Use Air Manager instruments with a Knobster: connect the USB controller, select gauge knobs, use both encoders, and fix detection or input faults.
To use a Knobster with Air Manager, connect it by USB to the computer running the panel, select it in Air Manager’s device settings, then touch or click a supported instrument knob. The Knobster’s inner and outer encoders and push switch operate whichever on-screen control is selected.
The hardware workflow is broadly the same with Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, Prepar3D and FSX. What changes between simulators is Air Manager’s data connection, not how you select and turn an instrument control.
How do you set up a Knobster in Air Manager?
Set up the simulator connection first, then register the Knobster and select a control on the running panel.
- Test the Air Manager panel without the Knobster. Start the simulator, load the aircraft and operate an Air Manager switch or knob with the mouse or touchscreen. Confirm that the corresponding cockpit value changes. For X-Plane, check the required panel and plug-in connection; for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, use our Air Manager connection fault checks if the panel remains disconnected.
- Connect the Knobster by USB. Plug it into the computer that is actually running Air Manager. Use a direct USB port while testing rather than an unpowered hub.
- Select the device in Air Manager. Open the Knobster or hardware-device section of Air Manager’s settings and choose the detected device or serial port. The label and location vary between Air Manager releases. On Windows, the port will normally have a
COMdesignation. - Run the panel normally. Leave editing mode if it captures mouse or touch input, then touch or click the rotary control you want to operate.
- Use the physical controls. Turn the Knobster’s inner or outer encoder and press its centre switch where the instrument provides a push action.
- Select another instrument when required. Touching a different supported knob transfers Knobster control to that instrument.
If Air Manager runs on a separate panel computer, the Knobster must normally be connected to that machine. Plugging it into the simulator PC does not pass its USB input across the network automatically.
How does Knobster choose which instrument to control?
Knobster sends its input to the currently selected control defined by the Air Manager instrument script.
| Knobster input | Typical instrument action | Caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Inner encoder | Fine adjustment or the smaller concentric knob | The instrument script determines the actual function. |
| Outer encoder | Coarse adjustment or the larger concentric knob | A single-knob control may use only one encoder. |
| Push switch | Push-to-sync, transfer, enter or another button action | Nothing happens if that control has no scripted push function. |
For example, a radio may use the outer encoder for the large frequency digits, the inner encoder for the smaller digits and the push switch to exchange active and standby frequencies. An altitude selector could use the two encoders for different increment sizes. Those assignments come from the instrument, so they are not universal Knobster mappings.
Do you need a touchscreen for Knobster?
No. A touchscreen makes selection convenient, but a mouse can click the supported knob or hotspot before you use the physical encoder. Selection may be lost when you reload a panel, change panel pages or replace the instrument, so select the control again if the Knobster suddenly operates nothing.
Does every Air Manager instrument support Knobster?
No. Only controls exposed to Knobster by the instrument’s script will respond.
A visible knob can be decorative, mouse-only or missing one of its concentric actions. Community-created instruments also differ in how completely their controls are implemented. Test a known working Air Manager instrument before blaming the hardware; if that works, the original instrument or its selected hotspot is the problem.
Do not try to configure Knobster as a normal joystick axis or keyboard controller inside the simulator. Air Manager reads the device and translates its encoder movements into the events defined by the selected instrument.
Why is Knobster detected but not controlling instruments?
Most Knobster faults come from USB detection, an unsupported instrument hotspot or a broken connection between Air Manager and the simulator.
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| No Knobster device or serial port appears | USB cable, port, driver or hub problem | Reconnect it with a data-capable cable, try a direct USB port and confirm that the operating system creates a serial device. |
| Air Manager sees the port but cannot open it | Another application is using the serial connection | Close serial monitors, configuration tools and any second Air Manager instance, then reconnect the device. |
| The device connects but turning it does nothing | No supported control is selected | Touch or click the knob’s active area and test a different known-compatible instrument. |
| The Air Manager gauge moves but the aircraft does not | Simulator connection or event problem | Verify Air Manager’s connection status, required plug-in and selected aircraft. The Knobster itself is working if the panel responds. |
| Values move twice or skip increments | Duplicate assignments or DIY encoder bounce | Remove any second mapping that sends the same simulator event. With a home-built unit, check its firmware and encoder handling. |
| Inner and outer controls are reversed | Instrument scripting or DIY wiring | Test another dual-concentric instrument before changing device-wide settings or rewiring the encoder. |
A mistake we see constantly is troubleshooting Knobster when the Air Manager panel was never communicating with the simulator. Prove the panel connection with mouse or touch input first; only then investigate the USB controller.
A home-built Knobster must also use the firmware and communication protocol expected by Air Manager. Connecting two generic rotary encoders to an Arduino is not enough if the software cannot identify their messages as Knobster input.
Can Knobster control popped-out simulator gauges?
No. Knobster controls scripted Air Manager instruments, not arbitrary cockpit windows or native displays popped out from the simulator.
If you detach a PFD, GPS or other supported MSFS display using the simulator’s own window system, interaction remains governed by that display and the simulator. Our explanation of moving supported MSFS instruments onto another monitor covers that separate method. To operate a display with Knobster, use an Air Manager recreation whose script sends the required simulator events.