This is a reference post for anyone using or interested in purchasing VKB’s Front Side Module - General Aviation (FSM-GA). Current as of Sim Update 8 March 2022.
Image Credit VKB:
I’ve basically mapped every button as it’s marked using in-sim keybinds only. You can get more mileage using external programs such as AAO/Spad/FSUIPC. I’ve updated the thread with a post on how to enable VNAV and HDG SYNC - which are available as labelled buttons but do not have dedicated keybinds in the sim.
The three exceptions:
- TRK is INOP/unmapped - there is no equivalent keybind mapping.
- VNAV is INOP/unmapped - there is no equivalent keybind mapping. I’ve filed a Bug Report if anyone wants to contribute to that thread.
- HDG PUSH SYNC doesn’t work as expected - using the current mapped command below only sends the HDG BUG to 0 degrees magnetic, not current heading. I’ve also filed a Bug Report for this if anyone wants to contribute to that thread.
Cautions:
- Don’t spin the rotary knobs too quickly and they’ll cooperate, no overshoot or undershoot.
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VNAV and HDG SYNC enabled using Mobiflight.
VNAV is Button 7.
Push on the HDG Rotary Knob is Button 23.
Using Mobiflight, map the following to the appropriate buttons:
VNAV - ‘(L:XMLVAR_VNAVButtonValue, Bool) ! (>L:XMLVAR_VNAVButtonValue)’
HDG SYNC - (A:HEADING INDICATOR, degrees) (>K:HEADING_BUG_SET)
Other presets are available on Hubhop.
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Hi
Interesting. I would like to follow what youve done, but your button numbers on the FSMA-GA dont match up with mine, as I have 3 additonal side modules and therefore my configuration is set up with a different allocation of button numbers.
Could I ask that you show the button number postions you are refrering to by transposing them onto the first picture of the FSMA-GA module buttons. Many thanks.
Hello!
My screenshot markup capability is extremely limited. How about the below? On the left - the physical button name, on the right, the keybind?
HDG Rotary Knob (Push In) - SET HEADING BUG
HDG Rotary Knob (Rotate in both directions) - INCREASE HEADING BUG/DECREASE HEADING BUG - you’ll have to experiment which way you want rotary to increase decrease - i.e., turn right to increase etc.
STROBE - TOGGLE STROBES
NAV LIGHTS - TOGGLE NAV LIGHTS
LANDING LIGHTS - TOGGLE LANDING LIGHTS
YD - TOGGLE YAW DAMPER
FD - TOGGLE FLIGHT DIRECTOR
AVIONIC - TOGGLE AVIONICS MASTER
LVL - TOGGLE AUTOPILOT WING LEVELER (INOP - it may work later if Working Title or someone implements it for either the FMS or the Autopilot coding)
VS - TOGGLE AUTOPILOT VS HOLD
HDG (button) - TOGGLE AUTOPILOT HEADING HOLD
IAS (button) - TOGGLE FLIGHT LEVEL CHANGE
APR - TOGGLE AUTOPILOT APPROACH HOLD
ALT - TOGGLE AUTOPILOT ALTITUDE HOLD
ALT SEL ROTARY BUTTON (Push In) - SET AUTOPILOT AIRSPEED HOLD
ALT SEL ROTARY BUTTON (Rotate in both directions) - INCREASE/DECREASE AUTOPILOT REFERENCE AIRSPEED
VS (UP/DN SPIN DIAL) - INCREASE/DECREASE AUTOPILOT REFERENCE VS
NAV - AUTOPILOT NAV1 HOLD
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Hi
Thank you. Much appreciated.
How do you do this in FSUIPC7?
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Not sure, I don’t use FSUIPC, I just use Mobiflight.
OK. I downloaded Mobiflight but still couldn’t figure it out. Do I have to add it as an output mapping?
Close. You want to create an Input Mapping.
I recommend joining the Mobiflight Discord. The creators and experts are often online and they’re very helpful. Use the MSFS 2020 channel.
Nice! The heading sync is working now, thanks!
Still need to do VNAV - I set it up the same way but for some reason it’s not working. Will also check out the discord.
Hmm - this one didn’t work either. I also noticed that I hadn’t downloaded the beta G1000 module from Working Title. Downloaded it and used the new config, but still no luck. Also, noticed that the Working Title one also had other buttons not working, such as NAV and APR (even when clicking using a mouse). Is this expected behavior?
Not sure, but it worked the last time I fired up the sim. I’m on Beta See SU10.
OK, just to close the loop. The NXI indeed was working. I was confused since it was more realistic and didn’t do anything when you push the buttons without other parameters set (e.g. pushing the NAV button has not effect unless you already selected a waypoint). Thanks for the help!
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Hi All - figured out how to make the green / red LEDs also change and hold their led state on pushing. Works perfectly to go from red to green to red depending on button push.
HOW to ENABLE LED SWITCHING in VKB FSM-GA/SEM modules -
Go into VKB Config, LED section on the FSM/SEM and change the physical buttons to “P-Alternate”, click the invert box and 'SET" to push the led changes to the devices.
Now I have all LEDS RED until they are pressed where they switch to green and stay in their state until being pushed. Invert checkbox switches them around.
Now to get it connected to the state the game is showing requires something like Joystick Gremlin to work with msfs status. Working on that now.
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Thanks so much for this post and comments, was a bit disappointed with it out the box but got the buttons and leds set up properly now. Very helpful 
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Thanks so much for this post. I just got an STECS and the FSM-GA, but am waiting on the USB Type C board for the latter (I plan to hook it up directly rather than via the STECS Bus interface). Your info is a huge leg up on getting things to work!
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Here is my settings for my VKB FSM-GA.
It took me way too long to figure out how to get to the LEDs section so here are some screen snaps in case someone else stumbles on this.
