MobiFlight Community Support

Hi all. I am getting back into flight simulation after around 15 years of abscence from any flight sim activity. Things have indeed moved on and I am at this point contemplating building a cockpit at home. cessna or 737. Money of course is tight and I have been browsing the net to find the cheapest way of doing this. I am able to build panels myself and good with electronics and a soldering iron.

I have been looking at the mobiflight software and how it is used to program an arduina mega. However, when I left the hobby in 2005 I had a full license to FSUIPC. I do see that FSUIPC is incorporated in Mobiflight. The question for me is can mobiflight and an arduino board alone run things or will I need to use FSUIPC along side it?

Regards

Kaborex

Hi Kaborex,

welcome to MobiFlight!

You are absolutely right, in the past 15 years a lot has developed for the flight simulator.

On your core question whether MobiFlight relies on FSUIPC in operation: the answer is a resounding YES.

FSUIPC is the mediator between MobiFlight and the simulator. Your external hardware controls via the MEGA (whether brand or clone - important is Mega 2560 R3) and the MobiFlight software FSUIPC, which in turn passes the data on to the simulator and vice versa.

FSUIPC can therefore not be dispensed with.
Development at FSUIPC has not stopped now. For e.g. the FSX is still the 32 bit version (version 4.x) and if you are using the P3D from version 4 you need the 64 bit version of FSUIPC (version 5.1x).

The full version of FSUIPC is not required for all processes (with V4.x and 5.x). However, the registration can be rescheduled later at any time if required.

If you want to fly with X-Plane, you need XPUIPC, which behaves like FSUIPC.

Something else about the mega. If you buy a clone of the Mega, you usually need the CH340 driver so that the boards are recognized. If you don't have a source for it, please let me know and I'll send the driver to you. You can get inexpensive clones from the Mega on the Internet for less than 10 euros / 12 dollars.

The breadboards with the DuPont plug-in cables are ideal for testing. This makes it relatively easy to set up complex test circuits, which can then be adopted in its final version. Since you have a good knowledge of soldering and electronics, we do not need to go into more detail here.

If you have any further questions, don't be afraid to ask them here. You can also use the forum search. Many topics, both regarding Cessna and B737 have already been solved here and can support you sustainably.

Good luck with building your home cockpit with MobiFlight.

Hi Kaborex.

You choose a interesting moment to startup cockpitbuilding !
Cause Microsoft is currently build a new Sim .... A Software that is a "giant step" we never see before i think.

So it sounds funny but you not "miss" lots of stuff within the last 15 years.... Sure things like Mobiflight come and cockpitbuilding become more easy and comfortable..... And Lots of AddOns increase deepness from the Sim..... BUT The Sim itself not realy going forward and stay in a technical status from maby 2007.


So i recommend to you..... Use the current situation as a "testingground". Startup working with Mobiflight if you like..... Build your first panels to get a feeling for materials like Acrylglass .... Learn to handle machines like engravers, CnC Miling and so on.... Get into the electrical stuff.... Maby build a testing Board like myself that include all needed things like buttons, switche motors displays LED and so on.

BUT... I would simply wait to startup the final building.
For me it make no sense to invest money a.t.m. for P3D, FUIPC Licences to P3D , AddOn Aircrafts and so on.
If New FS2020 is so perfect as it is anounced then nearly everybody will build there Cockpit on that Plattform.
So it is no good option to startup now on old system for only some months left.

Hi all,

Yes cannot wait for fs2020. I am using everythong as a test platform and just familiarising myself with all the programming and getting buttons and switches to work. Electronic wise I am confident but is is in panel building and lack of cnc machine at home that is the biggest obstacle. I managed to build myself a valve guitar amp so when it comes to electronics and a soldering iron I am ok.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atlBxSaXqZo


I have progressed well with the cockpit build. I am messing around with an arduino mega. managed to get buttons and leds to work well. Today I got 2x lcd 16x2. I was hoping to use them to display the com1. com2. nav1 and Nav2 frequencies.

I have managed to get the screens working up to the point of testing. It displays what I write on the screen:

eg

Com1: ???.???
com2: $$$.$$$

After that I reload and still all it displays is the above test. It is not picking up the actual radio frequencies displayed in the plane. I have followed the popular video on youtube. so far no luck. My lcds hace the i2c attachment and all seems well.

Can anyone please help me.

Regards

Kaborex

Hi Kaborex,

if I understand you correctly, you want to display COM1 and COM2. Both the active and the standby frequency?

The active frequency can only be displayed while the standby frequency e.g. can be changed with an encoder (there they are again, the EventIDs).

To display the COM1 frequency you need the list FSUIPC4 Offsets Status.pdf

Here you are looking for offset 311A ​​for COM1 stby and 034E for COM1 active
In the Config Wizard you enter the length of 2 bytes INT and check BCD format.
If you already see the numbers 12345 in the test, you have already wired everything correctly.
A frequency of 123.45 will be shown as 2345 on Mobiflight. You then have to set the decimal point.
If you now switch back to the FSUIPC tab, you will see the line Transform that is not active. Put the hook in front and the field says $. Here you just add +10000 and then it should say $+10000. This adds the value of 10000 to your frequency value of 2345 and the value is then 12345 and with the correct decimal point you will then be shown the correct frequency.

You do the same with COM2.

Thank you once again.

regards

Kaborex

For me it make no sense to invest money a.t.m. for P3D, FUIPC Licences to P3D , AddOn Aircrafts and so on.
If New FS2020 is so perfect as it is anounced then nearly everybody will build there Cockpit on that Plattform.
So it is no good option to startup now on old system for only some months left.

Dammed..... 2 Months ago i wrote this. And then came Corona and i do what i said i won´t. Whatever Fly again is realy funny.


About your Situation:

1. If you use FSX all is correct..... If you still use P3D v4 or v5 then you will find already a Offset that include That Value in a better form ( with 3 Decimal digits) Check the List.

2. Take care about using $$$ Dollar there... $ is the current value of a Config and should never be used as a Placeholder ( Only if you realy like to show the OffsetValue of the Config itself)

3. If you use FSX/ P3Dv3 and you like a LCD Diplay ( NOT a 7Seg) then you NOT need the Transform "$+10000" You can write the Leading "1" simply in the Display Field.
Your Display entry should look like....
"COM1 ACT: 1##.##"
"COM1 STB: 1§§.§§"
Then the 1 and the Point "." are "hardcoded" and only the 4 numbers are readed from the Offset.

Ok. I understand. I must say the forum here is very helpful here. I have had a very quick reply from all my questions. Excellent. I am not sure if I was working too hard last night but it got to a point where I programmed the following encoders:

AP ALT encoder
AP Heading emcoder
AP IAS encoder

but for the life of me, I could not find anythiing to use for the AP Course encoder? I looked through the event ID and offsets but will check again today.


regards
Kaborex b

If you use a AddOn maby it work internal ( Like in PMDG)
Maby check this for Standard Aircrafts....

VOR1 OBI DEC 65662
VOR1 OBI INC 65663
VOR2 OBI DEC 65664
VOR2 OBI INC 65665

I am using standard aircraft. I jave not managed to get it to work so far. However now the other issue is I am trying 7 segment displays in standard 737 fsx. I can get the displays to work and is connected up properly. I have tried using the standard offset that comes up for fsuipc and the display does something but not showing exactly what the display should read. some weird numbers coming up.

For the AP heading value FSUIPC comes up with the following:

($ * 360) / 65536

Even if i remove that it does not show up correctly.

Regards

Kaborex

This value is not "clear" .... Its not 0-359 in the Offset.

07CC 2 Autopilot heading value, as degrees*65536/360

So your right.... To get degrees you need a compare like $*360/65536 ( or maby with brakets ($*360)/65536 )

If i remember right this standard Value also got a Signed Problem.

Please try the Transform and use a Heading between 001 and 179 ..... If it work but stop working at 180-359 then you need additional a COMPARE
Enable Compare and say there.... IF Valuie less then zero <0 THEN $+360 ELSE $

Then your Display normaly should work ! ( NOTE Please check what Transform is correct.... With or without brakets )

Hi got it to work. there is a slight dicrepency though. eg

on sim 180,181,182,183,184,185,186,187,188,189,190, 192

shows as the following respectively on the 7 segment display:

181,182,183,184,185,186,187,188,189,190,191 then jumps correctly to 192

so there is 1 degree out and also the 7 segment does not show the degree of 191.. it jumps straight to 192 nand from then on it is in sync with the sim

That is ok for me though.

For anyone having the same issue I used the fsuipc offset of

($ * 360) / 65536

and in the compare section I added the following:
set it to $+360
If current value < 0
else set it to $


thanks.

Kaborex

Rounding pretty sure....

use this in transform instead of your current formula

Round(($*360)/65536,0)


Not test it but normaly hould work.
Get sure you copy/paste it OR you write it exactly same way....

Perfect it works

Round(($*360)/65536,0)
Can you briefly explain what this does? I am very curious

Regards

Kaborex

This is no Magic..... Thats Simply "Math"

If you use your simulator in Window Mode ( or on 2 screens) and you be able to see the Mobiflight Window same time then you see what happen.
There behind each Output Config Line are 2 Columns.... FSUIPC Value is the RAW Value we Read from the Sim..... Output Value is the Recalculated Value Mobiflight export to a Display or a LED e.g.

You must know.... Mobiflight only export (Behind the Transform) FULL Numbers Integer..... So If we read a decimal then 1,00001 and 1,99999 are finaly both "1" Cause without a special command Mobiflight simply ignore everything behind the decimal.

So.... Now check your Math Logic with a calculator .... It say "($*360)/65536 )" So lets say Raw Value is 12345
12345* 360 = 444200 ..... 444200/65536= 67,813~~ So without a additional command Mobiflight would execute here "67"
BUT With Rounding we can simply UP or DOWN round the Value 0-4 is Down .... 5-9 = UP . So Rounding 67,8 rsult in 68 finaly.

SYNTAX: Round(Value,Decimalnumbers) .....
"Round(67.813,0)" means round to a full numnber with "0" Decimals.... = 68
"Round(67.813,2)" means round with 2 decimals.... = 67,81


To simply check this turn in a value that was shown wrong before.... For example 191
I not know the Raw value here but you can see it behind your Config.....
Then calculat this value *360/65536 ...... And pretty sure the result is a number between 190,500 ans 190,999
So Without rounding that value was shown as 190..... With Rounding its now 191.