HS6-GT – DIY H-Pattern Shifter

[Bitacaia]

Hey Tiago,

On my shifter I plan to use only four buttons to sense the position of the lever.
I wanna activate single buttons by sensor combinations. I have 1 sensor for forward, 1 for backward, 1 for left, 1 for right.
The combination of these is the 6 buttons for the gears
Hope you understand what I mean.
This way you safe 2 hall effect sensors.

Yes i understand. And your message got me thinking. There is this 3D hall sensors, like the one found in the shifter TH8A. Would be interesting to see if there is something similar to connect to the arduino.
Just fixing a strong magnet on the "Offset Lever" would be enough to generate some input information to the arduino, to play with.

I need to investigate about this.

 

[Bitacaia]

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So, i have bought this 3D Hall sensor effect board. People uses them to make Joysticks for flight simulators. I believe there is enough information to play with it.
The only problem, i will only receive them in March... will take so long... Like the normal HES i have bought,,, i will receive my pack of 10 in the end of February...

I have no luck with delivering times...

Tiago Viana

 

[Fatapoc]

I finished my shifter, wow! Shifting feels very solid.

Printing the cases took me about 20-30 hours per case (top case, middle case and bottom case), the offset leavers took me about 3 hours per part (2 parts in total). So printing took about 70-80 hours in total. I decided to print the offset leavers with PETG and all the other parts in PLA, this is just an experiment and this is my first time printing with PETG. I think it's a little more flexible and strong in comparison to PLA, but I'll have to see how PETG holds up after a long time.

I made a list of all the costs, and I spend around €60 to €70 in total not including parts I already had laying around (springs, washers, silicon grease, etc.) and 3d filament. I decided to spend a little more on quality parts so it could be a little bit cheaper if you decide to buy the cheapest parts. The most expensive part for me was the Nissan shifter. The shifter was $18 and shipping was $16, so that was the biggest expense.

I'm very satisfied with this shifter, there is a lot of room for experimenting with different parts and methods. I think I will use a stronger spring for the vertical movement of the shifter because it feels a little bit too weak, but you don't want to make the spring too strong because it will wear the offset leaver faster. I greased all the moving parts with silicon grease, because I don't like the metal on plastic parts too much. I might look into using a nylon bearing.

I'm not finished with this shifter yet because I like to see what creative solutions Bitacaia decides to use for the shifting method. I will probably use the microswitch method for now because I have them laying around.

Here is a video of the shifter:

 

[Bitacaia]

Cool!
From the video, it looks very soft the engagement. But, probably the feeling on the hand is better.
One solution, if you put a M4 screw under the spring, it will raise the spring against the shaft, and make the engagement stronger. So, you will have more alternatives, that way.
About the stronger spring, probably is too strong, but the only option is to test and see how long the "Offset Lever" will last. If it breaks fast, then, we must find a different solution or material.
Now is a question of testing and breaking.

About the actuation method. The best option is to stick to the micro switch. As i wrote on the post before yours, im still waiting for my Hall sensors to arrive...
But i can release the arduino sketch, as a beta version
PM me if you need.

Tiago Viana

 

[Fatapoc]

Cool!
From the video, it looks very soft the engagement. But, probably the feeling on the hand is better.
One solution, if you put a M4 screw under the spring, it will raise the spring against the shaft, and make the engagement stronger. So, you will have more alternatives, that way.
About the stronger spring, probably is too strong, but the only option is to test and see how long the "Offset Lever" will last. If it breaks fast, then, we must find a different solution or material.
Now is a question of testing and breaking.

About the actuation method. The best option is to stick to the micro switch. As i wrote on the post before yours, im still waiting for my Hall sensors to arrive...
But i can release the arduino sketch, as a beta version
PM me if you need.

Tiago Viana

I'll just stick with the microswitches for now . I think the issue with the soft engagement is because I used springs that are too short. I had some left over springs laying around from when I replaced the springs on my 3d printer. The springs I use now, are 2cm, I don't know if you used 2cm or 2,5cm. I could try 2,5cm springs, but the feeling of the engagement is okay. Or if I use a nylon bearing that is slightly bigger than the metal one, it might solve this issue.

 

[silverburgler]

Cool work, might try to build one myself

 

[Gerzson]

Hey guys.
I just stumbled upon this topic. Very nice to see people designing shifters as there are not many to choose from on the market.
Great job, congratulations for the design. The idea for using the Nissan shifter is excellent.

I noticed the question of how to implement the reverse gear.
My solution for the "DIY Active H-Shifter" (yes, I'm the designer of the one in the linked youtube video)
...is really simple:
Pull the lever to the left neutral position between gear 1 and 2, that starts a countdown timer from 1 seconds, then put it in 6th gear before the timer runs out.
If feels unexpectedly natural and I use it with success after a month of testing in Dirt Rally 2.0 when I have to reverse out of a ditch quickly.

 

[Bitacaia]

Hey guys.
I just stumbled upon this topic. Very nice to see people designing shifters as there are not many to choose from on the market.
Great job, congratulations for the design. The idea for using the Nissan shifter is excellent.

I noticed the question of how to implement the reverse gear.
My solution for the "DIY Active H-Shifter" (yes, I'm the designer of the one in the linked youtube video)
...is really simple:
Pull the lever to the left neutral position between gear 1 and 2, that starts a countdown timer from 1 seconds, then put it in 6th gear before the timer runs out.
If feels unexpectedly natural and I use it with success after a month of testing in Dirt Rally 2.0 when I have to reverse out of a ditch quickly.

Hum!!! Nice solution. And easy to implement. I will look into that! thanks. And congratulations for your shifter. Really impressive.

My solution is a small ring, positioned under the shifter knob, with a button and a spring. When putting the Reverse, you push the ring up (i think Renault have the same ring) and put the gear at your choice (1st or 6th). It can be flexible, but will have external wiring.... I´m still fighting with the arduino code for this... that´s why in didn´t show the idea.

Tiago Viana

 

[Gerzson]

Hum!!! Nice solution. And easy to implement. I will look into that! thanks. And congratulations for your shifter. Really impressive.

My solution is a small ring, positioned under the shifter knob, with a button and a spring. When putting the Reverse, you push the ring up (i think Renault have the same ring) and put the gear at your choice (1st or 6th). It can be flexible, but will have external wiring.... I´m still fighting with the arduino code for this... that´s why in didn´t show the idea.

Tiago Viana

The arduino code part is relatively easy compared to other parts I had trouble with.
If you'd like, I can share my arduino sketch of my older shifter, without the active part.
I also thought about a switch in the knob, but I wanted to avoid extra wiring and mechanical parts.

 

[Gerzson]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ydna7qjyzqel1e1/Old_Shifter_V1.zip?dl=1

 

[Bitacaia]

So, i had a new ideia, after Gerzson suggestion:
Every time you are in neutral or with a gear engaged that is not the 5th gear, and you engage the 6th gear, the out put would be the reverse (7th gear). To get to the 6th gear, you would need to pass first through the 5th gear.
I see allot of small problems:
-You cannot jump gears (i don´t believe anyone will jump from 4th to 6th....)
-if you are in 5th gear, driving fast, and you have an accident or lost of control. you need to engage fast the reverse gear, it will not work, because it will engage 6th gear. (this can happen in a rally sim)
-Most sims, to bind the keys you will need to engage a gear, and is automatic binded. So, to bind the 6th gear can be difficult... (one solution: Before binding the gear, in game, you could engage the 6th gear, then press the in game button to bind the 6th gear)

The only problem... i cannot write in arduino this case...

Feel free to suggest a code for this, because im no code expert...

Tiago Viana

 

[Gerzson]

So, i had a new ideia, after Gerzson suggestion:
Every time you are in neutral or with a gear engaged that is not the 5th gear, and you engage the 6th gear, the out put would be the reverse (7th gear). To get to the 6th gear, you would need to pass first through the 5th gear.
I see allot of small problems:
-You cannot jump gears (i don´t believe anyone will jump from 4th to 6th....)
-if you are in 5th gear, driving fast, and you have an accident or lost of control. you need to engage fast the reverse gear, it will not work, because it will engage 6th gear. (this can happen in a rally sim)
-Most sims, to bind the keys you will need to engage a gear, and is automatic binded. So, to bind the 6th gear can be difficult... (one solution: Before binding the gear, in game, you could engage the 6th gear, then press the in game button to bind the 6th gear)

The only problem... i cannot write in arduino this case...

Feel free to suggest a code for this, because im no code expert...

Tiago Viana

My suggestion is that you should consider trying to implement my suggestion.
The only thing you need to add is a microswitch with a lever that has a roller, so it can detect stick position in the left direction, even without a gear being engaged. That switch will trigger the countdown timer for 6th/reverse. It works perfectly in control assignments too.

The other thing you could to if you don't want to change the hardware, is, engage 1st gear, start the countdown timer and engage 6th, which will become reverse if engaged before timer runs out.

The dropbox link I shared has the necessary code you can solve it with.

 

[Daniel R.]

Or you add a microswitch as proposed by @Gerzson and then do a if- else thing.
So if microswitch and 6th gear button is activeated it gives out the "reverse" button, else only "6th" gear button.
Should be easy to implement in the code also. The thing that i worry about is the timer beeing a timer, so you are forced to wait a bit and you loose some time.

The thing also generally is, that you use reverse not very often. Only in case of a off track. So it could also be a switch outside in the housing instead of a microswitch inside the assembly.
Same as the "Neutral" button/lever on sequential stick shifters f.e.

 

[Gerzson]

Or you add a microswitch as proposed by @Gerzson and then do a if- else thing.
So if microswitch and 6th gear button is activeated it gives out the "reverse" button, else only "6th" gear button.
Should be easy to implement in the code also. The thing that i worry about is the timer beeing a timer, so you are forced to wait a bit and you loose some time.

The thing also generally is, that you use reverse not very often. Only in case of a off track. So it could also be a switch outside in the housing instead of a microswitch inside the assembly.
Same as the "Neutral" button/lever on sequential stick shifters f.e.

Think of the timer as something like a "combo" you would do in Mortal Kombat. Not a fatality, just a spinning kick a'la Chuck Norris.
There are not many cases when you need to change from 1st to 6th quickly, unless you're a trucker and have a range switch.

The idea originated from my teenage years when I drove a Polski Fiat 126p. It didn't have sync mesh for 1st gear. I had to engage 2nd, then 1st quickly at every red light.

 

[Bitacaia]

So, good news. Gerzson made a working sketch with reverse included. Thank you, you´re the MAN!!!

the new sketch version is 1.2, the link is in the first post.

The way it works is easy:
To engage reverse you need first to put in 1st gear. Then you have 1s to engage the 6th gear. If you take longer then 1s, it will engage 6th gear.
The engagement time is easy to change. In the sketch, you´ll find this line:

#define REVERSE_DURATION 1000 <- value in ms

Just change the "ms" value to fit your need.

Hope this solution fits your need. I like it, because we don´t need more wires and switches.

Tiago Viana

 

[JAVROD]

INCREDIBLE YOUR WORK. Happy. I am trying to separate the fusion 360 file but I can't get the files loose so I can print them in 3d someone could help me. THANKS

 

[Fatapoc]

INCREDIBLE YOUR WORK. Happy. I am trying to separate the fusion 360 file but I can't get the files loose so I can print them in 3d someone could help me. THANKS

If you have the fusion 360 files you can export components as stl files by clicking with the right mouse button on a component and select export as stl. I can add a screenshot later if you want.

 

[JAVROD]

ok muchas gracias por contestar pero no se como hacerlo tengo esto como separo cada pieza de ay no se hacerlo

 

[NeoGrotesk]

Hey guys.
I just stumbled upon this topic. Very nice to see people designing shifters as there are not many to choose from on the market.
Great job, congratulations for the design. The idea for using the Nissan shifter is excellent.

I noticed the question of how to implement the reverse gear.
My solution for the "DIY Active H-Shifter" (yes, I'm the designer of the one in the linked youtube video)
...is really simple:
Pull the lever to the left neutral position between gear 1 and 2, that starts a countdown timer from 1 seconds, then put it in 6th gear before the timer runs out.
If feels unexpectedly natural and I use it with success after a month of testing in Dirt Rally 2.0 when I have to reverse out of a ditch quickly.

I'm in awe of your active shifter, it looks amazing! Are you planning on selling complete shifters or creating DIY instructions for them? (I'd like my name at the top of the list for either! )

This whole thread is full of ingenuity. I wish I had half the talent you guys have.

 

[Gerzson]

I'm in awe of your active shifter, it looks amazing! Are you planning on selling complete shifters or creating DIY instructions for them? (I'd like my name at the top of the list for either! )

This whole thread is full of ingenuity. I wish I had half the talent you guys have.

I'm planning to sell completed and tested units for a reasonable price. I make all of it myself, with simple tools.
It's currently at beta testing phase. I'm preparing 4 shifters as the very first batch for testers who are willing to support my efforts and my investment. If it receives positive feedback, I will start ordering parts for more.

Meanwhile I started sketching plans for a totally different design, yet still an active shifter, this time using the nissan shifter.
We'll see what will come out of it.