Homemade Car Racing Accelerator and Brake Pedals Construction Guide
In the driving simulation community, pursuing realism often involves intricate and costly setups. However, [CNCDan] decided to craft his own pedals, in a bid to balance affordability and authenticity.
[Dan], who had previously employed commercial pedals along with a homemade steering wheel, found the experience somewhat underwhelming in comparison. The build commenced with custom brackets, crafted to be flat and possess tabs for easy bending in a vise. To cut costs, these brackets were made identical, rather than having unique ones for each pedal.
The clutch and throttle pedals forewent unique hardware, instead relying on Hall effect sensors and springs for feedback. Each bracket equipped a set of spring-mount holes to facilitate adjustments, with the spring angle determining the pedal's response curve. The brake pedal, on the other hand, diverged slightly, as it focused on measuring force rather than position—a feature more common in high-end simulators. A load cell was the ideal choice for this component.
The HX711 load cell sensor board [Dan] procured initially polled at a modest 10Hz. To address this, he ingeniously lifted a pin from ground and connected it to VDD, boosting the polling rate to a more responsive 80Hz, suitable for a driving simulator setup.
For force feedback, [Dan] ingeniously employed a 3D-printed bushing devoid of walls, acting as resistance for the pedal. Since the bushing was simply made from infill, its stiffness could be adjusted by altering the infill percentage. An aluminum extrusion formed the base, enabling [Dan] to customize the pedal's precise positions. To round off the assembly, a standard Arduino communicated with the PC as a game controller.
The project is available on GitHub, with potential enhancements, such as active feedback for the DIY pedal setup, suggested for future iterations.
Dan, having found the commercial pedals underwhelming compared to his homemade steering wheel, decided to create his own DIY pedals using technology like Arduino, Hall effect sensors, and a load cell. The pedals were designed with cost-effectiveness in mind, featuring interchangeable brackets and relying on adjustable springs for response. For the brake pedal, he used a load cell sensor board and a custom 3D-printed bushing for force feedback, making it more suitable for a driving simulator setup. The entire project, including the source code and schematics, is available on GitHub for those interested in DIY gadgets.
