Absolute position lever to ‘up/down’ button control

[Roog55]

A Control input into my PC is currently via ‘up and down’ keyboard key input, I would like to add a nine position lever offering a mid position, 4 no. up detente’s positions and a corresponding 4 no. Detented positions below the mid position. Each of the moves to the next detent needs to simulate closing an output to simulate pushing the corresponding up and down push buttons as necessary.

So 9 detented positions below the lever input and two pulsed digital outputs to ‘jog’ the level in the PC up and down.

It would also be helpful to have leds to light up along side the lever to confirm the active position.

I would appreciate an electronics hardware solution to this if possible, I am thinking of a shift register of sorts, but don’t have the knowledge of modern ICs which might be designed to perform this or a similar task.

Input device could be a potentiometer or multi segment wafer switch or encoder perhaps?

Your help would be appreciated

Cheers

[tooki]

Sounds like a thrust lever for a flight sim!

Anyhow, this is absolutely a job for a microcontroller like an Arduino of some type. You can make it emulate a USB or PS/2 keyboard (or almost any other obsolete keyboard interface). Don't even bother trying to modify an existing keyboard (it can be done, but it's pointless).

[PCB.Wiz]

A Control input into my PC is currently via ‘up and down’ keyboard key input, I would like to add a nine position lever offering a mid position, 4 no. up detente’s positions and a corresponding 4 no. Detented positions below the mid position. Each of the moves to the next detent needs to simulate closing an output to simulate pushing the corresponding up and down push buttons as necessary.

So 9 detented positions below the lever input and two pulsed digital outputs to ‘jog’ the level in the PC up and down.

It would also be helpful to have leds to light up along side the lever to confirm the active position.

Keep in mind a linear to pulse solution, may also need UP and DN button to (re) set the centre position. Movements during power off are not tracked, so true centre can creep.

If you want LEDs, a LM3914 LED bar driver (EOL, but still available) could provide a useful reference.
A current change sense could pulse UP for step increase in current and DN for step decrease in current.
Some added hysteresis may be needed to avoid boundary chatter effects.

I would appreciate an electronics hardware solution to this if possible, I am thinking of a shift register of sorts,

You could use Shift registers like a couple of HC194 or a single HC299, or a PLD like ATF22LV10CQZ could manage this.
The Register outputs could drive LEDs and create a simple current DAC at the same time.
If you compare with two comparators, with 1/2 LSB offsets, you can get SL/Hold/SR action from a slow clock.