Thanks to the new feature in Betaflight 3.4, you can now use any transmitters to play FPV simulators!
Here is a tutorial on how to set it up:
https://oscarliang.com/betaflight-fc-fpv-simulator/

What a great feature! I use a SimStick for wireless connection to my sims, but this would be a much cheaper (better) thing to recommend to anyone who doesn't have wireless connection already! Plus I'm guessing you can tune it for the sim like you would for a quad, yes?

Very cool indeed.

Great article, Oscar. Only old FC laying around was an F3 but got an XRacer F4 from FPVModel for $20 and a XM RX for $10. Going to build a box for them with a USB port and LIPO plug. Have an old 3S not being used that will be perfect.

I was prompted to do this because while using Velocidrone today I had the USB cable unplug twice and it's just in the way sticking out the bottom. Can't wait for this feature.

Found a bug in this feature. Bardwell said I should report it to Github and I found a thread there already on it so I added my experience to it. There is a possible solution but I won't be able to try it until tonight. Here's the scenario.

I used a FPVModel XRacer F4 that runs OBF4 firmware and a XM RX. The FC powers the RX through the USB so no battery is needed. Once I bound the RX and configured the FC I used the usb_hid_cdc command to change the FC to game port mode. It worked perfectly in Velocidrone but once done the PC sees the FC as a game controller and not a comm port, so you can't reconnect with BF to turn the command off. I had to use the bootloader so I could re-flash the FC to reset it to connect. This wiped out the configuration, of course. Luckily I'm using a dedicated FC without much to configure so no big deal, but if you use one of your quads with a highly configured FC you may lose your settings. I would make a DIFF file before trying this so if it happens to you you can load your settings quickly. I'll let you know if the solution worked.

(22-Jun-2018, 02:14 PM)Hypurr Wrote: Found a bug in this feature. Bardwell said I should report it to Github and I found a thread there already on it so I added my experience to it. There is a possible solution but I won't be able to try it until tonight. Here's the scenario.

I used a FPVModel XRacer F4 that runs OBF4 firmware and a XM RX. The FC powers the RX through the USB so no battery is needed. Once I bound the RX and configured the FC I used the usb_hid_cdc command to change the FC to game port mode. It worked perfectly in Velocidrone but once done the PC sees the FC as a game controller and not a comm port, so you can't reconnect with BF to turn the command off. I had to use the bootloader so I could re-flash the FC to reset it to connect. This wiped out the configuration, of course. Luckily I'm using a dedicated FC without much to configure so no big deal, but if you use one of your quads with a highly configured FC you may lose your settings. I would make a DIFF file before trying this so if it happens to you you can load your settings quickly. I'll let you know if the solution worked.

Thanks for sharing this. I was going to try it with my quad, but I'll wait until there is a fix.

(23-Jun-2018, 03:23 PM)ssombra Wrote: Thanks for sharing this. I was going to try it with my quad, but I'll wait until there is a fix.

Actually, there is a fix.  It was suggested in the Github thread and it worked.  Turns out my STM driver was too old.  Even though I could connect to, configure and flash all my FCs, it didn't work in this scenario.  The driver fix has been added to the BF wiki.  You can get it here.

https://github.com/betaflight/betaflight...ck-Support

great!

Is there any F1 firmware with this feature?  I think this feature plus blheli passthrough for flashing esc's would make a worthy retirement firmware the old F1's that served us so well.

I believe that support for F1 boards has been dropped since BF3.2, so I'm afraid not.

BLHeli passthrough should still work on 3.1 and under, though.

(25-Jul-2018, 03:05 PM)stray77 Wrote: Is there any F1 firmware with this feature?  I think this feature plus blheli passthrough for flashing esc's would make a worthy retirement firmware the old F1's that served us so well.

Nope, this feature didn't even make it to the F3 due to lack of memory to hold the extra code...
time to invest on a cheap F4

I first want to say I appreciate your good faith answers.  This was my first post here and nobody knows me.

I kinda meant any other F1 firmware than betaflight as I know about betaflight but have zero experience with any of the others. (libre, inav, kiss, etc.) I do think the answer is still no though. I had hoped maybe one of the development releases of betaflight put in "usb_hid_cdc" before they removed support for F1's but I couldn't find one. 

My thought was that in compiling a final betaflight retirement firmware for F1's, all flight related modules need not be included, leaving plenty of room.  They could call it betagrounded.  The only two functions I'd like to preserve for an F1 are the ability to flash multiple (4) esc's  and interface my tx/rx with a pc wirelessly.  

I've already wired my 30+ yr old 72mhz FM gold sticker 7 channel pwm rx to an arduino and used vJoySerialFeeder however I can't say I'm satisfied with this solution. (tx too heavy, old)
I've already purchased a usb cable (22 in 1) with Futaba trainer port connector but this isn't an elegant wireless solution.
I'll very likely buy the cheapest F4 I can find (suggestions welcome), flash betaflight 3.4, solder a receiver and 4 servo headers to it, print a neat little case and be happy. (like Oscar said)

Currently I'm flying an X-racer F303 V3.1 and an SPRacing F3 EVO (2 yrs old) with a Matek Systems BetaFlight F405-CTR on it's way. Using a Futaba 7C Fasst SBUS tx and yes I kinda regret that purchase but I built and flew balsa nitro planes as a teen (80's) and Futaba was the best (imho), and the name I knew and trusted.  I'd rather be running OpenTx on a tx with a sexy voice like all the cool people though. (and it would have cost less)  I have a speedybee bluetooth thingy on the way too. (impulse buy)

I retired my F1's a couple years back but they all still work just fine. 
1 OpenPilot CC3D purchased about 3 months before things changed, but I have to credit with getting me flying.
2 Afroflight Naze32 Rev 5's running Cleanflight/Betaflight.
I do still use a naze32 as a tool for blheli pass-through on new builds.

Oscar, here's a couple Futaba Fasst compatible receivers to add to your article. (OrangeRX GA400F, FM800)
https://hobbyking.com/en_us/orangerx-ga4...tore=en_us
https://www.ebay.com/itm/FM800-2-4G-8CH-...itleDesc=0

Also there is a reported bug with this feature. After enabling (set usb_hid_cdc = on) some people must re-flash before being able to reconnect to the betaflight configurator. I'd link the github issue but I couldn't find it. Those that did not back up their configs lost them. Be forwarned.

(27-Jul-2018, 04:44 AM)stray77 Wrote: Also there is a reported bug with this feature.  After enabling (set usb_hid_cdc = on) some people must re-flash before being able to reconnect to the betaflight configurator.  I'd link the github issue but I couldn't find it.  Those that did not back up their configs lost them. Be forwarned.

Look at my post above, I mentioned the bug and linked to it.

I have just downloaded my first drone simulator (Liftoff) and I have exhausted every avenue (short of ordering a new TX radio or dongle) for making my P.C. running windows 11 recognize my Turigy TGY 9X transmitter as a controller. I have tried every chord plugged into it, I have tried smartpropoplus and all the mic, speaker, and headphone inputs with nothing but "weak signal" showing up and all the channels spiking up and down. I have tried using my TBS crossfire equipment running through the flight controller through betaflight to link as a controller to no avail. Can anybody tell me what I am missing?