workshop advanced - MobiFlight/MobiFlight-Connector GitHub Wiki

[!CAUTION] This guide is obsolete. See the updated guide for information on building the advanced workshop project.

Workshop - Advanced

The workshop is aimed at everyone who would like to try out building their first device with MobiFlight for enhancing their flight simulation experience. For the configuration, advanced MobiFlight techniques and concepts are demonstrated. Prior experience is beneficial, but not necessarily required.

Overview

You will build a device that uses

  • Buttons
  • LCD Display
  • Dual Encoder

You will learn how to configure these devices and how to assign functions inside the simulator so that you can interact with it.

You can download an example solution for MSFS2020 or X-Plane for the config, in case you get stuck.

Required parts

  • 1x Arduino
  • 1x MobiFlight Prototyping board
  • 1x USB cable
  • 1x body incl 3x lids
  • 1x Dual Encoder Kit
  • 1x LCD Display
  • 1x Micro-switch PCB
  • 1x Switch pad
  • 1x MobiFlight Switch PCB
  • XH-JST-Wires: 1x 3-pin, 1x 4pin, 2x 4pin (included in Dual Encoder Kit)
  • 12 screws (5mm M3)

3d print files (STLs)

For downloading, hover mouse over filename > right-click > Save file as

Exploring the prototyping board

The prototyping board is a great way to learn about MobiFlight and connecting different device types easily and without soldering.

In the workshop we are going to use the highlighted connectors:

  • LCD 1 - for the connector on the LCD Display
  • Encoder 1 - for the 1st connector on the dual encoder PCB
  • Encoder 2 - for the 1st connector on the dual encoder PCB
  • Switch 1 (ON-ON) - For the first connector on the micro-switch PCB

for 4-button option, additionally:

  • Switch 6 (ON-ON) - For the second connector on the micro-switch PCB

Assemble Arduino and Prototyping board

  • Insert Arduino board on the back of the PCB
  • Connect the cable
  • Connect the cable to your computer

Note: for those who have not brought their computer, they can use one of our laptops, or we can flash it after the session

Start MobiFlight Connector

  • Download MobiFlight Connector from the website
  • Install MobiFlight by following the instructions of the installer
  • Start Mobiflight, see what’s happening
    • attempt to auto upload firmware
    • Arduino Mega Pro mini is ambigious
  • Manually upload firmware
    • right click on module and select Upload firmware > Arduino Mega 2560
  • Save the prepared config
  • Open the config, right click on module > Open
  • Explore the devices

Assemble Micro-Switch Lid

  • Insert the buttons into the lid
  • Add the PCB from the back
  • Fasten the PCB with screws
  • Plug in the 3-pin wire, pass it through the back
  • Close the lid

Hint: The lid will slide on with pressure. For releasing the lid again, push from the back.

Connect Micro-Switches

  • Use 1x 2-pin cable
  • Connect switch PCB Connector 1 to Switch 1 ON-ON

4 button option:

  • Use 1x 2-pin cable
  • Connect switch PCB Connector 2 to Switch 6 ON-ON

Assemble LCD

  • Unpack the LCD Display
  • Fasten screws to attach LCD to the back of the lid
  • Connect the 4-pin wire to the back of the LCD display Make sure to connect the black wire to the GND pin
  • Put the wire through the back
  • Close the lid

Connect LCD

  • Use 1x 4-pin cable
  • Connect LCD to LCD 1

Assemble Dual Encoder

  • Put the Encoder PCB on the back of the lid
  • Fasten it with the screws
  • Put the wire through the back Bend them 90 degress close to the connector for better fit inside the housing
  • Close the lid

Connect Dual Encoder

  • Use 2x 4-pin cable
  • Connect Encoder PCB Inner Shaft to Encoder 1
  • Connect Encoder PCB Outer Shaft to Encoder 2

Configuration

During this workshop, we are going to use COM1 & COM2:

  • Dual Encoder for changing MHz and KHz of standby frequency (outer and inner knob), (input configuration)
  • Dual Encoder push function to swap active and standby frequency, (input configuration)
  • LCD Display to show the information about active and standby frequency, (output configuration)
  • Two buttons to scroll through the different pages
    • Page 1 - shows COM1
    • Page 2 - shows COM2

Getting ready

Dual Encoder COM1 MHz/KHz - Input configuration

First we want to configure that the the dual encoder knobs control the value of the COM1 active and standby frequency using the outer and inner knob respectively:

  • Click on Input configs tab
  • Create input config for MHz COM1 MHz
  • Click ... to open the Input Config Wizard dialog
    • Click Scan for input
    • Turn the outer knob of the dual encoder, MobiFlight will detect the encoder
    • Click On Left tab, to define the action for turning left
    • Select Action Type Microsoft Flight Simulator
    • Search for COM and filter Aircraft Generic and System Radio
    • Select COM_RADIO_WHOLE_DEC from the preset list
    • Click the Copy button
    • Click the On Right tab, to define the action for turning right
    • Click the Paste button
    • Select COM_RADIO_WHOLE_INC from the preset list
  • Click OK to close the Input Config Wizard

Turn the outer knob and watch how the MHz part of the COM1 standby changes in the virtual cockpit.

Now we will create a similar configuration for your inner knob.

  • Right click on COM1 MHz config item
    • Select Duplicate row from the context menu
  • Click into the description field COM1 MHz (Copy) and change the name to COM1 KHz
  • Click ... to open the Input Config Wizard dialog
    • Click Scan for input
    • Turn the inner knob of the dual encoder, MobiFlight will detect the encoder
    • Click On Left tab, to define the action for turning left
    • Change COM_RADIO_WHOLE_DEC to COM_RADIO_FRACT_DEC
    • Click the On Right tab, to define the action for turning right
    • Change COM_RADIO_WHOLE_INC to COM_RADIO_FRACT_INC
  • Click OK to close the Input Config Wizard

Turn the inner knob and watch how the KHz part of the COM1 standby changes in the virtual cockpit.

Dual Encoder frequency swap - Input configuration

Now use the dual encoder's push button function (inner knob) to swap the standby and active frequency:

  • Create input config for MHz COM1 Swap
  • Click ... to open the Input Config Wizard dialog
    • Click Scan for input
    • Push the inner knob of the dual encoder, MobiFlight will detect the button
    • Click On Press tab, to define the action for depressing the button
    • Select Action Type Microsoft Flight Simulator
    • Search for COM and filter Aircraft Generic and System Radio
    • Select COM_STBY_RADIO_SWAP from the preset list
  • Click OK to close the Input Config Wizard

Push the inner knob and see how the standby freuqency becomes the active frequency and vice versa.

LCD Display - Output configuration

First, we will read the correct value from the sim:

  • Click on Output configs tab
  • Create output config for COM1 COM1 Active
  • Click ... to open the Output Config Wizard dialog
  • On Sim Variable tab
    • Select variable Type Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020
    • Search for COM and filter Aircraft Generic and System Radio
    • Select COM ACTIVE FREQUENCY:index from the preset list
    • Select 1 in select index popup, since we are interested in COM1
  • Click OK to close the Output Config Wizard
  • Test the config
    • Click on the green play button in the toolbar
    • Check the Flight Sim Value column, the value there should match the current value of the aircraft
    • Use the push button to swap the frequencies, the value should update accordingly

Now that we know that we are using the right value, let's display it on the LCD screen

  • Click ... to open the Output Config Wizard dialog
  • On Display tab
    • Select Protoboard v2 as module
    • Select type of LcdDisplay
    • Select LCD1 for display
    • use the Test-button, the default text will show on the screen
    • update the test value to 121500
    • update the LCD text with COM1: $$$.$$$
    • check the display, it will show COM1: 123.450
  • Click OK to close the Output Config Wizard
  • Test the config
    • Verify that the active frequency is displayed correctly
    • Use the push button to swap the frequencies, the value should update accordingly

The $ character is subsituted automatically with the current value of the config.

LCD Display - Config reference feature

Now we will add the COM1 Standby frequency. For this we will create a new config COM1 Standby which we will later display together with COM1 Active on the LCD. For this you will make use of the Config reference feature

  • Create new output config for COM1 COM1 Standby
  • Click ... to open the Output Config Wizard dialog
  • On Sim Variable tab
    • Select variable Type Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020
    • Search for COM and filter Aircraft Generic and System Radio
    • Select COM STANDBY FREQUENCY:index from the preset list
    • Select 1 in select index popup, since we are interested in COM1
  • Click OK to close the Output Config Wizard
  • Verify that Flight Sim Value column shows the correct value
  • Go back to COM1 Active
  • Click ... to open the Output Config Wizard dialog
  • On Modify tab
    • Click Add reference
    • Select COM1 Standby
    • Activate the checkbox (tick)
    • Use # as placeholder character

  • On Display tab
    • Add a second line to the LCD text STBY: ###.###
  • Click OK to close the Output Config Wizard
  • Test the config
    • Verify that the active frequency is displayed correctly
    • Verify that the standby frequency is displayed correctly
    • Use the push button to swap the frequencies, the value should update accordingly

With config references you can define additional characters which are subsituted automatically with the current value of the respective config.

Duplicate configs for COM2

You will copy all configs for COM1 and adapt them for COM2. First the output configs and then input configs.

Duplicate output configs for COM2

  • Click on Output configs tab
  • For the two config items COM1 Active, COM1 Standby do
    • Right-click on the config item
    • Select Copy from the context menu
    • Select the last config item in the list
    • Right-click to bring up the context menu
    • Select Paste, which will paste a copy after the selected row
    • Edit the description and change COM1 for COM2, and remove (Copy)

Your output configs should look like this:

Now edit all COM2 related configs, and for each:

  • On Display tab
    • Change COM1 related sim variable to the corresponding COM2 version
      • COM ACTIVE FREQUENCY:index -> Select index 2
      • COM STANDBY FREQUENCY:index -> Select index 2
  • On Modify tab (only for COM2 Active config)
    • Use COM2 Standby as config reference
  • Click OK to close the Output Config Wizard

Watch the LCD Screen closely, it will start to flicker. This is because the LCD is quickly displaying two different values. Check the Flight Sim Value, there it will show the correct values.

Temporarily deactivate one group (either COM1 or COM2) by clicking the Active check box.

Duplicate input configs for COM2

Similar to the output configs, do the following

  • Click on Input configs tab
  • For the three config items COM1 MHz, COM1 KHz and COM1 Swap do
    • Right-click on the config item
    • Select Copy from the context menu
    • Select the last config item in the list
    • Right-click to bring up the context menu
    • Select Paste, which will paste a copy after the selected row
    • Edit the description and change COM1 for COM2, and remove (Copy)

Now edit all COM2 related configs, and for each:

  • On Display tab
    • Change COM1 related sim variable to the corresponding COM2 version
      • COM_RADIO_WHOLE_DEC to COM2_RADIO_WHOLE_DEC
      • COM_RADIO_WHOLE_INC to COM2_RADIO_WHOLE_INC
      • COM_RADIO_FRACT_DEC to COM2_RADIO_FRACT_DEC
      • COM_RADIO_FRACT_INC to COM2_RADIO_FRACT_INC
      • COM STANDBY FREQUENCY:index -> Select index 2
  • Click OK to close the Input Config Wizard

Temporarily deactivate one group (either COM1 or COM2) by clicking the Active check box. You can now either change COM1 or COM2 values.

As a last step, instead of activating or deactivating the configs, we will use our buttons to switch through multiple virtual pages for our LCD and making sure that our encoder only changes the correct COM1 or COM2 setting.

Buttons, variables, preconditions

To create multiple pages with their own information (e.g., COM1 vs COM2) we will apply two additional concepts:

  • MobiFlight variables - which is a place where we can store information independently of the sim
  • Preconditions - you define a condition that has to be true and only then Mobiflight will evaluate the config completely, if not true the configuration will be skipped.

Button - input configuration

  • Click on Input configs tab
  • Create input config Page Up
  • Click ... to open the Input Config Wizard dialog
    • Click Scan for input
    • Push a button which will be used to scroll through the pages
      • for the 2-button version, use button 1,
      • for the 4-button version, use button ^
    • Click On Press tab, to define the action for depressing the button
    • Select Action Type MobiFlight - Variable
    • Use type Number, name Page and value if($=1,0,$+1)
  • Click OK to close the Input Config Wizard
  • Click on Output configs tab
  • Create new output config for page-variable with name Page
  • Click ... to open the Output Config Wizard dialog
  • On Sim Variable tab
    • Select variable Type MobiFlight Variable
    • Select type String and Name Page
    • Click OK to close the Output Config Wizard
  • Test the config
    • Push the page up button
    • Check that the Flight Sim Value for Page shows a value of 0 and 1, alternating with every push

You can figure out how to do the same for the page down button, just use if($=0,1,$-1) instead.

Preconditions - output configuration

  • Click on Output configs tab
  • For the config item COM1 Active do
    • Click Precondition tab
    • Select precondition
    • Use type of MobiFlight Variable
    • Choose variable Page
    • Set if current value is = and 0 (0 is our first page index)
  • Click OK to close the Output Config Wizard
  • For the config items COM2 Active do
    • Click Precondition tab
    • Select precondition
    • Use type of MobiFlight Variable
    • Choose variable Page
    • Set if current value is = and 1 (1 is our second page index)
  • Click OK to close the Output Config Wizard
  • Test the config
    • Push the page up button
    • You will see exclamation marks in front of one of the configs, depending on the Page value being 0 or 1
    • Hover with the mouse over an exclamation mark, it will say Precondition not satisfied
    • Check the LCD screen, it won't flicker anymore because it displays only one page at a time

Preconditions - input configuration

  • Click on Input configs tab
  • For the config items COM1 MHz, COM1 KHz, COM1 Swap do
    • Click Precondition tab
    • Select precondition
    • Use type of MobiFlight Variable
    • Choose variable Page
    • Set if current value is = and 0 (0 is our first page index)
  • Click OK to close the Output Config Wizard
  • For the config items COM2 MHz, COM2 KHz, COM2 Swap do
    • Click Precondition tab
    • Select precondition
    • Use type of MobiFlight Variable
    • Choose variable Page
    • Set if current value is = and 1 (1 is our second page index)
  • Click OK to close the Output Config Wizard
  • Test the config
    • You will see exclamation marks in front of some configs, depending on the Page value being 0 or 1
    • Use the outer and inner knob and see how it only affects either COM1 or COM2
    • Hover with the mouse over an exclamation mark, it will say Precondition not satisfied

Congratulations! You did it. You learned a lot during this workshop:

  • Configure encoder inputs
  • Configure LCDs with multiple values
  • Use MobiFlight variables
  • Use Preconditions

What to do next?