_Trim_2_Way

UPDATE #1 1/27/2021 : Added 8 Different Castle Hats

• Simple
• Wide
• Textured
• Textured Wide
• Short
• Short Wide
• Short Textured
• Short Wide Textured

Description:

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This is a module you can use to add 5-way and 3-way trim hats to a joystick, throttle, or any other diy controller or or input device. It uses the Alps RKJXM1 switch, the same switch used by many Virpil and VKB controllers. It's an 8-way switch with a center select. My build restricts this switch to either 4 directions or 2 directions, adds a breakout board for ease of install and stability, and shows you how to cut holes in your build so you can easily add the hat anywhere.

The Reason I Designed this:

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I'm working on making my own flight stick and throttle. While most DIYers and many manufacturers add trim hats by using individual microswitches, I've found that there is often wobble with these builds, the tactile feedback of the directions can been squishy if not mounted perfectly, and the overall footprint can be large. I've seen builds that have none of these issues so I know it's possible but my results have not been as good.

I wanted a single device that I could house and mount anywhere on my controller that would always be clicky and never have any wobble. There are premade builds available but most are larger than what I'd like and cost anywhere from $25 to $150 a piece. My build is reliable, and uses a breakout board that should only cost $5 for 10 and the Alps RKJXM1 goes for $7.80 on Mouser.

Parts list

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1x Alps RKJXM1. Here is a link to the Mouser page I purchased from.

Please note that I've seen much cheaper listings for these switches on pages like Bangood, Alibaba, and Aliexpress. I've had mixed luck ordering parts from these sites. Sometimes I've gotten knock-offs that work fine but other times the knockoffs haver different dimensions and/or do not work as well so order at your own risk.

1x breakout board (see instructions for ordering in breakout board section below)

2x M2 screws that are at least 12mm long or longer if the shell of your build is particularly thick. I prefer cutting a tapered hole and using a tapered head screw so the screw heads are flush with my build surface but that is up to you. Here is an example of this style of m2 screw

2x M2 nuts of your preferred style. I prefer locknuts (aka: nylon insert nuts) but plain flat nuts will work too. I'm just aggressive with my controllers and locknuts help prevent unthreading due to jostling and vibration. Example of the style of locknuts I use

1x printed board brace

1x printed gate (pick your style)

1x printed hat cap (pick your style)

Note: Hat cap choices are limited but I'm going to be rolling out more as they are completed. Instructions to be added for taking your hat cap designs and making them compatible with this module.

Instructions for prepping your model for a hat switch

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This design is for a device that is hollow on the inside. The idea is that you can cut holes on the shell of your device and this hat switch module can be slipped into place from the inside and held in place with screws and nuts.

Details regarding the size of the holes and how they should be spaced apart can be found here.

Instructions for ordering the your breakout boards (PCBs):

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Link to Download Breakout Board Zip File

1. Click the above link to be taken to the zip file I shared on google drive. Don't worry about opening it and explorer it here unless you're curious. If you're not curious, find and click the download button in the upper right corner. It looks like an arrow pointing down into a bin.
2. Save the zip file from step 1 to a folder on your pc that you can get to. This is what you'll upload to a site like PCBWay. I'm not affiliated with PCBWay in anyway. They've just had the best prices when I've ordered boards and I've never had an issue with the PCBs they've made for me. All sites should work about the same way and have similar results so just go with the place that's easiest on your wallet. Shipping time is really what you'll pay more or less for. Spoiler alert: 90% of the sites will ship from china and they'll take a long time so order the boards sooner rather than later so you have the boards when you're ready to build.
3. Navigate to what ever site you've selected to order your breakout boards from. Find and click the link to get a pcb quote.
4. On this screen you'll usually see a long list of variables you can fill in to get a quote for your pcb. It seems daunting but ignore all that for the moment and try and find the link (usually towards the top) to upload your gerber files and prefill all the parameters. Click that and upload the zip file you downloaded in step 1.
5. After doing this, you'll see that all the perimeters on the page are now populated. If you'd like, you can make any modifications you like but I'd only do this if you're familiar or would like to learn how this all works. Note: The only item I'd like to draw your attention to is the solder type/surface finish. It can be called a few things depending on site. These will reference lead. PCBs can use leaded solder (easier to work with) or lead-free (harder to work with). This choice is up to you but please use your best judgement. If you are going into this and aren't familiar with soldering, do some research on the hazards of leaded solder and how to safely use it. I use leaded solder. I think it's safe but I solder with a mask and a filtering fan. Some consider that overkill. Some consider that not enough. You should make the decision based on your own research, not just my opinion.
6. After reviewing your parameters, you can now modify the quantity and save the order to your cart. Complete the order and then start waiting. Breakout board design note: I put labels on the board on the silk screen (the top white layer) that show which hole is which lead (push1, ground, etc). I only added this to the top layer since it made it cheaper to only have text on one side.

Other resources:

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• Sketchfab view of combined build and a blown out view for reference.
  https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/5-way-module-final-version-blown-out-v3-6e4e99510ca24d9690fd1433f42fd623/

*please note: When I importing from Fusion 360 to Sketchfab, the surface graphics/details for the breakout board were stripped out. This is the part under the RKJXM1 switch with all the holes. This part would be a green circuit board with trace routes and labels on it. Also, note that the blue circular part is supposed to represent the outside layer of your throttle or flight stick with the proper holes cut out.

• Video with audio of prototype hat being clicked in all directions: https://youtu.be/GU3y91daWtY

Other notes:

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• this is indeed the switch used by Virpil. I took a hat cap off my Constellation Alpha and it fits this switch perfectly. The caps from Virpil, however, will not work with this build as the gate they use uses the caps stem to block diagonals. Since printing a cap with a long stem is not easy with a 3d printer, I opted to have the gate restrict direction by blocking the metal stem of the actual switch.

• you can mount this switch without a breakout board but you'd have to glue down the switch and hand solder wires to the leads. I highly recommend using the breakout board. It will add stability and make it very very easy to solder.