Using hardware rotary encoder with GNS430

[SteveBurney 0]

What is the best way to have a rotary encoder communicate with the Mindstar GNS 430 to change radio frequencies?  I can get it to change the standby com frequency, but how can I get the 'Push C/V' feature to work and then change the standby nav frequency?

[WarpD 824]

Is this a commercial hardware unit that you've purchased for use with the 430?

[SteveBurney 0]

No, just a rotary encoder connected to an Arduino and using the Mobiflight software.  I can send an event code or an offset, but I can’t find any documentation of a code that corresponds to the ‘Press C/V’ button.  I tried using the fsuipc logger, and that didn’t yield any help, either.

How does one control the ‘Press C/V’ feature with a hardware switch?

[WarpD 824]

Read this page from our website on the [KEYBOARD] section of our GNS.INI file: http://www.mindstaraviation.com/GNS_INI.html  

Also be aware that there are licensing restrictions regarding hardware support: http://www.mindstaraviation.com/SoftwareLicenseLevels.html

The licensing levels came about due to some unscrupulous vendors buying our avionics products for their hardware at the home user price.  If you need more detailed licensing assistance regarding this, contact our support people via our support email (It's your typical support at the domain name email address).

Edited October 16, 2019 by WarpD

[SteveBurney 0]

Thank you for the reply and information.  I’ve read the document you’ve linked and used the information to hook up some switches- I just haven’t found what to put on the gps1_small_cv_press line.  If you could help me with that I’d be grateful.

As for the licensing, I can assure you that I’m strictly a home user that’s trying to use some hardware to make the software easier to use.  I really dislike having to use the mouse and when I purchased the unit being able to use some hardware was the main reason I jumped in...but it’s not worth $150 to me.

I can contact the support people if you like, but I thought this forum was the proper place to seek help.

[WarpD 824]

As I stated, if you need licensing assistance, then contact our support team.  Licensing isn't handled here.

Regarding what to put where... since I have no idea what your arduino is currently sending for events, I couldn't possibly answer that.

You have programmed your hardware to do something, and only you know what it's doing.  I guided you to documentation regarding how to get our software to respond to custom keyboard or events.  What events are you using to change standby frequencies?  Since that is a direct entry into the GNS.INI file for the LARGE and SMALL CV knobs I must assume you have already placed entries into our GNS.INI file for those inputs.

[SteveBurney 0]

Regarding programming the knobs, you are correct, I have added the event codes into the gns.ini.  The event codes that I used for changing the standby com frequency are 65636 (large knob left turn), 65637 (large knob right turn), 65638 (small knob left turn), and 65639 (small knob right turn).  From what I understand, these are standard fsx event codes for changing the com frequency.  What I’m looking for and been unable find is the code that would correspond to pressing the c/v button.  Isn’t there an event that causes the Mindstar GNS430 cursor to toggle between the nav standby frequency and the com standby frequency?  If so, what is that event number?

Honestly, I’m surprised it’s this difficult.  I figured that surely I’m not the first one to try and use a rotary encoder with the Mindstar software and the procedure for setting it up would be documented somewhere.

[WarpD 824]

You should NOT be using standard sim events to manipulate our gauge.  All events for interaction with our gauge should be custom event values.  It is stated on our web page I posted the link to above:

Quote

SimConnect events for the GNS use any hex number between and inclusive of 0x11000 to 0x11FFF.

  Now, I'm certain you're asking yourself... but why?... Well, it's because if you use default sim events, you will be able to tune the radios with power turned off (try THAT in a real aircraft), though you won't be able to see what you tuned it to.  That's just one example of why you shouldn't use default sim events to interact with our gauge.  Any event numbers defined in the GNS.INI should start at 69632 (hex value of 11000).

It also states that you should be using the hex values that start with "0x" before the number such as 0x11000 for 69632.  The only reason what you did is working is because the core sim is seeing the tuning events and changing the frequency.

Edited October 17, 2019 by WarpD

[SteveBurney 0]

Thank you for that tip.  If I understand correctly, I should have the encoder send a custom event, any number in the range you stated, and set the same number in the gns.ini.  I’ll give it a try.

[WarpD 824]

The number in the GNS.INI must be in hexadecimal.