FatherDane

After reading the PMDG 737 NGXu Introduction manual I noticed this entry: "The PMDG 737NGXu is fully compatible with FSUIPC except that we recommend that you do not calibrate your flight controllers through FSUIPC. We recommend that you use the driver/software that comes with your hardware." Is this something you are aware of? They are not exactly rubbishing FSUIPC but I find it strange they should say it. So, I wonder if you have any response. Are there issues to be cautious about? Why would they say it? I'm using FSUIPC in my hardware cockpit for calibration (mostly Opencockpits parts) and so far there hasn't been any issues. But then again I've just completed a total rebuild after installing the latest P3D and PMDG software, so it's is early days for me. I have noticed that sometimes (and for what cause I don't know) a button assignment will either disappear or fail or change. But I put that down to the weather (why not?) and get on with it. But if there are some valid issues, what might I do to avoid them? With best wishes Father Dane

Hello Thank you for the information. After a lot of enquiry and quite a bit of trial and error, I have assembled two computers which I call Flight-1 and Flight-2 (server and client respectively). It was a bit of a chore, but I managed to duplicate all the software and scenery on both computers. I decided to use Wideview as it allows the use of Active Sky. OpusFSI does not. I put PMDG NGXu on the server (Flight-1) and a simple B737 that came with FSX on the client (Flight-2). I have three large televisions to provide 180 degrees of external view attached to the client but only a simple and small screen for the Windows desktop on Flight-1...but there are six other monitors attached to this unit to show the cockpit instrument screens. I suppose I could run the instruments on another computer, but I would still need six monitors to show the instruments no matter what I do. Dedicating the second computer to external views was the best option. I use P3D's View Group to arrange the three screens in P3Dv5 and the frame rate is very good averaging between 40 and 60 fps. And I use the best graphic settings for the sceneries to boot. I know that maintaining the same on both computers can be a bore but that is only done now when I have to add a patch or a new scenery. And yes, PMDG runs very well on the server and powers all the screens for my hardware cockpit - at a lower frame rate true, but that is all I need to run instrument screens. So instruments on one PC and external views on a second PC. It works! Cheers Father Dane

Thank you for the advice. As an old IFR pilot I am less concerned about outside views than a VFR pilot might be, but as I keep getting nagged about the low frame rate from others I thought I should at least explore it. I have gone over all the CPU and GPU configurations several times and I have discovered that PMDG is the main culprit for resource hogging. I'm not daunted by networking but as I couldn't find anything online that was clear about what would be needed to set up a multiple computer system, I was not about to embark on an expensive expansion project without knowing if the end would be worth it. Thanks for the reply Father Dane

I have a problem with low frame rates on my sim. I have been told that using a second computer will improve that. The problem is that there is very little information out there dealing with the actual steps for setting this up. Currently I use a hardware sim and one computer running everything. I have six monitors for the MIP and three for the eternal views - it is the external views that are dire when it comes to frame rate. As I understand it - and please correct me - to use two computers I would need BOTH WideFS and Wideview. Yes? Also, I would need to have all the same software on both, to include P3D (which I use) and PMDG, and all the airport sceneries as well, I understand? The real problem is getting info on how to make it all work. I have written to Mr Napolitano but I get no reply to my enquiries. I downloaded the manual but it is confusing as it appears to be written for FSX and not P3D. So, can you clarify the situation for me please? Do I need BOTH WideFS (wideserver) and Wideview and presumably Widetraffic as well? And do I need to set up the second computer (dedicated to run the three external views) with identical software as installed on the main computer? Furthermore, is it preferred to use the main computer (server) to run the MIP and six monitors and dedicate the second computer, the client, to running the three external views? If you know of a video somewhere that explains all this, I would be really grateful, but in the meantime, getting the preceding clarified would be a big start as I need to find out up front what I'm getting myself into with both effort and cost. Many thanks Father Dane

Hello Thank you for the detailed response - I will try it out today to see how it works for my simulator. Once you pointed out where I should look, I could see where I had been making my mistakes. Thank you Father Dane

Hello I've just finished building a hardware Cessna 172 simulator. Since I don't have the proper C172 radios but another brand, I wanted to replicate the action for button selection across the top (see picture) with a simple switch. For example, Switch on = NAV-1 ON and Switch off = NAV-1 OFF … and so on. I'm running P3Dv4.5 and trying to assign a function is proving difficult as there are no specific commands listed that would turn the sound for NAV 1 on and off. (I am teaching someone the basics of flight and navigation and being able to listen to the Morse from a particular VOR, for example, will positively identify that VOR from any other.) Am I missing the commands here? Are they available but just listed as something else? Or. would it be better to make a macro, for instance? Any thoughts? Best wishes Father Dane

As to what I did, well, only what I wrote above - I added those values - the 341A and U8 into the LOG boxes. After that, it worked! I will disable the new logging but leave the values as the same. As to sending you too many logs - I thought it better to be generous rather than stingy :) I wouldn't know what is relevant or not to a programmer such as yourself. Once again, thank you for sorting me out. You really are a genius. Father Dane

Hello Since I am in the miracle business, I am declaring a miracle has happened. First of all and to answer the first question, the toe brake axes are assigned to left brake and right brake After starting P3Dv4, I chose a PMDG 737 aircraft. I went into FSUIPC and ticked the AXES box and selected NEW LOG FILE. Then I entered the offset 341A in all four boxes on the right with U8. Then I went into the calibration panel and re-calibrated the left and right differential brakes - and I noted that this time, the values were not jittery and it entered smoothly. Exiting I went through a start up so I could test the brakes and after moving, that is when I discovered a miracle had happened: the toe brake now work as they used to do. I have attached all the log files for you to look at. The toe brakes are attached to this controller: USBAXESV2.0 Now, since the brakes are working once again, do I do anything with the LOG page? Should I remove any values or at least disable the additional logging? What should I do about those settings? Whatever the problem was, it has certainly been corrected. You, sir, are a genius! Gratefully Father Dane FSUIPC5 Install.log FSUIPC5.1.log FSUIPC5.log

Hello I just experimented with a Mooney Bravo (one of the P3DV4 models they offer) and with an imported 737 from FSX. Then I also tried with another PMDG model 737 other that the Ryanair model I generally use. All other axes controls are working such as the yoke and rudder etc, as does the hand brake, as well as the button I assigned to use as a brake, but the toe brakes are inoperable in every sim aircraft model l tried. I tried calibrating them again and still nothing happens. (And I do believe it is jitter that is causing the values to change now that you point it out). However, there is an obvious physical connection between the hardware toe brakes and FSUIPC otherwise there would be no values appearing or changing in the FSUIPC at all. The values are just not transmitting to the aircraft - whichever aircraft model that it. The rudder pedals are working normally and I mention this because the controller card is the same for both the rudder as for the toe brakes and also for the yoke as well. I wrote to PMDG but so far no reply. As this affects sim models other than PMDG, I'm wondering now if this is something for Lockheed? There has been no P3D update for some little while that might be seen as a cause for such a disconnect, nor has there been other sim updates either, so I am baffled as to why this one FSUIPC function doesn't connect with any of the sim models. As far as I can see, all the other FSUIPC functions are operating as normal. Is there another value I could put in somewhere? I know this is one of the axes, but is there a work-around? What sort of test would you run to try and make a connection? I wondered earlier if there might be a corrupt file somewhere. You are the one who knows how FSUIPC connects with the sim and what files are used or accessed: is there a file somewhere that could possibly be preventing the sim connection? So do you recommend me contacting Lockheed Martin on this, or should I take the plunge and simply wipe it all out and perform a clean installation from the OS on up? It's a bit drastic and time consuming but it appears there is a tiny needle somewhere in a very large haystack. Best wishes Father Dane

I understand. Yes the REV is ticked. And yes I understand the values will change as I move the pedals - but the values are changing without any input from me and before I even try to move the pedals and calibrate. That's what I mean by changing values - and an anomaly. But as you suggest, I will now approach PMDG to see if they have an answer. If not, then it will mean a complete wipe of the computer with a full and clean installation as that is the only other alternative to fixing this: get rid of everything and simply start again. It's a time consuming process, but so is trying to track down one single malfunction in a million processes, and at some point, that may be the more economical route. Thank you for trying though - it is really appreciated. Father Dane

Ah yes, the "preview boxes" I referred to were the axes range values. It's just that the values in the IN and OUT value boxes show a different range of values each time I try to calibrate the toe brakes. One time they are all positive numbers another time I see the numbers prefixed with a "-" minus - this is what I refer to as an anomaly (something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected) and this was not what I expected. I know something is not working as it should. I have attached the INI file for you to look over - the specific controller is: 1=USBAXESV2.0 and the specific lines for the axes are LeftBrake=-15230,16383/16 RightBrake=-14938,16139/16 And yes, the controllers are disabled in P3D. As I said, I don't understand why everything was working perfectly up until a few days ago and since then, this particular function has not worked. That's why I wondered if there is a corrupt file somewhere (like a DLL file) that needs to be deleted or overwritten with something else. Sorry to trouble you with this but I am out of ideas. Father Dane FSUIPC5.ini

Hello Again Sorry, I goofed and I need to clarify. First, I do have a default aircraft - it is one of the standard ones in P3D that I never use, but remember people saying that unless you have it, P3D has a habit of crashing to the desktop. I had simply forgotten about it as I never used it. Second, I did discover one problem: that when I performed a "repair" from both P3Dv4 and PMDG, I forgot to put in the [SDK] EnableDataBroadcast=1 in the 737NGX_Options.ini file. I did and then went back into the sim to see what difference it made - and it did, of course. I now have fully function brakes with the button I added to activate FS Brakes when pressed. The parking brake also works. The differential brakes still have a problem and don't work as they did before. If I apply them, the effect is so slight as to be negligible. I went into FSUIPC to try and calibrate them again, and I notice something I had not seen before: where before, the preview box that shows the values, had a whole number in one and a -number in the other, the calibration seems confused as to whether there is a -values of not. I could do it twice and get a different value each time. I suspect the is the visible evidence of what the problem might be - but I'm not smart enough to know what that problem is. Does this help you to determine the possible cause? The 737 yoke assembly uses the same controller card as the 737 pedals (which also includes the toe brakes) No other axis appears affected other than the differential left and right brakes. Since I can have brakes via the button programmed as an FS function for Brakes, the issue is not with PMDG I think, but with the way the hardware is trying to talk to the software (the toe brakes to FSUIPC). Have you encountered this anomaly before? Is there a corrupt file somewhere that needs deleting and re-installing? Many thanks Father Dane

I have no default aircraft - only scenarios that I have assigned with the one aircraft I use: PMDG 737NGX and the Ryanair livery. The brake assignments are all made via FSUIPC and are disabled in P3D. The values do change when I go into the FSUIPC settings so I know FSUIPC "sees" the action. As an aside, it's possible the brake issue could be a bit more widespread as I assigned FS-Brakes to a button as a stop-gap measure and when I use it, it's as though there are no brakes at all. I also notice that auto-brake seems to have little or no effect and finally, the hand brake appears very reluctant. There is a screen in the 737 … the lower DU where engine and system values are monitored … and I note that after a landing, the brake temperature now remains zero which is very unusual as there is always some temperature increase registered even on one of my more perfect landings. :) Does this help? Thanks for taking the time Father Dane

Hello I have the latest version of FSUIPC installed (5.15). My sim has Opencockpits 737 rudder pedals. everything has been working fine up to a few days ago when I discovered the toe brakes were no longer working. I first checked that the wiring was all right (it is) and I performed a new calibration thinking that would solve the problem, but it hasn't The calibration is correct but for some reason the toe brakes are inoperable in the sim. I've checked everything, and even ran P3Dv4 repair, and PMDG repair from the installation packages, but although FSUIPC shows that the physical Opencockpits pedals are properly connected and functioning, the toe brakes on the pedals do not seem to be connecting to the sim. The rudder works, but not the toe brakes. It there any reason you can think of why the toe brakes should have stopped working in the sim? I push the toe brakes and absolutely nothing happens. I also checked to see if there was a fault in the PMDG failure settings, but that it clear. I have a suspicion that it is something very simple that my thick brain is overlooking, so could you put me out of my misery, please? Many thanks Father Dane

Greetings from South Yorkshire I just tried the code submitted by ccb777 above and was successful in getting the left and right IRS to work perfectly. Chris is a bloody genius! Thank you - and thanks to all of you who have helped me with this project. Father Dane