Pi Integrated with Mac for Instrumentation

Support for Air Player desktop on ARM devices, like the Raspberry Pi.

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strop
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Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2023 4:47 am

Pi Integrated with Mac for Instrumentation

#1 Post by strop »

Hi all,

An introduction as this might be a long post. Also hope this is the correct place to ask.

This is my first post here. I am new to X-Plane and simulation but enjoying my experiences so far. I have purchased a number of iPad apps to enhance my experience and while enjoying it I am not entirely happy with the experiences so far (some interactions are difficult). I should say, I am looking at ways to enhance it in the future with a solid plan before I spend any more hard earn $$$$$ on things I don’t need or are inappropriate.

I am a Mac user (Mac Mini M1). I don’t have space for 2 computer systems at home so I need to stay on a Mac based system for my other things so obviously X-Plane 12 needs to be Mac based.

So far successfully running a 3 screen setup ok, frame rate not great but ok for now. I am aware that you can not have touch screen monitors attached to a Mac - hence me purchasing the iPad apps to try and enhance what I am seeing/doing. What has become evident is some of the limitations of iPads.

iPad apps purchased. Air Manager (IOS), Simionic G1000 PFD/MFD. Air Manager has had a bit of use but not the Simionic Apps. Had a look at them and think they might be good/better on a 12.9” iPad. Don’t have any of those.

What I am thinking I want or need is to enhance the instrumentation experience with touch screens and knobster as shown by Russ Barlow on YouTube. He has a couple of videos that talk about the setup “FS2020 Budget Touchscreen Cockpit”, “Flat Panel Sim Touch Monitor” & “Honeycomb Alpha Yoke Panel Addon”. I can see that it could be setup for an easy switch over between flight simulator and work station.

So I have done some reading but just want to check with experienced people whether I can do what I am thinking about.

Setup

Raspberry Pi, already own 4GB one, with two touch monitors attached to it (eventually, start with one). I would run Air Player on the Pi and have Air Manager on the Mac as it is my main work station. I would also purchase Knobster and have it attached to the Pi. I am thinking I would then be able to interface the two as shown in the videos mentioned. I have read about people running their Pi from an SD card so thinking that there must not be much disk based I/O. Would use ethernet for network connection.

My concern with this setup are pop outs. I have not had to deal with them as yet so just guessing here. I have not purchased Air Manager Desktop or Air Player so don’t have the ability to experiment. I have read that you must use pop outs on the primary computer. The Pi obviously is secondary. So are there panels where you can get around the use of pop outs for modern instrumentation systems. I am assuming panels for the likes of the basic Cessna 172 and similar would work fine on this setup.
though.

So any advice or information that I can get to help me would be very much appreciated. There must be some Mac users of knowledgeable people who have solved these issues.

Laurie

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Ralph
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Re: Pi Integrated with Mac for Instrumentation

#2 Post by Ralph »

Pop-outs only work on the same system as the simulator. In 4.2 you will be able to stream from X-Plane 12, so also to a Raspberry Pi. But I am not sure how well it will perform with two monitors.
If you're running one full HD monitor on a Raspberry Pi 4, then you're already around 20~30 FPS, depending on the complexity of the panel. Adding a second monitor, will bring that down more.
I only recommend running two monitors on a Pi 4 when lower than full HD. So 720p or lower.

4.2 is still in beta, and there's no Air Player ARM beta so far. That'll take a little while still.

strop
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Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2023 4:47 am

Re: Pi Integrated with Mac for Instrumentation

#3 Post by strop »

Ok. Thank you.

Streaming Pop-outs in 4.2. Sounds good.

I might have to wait for a while.

Laurie

Sabre
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Re: Pi Integrated with Mac for Instrumentation

#4 Post by Sabre »

Ralph wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 12:00 pm Pop-outs only work on the same system as the simulator. In 4.2 you will be able to stream from X-Plane 12, so also to a Raspberry Pi. But I am not sure how well it will perform with two monitors.
If you're running one full HD monitor on a Raspberry Pi 4, then you're already around 20~30 FPS, depending on the complexity of the panel. Adding a second monitor, will bring that down more.
I only recommend running two monitors on a Pi 4 when lower than full HD. So 720p or lower.

4.2 is still in beta, and there's no Air Player ARM beta so far. That'll take a little while still.
If I understand what the streaming function will get us, any plans to have it for P3d?

SimPassion
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Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2017 12:22 am

Re: Pi Integrated with Mac for Instrumentation

#5 Post by SimPassion »

Sabre wrote: Mon Mar 06, 2023 5:22 pm
Ralph wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 12:00 pm Pop-outs only work on the same system as the simulator. In 4.2 you will be able to stream from X-Plane 12, so also to a Raspberry Pi. But I am not sure how well it will perform with two monitors.
If you're running one full HD monitor on a Raspberry Pi 4, then you're already around 20~30 FPS, depending on the complexity of the panel. Adding a second monitor, will bring that down more.
I only recommend running two monitors on a Pi 4 when lower than full HD. So 720p or lower.

4.2 is still in beta, and there's no Air Player ARM beta so far. That'll take a little while still.
If I understand what the streaming function will get us, any plans to have it for P3d?
This is only an X-Plane feature

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Sling
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Re: Pi Integrated with Mac for Instrumentation

#6 Post by Sling »

Hi Laurie,

Xplane 12 and the streaming feature coming in AM 4.2 will help with this but it would need to mature to be able to work with all the glass cockpits which it currently does not. I can’t help thinking that you would be better off with the desktop version and running the iPads as additional monitors using a display extension app like Spacedesk, duet etc

Here is a video I did some time ago when I introduced Spacedesk as a viable option for a sim setup.

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