~S~ All,

Am looking into a source of potentiometers for my next project and have seen the term 'centre tapped' as an option.

I'm having difficulties getting my head around what this means - can anyone help me out?

What does 'centre tapped' mean and why might it be a useful thing to have?

All the best,

Pads

Pads
I 've never heard of that description for a pot before. The only thing I can think of is that it is refering to the pot as having a centre detent position.
These type of pots were used in hi fi system mainly for the balance control as you would want the pot to be exactly halfway for the sound to be equal on both channels. They were also used for the tone controls so you could in theory set your tone controls to flat gain ie 0db

sorry I can't be of any more help ???

cheers
chuck

~S~

Thanks for the input.

Ahem, I had actually read the Wikipedia entry but I'm afraid it left me none the wiser...  Thanks for the explanation, it's made it much clearer!

So it is effectively a kind of electrical 'detent' - a means of setting  a zero value, presumably, as the name suggests, at the centre of the potentiometer's range/throw.

Mmmm - mightn't such a central zero point be useful for a joystick axis pot - kind of a built in dead-zone?

All the best?

Pads

RD,


LOL - I mean it though, thanks for the explanation - electronics is by no means my area, although I am picking up bits and pieces as I go.

Actually I've already built a kind of prototype of a prototype long shaft joystick that is now weapon of choice for flying IL-2 and the little bit of FS that I do nowadays. I wanted to build a stick that felt a bit more like the stick in the little microlight I fly (am learning to fly) when I'm not flying my computer. It looks rubbish  , but it works very nicely and does feel more like a real control column. The centering springs are fishing catapult elastic - creates a very nice, smooth feel.

I've attached a couple of pics  to show the innards, but they're not great, I'll see about taking some better ones.





I built the gimbal out of old meccano pieces and built in a 4-to-1 gearing system to increase the throw of the pots from about 10 degrees to about 40 - enough for Windows default joystick driver to calibrate effectively anyway.

I'm currently working on version 2 as a project at a metalwork/modelling class at a local college - learning to use lathes and milling machines and what-not - very interesting and another new area that this obsession... er... hobby has got me into... 

I'm looking into possible potentiometer sources for the new stick (hence the question) and for a throttle quadrant I'm planning, too - I'm looking to make a GA version first with the push/pull engine controls. More of that to follow when it takes shape - it's little more than a fag packet sketch at the moment, but will probably use slider track pots (you can get ones with a 10cm travel, which should be just enough to feel about right)...

Cheers,

Pads

That is very clever... !!
I've already bit off more than I can chew with my simpit project, and I'm only planning to mod the stick part of my existing X45... wouldn't dream of trying to create a stick from scratch!!

Fozzer,

I knew there was a reason we kept you around.   


best,

..................john

Nah... Fozzer must have been in management.... taking credit after the fact for the front line guy's ideas and work!   

best,

.......................john

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...would you lot be attempting to extract the urine from the venerable Fozzer......?

If so you will get no more amazing electronic tips from me...
...so there... ...!

....LOL... ...!

Paul...still designing and building various electronic devices during my happy retirement....and not a single Manager in sight... ...!

...Tee-Hee... ...!