Step 1: Connect your Encoder

(For best results, we recommend the use of "quarter-wave" rotary encoders. These types give one signal pulse per detent click. Check the datasheet of the encoder you intend using to see what type is it. The SIM-board USB Input Module can decode all of "quarter", "half" and "full" wave encoders, but you will get best results with quarter-wave ones.)

A rotary encoder often has 3 pins, comprising of 2 signal pins (usually referred to as the A and B pins) and a common (ground) pin (sometimes referred to as the "common" or C pin). Usually they are arranged on the device such that the common pin is the middle pin of the 3.

If your encoder is an optical encoder, then it may have 4 or 5 pins. One of the extra pins will be the 5V pin. If there are 5 pins on your encoder, then the remaining 5th one may be unconnected - check the data sheet for your device to be sure.

To connect the encoder to the Input Module, connect the 2 signal pins (described above) to pins 7 & 8 of the bank marked "BANK Z" on your Input Module (the red and yellow wires in the example picture).

Then connect the common (C) pin of the encoder to any bottom pin of any BANK A to BANK Z block. In the picture example, the common pin (black wire) is connected to a bottom pin of the same "BLOCK Z" for convenience.

(The picture below shows an encoder connected to the module using wires that have been crimped onto metal crimps, and then inserted into a 2-way plastic housing. This makes for an easy individual connection straight onto the pins of the module.)

Repeat this procedure for as many encoders as you need, working right to left across the top pins of the module, from "BANK Z" to "BANK W". These 4 banks along the bottom side of the module will allow for up to 16 encoder signal pair connections (assuming the module you purchased allows for this number of encoders).

Step 2: Connect the 5V terminal (if required)

If your encoder has only 3 pins, then you can skip this step and go straight to step 3.

If your encoder has 4 or 5 pins, then it is an optical encoder. You should check to make sure that it is a standard 5V optical encoder before using it with any SIM-board Input Module.

Assuming it is a 5V optical encoder, you will need to connect the 5V pin of the encoder to a 5V source. Check your encoder's datasheet to find which pin is the 5V pin, and then connect it to the top pin of the pin pair marked "5V OUT" on the SIM-board USB Input Module. This top pin is a 5V supply source direct from the module, saving you from having to connect an external power supply to use these encoders. The bottom pin is a ground (negative) pin and should not be connected to anything.

Note: there is only one 5V OUT pin pair on each Input Module. If you are connecting multiple optical encoders to the same module, you will need to connect a wire to the 5V OUT top pin and connect each 5V terminal of each encoder to this wire as a "common 5V" line, in order that each encoder can get a 5V supply.

The picture below shows the 5V OUT pin pair. The top pin of this pair is the 5V source.

Step 8: Set Module Function

Before using the encoder, the Input Module must be configured to allow encoders to be connected to it. If you have purchased an Input Module other than the MAXI module, you can skip this step and go straight to step 9.

If you have an Input Module MAXI version, then you should select one of the options from the Module Function drop-down list to make sure that some encoders are available to be used. In this example, we have selected the 112 switches / 8 encoders / 8 potentiometers combination for this module.

Step 9: Test the Encoder

To test the encoder, select the tab titled "(Encoders 1-8)" to reveal the encoder nodes. Then click on the green round circular disc next to the "Node 1" text to reveal the encoder test window.

Then twist your encoder. As you twist it, short and long lines will be drawn in a circular fashion in the test window. You should check that for each physical click detent of the encoder, one line is drawn. If more than 1 line is drawn per detent, or it takes several detents of movement to draw a single line, then the encoder you have connected is not "quarter-wave". In this case, click on OK to close the test window, then click on "Node 1 : Encoder" to reveal the encoder properties list, and change the "Encoder Type" to another selection. Then re-test the encoder again by clicking on the circular disc to bring up the test window. If the new selection does not produce one line per detent click, go back and select another "Encoder Type".

If you find that twisting your encoder in a clockwise direction produces lines going anti-clockwise in the test screen, then you can either swap the signal pin connections around on the "BANK Z" connections (swap the positions of the red and yellow wires in the example picture from step 1), or you can set the "Invert state?" property of the encoder node to "Yes" which will reverse the signals in software.

If this test performs correctly, you have successfully wired up your encoder to the associated node.

Step 10: Assign a Flight Simulator function

Having verified that the encoder is operating correctly in test mode, you can now assign a function to have it control functions within flight simulator.

For this example, we will use the encoder to control the setting of the default sutopilot altitude window for the default B737 aircraft.

Click on Node 1 to expand the node and reveal its configuration settings. Then click on "Change action" and from the list that pops up, select "FS AP Alt Change" from the "FS : Autopilot" subsection. This action will command the encoder to adjust the altitude value in the autopilot window when the encoder is twisted. Click "Select" to assign this action to this node.