# Custom 6 motor configuration **URL:** \ **Category:** Blue Robotics Software\ **Tags:** ardusub, blueos, motor\ **Created:** [March 5, 2026, 1:07am UTC](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/t/custom-6-motor-configuration/22563 "2026-03-05T01:07:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Vkoppireddy1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ce73a5/32.png) [@Vkoppireddy1](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/u/Vkoppireddy1)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 1:07am UTC](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/t/custom-6-motor-configuration/22563/1 "2026-03-05T01:07:54Z")
Hi, could someone explain how to change the motor setup so I can control it properly with an Xbox controller? Right now I’m using 6 thrusters. Four of them are vertical (for up and down movement) and two are horizontal (for forward/back movement). I want to make it to where the controls are set up so the four vertical motors do only up/down and the two horizontal motors do only forward/back. How would I configure the motors or mapping so the controller works correctly with that setup? Also here is exactly how I want the joystick configuration for the motors to be ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/bluerobotics/original/3X/4/d/4da4de16150fc5f7a9ecaa79928c8ed78c15b643.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![tony-white](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discuss.bluerobotics.com/tony-white/32/13297_2.png) [@tony-white](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/u/tony-white)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 6:41am UTC](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/t/custom-6-motor-configuration/22563/2 "2026-03-05T06:41:51Z")
Hi @Vkoppireddy1 - Is your vehicle running [ArduSub](https://ardupilot.org/sub/) and [BlueOS](https://blueos.cloud/docs/latest/usage/installation/)? I wouldn’t recommend get too hung up on the xbox controller - if you configure the vehicle with the appropriate frame type for your thruster layout, mapping the desired functions to the desired actions in QGC or [Cockpit](https://bluerobotics.com/cockpit/) is fairly straightforward… ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/bluerobotics/original/3X/8/a/8a287730ee488f7be29b2dd7cc43d55d2079d7e1.jpeg) Mapping the left and right triggers to up and down may be possible eventually, but may not be supported currently… ---
**Author:** ![Vkoppireddy1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ce73a5/32.png) [@Vkoppireddy1](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/u/Vkoppireddy1)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 11:53am UTC](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/t/custom-6-motor-configuration/22563/3 "2026-03-05T11:53:55Z")
Hey Tony, I am running BlueOS, and I’m using Cockpit instead of QGC, although I still have QGC installed. So, how can I configure four of the motors to only move up and down, while the other two move forward and backward? I tried changing FRAME\_CONFIG to Custom in BlueOS, but my ROV software still recognizes it as a standard BR ROV. ---
**Author:** ![EliotBR](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discuss.bluerobotics.com/eliotbr/32/6937_2.png) [@EliotBR](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/u/EliotBR)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 10:23pm UTC](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/t/custom-6-motor-configuration/22563/4 "2026-03-05T22:23:50Z")
> [@Vkoppireddy1](#): > > how can I configure four of the motors to only move up and down, while the other two move forward and backward? Your description is a little vague, but I suspect you may be able to use the Vectored-6DOF frame option, and just assign your motors as 1/2 for the forward-facing ones, and 5/6/7/8 for the vertical ones (and don’t assign any outputs as Motor 3 or Motor 4). > [@Vkoppireddy1](#): > > How would I configure the … mapping so the controller works correctly with that setup? > > Also here is exactly how I want the joystick configuration for the motors to be > > ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/bluerobotics/original/3X/4/d/4da4de16150fc5f7a9ecaa79928c8ed78c15b643.jpeg) On the control front, Cockpit allows mapping [joystick axes](https://blueos.cloud/cockpit/docs/latest/usage/advanced/#buttons-and-axes) to [motion axes](https://mavlink.io/en/services/manual_control.html#directional-control) arbitrarily (so you could assign your left stick to Axis S (pitch) and T (roll), and your right stick to X (forward) and R (yaw)), but it doesn’t yet support more advanced axis configurations (like splitting an axis between two triggers or buttons). There is [a longstanding Issue](https://github.com/bluerobotics/cockpit/issues/1759) about adding support for more direct (and dynamic) configuration of the joystick outputs, which has been stuck in complexity discussions for a while. I’ve just realised that the axes are the critical part of that, which is substantially less complicated in isolation, so we can hopefully implement that quite soon… ---
**Author:** ![EliotBR](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discuss.bluerobotics.com/eliotbr/32/6937_2.png) [@EliotBR](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/u/EliotBR)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2026, 11:33am UTC](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/t/custom-6-motor-configuration/22563/5 "2026-03-08T11:33:08Z")
> [@EliotBR](#): > > I’ve just realised that the axes are the critical part of that, which is substantially less complicated in isolation, so we can hopefully implement that quite soon… Following up, I’ve [implemented this](https://github.com/bluerobotics/cockpit/pull/2476), and managed to get it working for split axis control of the vertical axis using some data-lake variables. It still needs to be reviewed, and included in a release, but can be considered “almost available” rather than “not yet developed” 🙂