Cougar Rewire
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Thrustmaster Cougar TQS Revitalization
After looking far and wide I managed to find a used Thrustmaster Cougar HOTAS for sale at a decent price. I paid maybe $200 tops for it and the purchase also had a set of rudder pedals. Knowing that there were issues with the setup I was prepared for some work ahead of me in using this HOTAS to its full potential. I unboxed hooked it up and spent a few days trying to get it up and running. Long story short it worked but not to my liking. At the start, there was spiking in the antenna elevation pot which meant hunting down a replacement and putting that in. Then the z-axis wasn’t up to par, so the search was on for a new pot. During the search for a new pot, I came across the mention of using Hall Sensors for it (magnets that send the signal). I also discovered that the micro stick drifted severely. Again on the hunt for another part. After replacing parts and trying to figure it out I decided it was time to rewire it or get a TUSBA from Real Simulator. Ultimately I chose to rewire it. To rewire the board I went with a Leo Bodnar BU0836X 12-Bit Joystick Board. This was simple to use once I figured it out. Even with the rewiring I was still running into issues with signals and put it up for a bit. I let it sit until I was ready to try again and after doing some more searching on various forums I managed to get it worked out. I reset everything to default in windows and calibrated it there. Then I modified the settings using DI View. Since I mainly fly Falcon BMS I assigned a heavy dead zone for the X and Y-Axis in the settings area. Now I can use it without issue. I guess you can say I was spoiled by using the Logitech X56 and the Cougar stick and Warthog throttle as they have knobs, buttons, and switches galore on them, and decided to add my own to the TQS. I can do this because of the support that the BU0836X board gives me with up to 32 buttons, and up to 7 axes that can be used. I added 10 switches both toggle and the push-button type and 2 pots. Below are the steps to requiring the TQS. These are the steps I used to rewire it for the new board.
- Make sure TQS is not plugged in.
- Remove the 8 screws that are on the bottom there are 4 long screws and 4 short screws
- Remove throttle pot and arm
- Unplug throttle pot
- Remove unplug the ribbon cable
- Unscrew and remove ground wire
- Cut the ribbon cable plug
- Set handle off to the side.
- Remove friction arm, wheel, and pad.
- Carefully split the wires from the cut ribbon end
- Strip the ends of the wires (Now you can either wire the board and then put it in the case or put it in the case and then wire it.)
- Follow TM wiring diagram
- Wire board by pushing the tab down, insert the wire and release tab. A gentle tug will tell if the wire is properly seated
- Install the board into the base. I used strong double-sided tape for mine.
- Replace friction wheel, arm, and pad
- Install Hall Sensor (if you choose to do this)
a. Insert magnet into throttle arm
b. Insert sensor into the slot in the base where you removed the throttle pot - If you are going to add to the TQS as I did, this is the time since it is a part to drill the holes for the pots and switches. (Recommend using 20-24 gauge wire per Leo Bodnar’s site)
- Wire pots and switches to board using step 13
- Replace throttle arm.
- Replace cover
- Replace screws 4 long and 4 short
Hook back up, calibrate and setup (may need a system reboot)
I got it running using the windows calibration tool and then setting the settings using DI View.Now with the Leo Bodnar board, you will need to use a USB angle adapter linked below or drill or Dremel a new hole on the side of the TQS. I used a USB cable that I located on Amazon and it is linked below.
PARTS
Hall Sensors
https://vipergear.eu/
https://forums.eagle.ru/topic/188571-tm-cougar-ch-magnetoresistive-hall-sensor-kitsMicro Stick
https://deltasimelectronics.com/products/cougar-throttle-radar-tdc-slew-upgradeKnobs
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WNLX4H8?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_detailsSwitches
https://www.amazon.com/mxuteuk-Terminal-Position-Miniature-Dashboard/dp/B07QGDDTWJ/ref=rvi_7/132-9305443-7080347?pd_rd_w=qUiGv&pf_rd_p=c0296674-5a83-4ad6-b035-0702d2b359df&pf_rd_r=6WB1JT5E1MEAT5JWYRFY&pd_rd_r=82817315-b32b-4835-a887-27fad25846c1&pd_rd_wg=dYXIX&pd_rd_i=B07VZ4TDCT&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/DIYhz-Normal-Momentary-Switch-Button/dp/B07BD2D96W/ref=rvi_2/132-9305443-7080347?pd_rd_w=1wgU8&pf_rd_p=c0296674-5a83-4ad6-b035-0702d2b359df&pf_rd_r=KYBGT2CHY4GCEAR9M4WN&pd_rd_r=f62a6529-6b58-40da-90ff-86b76af78c0d&pd_rd_wg=W2fL0&pd_rd_i=B07BD2D96W&psc=1USB Plug
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LPS1I2Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1Mods can we make this a sticky and is there a spot to load a Word doc?
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Thank you very much, JUmpstart5179, this is a great resource!
Thanks for taking the time to write this up
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Thank you very much, JUmpstart5179, this is a great resource!
Thanks for taking the time to write this up
You’re welcome. It took time, money and resources to get it running how I like and today I finally got all the additional switches wired into the board (needed smaller wire). There is still some room to add more but I would highly recommend the Leo Bodnar BU0836X 12-Bit Joystick Board for anyone wanting to breathe new life into their Cougar TQS.
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I’m little embarrassed to ask this, since it’s a pretty basic question, but what is the overall purpose / advantage of a Leo Bodnar board?
I understand what a TUSBA is good for. I’ve got one, and it allows me to use my Cougar throttle without having to use the Cougar stick as a serial-to-USB adapter. And I think the TUSBA gives me a greater bit depth (resolution) for my throttle axis, compared to the Cougar-stick-as-pass-through.
It’s clear a Leo Bodnar board confers some sort of advantage over, say, the stock circuitry that comes in a Cougar, but I’m not sure what that advantage is.
If a person has a Cougar throttle which is stock except for:
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The throttle pot has been replaced by a Vipergear Hall-effect sensor
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They are using a TUSBA
… then is there an additional advantage conferred by the Leo Bodnar board? Or is the Leo Bodnar board something you’d only use if you wanted to add extra switches to the Cougar throttle, like you did in this build?
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I’m little embarrassed to ask this, since it’s a pretty basic question, but what is the overall purpose / advantage of a Leo Bodnar board?
I understand what a TUSBA is good for. I’ve got one, and it allows me to use my Cougar throttle without having to use the Cougar stick as a serial-to-USB adapter. And I think the TUSBA gives me a greater bit depth (resolution) for my throttle axis, compared to the Cougar-stick-as-pass-through.
It’s clear a Leo Bodnar board confers some sort of advantage over, say, the stock circuitry that comes in a Cougar, but I’m not sure what that advantage is.
If a person has a Cougar throttle which is stock except for:
-
The throttle pot has been replaced by a Vipergear Hall-effect sensor
-
They are using a TUSBA
… then is there an additional advantage conferred by the Leo Bodnar board? Or is the Leo Bodnar board something you’d only use if you wanted to add extra switches to the Cougar throttle, like you did in this build?
The board basically replaces the original PCB, making it a stand alone USB similiar to what the TUSBA does. I have no experience with the TUSBA so I can’t really compare contrast the two. The board does allow for extras to be added to the TQS if so desired like I did with mine. There is also some cost savings using the board as well in that it was about $20 dollars cheaper for me to use it than the TUSBA at the exchange rate at the time and was shipped relatively fast. The board itself is basically a USB joystick controller board so it could be used to redo a Cougar stick if so desired (I spent the money and got the FSSB R3). Using the board is just one means of breathing new life into the Cougar HOTAS.
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Using a Bodnar board (or a TUSBA, and I have both installations) in a Cougar TQS also upgrades the unit from 10 bit to 12 bit resolution, and the difference in control is plainly noticeable.
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I’m doing a lot of HOTAS systems at the moment for my universal military homepit project and also started a Cougar throttle conversion to standalone. I will make it in a totally different way and will use the electronics of a canabalized Thrustmaster TWCS throttle for it. You can use the electronic-boards of the TWCS with standard pots it even doesn’t matter if they are 10K or 100K (simple voltage dividers - only recalbration is required, which is done if you unplug and replug the throttle after changing the pots)
I’m going to use the throttle axis for the throttle at the Cougar, the antenna axis for the antenna at the Cougar, the rudder pedal axis for the range axis at the Cougar, the microstick will be also the microstick at the Cougar and so on…
This has the advantage that you can still use TARGET to program the unit, which isn’t the case with Bodnar or TUSBA. Don’t know if hallsensors also working at the TWCS electronics, but on most controllers you can simply switch between pots and hallsensors if you choose the right ones. TM is an exception here, cause they use there own “hallsensor” technology in the Warthog HOTAS. The TWCS has simple pots with a “16Bit” resolution for the throttle axis.
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The TWCS has simple pots with a “16Bit” resolution for the throttle axis.
It’s not the pot that determines the resulotion it’s the boards ADC input
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Yes, thats right, but I don’t think that 16Bit resolution makes any sense with the use of pots, that’s why I made the quotation marks. Apart from that 16Bit resolution doesn’t make any sense in every kind of input (maybe with the exception of steering wheels), cause you are simply physically aren’t able to do such fine adjustments. 12Bit is more than enough.
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Yes, thats right, but I don’t think that 16Bit resolution makes any sense with the use of pots, that’s why I made the quotation marks. Apart from that 16Bit resolution doesn’t make any sense in every kind of input (maybe with the exception of steering wheels), cause you are simply physically aren’t able to do such fine adjustments. 12Bit is more than enough.
Completely agree. All my DIY build game inputs such as Rudder use a 12bit ADC. That is way precise enough and most likely no need to implement a noise filter
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Well done, and thanks for sharing the details.
TUSBA, is much easier solution, and by the time you buy the buttons board and stuff, cost would no not really be a decision factor, but i’m guessing you have enjoyed the learning about the IO, and you can now use this knowledge to create your own button box. You say you added extra buttons, Would like to see image/s of what you ended up with, along side the TQS.
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Well done, and thanks for sharing the details.
TUSBA, is much easier solution, and by the time you buy the buttons board and stuff, cost would no not really be a decision factor, but i’m guessing you have enjoyed the learning about the IO, and you can now use this knowledge to create your own button box. You say you added extra buttons, Would like to see image/s of what you ended up with, along side the TQS.
See the other thread I have.