MobiFlight Community Support

Hello,

Is there any future plans to remove 40 Switch/Button limit of MobiFlight ?

For the switches it could be removed. Are you hitting this limit?

Would be a good addition. I am building an FMC for example with 69 tact switches, 5 status LEDs ( EXEC etc.) and 69 LEDs embedded in the buttons as backlighting. So having all possible 54 Pins might reduce the total amount of boards.

For sure this number than has to be depending on the used board as I won't have 54 pins with an Uno.

Regards,
Marc

For the switches it could be removed. Are you hitting this limit?

Yes, Möbiuz, my current DIY panel needs 2 2560 boards and includes normally more than 80 switches and 5-6 Leds, but i had to limit it with 80.

If there's a way to remove it, i'll be most appriciated!

I didn' know about this limit. Can you inform us? Is it a limit for each mega card? For example for 1 mega card you can only use 40 input signals, the other 14 for output? Did I understand it correct?

Thank you very much...

According to Möbiuz, there's a way, but he still didnt clarify about how we can do it.

I keep my latest project waiting,and i'll continue according to this button limitation problem

Hi guys....

that all is written in the FAQ and in other Threads... i asked this 1,5 Years ago already.....

Limitation is for every Device on ONE Board....
Means at the moment per Mega Board there are 40 Input Buttons allowed.
Maximum for LED is 40, too.
But you can use for example 40 Switches and 12 LEd or 30 Switches and 22 LED , or 27 Switches, 1 7Segment and 22 LED and so on

Youreself can not "open" this software blockade.... But Sebastian means if it´s needed he can remove the Button Limitation in a comming release, i think !

By the way.... @ Aug
In youre example you need in both ways 2 Arduinos.... 69 Switches can´t set on one Arduino Whatever if it got 40 or 52 inputs posible.
So you need 2 Arduinos. 1 = 29 Switches and the 5 LED .... 2= 30 switches .
The Backlighting should not set on Arduino itself... If you realy want it on Arduino then use 5v and not a Pin. You not need to controll a backlight. so you not need different pins !

Good Luck !

Hi guys....

that all is written in the FAQ and in other Threads... i asked this 1,5 Years ago already.....

Limitation is for every Device on ONE Board....
Means at the moment per Mega Board there are 40 Input Buttons allowed.
Maximum for LED is 40, too.
But you can use for example 40 Switches and 12 LEd or 30 Switches and 22 LED , or 27 Switches, 1 7Segment and 22 LED and so on

Youreself can not "open" this software blockade.... But Sebastian means if it´s needed he can remove the Button Limitation in a comming release, i think !

By the way.... @ Aug
In youre example you need in both ways 2 Arduinos.... 69 Switches can´t set on one Arduino Whatever if it got 40 or 52 inputs posible.
So you need 2 Arduinos. 1 = 29 Switches and the 5 LED .... 2= 30 switches .
The Backlighting should not set on Arduino itself... If you realy want it on Arduino then use 5v and not a Pin. You not need to controll a backlight. so you not need different pins !

Good Luck !

Hey Pizman82,

I'm aware of that.

That's why i've asked him that if there's a way to remove this limit for independent users (like me) who wants to use more than 40 Switch inputs without any leds. Maybe 8 of 10 MobiFlight users wont even use that, so maybe it can be somehow personalised, become a "in-demand" thing. I'm thinking the majority, actually

Thing is, i've got 2 boards now and i want to remove this limit just for one of my boards. According to my calculations, i'll need 98 Switches and 6 Leds, which sums up to 104 physical pins

P.S : I'm currently using nearly 40 Leds with one Mega board, 11 of which are directly connected to the pins (like Low Pressure, GRD PWR etc.) and rest of them (which most of them green and are lit when switches are ON position and got 5 white leds for background lightning) are being fed from 5V channel. Each LED has a 160 Ohm resistor on their + leg, and they are working perfectly fine without any problem for 3 months

@ slammer... Hope you don´t feel attacked....

But i read so much threads (here and in other boards) where people try to get perfect efectivity.... I not got a large budget. I don´t by original Korrys for example for 40$... i plan to build nearly everthing myself to save money...... but the Arduinos for 10$ are peanuts compared to other elements that will cost hundrets of Dollars.

So sorry for the way my brain workes. If you happy with 52 Pins i hope Sebastian will remove this Limit soon..... But i know some people that use a adittional Mega just for 2 LED cause they to lazy to wire them 40cm through another element to a already builded Arduino with lots of free pins.

I´m a liitle bit scared, too if it´s the right way to use 10-20 Arduinos more as absolutly needed.... But it look like lots of people do this and get no problems.... Some Other tell they have problems with lots of USB Devices...... I DONT KNOW !

So Thanks for reponding.... let´s see what Sebastian do.

@ slammer... Hope you don´t feel attacked....

But i read so much threads (here and in other boards) where people try to get perfect efectivity.... I not got a large budget. I don´t by original Korrys for example for 40$... i plan to build nearly everthing myself to save money...... but the Arduinos for 10$ are peanuts compared to other elements that will cost hundrets of Dollars.

So sorry for the way my brain workes. If you happy with 52 Pins i hope Sebastian will remove this Limit soon..... But i know some people that use a adittional Mega just for 2 LED cause they to lazy to wire them 40cm through another element to a already builded Arduino with lots of free pins.

I´m a liitle bit scared, too if it´s the right way to use 10-20 Arduinos more as absolutly needed.... But it look like lots of people do this and get no problems.... Some Other tell they have problems with lots of USB Devices...... I DONT KNOW !

So Thanks for reponding.... let´s see what Sebastian do.

No offence at all, dont worry.

I'm just a compact guy, i want to resolve things with the need of as less stuff as possible. Of course i'D buy another Mega board, but in that case, there will be lots of unused pins.

Ok. glad to hear !
by the way....

Do you have experience with long cable-wire conections ???

While planing for my first elements i came to a point i think about to share the unused pins between some elements.... I just plan for example to build the MCP of my Boing 737 as "stand alone" element. Maby with integrated EFIS CPT and FO ..... But then i think about to use for example 20 open Pins in this element with a 20 Pin Connector and make a "main cable" to the Pedestal or the MIP where i can use this pins too.

After all i wouldn´t pull off the MCP maby for all the future.... Why also a isolated system ?

Ok... It´s not so tidy like "Arduino A = Efis.... Arduino B = MCP and so on" and i´m little pensive if long cables came to problim with the low current used by Microcontrollers....

Have you ore somebody else information about issues with cable distance maby 100cm (1m) or longer from Board to Switch or LED or Max7219 ??

Ok. glad to hear !
by the way....

Do you have experience with long cable-wire conections ???

While planing for my first elements i came to a point i think about to share the unused pins between some elements.... I just plan for example to build the MCP of my Boing 737 as "stand alone" element. Maby with integrated EFIS CPT and FO ..... But then i think about to use for example 20 open Pins in this element with a 20 Pin Connector and make a "main cable" to the Pedestal or the MIP where i can use this pins too.

After all i wouldn´t pull off the MCP maby for all the future.... Why also a isolated system ?

Ok... It´s not so tidy like "Arduino A = Efis.... Arduino B = MCP and so on" and i´m little pensive if long cables came to problim with the low current used by Microcontrollers....

Have you ore somebody else information about issues with cable distance maby 100cm (1m) or longer from Board to Switch or LED or Max7219 ??

Unfortunately i dont have any experience about that much long cabling

Hey Mobiuz,

Any news about my question ?

Hey Mobiuz,

Any news about my question ?

Sorry that Sebastian not response yesterday !

Please be patiently.... The UNO Problem was first priority at the moment. I´m shure he got this on TODO List and in a future Update this tool will be include.

Until please use a additional Board and easy let the Pins in Main Arduino free. When the limit is away then wire it to the other Board and simply change these 12 Config Lines.
OR Wait with this project for some weeks until a new version is released.

Sorry i can´t give you a sceduled timeplan for this !

Hey Mobiuz,

Any news about my question ?

Sorry that Sebastian not response yesterday !

Please be patiently.... The UNO Problem was first priority at the moment. I´m shure he got this on TODO List and in a future Update this tool will be include.

Until please use a additional Board and easy let the Pins in Main Arduino free. When the limit is away then wire it to the other Board and simply change these 12 Config Lines.
OR Wait with this project for some weeks until a new version is released.

Sorry i can´t give you a sceduled timeplan for this !

Hey Pizman,

Thanks for your answer.

I'd like to hear his intentions as well.

As i've said, i've already bought every necessary part i need, drawn the panel i intend to use in Illustrator, got some space to place the panel on my desk etc.. All i need to know is the possibility (certainly can / can't be made ) and an approximate time for this update