General questions about AM, Arduino, encoders

[home4sale2]

Hello, first post, need some assurance and confirmations as I am new to this stuff however, I think I am on my way to a good setup for me. Thank you in advance. So far, many YT videos later, I have the PC installed and configured on Windows 10, FS2020 installed and configured to my liking, Saitek Cessna yoke, TQ and rudder pedals (had to dial in every binding on that yoke but it works), two touchscreen monitors which are also working and I am able to pop out G1000 PFD and MFD to them. More YT videos later, I know I need the Air Manager software and a Knobster looking thing. Some questions:

1. Although I think you guys are crazy (I say this as a term of endearment) to be charging this much money for software, I understand there is value to your solution. Why is the PC version so much more than the iPAD? Anyway, I assume I need Air manager V4 for desktop? Paypal in U$ for us yanks?
2. Is it a perpetual license? Or do I need to pay for every upgrade? Plug-ins are included?
3. Does it work for my own encoder (ex. Propwash SIM / nano, etc.)? Is this what you refer to as the "DIY Knobster"?

Cheers!

[home4sale2]

I guess I should be spending more time on the WIKI, even found a PDF on this, rtff or rtfw as they say. I will come back with some real questions after I bury myself into some more documentation. Sorry about that, just got impatient as I wanted to just get this done.

[Keith Baxter]

Hi,

Did you find this?
It will help you a lot going forward.

viewtopic.php?t=2787

Keith

[home4sale2]

I am not a programmer and trying real hard but I find these videos a tad (well, a lot) difficult to comprehend. If that's what is required (API calls) then one day I may pick this up but for now my hope was to just build my knobster to work with the Sim and start focusing on what I really want to do, fly. Thanks for pointing me to them anyway.

The information is in a million places, one video leads to another (for example, what the heck are headers, how do you solder perfectly, lol), it's coming together, breathe, deep breathing!

So, use a Nano like in the guide or does someone have a better idea? Thx.

[Ralph]

We have made it a lot easier with hardware functions. Just pick the function you want, an altimeter dial for example, add it to your panel, select the pins of your Arduino and you're done.

[home4sale2]

Thanks Ralph.

[jph]

We have made it a lot easier with hardware functions. Just pick the function you want, an altimeter dial for example, add it to your panel, select the pins of your Arduino and you're done.

Hi @Ralph , whilst that is true and a super feature, it still relies on the user to either purchase the hardware and in this example - an altimeter is certainly not cheap ! - or build it themselves - often really NOT cheap - in fact often very expensive in terms of initial layout due to the investment in solid / 3D printers etc if needed. As the user here wants to build his own knobster as opposed to buying one this may prove difficult as by his own admission he does not understand the basics as to even what a header is or how to solder. That is not meant as being derogatory, it is simply that basic to reasonably advanced skills and knowledge are needed - depending on project. If a 'homebrew approach to building a range of hardware instruments is taken then, depending on instrument such as steppers, 3d printing, soldering and understanding guides that are not always designed for absolute beginners for good reasons.
If he wants to post a list of 'terms' then I am certainly willing to tell him what they mean in the broadest sense - such as 'header' / meter / stepper etc and there are more guides to soldering on you tube than you can shake a stick at.
As in programming, often the first thing to be coded is 'hello world' so as in basic electronics learning often starts from a few resistors and leds and switches and bread board, then vero-board (strip board) and soldering and basic fault finding etc etc. All things can be learnt of course but it takes time and effort and dedication. Building a DIY knobster is pretty well documented and pretty straight forwards but the price of the components needed to do a good job make the newer version you sell far more attractive bang for buck. With a pre-built knobster and graphic panels then he can be off and flying very quickly.
Joe

[home4sale2]

So, I got as far as installing air manager today, popped out some G1000 panels into Air Manager on my two monitors and all is well with that setup. I don't have the knobster configured (that's a job for tomorrow) so far so using my "fat" fingers. One thing I have noticed is that moving the big NAV, HDG and ALT rotary buttons, my views go crazy, it's as if it's engaging my camera. Something to do with bindings? Other than that, so far so good. This is neat software.

[Ralph]

That's a FS2020 bug/feature. Their software keeps the mouse focus. The same thing would happen when for example, you start scrolling in a browser, it'll start zooming in FS2020.
We're gonna make a work around for this in 4.2, because we cannot rely on Microsoft/Asobo to set this right.

[home4sale2]

Thanks Ralph. I bought a pack of 3 Nanos which may need to go back to Amazon. The PC recognizes them (over different com ports, I can see them in Device Manager and Devices and they show up as USB-Serial CH340 (COM3, Com2, Com5 etc.). However, when I go to flash the Nano in AM, it tries 10x and fails. On the Flashing board window, I get:

Closed Com Port...

avrdude.exe: stk500_recv(): Programmer is not responding
avrdude.exe: stk500_getsync() attempt 1 of 10: not in sync: resp=0xd3
Does this like 10x.
Tells me it executed.

Didn't sound like it was working so I flashed an Uno I had on hand and it flashed it, no problem. Same USB port (different com port), different USB ports (on the motherboard, not a hub). I have tried every iteration of the cables, 3 UNOs and as I indicated in each case the PC recognizes it. I also chose the old bootloader option and did/did not choose Knobster option. I left channel to default which is A and chose the respective com ports as recognized by the system and others as AM presented them.

What am I doing wrong here? Case of 3 bad Nano boards? Thx.