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This might not be the best place to ask this question, but it feels like a good place to start.

There are a few FPV goggles with built in head tracking that sends out a PPM signal. Is there a way to use this together with a computer (for example to emulate a mouse)? As far as I know you would need something to interpret the PPM signal and convert it to a USB signal. One solution / workaround is to connect the goggles to a transmitter and then connect the transmitter to the computer. This, however, feels like a clunky solution and it would be nice with something smaller.

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    $\begingroup$ Do you have any examples of such goggles and their head orientation tracking APIs? Certainly an interesting idea! $\endgroup$
    – ifconfig ♦
    Commented Apr 4, 2021 at 19:36
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    $\begingroup$ One example is the Skyzone sky04x / Eachine EV300O. The only thing I could find abut the head tracking is that it uses PWM that it sends out via a barrel plug. The purpose is to connect the goggles to the trainer port on the transmitter to be able to control an FPV camera for example. There is very little information available online so this is basically everything I know about it. It might be possible to use an Arduino or similar, to convert the PWM signal into something that the computer can interpret as sticks on a game controller for example. $\endgroup$
    – Hannes Hultergård
    Commented Apr 4, 2021 at 20:40
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    $\begingroup$ Oh, lol! I have an Arduino project that does some of this: github.com/neilbalch/CPPM-HID-Adapter If a custom Arduino Joystick HID device is what you're after, this is definitely possible. The project interfaces with the CPPM output of an RC RX, so maybe this can help? $\endgroup$
    – ifconfig ♦
    Commented Apr 5, 2021 at 2:37
  • $\begingroup$ Wow. I'll take a look at that. That is probably useful. $\endgroup$
    – Hannes Hultergård
    Commented Apr 5, 2021 at 9:08
  • $\begingroup$ I just thought I should mention that I found this GitHub repo that seems to do exactly what I want. I don't have an Arduino to try it out at the moment though. $\endgroup$
    – Hannes Hultergård
    Commented Apr 12, 2021 at 12:30

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I have an off the shelf PPM to USB adapter. It isn't this one specifically, but works on the same principle:

RC USB-Interface III

enter image description here

You can either wire it directly to an R/C Receiver or to a buddy box barrel connector.

My Fatshark googles have a buddy box output for the head tracking output, which is what I'd typically run into my R/C transmitter. But it should work equally well directly into this.

The difficult part would be remapping the channels. If I remember correctly the buddy box connection gets roll, pitch, and yaw from channels 5, 6, and 7. And the USB device remaps the inputs to appear as a joystick controller with multiple axis and buttons/sliders.

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  • $\begingroup$ That looks promising, I'll just have to see if I can buy it somewhere... $\endgroup$
    – Hannes Hultergård
    Commented Apr 12, 2021 at 12:25

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