Help with button box and Arduino - Simhub General https://www.simhubdash.com/community-2/simhub-support/help-with-button-box-and-arduino/ All about SimHub! en-US Wed, 22 Apr 2026 05:02:24 +0000 wpForo 60 RE: Help with button box and Arduino https://www.simhubdash.com/community-2/simhub-support/help-with-button-box-and-arduino/#post-3126 Wed, 21 Jul 2021 08:53:19 +0000 @blackghostd5 Thanks for your input! The start engine button and the toggle switch have a LED built in and they use 12V, so I'm thinking of a solution to power the LED strip, matrix and the two leds with just one power supply or the Arduino itself as the LED strip and matrix are 5V.

]]> Simhub General TheBlitz https://www.simhubdash.com/community-2/simhub-support/help-with-button-box-and-arduino/#post-3126 RE: Help with button box and Arduino https://www.simhubdash.com/community-2/simhub-support/help-with-button-box-and-arduino/#post-3117 Fri, 16 Jul 2021 20:25:22 +0000 You might need external power supply! The switches, encoders and buttons don't require much power, but 16 WS2812B LED-s, and an LED matrix might. I had an 8 digit 7 segment LED display, a 16x2 LCD, and 16 WS2812B LED-s hooked up trough USB, and if the WS2812 LED-s lit up at higher brightness, the contrast on the LCD would fade away, also the 7 segment LED display would dimm as well, so i think you should consider an external power source.

]]> Simhub General BlackGhostD5 https://www.simhubdash.com/community-2/simhub-support/help-with-button-box-and-arduino/#post-3117 RE: Help with button box and Arduino https://www.simhubdash.com/community-2/simhub-support/help-with-button-box-and-arduino/#post-3116 Fri, 16 Jul 2021 14:18:13 +0000 @alexxx23 Thank you for helping out! Just ordered the Leonardo and hope it's going to work out!

]]> Simhub General TheBlitz https://www.simhubdash.com/community-2/simhub-support/help-with-button-box-and-arduino/#post-3116 RE: Help with button box and Arduino https://www.simhubdash.com/community-2/simhub-support/help-with-button-box-and-arduino/#post-3111 Fri, 16 Jul 2021 05:34:29 +0000 Hey! Leonardo works in the same way as Micro. In fact, they are the same thing. It is also recognized as a joystick in games, but has more inputs and an additional power connection.  For such a project, i did not use additional power, there enough power from USB. 

]]> Simhub General Alexxx23 https://www.simhubdash.com/community-2/simhub-support/help-with-button-box-and-arduino/#post-3111 Help with button box and Arduino https://www.simhubdash.com/community-2/simhub-support/help-with-button-box-and-arduino/#post-3107 Thu, 15 Jul 2021 12:21:28 +0000 I want to make a button box with the following parts:

  • 10 momentary push buttons
  • 5 rotary encoders
  • 1 toggle switch
  • 1 start engine button
  • 16 leds for RPM (from a WS2812 Strip)
  • 1 LED matrix for gear indication (MAX7219 LED Matrix)

My question is, which Arduino is the best for this project. If I understand correctly I need an Arduino Pro Micro so the games recognizes the buttons. Will an Arduino Leonardo be as good as the Arduino Pro Micro for this project, because I can't seem to find an Arduino Pro Micro in stores.

Besides the Arduino, do I need an additional power supply or is the 5V from the Arduino enough for the parts?

Thanks in advance!

]]> Simhub General TheBlitz https://www.simhubdash.com/community-2/simhub-support/help-with-button-box-and-arduino/#post-3107