[Using a trim wheel axis to operate with trim INC and DEC instead]

Thank you so much!  This really works well!

I modified the script slightly, but this really is an idea solution.

 

Jessica

-- Using a trim wheel axis to operate with trim INC and DEC instead
-- http://forum.simflight.com/topic/72492-using-a-trim-wheel-axis-to-operate-with-trim-inc-and-dec-instead/
--
-- [Auto]
-- 1=Lua trimwheel
-- assign your axis, in the normal FS controls assignment on the left, to "Luavalue trimwheel".

boundary = 16384-2048

function trimwheel_trim(change)
  trim = ipc.readSW(0x0BC0) - change
  if trim < -16384 then
    trim = -16384
  elseif trim > 16383 then
    trim = 16383
  end
  ipc.writeSW(0x0BC0, trim)
end

function trimwheel_ap_vs(change)
  if ipc.readUW(0x07BC) == 0 then -- AP disabled
    trimwheel_trim(change)
  elseif change > 0 then
    ipc.control(65895) -- AP_VS_VAR_DEC
  elseif change < 0 then
    ipc.control(65894) -- AP_VS_VAR_INC
  end
end

function trimwheel_ap_pitch(change)
  if ipc.readUW(0x07BC) == 0 then -- AP disabled
    trimwheel_trim(change)
  elseif change > 0 then
    ipc.control(66584) -- AP_PITCH_REF_INC_DN
  elseif change < 0 then
    ipc.control(66583) -- AP_PITCH_REF_INC_UP
  end
end

function trimwheel_ap_pitch_atthold(change)
  if ipc.readUW(0x07BC) == 0 then -- AP disabled
    trimwheel_trim(change)
  elseif change > 0 then
    if ipc.readUW(0x07D0) > 0 then -- AP alt lock
      ipc.control(65804, 1) -- AP_ATT_HOLD_ON
    end
    ipc.control(66584) -- AP_PITCH_REF_INC_DN
  elseif change < 0 then
    if ipc.readUW(0x07D0) > 0 then -- AP alt lock
      ipc.control(65804, 1) -- AP_ATT_HOLD_ON
    end
    ipc.control(66583) -- AP_PITCH_REF_INC_UP
  end
end

function trimwheel_ap_pitch_althold(change)
  if ipc.readUW(0x07BC) == 0 then -- AP disabled
    trimwheel_trim(change)
  elseif change > 0 then
    if ipc.readUW(0x07D0) > 0 then -- AP alt lock
      ipc.control(65816, 1) -- AP_ALT_HOLD_OFF
    end
    ipc.control(66584) -- AP_PITCH_REF_INC_DN
  elseif change < 0 then
    if ipc.readUW(0x07D0) > 0 then -- AP alt lock
      ipc.control(65816, 1) -- AP_ALT_HOLD_OFF
    end
    ipc.control(66583) -- AP_PITCH_REF_INC_UP
  end
end

function trimwheel_c182(change)
  if ipc.readUW(0x07BC) == 0 then -- AP disabled
    trimwheel_trim(change)
  elseif change > 0 then
    ipc.writeLvar("kap140_dn_button", 1)
  elseif change < 0 then
    ipc.writeLvar("kap140_up_button", 1)
  else
    ipc.writeLvar("kap140_dn_button", 0)
    ipc.writeLvar("kap140_up_button", 0)
  end
end

function aircraftchange(eventtype)
  if ipc.readSTR(0x3D00, 5) == "C182_" then
    trimwheel = trimwheel_c182 
  elseif ipc.readSTR(0x3D00, 12) == "Carenado A36" then
    trimwheel = trimwheel_ap_vs
  else
    trimwheel = trimwheel_trim
  end
end

aircraftchange(nil) -- initialize at least once

function checkvalue(val)
  if prev ~= nil and val ~= prev then -- axis moved
    if math.abs(val) > boundary then
      ipc.display(string.format(
        "Warning:\n\n" ..
        "Trim wheel value near boundary: %d\n" ..
        "Reconnect to restore full range.\n",
        val), 10)
    else
      ipc.display("")
    end
    trimwheel(val - prev)
  end
  prev = val
end

event.sim(AIRCRAFTCHANGE, "aircraftchange")
event.param("checkvalue")

 

[Using a trim wheel axis to operate with trim INC and DEC instead]

This appears to be an ideal solution to using my Saitek Pro Trim Wheel, but I ran into some caveats.

1) At least with the Saitek trim wheel, I had to reverse the values in the Lua script, which is an easy fix.  I did:

function checkvalue(val)
   if prev ~= nil then
		  if val > prev then ipc.control(65607)
		  elseif val < prev then ipc.control(65615)
		  end
   end
   prev = val
end

event.param("checkvalue")

2) If I turn the trim wheel too quickly, I do not get the full range of movement in the sim trim indication.  When I move the trim wheel quickly from its' lowest to highest positions, on the sim it is only moved about half way through its' range of motion.  If I move it slowly, I can get the full range of motion.  I suspect the trim wheel is sending the nose up/nose down commands too quickly and some of the commands are being ignored.  Is there anyway to fix this?

 

3) The last issue is something that is a limitation with the Saitek Trim Wheel, and cannot be fixed FSUIPC, but I am mentioning it as it is unexpected.  The issue is that the trim wheel has limits to the values it can send nose up or down, but turning the wheel there is no indication you have reached full nose up or down, or where you are in the range.  That means, if trim wheel is physically at nose up (or down), before you start the simulator, then in the sim you cannot trim more nose up (or down).  In this case having a trim wheel that does not have physical limits would be ideal.  I wonder if the Saitek can be modified.  Internally it uses a optical rotary position sensor.  This can somewhat worked around by going into FSUIPC and seeing what the position of the trim wheel is at and setting it to roughly what sim trim position you want to start with.

I am using Prepar3d v4.1 and FSUIPC v5.121b

Jessica