Example DIY guide — replace with your own research once you’re ready to publish.

What You’ll Need

An Arduino Leonardo (or Pro Micro, which uses the same ATmega32U4 chip) is the standard choice for DIY button boxes because it can register as a native USB joystick/HID device — unlike an Arduino Uno, which needs extra firmware tricks to do the same. You’ll also need momentary switches, hookup wire, and a project enclosure.

Wiring the Buttons

Each button is wired between a digital pin and ground, using the Leonardo’s internal pull-up resistors rather than adding external resistors — the standard approach in nearly every published button box build, since it halves the wiring per button.

Flashing the Firmware (MobiFlight)

Rather than hand-writing joystick firmware, most builders flash the free MobiFlight firmware to the board, which turns it into a configurable input device recognized directly by MobiFlight’s desktop app — no code required for basic button mapping.

Mapping Buttons in MSFS 2024

Once flashed, the board shows up as a standard joystick device in MSFS 2024’s Controls settings, where each button can be bound directly to any sim command — landing lights, parking brake, autopilot toggles — the same way you’d bind a physical joystick button.