MobiFlight Community Support

This might be an X-Plane question rather than a MF one, but I want to use a potentiometer to control braking in a progressive way while taxiing. I don't have pedals at the moment and I only want to set up a prototype before I make a pedal setup. I can't seem to find an XPUIPC offset that actually mentions any sort of progressive or variable braking - is there one that I've missed?
Or can I configure the single potentiometer twice to use the 0BC4 and 0BC6 offsets for left and right? Is it even possible to configure one input for two different actions?

Hi

The Brake is pretty sure also in Xplane available as a "Sim Controll" .... So a Axis that can be assigned via SIM Controll Options to a exisiting Joystick Axis ( Same way as you set the Elevator and Aileron of your Joystick/Yoke) .
That means the most logical way is to use a Joystick Controller for this . Best way by using a real Rudder/Brake Tool. Or by a improvisional system.

For sure. You could also set the Poti via Mobiflight and write data to the Sim via XPUIPC.
BUT.... why make a bypass.

MF is pretty cool to controll things that are not possible within the Sim Controll Options. But reversed it is not logical to use MF via the XPUIPC Bypass for elements that are ALREADY possible directly in Xplane.

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About your Questions.

1. I recommend to use the Sim Controlls for Brakes.
2. YES it is pretty sure also possible via Mobiflight, but i think its not logical to do.
3. You need to write the Brake Offset. I not know XPUIPC here.... But it should be as you expected 0BC4 and 0BC6
Also 0C00 and 0C01 sounds interesting and you can give them a try.

4. YES you can duplicate Inputs.

Simply create for example 2 Input Configs in a row.
The First for example set Landing Light Switch.... The Second set Texi Light Switch.
BOTH use same Device ( a button for example)
If you press the Button it will execute the first config and some milliseconds later the second config.

In your case.... If you use the same Poti for 2 different things.... then MF will controll both things in a row. These Milliseconds delay is not feelable.
So its like it work parallel !

It took me a while to get back to this, sorry for the delay. I don’t have a joystick that x-plane recognises, all my controls are home made with potentiometers - elevators, ailerons, elevator trim, and now parking brakes and nose wheel steering/rudder. These last two are just simple controls mounted on the desktop as a prototype because I didn’t want to go to the effort of making a proper set of pedals.
In case anyone else is interested in the setup for diy potentiometer controls in X-Plane:
As you said, it is easy to reference the brake potentiometer twice in MF, one for the left brake 0BC4 and once for the right brake 0BC6, the input settings are Action Type - FSUIPC-Offset, and the Set Value in my case was (@-335)*48.9. The potentiometer range was 335 to ~700.
The nose wheel/rudder was set up similar to an elevator or aileron control, as the range extends from -16383 to +16383, centring at zero. Again an FSUIPC offset 0BBA was used, and the set value was (@-15)*32.47-16383.

Thanks for all the help you’ve provided!

You missunderstand me!

You not need to have a real "Joystick" !
We talk about HID Controllers. ( the little PCB inside your joystick)

With Mobiflight a Controler ( The MEga, Uno, Micro and so on) get flashed with our Firmware. So it talk to Mobiflight and send data to it.
And Mobiflight send Data in Xplane via XPUIPC to the Sim.

You can also use some Arduionos as a HID Controller. Means the Computer see this Arduino like a "Joystick".
If you use a Poti as a Analog Device it is a AXIS.... Same way as the X/Y/Z Axis of a real Joystick.
If you set a Switch or Button to a Digital Pin it is detected by your Computer like a PRess of a Button on a Real Joystick!

So i hope you understand..... I not mean you should use a real joystick.
I mean you should wire your Buttons/Potis to a cheap Arduino.....
BUT
You should not use Mobiflight Firmware on it... You should use a freeware Joystick Library to convert the Arduino into a "Joystick" that is detected by Windows same way as a real Joystick/Gamepad.

Cause THEN you can assign functions within the Sim Options menue to it...: Same way as you would use a real Joystick !

And sure... You could also buy a LeoBodnar or a other Premade Joystick Controller (much more expensive like a arduino)
Then you not need to download the Joystick Sketch and flash it..... Cause those Boards are already "real" HID Controllers !

Yes I did misunderstand. But I'm slightly surprised that you recommend not using MF for the joystick and go for something like NanoJoy and an Arduino Nano rather than the Mega that I already have. I discounted that option before I bought the Mega because I didn't want to mess with writing Arduino sketches (because I am no good at it so it just frustrates me). I'd rather pay the extra for a LeoBodnar board I think!
Anyway, as it is I have all the potentiometers working as they should thanks to your help, so I can now turn my rough prototypes into something a bit more realistic.

. But I'm slightly surprised that you recommend not using MF for the joystick and go for something like NanoJoy and an Arduino Nano rather than the Mega that I already have.

Thats the benefit cause i´m not a employe of Mobiflight and also Mobiflight is not a commercial Product. Its a Freeware Open Source Project!

You tell me what you like to do.... And my target is to show you ( from my point of view) the most easy, cheap or profitable way.

I love Mobiflight and i spent a lot of my free time to support this wonderfull piece of Software.
But why should i guide you to go a difficult way by using Mobiflight, if there exist a much more better way (in my eyes) by using a freeware Joy Library ?

At the end.... We all are Cockpitbuilders. We should support us each other. Thats the only relevant point !

Ah, got you, now I understand! Where’s the ‘like’ button

Is there a DataRef preset for Parking Brake Status in X-Plane - so as to connect to my LED as an Output? This seems to be fine and easy to locate on the MSFS presets - but how would I configure this for X-Plane? Thanks.

Yes it is....
In case you ask for status ... so i expect we talk about a Output (LED e.g.)

So create a Output Config..... Choose for typ "Xplane Dataref" and use the search mask same way like in FS2020.
I simply try "park" and got 4 hits....
There it is "Parking Brake : sim/flightmodel/controls/parkbrake"

Oooh, thank you, I didn't realise that's how easy it was. I thought that DataRef was to SET the Parking Brake as an input - I thought I had to look for a DataRef which was flagged as an Indicator (or Status).

I don't have to add anything further on the config screen? I don't quite follow how this 'read' will light the LED if '1', and leave the LED off if '0'.

So, if I use that DataRef as Input, it will behave as a set parking brake input function, but if I use it within the Output tab, it instead functions as an Output to read the status of the Parking Brake?

On a slight tangent - for an Input (X-Plane), how/where do I add a paramater on the Input configuration tab?

hhhm. Its not so easy at all time.
Specially for AddOn Aircrafts as i know its often more difficult.

Please Note: this tool is pretty new. So the List is not complete. With the time more and more users share there digged Datarefs and Commands with us.
E.g. if a AddOn like the Zibo use own stuff then we can not know it (Cause we not own this addon )... But if a Zibo user find out those data and give it to us then we add it to the list.

Basically we can say... Outputs are Datarefs .
In your case... There can be for sure in some AddOn Aircrafts also a own Dataref like "Parking Brake Indication" .... E.g. if there is a LED in the Virtual Cockpit.
Maybe in a good way that Dataref only show 1 (LED on) if also Power is in aircraft ... If Master Battery is off the LED will not light whatever brake is set.
But sure... theres also a Dataref like the above one that show simply the status of the Brake itself (set ot not). We can easy use it now.

For Inputs as i know we can write Datarefs, too ( Not sure if all or just some of them)
So as you say.... In Output it show current state ( e.g. 1/0) in Input we would write Value 1 or 0 to it to change the state.

Alternate are "Commands" ... These predefined Actions are like Makros. Here we would not use a Value... Cause here there would be 2 Commands like "Parkbrake set "and "Parkbrake Release"

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Last Note:
I not use Xplane and also not this tool.
Its mor logical to talk to the guys who build it and work with Xplane all the day.
But they are not here in Forum. They are on our DISCORD https://www.mobiflight.com/#hyperlink
Please join our Server and directly get help from the Pros !

OK thanks, will do.

Just one clarification though - let's say I'm entering an Input (Auto Crossfeed). I have the option of 0=Off, 1=Auto, 2=On. The Value field currently shows just $. What is the syntax for entering a value - I can't find this in information in any tutorial - sometimes it's the simple things that get me stumped.

eg. For AUTO ...

Do I enter $=1, or delete the $ and just type 1, or am I on the wrong track???

Thanks again.

There is no tutorial yet cause as i said... This is experimental and come in MF with the latest Update.

About Question.... I don´t know myself in case i never try.....

Why not simply test it ? You can not dostroy anything!
Use $ and test... If not work use 0 or 1 or 2 and check what happen !


Pretty sure $ is wrong i expect. $ represent the current value of the Config Target.
So in a Input to a Dataref $ is i expect the current Value of it.
We use $ for Inputs e.g. in Encoders when we like to say "increase by 1" So $+1 means "read current Value, Add1 and write result back to Sim".
To SET a Element its logical to use as Value eact the number (e.g. 1) you like to set.

Not sure if Dataref work same way.... Thats just the basic Logic MF work since years.

Thanks .