Connecting the overhead devices - A Boeing 737-800 Homecockpit #56

Hello and welcome back to Mickey's Flightdeck.
In this video I will show you how I connect all my Boeing 737 overhead segments to the concerning devices. I will connect the power for the backlighting, a USB hub and all the arduino megas.
If you want to build your own overhead panel, you can find all the needed files in the member section of my website.
Also many other plans for building your own homecockpit can be found on www.mickeys-fli....
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Prosim737: prosim-ar.com/
Intro: Thanks to Konstantin von Wedelstädt for allowing me to use his 737 Cockpit photo for my channel and videos. www.airliners.n...
Music: KZbin music library

[@emc3895]

As usual very clear explanations for a very complicated assembly! I watch all your videos looking for inspiration for my cockpit, just getting started. I am on X-Plane / Zibo and I chose SimVim because much simpler, I only need one Mega Arduino for the whole cockpit and everything else is multiplexing: I read that on Mobiflight it was not possible, it would simplify things a lot! Keep sharing your work, it's a huge source of motivation for the community!

[@willplanes6441]

The Lord of the Homecockpit !!! x)

[@skatemaster33]

I just discovered this channel and I'm already subbed. Although my interest is more in combat flying, this channel is super interesting for anyone into making stuff. I've always wanted to switch panels for my flight setup and I think you helped me take on the project. Greetings from the Netherlands :)

[@CaptainBobSim]

Hey Mickey! Thank you for showing us this process, It is definitely something easy to overthink! I enjoyed the video and will take it into consideration in my own simulator :)

[@TonyDocksStation]

Have you considered putting your board with the arduinos, USB hub, and leonardo separate from the overhead frame, and then running D-Sub extension cables. For example, mount the board of arduinos on the roof frame work, run D-Sub extensions (and backlight power extensions) down to the overhead. This way, you keep it modular, but can route the cables to exactly where you need them, keeping it tidy. It will also make maintenance easier at both ends.

[@Mickeys_Flightdeck]

When I seperate it from the overhead it would be more difficult to test it in my room. Now I can take the whole overhead as one component and bring it to the testing place. The thing I can improve is the assignment of the arduinos. I have assigned every new section to the next free arduino. I will have to assign segments that are located near to each other to one arduino so that the cables don't have to be routed across the whole overhead.

[@andrewclowes4370]

I am watching and learning - this is my sort of wiring nest! Could you use a few more Arduino? one for each section etc so there is no crossover of wires. I know that you may not fully use all of the pins and it adds to the cost but it could make it neater and easier to correct faults in the future. Your videos are amazing and I am learning so much. I am nowhere near your level but I'm finding it interesting and fun. Thanks for your instructions, thoughts and inspiration.

[@rallymax2]

If it gets in a way you could put hinges on the top of the board that holds the UNOs. That way you could lift it up if you need to get access to the ones immediately underneath. But, you got it done and that’s amazing. Show more pictures of the front with all the back lighting working and all the gauges moving! That would be awesome to see.

[@sk290975]

Bei meinen 3 Panels im A320 OVH sieht es auch schon so aus... da kommt einiges an Kabeln zusammen. Kabel abschneiden, Enden abisolieren, Löten/crimpen usw. und es folgen noch weitere Panels

[@hydrolisk1792]

On top of my last comment you could even go a bit further and make a few sub "Avionics hubs". For example, the over head and overhead AFT sections can all run into a large PCB or box that contains all the arduino cards and have D-Subs on that end as well then use old printer cables that can be had very cheap. Just make sure that you get the cables that contain all 25 conductors. This same system can be done for other sections of the deck as well. You can have a hub for the MIP as well as the pedestal and at the end of it all, you can have just a hand full of usb cables going back to the computer!

[@vincenttwisker9656]

Hi Michael. Fantasic job with both your cockpit and the videos. I'm actually up in the 30 ports myself for my 320 DIY homecockpit. But I am having many problems with the USB connections. After every PC boot there are several devices not recognised (Mega2560, LeoBodnar836 and/or Ultimarc Packled64 cards). Swapping the affected device to another port or even to another hub often does not recover the device. I have updated w10, uodated the BIOS, disabled energy savings, removed all USB services in device manager to reinstall their drivers. I changed the USB cables and removed any long USB cables. I have changed the power supplies of the USB hubs. All my hubs are powered USB3.0 hubs and I even installed an extra PCIe 4x USB3.0 port card. But the problem is still not solved. According to a moderator of Mobiflight any modern PC should be able to handle 128 USB devices, but it looks like my PC doesn't agree. I7 6700k, 16Gb ram, GPU1080, PSU 700w. Would you have any suggestion what could be the issue?

[@JoePCP]

I had issues like this some time ago and I fixed it by buying expensive USB hubs. I'm not assuming yours are cheap :-) but I had to pay £39 each for good ones, and for me they were worth every penny. No more random ding dongs.

[@vincenttwisker9656]

@@JoePCP Hi thanks for your suggestion. I have 2 TP-Link 7 ports USB3.0 hubs and 2 Manhattan mondohubs (28 ports each). I wouldn't want to call them cheap, but they are apparently not good value for money. If you could share which hubs work well for you, I would appreciate it.

[@JoePCP]

@@vincenttwisker9656 The hubs I bought were Sabrent 60W 7-Port USB 3.0 Hub I got them from Amazon, they also have cheaper look alike ones but these are a proper branded one.

[@Bren39]

The key is to use an USB hub that also connects separately to power outlet. Each port can draw almost 1 amp , multiply by 5v and you get the necessary wattage. E.g. 5 ports.. Need about 25 watt hub. A USB hub that just connects to the PC port cannot deliver that kind of power.

[@mateuszstrzelecki6614]

Nice video :)

[@Mickeys_Flightdeck]

Thank you.

[@mateuszstrzelecki6614]

what's your plan for building MIP? And do you know when the video of its construction will be released?

[@Mickeys_Flightdeck]

This isn't sheduled yet. I try to make all the things first where I don't need to bring in a seperate computer for the simulator. Components like the overhead, pedestal or CDU can be tested with the computer my room. This is the reason why this will be one of the last parts of the cockpit.

[@mateuszstrzelecki6614]

@@Mickeys_Flightdeck okey thank you so much for answer :)

[@mateuszstrzelecki6614]

i think about 2,5 years to finish :)

[@sprint955st]

Starting to look like real Boeing wiring…..

[@Mickeys_Flightdeck]

:-)

[@flusifan1703]

Hallo Michael, habe mal eine Frage. Wenn ich mehrere arduino installiert habe muß dann jedes mobiflight separat gestartet werden? LG Hans-Dieter

[@Mickeys_Flightdeck]

Nein, die eine MobiFlightsoftware auf deinem Rechner erkennt alle abgeschlossenen Arduinos.

[@fatman2434]

6:49 Chernobyl it.. My way of saying put a Box over it and forget what is under it :)

[@Mickeys_Flightdeck]

🤭

[@Me_Tom]

good god what a rats nest lol. use ribbon cables. connect all your Arduinos to one board via ribbon cables. connect each module to the same board via ribbon cable. (Arduino => common board

[@william10121972]

Come on you can do better with your cable management. im sure of it

[@Mickeys_Flightdeck]

Me too.

[@PplusV]

What a mess! :D

[@Mickeys_Flightdeck]

Sorry ;-)

[@737_se4]

I'm terribly sorry, but 55 episodes I've been impressed / amazed by your approach and your work, but this is not mickeysflightdeck quality. :'( I suggest you go back to the drawing board and clean it up there. You have the potential to make your wiring perfect! / Best redgards Jimmy

[@Mickeys_Flightdeck]

I absolutely agree with you and I have seen this coming. I said this at the end of the video, it is on my list for a rework of the overhead. But by running such a channel I have to "think" in youtube dimensions too. A complete rewiring would cost me weeks and the only thing I can show is soldering. This is something nobody is interested in. There are still two sections missing where I have to figure out what kind of connections I need. When this is done I have the big picture and can go on from there. It will be clean in the future.

[@737_se4]

@@Mickeys_Flightdeck okay =) I have no ambitions in any way to complain at all, other than that what you showed today does not hold the same quality and class as other episodes. In any case, nice to hear that you have a plan for the future. and to be added, I do not think "you tube" as you do !. Keep up the good work! and I look forward to future projects and episodes. / Still very impressed with your build Jimmy

[@RicoTheCat001]

@@Mickeys_Flightdeck you probably could do some "extension" cables to run behind the sections with the connectors fixed to the wood, and then run the oposite end to the arduino plugs and add the another board to mount the conectors there. I know it's a 2 connections and it increases the potential to fail but the wire runs would be probably cleaner :)

[@vt1405]

A lot off work