MobiFlight Community Support

Hi guys

Next week I'm thinking of starting work on the MCP Autopilot panel, whats my best options for displays.

7 segments x 5 (Course, Speed, Heading, Alt & V/s) or am I best using like a 3 digit display for speed etc?
I know how to wire up and setup the 7 segment, but I've never wired up any of the other ones.

I've heard about daisy chaining, but just looking for best options here

Thanks

Hi

You must first know.... Should your MCP have a realistic optic or is it a Fun item where function is more important then optic. ?
About Daisy Chain.... This is a other question.... You can Chain it or not. That is just a question of connecting to Mega. This is not important for the system how you set your Displays to the Max Tubes !


1. The most easy and comfortable way is to use simply 8 Diggit Displays ( The max Tubes) . Those are still prebuild and you have no wire work.
Problem is simple: For your MCP ( CRSL - SPD - HDG - ALT - VS - CRSR ) You need a lot of Space !
For example the Left CRS is basicly 3 Diggits .... If you use 8 here you need Space (Left and right) to mount the Maxtube.
Just to confirm you understand.... In Your MCP you just see the 3 needed Diggits cause the "hole" in Frontpanel is cut in that size..... The unneeded 5 Diggits are simply covered behind the panel. ... But here its simply not possible to mount 6 Displays in one Row cause its larger then the original MCP (wide)
But as i say.... If your panel must not look 1:1 you can plan it in a size where you have enough Space for that !

2. The next way is to use Max Tubes with Removeable Diggits ..... Those have a 2x4 Block ! like this https://www.amazon.de/8-Digit-Display-MAX7219-Digital-Control/dp/B00P9277BE
Here again you not difficult rewire it.... You just use a couple of Wire ( 12 lines) to set the 4 Diggit Blocks "away" from the Tube itself.
With this technic you can use a 4 Diggit Block for CRSR CRSL , HDG and SPD ( Cause here 4 diggits are enough ) For ALT and VS you use again a 8 Diggit Block

Here the Problem is like in Point 1 ... You use more Diggits as needed ( To prevent wire works ) . Here its a bit better cause you save 16 unneeded diggits .... But again a 1:1 Rebuild of origional dimensions is not possible cause you have not enough space and also the Switches and shafts are in your way..

3. The "Real" one.
Here you use a 1:1 Number of Diggits.... CRS have 3 ALT Have 5 and so on. ...
In that case you need the displays.... Try to find a kind of Displays with same size and color "common cathode" for 3 4 and 5 diggits.
Alternate... Use Single Diggit Displays and add them to the needed size.... But here you need a lot of wires or you build a PCB.
Finaly you must wire those Displays to a MaxChip.... I Recommend to use here the Maxtubes from above with removeable diggits. Here you not need to solder a chip or make the power managment cause its still prebuild..... you simply remove the original 4 diggit Displays and wire on the slots your individual 3,4,5 diggit blocks !

4. High End Solution:
For a 100% Perfect MCP most advanced users build a PCB .... Here they use Single Diggits. All the wire work is done on PCB .... Also the Maxchips and the complete power managment are include on the PCB ( Or have prebuild connectors) ..... here finaly you just got a 5 Pin Connector on one Spot that is wired to your Mega and ALL Displays on MCP are controlled with this lines.

****
Summary. Think about optic and how many time/money you like to spent ..... Then choose for one option !

Perfect, thanks for the detailed explanation.

So, if I bought the 7 segments in your link, and removed the displays, and put 1 block on extended cables, in theory I could use this for the display? Instead of having a 7 segment with 2 blocks taking up more space.

Exactly Yes.... Only problem is This 4 Block is larger then a 3 Diggit Block ( or 3 Single diggits glued together. )

I would say.... 4 instead of 3 should be no problem... Cause here we talk about maby 1cm.
CRS Left and CRS Right is no Prob cause there is space. for HDG a Honneywell MCP is ok to.... Just the Collins have 2 Corryswitches nearby so the Space in a 1:1 Replic is "maby" to small.

The SPD Display is normaly 5 Diggits in most MCP .... Here you need to work with 4 Diggits ( Cause for another 4 Diggit is no space ) .
So The Over/Underspeed Warning is directly nearby the Speed without a spacebar .... It looks like "B200" instead of "B 200" But that should be OK. (Whatever not real)
Note you need here a Blank Label if the hole is already drilled in the panel and it have dimension for 5 diggits.
Alternate is to use a 5 diggit System like i explane in next lines.

Your major Problem is the ALT and VS Display. here you need technical 5 Diggits ! With just "Original 4 Blocks" use you need 2x8 And here the Space is 100% not enough.

Solution: Here
a ) Use a 4 Block display and glue a 1 Diggit Display together. ( 1 Diggit must be same color and size ) Then you wire 4 Block to left Connectors of empty max tube and the 1 diggit to the right cennoector.
b) Use a 5 Diggit Block (Again it should have same optics like standard 4 Blocks in size and color cause you use the other displays with that)
Both can be done with SPD Display, too.

Last alternate with standard blocks. You can Build a 12 Diggit Block with 3x4 Blocks . I not know your panel.... if the 2 Holes of ALT and VS are exactly so that 12 Diggits are shown like +++++XX+++++ ( so the Panel between the 2 Displays is exactly like 2 diggits) then you can do it.
In that case you need a special config system ( 2 Configs for VS SPD) to manage the split situation of the Display over 2 Max Tubes (Cause 12 Diggits can not set to 1 max)

******

Summary:

If you need a perfect MCP you should buy correct Displays.... If you just want a testinggorund then work with the 4 Diggit blocks.
If you design your panel yourself and not think about a 100% 1:1 Optic then simply design it so you have space for 4/8 Diggit Blocks already !

Hi everyone .
I could build MPC for B737 by default in XPLANE 11, I managed to make the 7-segment LED displays work, now I'm trying with the buttons but I can not find all the offsets. do you have a list with the offsets for b737 xplane 11?

thank you.

No

I not use Xplane. Question is simple.... Is this a Standard Aircraft of Xplane ?
If Yes then all Standard Offsets should work ( or most of them if they are included in the XPUIPC System)

If you use a AddOn Aircraft then pretty sure most of needed Offsets are not exist. here you must programm XPUIPC custom by a own script.

Simply Rule : Standard Aircrafts work.... AddOn Aircrafts can be problematic ! On FSX/P3D most AddOns work, too. In Xplane they don´t. ( Only with own scripting)

HI .
I use the standard b737. but I can not find the OFFSET list for the buttons MCP. I found random 6 buttons, I miss 11.

THANK.

Hi silviutu,

the lists you will find in you FS root folder under ...\modules\FSUIPC Documents\

Look into the files FSUIPC4 Offsets Status.pdf from offset 0x07BC and FSX-EVENT-IDs.pdf from Control AP_AIRSPEED_HOLD.

Offsets are the Outputs FROM the simulator and the EventIDs are the inputs INTO the simulator.

It can work for B737 XPLANE 11?

No.

Maby i´m wrong here ( Or Stephan is wrong) But as i know Xplane NOT support EventID.
If you like to work with Xplane (via XPUIPC) then you MUST work via Offset Inputs ! ( Or much better via Keypress and Joystick)

BUT:
If you use a Standard Aircraft then most of Functions should work. In FSX/P3D for example the VNav and LNav is not simmulated. So there exist no Offset for that.
Sure... If Xplane include that features then it can´t work... Cause you have only the Offsets that also are exist in FSX.

Again: XPUIPC include only the standard stuff ( based on FSX ) ALL other stuff is not included and must be "read/write" by own scripts.

For beginners i high recommend to work with FSX/P3D instead of Xplane. OR I recommend to work with a alternate to Mobiflight that is designed for Xplane basicly !

In simple words....Mobiflight is for FSX/P3D .... Xplane work.... But adavnced Aircrafts in Xplane need own scripting and knowledge in programming .

Sorry, he wrote using the standard B737, so I thought the one of FSX...

Sorry, he wrote using the standard B737, so I thought the one of FSX...

Me too... (at the first moment)

I think i realy need to buy Xplane in the future. I not want to use it. BUT Maby then i can give better support here.
For example i not know what "standard" Aircrafts are included. This was the first time i hear that Xplane have a "Standard B737" .
I also not know what functions ( Like VNAV ) are work in Xplane standard Aircrafts.

Summary its bad to give support for a system i never used myself !