I need more analog inputs.
 

I have a Logitech Extreme 3D Pro, and because I found a used one for $20 CAD, the features/price ratio is pretty sweet. A POV hat, a twist rudder, a throttle, and lots of buttons.

But I don't need lots of buttons, my keyboard can handle that. What I need is more dials or sliders like the throttle. It would make learning complex engine management much more intuitive than having to press a button for each incremental increase.

I'm sure there are expensive game controllers designed for flight simulators that feature these, but I'm looking for a very inexpensive option. Specifically, I once learned how to wire potentiometers to the serial port of my computer and program them using Visual Basic. Because my current computer doesn't have a serial port, I even have an RS232 serial to USB adapter built.

The only problem is that IL-2 only accepts game controller inputs, and I have no idea how to program a driver for one. Has anyone else been down this road before? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

That would be a great solution! Unfortunately I don't own any MIDI devices. I do, however, own lots and lots of potentiometers, dials, and sliders...

I'm starting to think my best bet is to just rip apart a really cheap USB joystick and replace the X and Y axes with two of my own sliders or dials.

look up Leo Bodner (Bodnar - not sure of the spelling). It's a USB/analogue interface pcb that a few people are using. Not sure how good it is, but it's a start.
:)

I own Leo's BU0836X, which I can wholeheartedly recommend.

It supports 8 analog inputs, 32 buttons or 16 rotary encoders(a combination of both is possible) and a hat switch.


Keep in mind that the 8 analog axes are a DirectX limit. A single controller cannot exceed that.
For IL2 you'll need to keep in mind the 4 controller limit as well.

That's a max of 32 axes which is more than you can assign to IL2, excluding head movement and the general power & proppitch axes I count 17.

Me, too!
Not really: With YaDeLi you can connect all axes of any controllers beyond the first four to IL-2 and with Autohotkey (and crazy key-combinations such ctrl+shift+alt+a) all of their buttons.

Artist

Beware: Let's take a simple joystick. It could have 8 axes, but actually has, lets say 3 (elevator, aileron, and a small throttle). Thats a slack of 5 axes which are lost.

Take a G940: 5 axes used on the stick (loss: 3). 3 axes used on the pedals (loss: 5), 4 axes used on the throttle (loss: 4). Result: 3 controllers offer 12 axes and the fourth controller (i.e. a Bodnar) can offer 8 (=20 instead of 32 possibles).

Artist

Artist is on the spot

There are some solutions with PIC's using USB interface, that allow you to use sliders, specially useful for trims, prop pitch, and even bombing sights.

Still, the sites I know are in Spanish.