MobiFlight Community Support

Daar Captains

I am Ronald from the Netherlands.
I am a simmer since FS2004. And after a view years with P3D I am now back to MSFS2020. After some years dreaming I am now trying to start my frist switch panels for my PMDG DC-6.

I have my Leo Bodnar BBI-32 card and ordered the frist toggle switches. Question is, what next?

Offcourse the simpel ordenarry buttons I can select but not the difficult functions. I have found an LVAR picture of all switches so next is looking for some software to point out what toggle switch needs to do what in MSFS?!

Is mobiflight a good programs to use for this? Or do i need something else?

For exempel the fuel switch in the PMDG DC-6 is an “ON-OFF-ON” switch. Up for High boost pump, down for low boost pump and the middle for off.
I know that the first toggle is “obj69” LVAR with valse 0-1-2. The Event it triggers is called Engine1_fuel_valve and “obj321” gets higher value (being the fuel pressure gauges)
I hope you Guys can follow me? I know this due to the detective function on my GoFlight Interface Tool.

So can I use mobiflight to do this? Letting my MSFS PMDG DC-6 know that when I use my toggle on-off-on switch (hardware connected via Leobodnar BBI-32) than my DC-6 MSFS switch will go to “low boost” and my fuel pressure gauge will show pressure?

I hope someone can help me.

Best regards Ronald

Hi
Welcome !

Is mobiflight a good programs to use for this? Or do i need something else?

Its not just "good" .... its the best of the world


Basically the best way to start is joining our Discord.
Here in Forum we solve questions and problems.... In Discord we can talk about everything and you get in connection with other users directly , who build the same like you!
https://discord.gg/99vHbK7

I not use the PMDG in FS2020..... But pretty sure they choose for the same Interface Logics like in the past, or use the standard Simconnect Stuff we be able to handle !
So yes... Most of the things should be possible.... And if not we can try to find a way to improvisional make it working !
Here again Discord is a nice place.... Cause without own this PMDG i can not test.... But i can see your screen if you share it. So we can explore the whole thing together !


About "Hardware".
Mobiflight not required the expensive LeoBodnars. We are using normaly cheap Arduino Megas.
We meanwhile also be compatible for Bodnars as a HID Input Device!
So you can set your Switches there and can use Mobiflight for the Sim-Interface Part.

What is NOT possible is to set Outputs on your Bodnar (via Mobiflight) .... Its just a INPUT Controler.
So controlling a Display or a LED with the Bodnar will not work !

Means.... If you need Outputs also, then you need a Arduino (Mega for less then 12$) ..... But THEN you can think about to build also the Input Switches directly on that Mega, too.
Finally you can use the Bodnar parallel.... or you fully left it out.

*************
Feel free to contact me on Discord!
I´m looking forward to see the PMDG there!

Now that is a fast answer. Your answer is making me believe that it is possible!

So yes I need to download this Mobiflight!

Where can I find this Arduino Megas?

I will contact discord soon!

O boy o boy, really want to start building now!

Ronald

Hello Ronald,

i totally agree to pizman82....MF is THE solution for Homecockpit Builders. Cheap Megas can be bought at Amazon or Ali or or or....

Some Switches, LEDs, resistors, cables later ....tada....

I'm with MF for 6 months now, never regretted, and have some panels now up and running: Landing Gear, Parkbreak, Lights.....in the next few weeks a moving trim wheel will follow and some more stuff (e.g. Autopilot) is in the pipeline.

Best starting point here in the forum is maybe the "Projects" part. Go thru some posts and if you have at least basic knowledge of electronics and soldering you will achieve your first successful results pretty soon.

Have fun and happy welcome.

Kai

So guys, I am back!

I stated in the above posts, I have working with my Bodnar board for now but reading about Arduino I bought my first 2 MEGA2560 examples.
I have not connected them yet because I am a little confussed.

Maybe you guys can help me out?

The Bodnar is pretty straight forward but the Arduino looks more difficult and I know is way more powerfull in everything that can be done with it.
For now I only use the bodnar for my overhead DC-6 panel. For you guys who don't know the DC-6, it is only toggle switches and steam gauges!
I have arround 25 toggles now working on the Bodnar but I need more. That is way I want to change some things to Arduino.

I see some simple pictures about connecting toggle switches but I am wondering how everybody is working with them?
Can I get the 25 toggle switches all to 1 Arduino? Do you guys all work with this connecting boards? I mean how do I get all the 25 toggles to one ground point connected?

Another question is where to put the toggles? I see different area's on the Arduino. Is "digital" for the switches?

All starters questions so maybe somebody is willing to share his experience with me, to get me started.





greetings Ronald van Ingen

Hi again

Basically: For the Software there is no difference between a Button or a Switch. If its Pressed / in on Position then Signal is High.... If its released ( Off Position) signal is low.
So also your toggles only need one Pin ( There exist also ON-ON Switches... here we "could" use 2 Pins for sure.... But we not have to.... Cause also just one is enough.... If we know the Switch is currently not ON, then we know in a 2 Pos Switch 100% its OFF. So no need to wire the second one also)

About Pins. Button Devices are possible on all Mega Pins , Digital and Analog.... ( Only Pin 0 and 1 are blocked for internal stuff)
So you can use Pin D02 to D53 And A0 - A15
Each Button/Switch need one line to a Pin and another line to GRD.

In case Switches not have a relevant electrical power usage (kust a little own resitance) we can share all GRD.
Its no mater if you use e.g. 30 GRD wires and drill them together on a single point and wire it to a GRD Pin.... OR.... You work Paralllel or in series.
So for example you can make a wire that goes from GRD (Mega) to the GRD Side of the Button1.... from there to the GRD side of Button 2 and so on.
Here everybody works different.... specially if you design PCB its verry easy.

Thanks for the quick reply,....So start building tomorrow!!!

For the pins, I only have A0 - A15 and D20 - D53
Where to find D0 - D19? is that 0-13 = PWM, 14 - 21 = COM Can I use all of that on toggles?


I will keep you updated

Where to find D0 - D19? is that 0-13 = PWM, 14 - 21 = COM Can I use all of that on toggles?

What else. You looking for Pins 0-20 There are only one row named with 0-20 So what should it be else like what you looking for.
Just google it for a shematic....

So you can use Pin D02 to D53 And A0 - A15
Each Button/Switch need one line to a Pin and another line to GRD.

Pin D13 can not be used (easily) as Input.

So you can use Pin D02 to D53 And A0 - A15
Each Button/Switch need one line to a Pin and another line to GRD.

Pin D13 can not be used (easily) as Input.

For Arduino MEGA we have no reports till now that there is a problem.
For Mega Pro Mini its correct. Here we recommend to avoid Pin13

Uuuuups, my fault...