MobiFlight Community Support

Hello, Thank you for this wonderful program. I am working on a flight sim cockpit for a Sesna 172. i am having trouble with the directions for using multiple adriono boards. All of the forum discussions regarding this matter talk about a button with three points, in the extras/settings/mobiflight modules. I have not been able to locate the button in question in order to upload both boards into a one configuration. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Make sure each separate board is working properly; carry out a simple configuration and test separately on each board. When it comes to running them all together make sure they each have their own separate USB cable and port - for example, a USB hub may have four sockets but it only has a single full USB port - so it won't work.

When you run Mobiflight with your three boards plugged in, it will automatically identify each Arduino board and may be seen in the Extras/Settings/Mobiflight Modules/Configured Modules outlined area showing three Arduino icons (the 'buttons'). You can then start on the configuration process of each Arduino by clicking on its icon and do the usual 'Add device' etc. It's worthwhile to give each board a useful name eg 'switches_panel' or 'radio_stack'.

To save time, I'm sure you can configure each board separately and then combine the configurations in the .mcc files - but I wouldn't try unless you've tested the method on the small scale. I know it works the other way - I've split a lengthy, two-Arduino board configuration into a single Arduino board setup. (In the next couple of months I'm probably going to try out the combination of two .mcc configurations).

I have found that it is relatively easy to combine two or more .mcc files if you wish to simplify your cockpit building process and construct separate modules (see https://www.mobiflight.com/forum/topic/1126.html).

The benefit is being able to make a single unit or module, configure, debug and run it before adding more units. Also, if the units or modules are designed as free standing, separate entities they may be used in various combinations as the mood takes you.

Hello, I have 4 Arduinos running on a USB hub without any problems. Is that just coincidence and should I connect all separately s. PC?

I think you guys mixed up 2 different systems !

The Arduino Boards ( And there Setups via Mobiflight) are completly independently to the Config MCC File itself.

For Example:

You got a Arduino Mega... You Upload Firmware to it and you set in "/settings/Modules/Mobiflightboards" some Devices like a 7 Segment Display some LED and some switches.
Now This MEGA turned into a Mobiflight Board and the Devices are set to the defined Pins and have there names like you define ( Like LED 1 Button 1 and so on)

Now you can use THIS Arduino in every MCC Config you like.... For example you got a Config for Standard Cessna... Here you say on LED Display the current Altitude should be shown !
In a other mcc file for a Boeing 737 PMDG you say it should show on that Display for example the EGT Temperature.

So the Arduino Board is NOT fixed to a MCC Config.... For example i can run every MCC File you guys send me if you have problems ALWAYS with my same Arduino Testing Board !

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Same work in other direction, too.... A MCC File is not 100% Fixed to a arduino... Here we define 1 time what hardware should be used !.... But if we change the hardware we can use the new one, too.... We only need to define it again one time so Mobiflight know that it should controlled now other devices like before.

For Example:
You got TWO finished Radio Panels.... And you got ONE Mcc file for Your Cessna. This file is set to the Hardware of Radio Panel 1
If you now use Radio Panel 2 instead of the first you need only to tell Mobiflight that a other Ardiono is in use ( This is the Orphand Modules Tool )
After That your MCC File know the new stuff and work with the other Arduino in same way like with the Old one.

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Summary....
You see that you not need to set a Arduino in same process you create your MCC File. Myself i always do it seperate..... I Open Mobiflight and setup my Board ( Create new devices name it and so on)
THEN i Do some testings in a empty new config.... Like i check all LED with the Parking Brake tutorial.... Or i check all switches with the Barking BRake switch tutorial. Or Maby i show COM1 on all Displays i connect on that board to test functionality.....
THEN i create again a empty new file and i build the needed system i like to implement in my Homecockpit. And Test it again !
Finaly i Copy and paste the new System in my MAIN MCC FILE or i simply create there the new stuff again by hand ( Whatever is faster and more comfortable)