Android Tablets and MSFS2020 Garmin Displays

[blista89 14]

Hello all!

I posted this to Reddit earlier but thought it would be worth sharing here as well (given it took me ages to put together!)

Over the past few days I've been looking to get my Android tablet set up as an input device to MSFS2020. I thought I'd consolidate and share my findings for the benefit of others, and also to see if anyone else has solved the few problems I'm having.

Problem Statement

Using a POV switch and the mouse it is very difficult to adjust controls in FS, particularly adjusting radios and inputting data in to the G1000 and G3000 when the aircraft is shaking around. I've also only got a 1920x1080 monitor so often I find myself having to zoom in to read the information on the PFD and MFD. My objective is to use my 10" Galaxy Tab A Android tablet as a second screen to display the PFD/MFD, and made use of the touchscreen to adjust settings. This sits nicely below my main monitor so is perfectly positioned as per a real PFD.

Note: I regularly fly the following aircraft so I've focussed on a solution for these:
Bonanza - G1000 soft keys

King Air - G3000 (?) touch screen

TBM 930 - G3000 touch screen and soft keys

Solution 1: Plugin Apps

Solution 1 is to use one of the available plugin apps to mirror the information from the sim on to the Tablet. There are a number of really great solutions here:

Glass Cockpit to Sim £8.50 [10 minute trial]

This recreates a G1000 PFD on your tablet. It includes a model of the surround with switches and dials for radio tuning and autopilot and also changes the soft keys in to touch screen hot points which work really well. Unfortunatley, there are no controls for the MFD which is a shame. I would recommend this app with the only caveat that there are a couple of bugs with the HSI mis-reading by 3degrees, and an inability to tune comm radios above XXX.800. If anyone does use this I would appreciate it if you could confirm whether these bugs affect you as well, or if it's something in my setup?

https://www.peixsoft.com/

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.peixsoft.glasscockpittosim&hl=en

GA Panel £??? [10 minute trial]

From the same developer as above there is also a GA panel. I'm less keen on this because it doesn't include a radio stack which but thought it worth a mention.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.peixsoft.gapanel&hl=en

FSRadioPanel £Free with ads/£10.99

This app includes a number of screens including a VSI/HSI, radio panel, electrical controls etc. Really well made app that seems to work well and includes a moving Google Maps display which is nice. Being picky, I'd prefer to have everything on one screen in the way the first app does, but this method might suit some people.

http://www.tambucho.es/android/fsradiopanel/

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tambucho.fsradiopanel.trial&hl=en

Solution 2: Desktop Extension

Perhaps the most obvious solution to the problem is to pop-out the PFD/MFD (using Alt Gr + Left Click) and move them to a second screen. This might be easiest with a bespoke touchscreen monitor however it is also doable with an Android Tablet using additional software that pairs your Android tablet to windows either via Wifi or USB and makes Windows treat it like a second monitor.

Space Desk £Free?

WIFI only, seems to work well but a bit laggy if your WIFI connection isn't up to scratch. I think it's free though (unless I've forgotten that I paid for it?!) so it might be worth a try just to see if you get on with it. Only downside, there doesn't seem to be an easy way to kill the PC side server apart from "end task-ing" it, only a minor gripe!

https://www.spacedesk.net

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ph.spacedesk.beta&hl=en

Twomon SE (Windows 10) £9.95

Connects via USB so has significantly less lag (although still noticable, I've found that it's fine for general flying)

http://www.easynlight.com/en/twomonse/

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.devguru.ntwomon&hl=en_GB

The above apps are great for extending your Windows desktop and seem to work really well. Unfortunately, Flightsim seems to have issues which I don't believe are associated with the apps, but with the sim itself:

1. Tablet touch screen recognition doesn't work properly. Using the above apps in Windows the touchscreen on the tablet works fine as an alternative to the mouse. However, in MSFS the touchscreen becomes very unresponsive taking 3-5 taps to get it to register. Alignment of touches also seems to go out.

This Avsim user seems to have experienced a similar problem with a touchscreen monitor so it seems to be MSFS related rather than Android/the apps I'm using

https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/581260-anyone-using-a-secondary-display-with-touch-panel/

2) Soft buttons aren't included. Unfortunately when you pop out the PFD/MFD in MSFS it doesn't also pop-out the Garmin surround with all the buttons. This means you can't access all the functionality of the screens. This obviously affects both mouse and touchscreen control. This is a problem with the G1000 and the G3000 in the TBM930. Fortunately in the Kingair the PFD and MFD are touchscreen so when you pop them out you can still click on the controls. The obvious solution is that Asobo need to make the hot-points on the pop-out panels over the PFD/MFD text but I won't hold my breath!

3) Changing focus away from the main MSFS window loses external controller input. I.e. if you're flying with a joystick and you click on one of the pop-out windows the joystick ceases to function until you click back on the main MSFS window. This basically means that as you change a radio or flightplan, you lose control of the aircraft. Perhaps not a problem if you're on AP, but if you're hand flying then it becomes a real issue. This is pretty stupid and inconsistent with previous FS versions but there we go. Again, a problem for Asobo to sort.

Conclusion

For the G1000 aircraft I'm sticking with using "Glass Cockpit to Sim". Although it doesn't have an MFD and also has a couple of bugs it is by far the best mix of flight display and physical switches that replicates the actual G1000 setup nicely.

For the King Air G3000 touchscreen the obvious solution is to pop-out the displays. This will give a nice separate view of the PFD and MFD, but given problem 1) and 3) above, this doesn't seem to be a viable solution to controlling the screens at the moment which is a real shame!

For all other G3000, the lack of soft buttons (issue 2) combined with the other two issues means that again, there doesn't seem to be a viable solution at the moment for controlling the aircraft. At least making use of the pop-out displays means you can keep your head up looking through the windscreen more of the time.

 

Really hope the above is useful to someone and would welcome anyone who can provide any solutions to the above issues?

 

TL;DR: How to use an Android tablet to display/interact with Garmin PFD/MFD.

[roland 28]

Thanks a million for sharing, very interesting alternatives.

Almost wanted to pull the plug on FS2020...

[sal9000 210]

Yes, it works great. Use it since I built my homecockpit in 2015. It is the framefriendlys way for glasscockpit.

 

3 Chinese-Tablets 10" for 80 bucks each and my old cellphone worked well.

 

[RudyB24 296]

Wow, Stephan, that looks like a very nice cockpit. I see you use FSRadioPanel three times even. 

[sal9000 210]

Yes, they all work on different Tablets too.

I got the Pharlabs 737 Autopilotpanel too, but this didn´t work well with the Planes in MSFS.

Also got the Flightpanel and Flightgauge App-but this is no longer on support and no chance to get the server on work

But you can use the VRF-Map on Tablet wich is free 😉

So you have Map, Speed, Altitude and more for zero bucks!

Edited September 24, 2020 by sal9000

[Phantoms 800]

I'd like something like FSRadioPanel as a Windows app. Just open in a window on second screen (like most moving maps) and have controls that work (instead of pop out windows with no controls).

All these Android apps and no windows ones that do the same?

[pmb 5,137]

1 minute ago, Phantoms said:

I'd like something like FSRadioPanel as a Windows app. Just open in a window on second screen (like most moving maps) and have controls that work (instead of pop out windows with no controls).

Or, even over a networked laptop.

Kind regards

[sal9000 210]

Yes, they do the same,and you got control by touch,feels more real as by mouse.

And,as you can see at the picture I got a G15 keybord at the top wich is iluminated and got programming keys for Pushback, Screenshots and many more.

 

And the best, on the LCD screen i got Frames und temps from my rig.

Edited September 24, 2020 by sal9000

[FlyIce 354]

Thanks for sharing, so helpful.

I have been waiting for Air Manager to fully support MSFS. But to be frank, their development is painfully slow and even worse glass panels are nearly none available on AM.  I'm seriously considering back using tablets. I had Air Track on iPad before and maybe I'll give it a try again as I have an iPad Pro coming soon. Or anyone can suggest better iOS apps?

I still think the best solution is to be able to run a second copy of MSFS on a networked PC dedicated for cockpit. The second best option would be Asobo letting us separate scenery view and VC view into two separate windows. 

[FPStewy 538]

don't forget that with a proper setup FltPlanGo works flawlessly and will give you tracking and a rolling section/IFR with charts for most of NA

 

[blista89 14]

Update: the developer for Glass cockpit to Sim app has updated the app to fix the radio issue and is working on fixing the heading bug and adding more aircraft. This is now by go to app!

[sonEDDS 0]

On 9/24/2020 at 5:11 PM, blista89 said:

Tablet touch screen recognition doesn't work properly. Using the above apps in Windows the touchscreen on the tablet works fine as an alternative to the mouse. However, in MSFS the touchscreen becomes very unresponsive taking 3-5 taps to get it to register. Alignment of touches also seems to go out.

Hi, you would just need the "good" Version for Spacedesk to make touch working flawlessly. I did a short Video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlaoSJpjJB0

Version Win_10_64_v0934_BETA.msi would work... I opened a Thread in the Spacedesk Support Forum to bring this back to the current version. 

[DocPadds 15]

All great products, over time i have settled on Glass Cockpit To Sim on a big tablet, then FSRadioPanel running 2 other tablets on the sides for radios etc (I find it a great way when on Vatsim to use radios)

Good products and definitely worth the cost.

 

[Phantoms 800]

On 9/24/2020 at 12:37 PM, Phantoms said:

I'd like something like FSRadioPanel as a Windows app. Just open in a window on second screen (like most moving maps) and have controls that work (instead of pop out windows with no controls).

All these Android apps and no windows ones that do the same?

I've found that FS-Flightcontrol does have a aircraft page where you can control all aspects of the aircraft, from changing Com/Nav freqs to running the AP. Even has a 6 pack.

[dlh 5]

I have Glass Cockpit to Sim on my tablet.  All works fine except the VS and FLC buttons on the Cessna 172.  They function on the tablet but MSFS doesn't respond to them  I have to use the mouse for those.  What am I missing?  Cessna 172 is correctly chosen in GCTS.

Thanks

Dave

Edited November 21, 2020 by dlh