I’m studying DIY solutions for pedals (more later ) and see a lot using somthing called “Air Manager”.
Do I need this to make my pedals for FS2020 ?
What are the pro/cons using it if it’s NOT needed ?
For things like pedals it’s best if you build it to be recognized by your computer as a standard game controller. This can be done with some types of Arduino controllers like the Micro. That way your pedals will be compatible not only with MSFS but any game or sim that you may want to use in the future and you don’t need any special software running on your computer.
Air Manager’s strength is more for building fake dial displays using screens. It can also do the interface for buttons and knobs but for that kind of things but for that I’d recommend MobiFlight instead (MobiFlight + Arduino + Your Favorite Flight Simulator = Your Home Cockpit!) as it’s free and open source and doesn’t even requires any programming.
Thx for the quick repay !
In the longer run I want to add Flight Yoke and some switches, so what version of the Arduino clone would you recommend
OR
maybee it’s better to let the padels have it’s own Arduino and the Yoke and switches it’s own too ?
Unfortunately I couldn’t get registered at the MobiFlight because I have a GMAIL - it wont accept it as an e-mail address 
I’d start here: Leo Bodnar, Simulator Electronics
Has absolutely everything you’ll need. His boards are plug-n-play: Plug in the USB cable, and it’s instantly recognized by windows as a gaming controller. You might have to download some extra software(supported on the website) if you plan to use rotary switches, but that’s the most you’ll need.
Even the small boards can take up to 36 buttons/switches (Go ahead and get 2. those 36 positions start filling up REAL fast)
They ship worldwide, in a pretty reasonable time too
That’s not DIY, I think … so that’s NO GO !
1 Like
For primary controls, a Leo Bodnar board that the computer just recognizes as an input device is a far better choice. You can connect whatever DIY instruments / devices you want to it and bind the controls within the sim just like any other device.
I love Air Manager and use it as the backbone to my cockpit. The only time I’d consider hardware to attach to AM is if I wanted said hardware to control my AM instruments - like the Knobsters I currently use. Unless you want the Air Manager functionality to display instruments on another screen, or want to DIY build instruments and want a means to control them, Air Manager is unnecessary.
Bodnar’s stuff is definitely DIY! The downside of doing it yourself with (for example) Arduino, ESPs or anything else like that is that they don’t advertise themselves as game controllers to Windows. This means that, somewhere along the line, you’re going to have to sort out your own interface (or hack in a game controller interface to the device). It honestly is better to grab someone else’s solution to this, and then interface it with your own, homebrewed kit.
DIY doesn’t mean you have to do everything yourself!
Some (but not all) Arduinos (micro, leonardo) can be programmed to appear as game controllers . The benefit is that you can run your own code, for maybe a custom calibration system, compensate for non-linearities etc. The ready to use cards are a bit easier though.
If 6 weeks is reasonable, then sure 
To be fair, they ship really fast, but since the UK is no longer part of the EU, customs can be a real time consumer.
1 Like
True enough, but those boards are very nearly the same price as (for example) a BU0836A and I know which one I’d prefer to integrate! I don’t believe that the cheaper end boards (ESPs etc.) allow this type of interfacing quite so easily.
It does depend on your level of technical expertise though and some people would certainly be happier with increased control and the ability to interact at a lower level. Horses for courses.
6 weeks?!?!? WOOF! I think I got mine in about 2.
Bodnars are recognized as game controllers. Just type ‘joy’ into your windows search bar, click on ‘set up USB controller’ and it immediately pops up. With a calibration page, too.
I never said otherwise. This was the entire point of my post.
My apologies then.
Definitely read that as if you were including Bodnars on the list of boards that don’t have integration.
Nothing to see here. Move along everyone…
1 Like
FWIW, I have Leo Bodnar’s original 836 chips serial numbers 3, 4 and 5 from way back in the FS2004 days. They are retired now but they were awesome.
It was just a DIP package chip and you had to solder up your own board. I made a pretty cool throttle quadrant with it back then.