How to rename Arduino Micro gamepads, how to use multiple controllers at the same time

It's super easy to make a USB game controller with one of these Arduino Micros. However you can't have more than one, because they all show up as the same name (Arduino Leonardo). Here's how I program my gamepads and then modify their HID reported names, in order to use all of them at once.

[coriscotupi]

Can't thank you enough, Akaki. I've built a number of controllers (throttle quadrant for general aviation airplanes and for Airbus, rudder pedals, collective control for helicopters) and have been struggling since forever with duplicate Arduino names on the Windows device lists, forcing me to connect/disconnect each every time, with the ensuing need to recalibrate them ever so often. I'm finally free of all that hassle.
Liked, subscribed. Of course.

[seanhaynes]

I know the vid is old, but glad I came across it and you other vids. Never used a board or even done any coding - but your feeds helped me build a prototype collective for helicopter sims. Brilliant, well done and thank you!!

[xbadbeef]

10:35 It doesn't have to remember it forever. Go to your Device Manager, find the device, and Uninstall it. Plug in your device and it will register it. But if you want to play it safe lookup "List of USB ID's" and make one up that is not used.

[charlescheaney]

So, I just did this yesterday and while in general this is correct, and this guy is Amazing, there is a bit more to this.
1) The blank board you get IS an Arduino Leonardo, Micro or Pro Micro (remember only ATMega32U4 boards are good for these controllers. So, that is what it will come up as.
2) Let's say you have 3 items you want to run separately (and yes, you could run them all at once, but go with it), Shifter, Pedals and a Steering Wheel.
3) For EACH board/Controller, you will need to change the PID and NAME in the boards.txt and ONLY compile THAT sketch and upload it to that board. So, let's say PID=0x0001 for the Shifter, 0x0002 for the Pedals and 0x0003 for the Wheel. When you start with the BLANK board, you will have to change your boards.txt file for each one as you go! It is important not to skip this step. You will have to upload twice (at least I did) and then the board will show up as being selected in the board selection drop down as what you call it. I changed my Product Name as well so I can easily tell them apart.
4) Once you do get them all configured you can then COMBINE them ALL into the one boards.txt file. When you plug in the Shifter board, it will come up in the Arduino IDE as the Shifter board (or you have to select it), but in this way you can have all three boards loaded and operating and in development at the same time.
I currently can work on my Shifter and my Pedals project at the same time. I DO have to be careful about which sketch is going to which board, but as long as you don't do any 'cross-overs' you should be fine.

It is this initial setup for the boards that is not covered in the video, but I was able to work out how to make it so I could get them all configured and be able to connect them all at the same time and develop the different projects at the same time as well.
Really a shifter, pedals and wheel COULD be all combined into one Arduino, but I'm using three to have a bit more fun. Also, I use the Pro Micro and it works with this stuff just fine! Also a big THANK YOU to the Joystick.h developer... That's some nice HID!

[akaHarvesteR]

Thank you! I've tried renaming my Arduino Joystick devices before, and found it really awkward and couldn't find good information about it... I knew about the boards.txt file, but I didn't know you could create a new board definition to separate different projects. That's great! I'm going to need to do this really soon in fact, as my ongoing yoke project uses the same Due board as my existing collective build.

[bryanp]

Thanks so much for this video, I've been searching down a rabbit hole looking for a simple explanation on how to do this. Worked like a charm!

[EastLondonKiwi]

Great content Akaki. There is very little on YouTube that covers this subject, this has helped me out a lot. Most flight controller content is about the hardware builds which is the easy bit in my view. I would love to see you explain force feedback for flight controllers as I believe you'd do a great job at it.

[PaddyPatrone]

I didn?t have the folder hardware in the arduino folder. I created it but it doesnt swork. Any help ?

[pratheekashok]

Hi Akaki, awesome video and stuff that you have made, kudos. I wanted to get started on a similar mini joystick project but wanted to include force feedback too. I plan to use a leonardo pro micro. So I wanted to know how FFB integrates into this and how to go about it. Any help on this front would be hight appreciated. Thanks.

[maximac]

11:35 i think another game that could utilize all this controllers at once is The Crew 2 where you have cars (steering wheel + pedals), planes (joystick + throttle) and boats (steering wheel + throttle). I don't know if you can set it up like this in game though.

[garethbarry]

It's a pitty this doesn't seem to be working with the new IDE 2.x.

[AaronWerner]

I am running micro as game controller for FS 2020 and have tried to adjust sensitivity in the game settings but unfortunately it does not help. My controller is way too sensitive, is there a way to adjust the sensitivity in the sketch file?

[fotoamgamgfoto]

What ID to use to get it recognizes by steam as generic game controller or wheel? Steam games does not use my Leonardo

[vladyslavkalinichenko]

Thank you for useful method, I’m still figuring why that doesn’t work for me.

Have you tried to connect multiple devices into a single ecosystem using master-slave communication? I wonder if it is possible having just a single device connected to PC and others are connected to that host device?

[EpicHale]

Do you have a video and 3d files for your hand break?

[jmsian]

8:39 Start of main topic "renaming the arduino" joystick

[WayneMcNab]

Thanks very much. Great video. Windows 11 sees the 2 new unique Micro names, in the Devices and Printers window, but not in the Game Controllers window when you right click a controller icon then left click Game Controller Settings. MSFS 2020 also still displays the same old name for the 2 Arduino micros unlike what I see in your video. Also, if I have of 2 differently named Micros programmed with two different sketches and plug one in at a time, it take the setup from the previously program Micro. Any thoughts.
Thanks
Wayne

[illusion]

is it possible to use an arduino board and controller at the same time in an f1 game?

[rjc]

Brilliant. the instructions on the Midi website were really confusing me, as it assumed the user had any knowledge of Aurduino etc! really looking forward to using my joystick, throttle, and rudder as they are now completed. just waiting for SB cables that are long enough. I did find it very difficult to glue the magnets in, and the little stands the hall sensor sit on were very fragile and have broken a few times due to the gimbal knocking into them!

I also live the video presentation style. informative, but a little bit funny.

and of course I have named then after the creator! :D

[Viking]

How many buttons/axises, axees (you know what I'm trying to say!) can a Teensy control. Some HOTAS units have a cable running from the stick to the throttle quadrant. Could that be done with a small micro controller like the Teensy to keep from using two separate controllers?