Pete Dowson

Unfortunately he appears not to understand anything to do with the INI file, Macros or Lua files. Looking at his report, he has cut and pasted your Macro code into the [buttons] section of the FSUIPC INI file, not into any Macro file. To do that he'd need to change your code to: 31=P170,16,CL1:R,17 32=P170,16,CL1:R,17 33=P170,16,CL1:R,17 34=P170,17,CL1:R,17 35=P170,17,CL1:R,17 36=P170,17,CL1:R,17 37=P170,17,CL1:R,16 38=P170,18,CL1:R,16 39=P170,18,CL1:R,16 40=P170,18,CL1:R,16 41=P170,18,CL1:R,17 42=P170,19,CL1:R,16 43=P170,19,CL1:R,16 44=P170,19,CL1:R,16 That's it for me. I'm afraid i don't think I can talk to Jorge in any way which he's going to understand anything I say. :-( Maybe he needs to find someone who can speak his own language and understands English too. Regards Pete

Your trouble appears to be that you only read little parts, not the surrounding context. To put the above in context: See where it says "To get to "MAP" from there ...", and " Now selecting "MAP" will do 5 operations"? I assumed, obvious incorrectly, that showing you how to do one position would easily allow you to derive the decrement/increments needed to get to the others! I even went on to show you the faster way, involving never more than 4 values, with sequences of increments (+) and decrements (-), but evidently you chose to ignore that too! There is no point in me trying to show you how to do things if you do not read all the words, not just select those you want and then wonder why it doesn't work. I know your excuse is that English is not your native tongue, so I am sorry I cannot translate, but I really do think you are not reading even what is there. :-( Pete

You've said this before. Please see my previous reply. If it is updated to Acceleration then it includes SP1 and SP2, so you are fully updated. The version on that website changes when there's a major update, so just saying that's where you got it doesn't really define the version number. The version number is easily readable in the Install log file, or by right-clicking on the DLL itself and checking Properties -- Version. Alienware won't be able to help with a bug in FSX and SimConnect, and I'm afraid Microsoft will never fix it now as the FSX development team disbanded after Acceleration was released. The explanation is given in my previous reply. No. I use Win7 Ultimate 64-bit and it is easily the best operating system to ever come out of Microsoft. It is nothing really to do with that, it is a bug in the part of FSX which loads modules and checks signatures. Please look in the FSX Modules folder, find the FSUIPC Install log file and paste it into a message here. At least I can check it installed correctly. Also, whilst in that folder, see if there is an FSUIPC4 log file and/or an FSUIPC4 INI file. If you see an assortment of files but don't know which is which, please look in the FSUIPC Installation guide you got in the downloaded ZIP for where it tells you how to change Explorer to see the files correctly. Assuming there's no FSUIPC4 Log file, and the Install log looks okay, it might be the only way. So far there's not been a case where it wasn't overcome by persisting, or temporarily removing other add-ons. But we'll come to the latter after I see your Install log file. Regards Pete

Didn't you find the section entitled "Keeping track of multiple control devices ("Joy Letters")"? It is listed in the contents list. It's written in as simple a manner as I can, and it certainly is not complicated. As it says,

This sounds like the old SimConnect trust-checking bug. Is your FSX fully updated, to SP2 / Acceleration level? If not, that's the first thing to do, get FSX up to date. The SimConnect loader was much buggier in the earlier FSX versions. All those who've experienced this SimConnect bug, and it isn't many, have eventually overcome it by persistence -- i.e. trying again and again to load FSX. It's a timing problem in FSX's part of the SimConnect module loading and checking routine, and being a timing bug it is critical on the timing of events in your PC. It was very likely to occur in the original FSX release, and Microsoft worked on it but were never able to fully fix it (part of the problem is in Windows itself, not under the FS team's control), but by SP2 (and Acceleration) it was reduced to "very unlikely". Once it loads properly it will be okay. It's only the initial trust-checking which fails. When FSX has the correct Trust entry in its CFG file it works every time thereafter. Regards Pete

How do you work out there should be 5 lines for each? You aren't reading what is being written here!!! Yes, that's correct. Once a button is programmed with multiple entries in the INI file you cannot change it in the Options screen. Yes, and look how wrong they are: 30=P170,18,CL1:R,17 31=P170,18,CL1:R,17 32=P170,18,CL1:R,17 33=P170,18,CL1:R,16 34=P170,18,CL1:R,16 35=P170,17,CL1:R,17 36=P170,17,CL1:R,17 37=P170,17,CL1:R,17 38=P170,17,CL1:R,16 39=P170,17,CL1:R,16 40=P170,16,CL1:R,17 41=P170,16,CL1:R,17 42=P170,16,CL1:R,17 43=P170,16,CL1:R,16 44=P170,16,CL1:R,16 45=P170,19,CL1:R,17 46=P170,19,CL1:R,17 47=P170,19,CL1:R,17 48=P170,19,CL1:R,16 49=P170,19,CL1:R,16 You have all 4 buttons doing EXACTLY the same thing. How on Earth can they make different selections if they all do the same thing? You are not reading what I've been saying at all! :-( You have programmed every one to do 3 decrements (so going to "APP"), then 2 increments (so going to "MAP"). Don't you see that? Please THINK about what you are doing! Regards Pete

Well, Error=10013, "Permission denied" could also mean that the port used by WideFS (8002) is already in use by something else. Here;s the Microsoft explanation i just googled: Have you got anything else using that port (on either PC)? 9002 is obviously okay -- that is used for the Broadcasting which is working. Check, for example, the SimConnect.xml file. If you set SimConnect to use that port it will get it long before WideServer does. You could also try a different port by changing the parameter in both WideClient.INI and the [wideServer] section of FSUIPC4.INI. What I don't understand is how things have changed since you had it working. There's certainly nothing different this area in any versions of FSUIPC or WideClient for years. Regards Pete

Close FS, find the FSUIPC.LOG file and paste it into a message here, please. Regards Pete

There#s been absolutely no change in anything to do with WideFS connections for many years. Something else must have changed too. That's just the WideClient log. There should also be a WideServer.Log and FSUIPC4.log, in the FSX Modules folder. What do they show? Permission denied seems to imply a firewall blockage. Maybe you allowed the old WideClient access through the firewall, and for some reason the update isn't seen as the same progam? Maybe a different folder, or perhaps the firewall does version checking? (I don't really know anything about firewalls as I've never used one). It is obviously available as WideClient is receiving the host name and IP address okay. I've never ever known reinstalling to solve any problem with any of my programs as all you are doing is replacing on binary file with the exact same binary file. Regards Pete

So, it is there one moment, but disappears when you set the parking brake? And with FSUIPC4 installed, I assume? Did you need the user facilities in FSUIPC4? There's no need to purchase it just to use add-on programs. This sounds like the old SimConnect trust-checking bug. Is your FSX fully updated, to SP2 / Acceleration level? If not, that's the first thing to do, get FSX up to date. The SimConnect loader was much buggier in the earlier FSX versions. None of that will make any difference. Can you tell me what version of FSUIPC4 it is you are trying to use? If it is earlier than 4.70 please update using the new Installer. Then, once you have installed 4.70, please go to the Download Links subforum here and get 4.703. All those who've experienced this SimConnect bug, and it isn't many, have eventually overcome it by persistence -- i.e. trying again and again to load FSX. It's a timing problem in FSX's part of the SimConnect module loading and checking routine, and being a timing bug it is critical on the timing of events in your PC. It was very likely to occur in the original FSX release, and Microsoft worked on it but were never able to fully fix it (part of the problem is in Windows iteself, not under the FS team's control), but by SP2 (and Acceleration) it was reduced to "very unlikely". Once it loads properly it will be okay. It's only the initial trust-checking which fails. When FSX has the correct Trust entry in its CFG file it works every time thereafter. Regards Pete

Almost correct. The first one is "ImportTable". Not exactly. The ImportTable lists the modules to which the current module needs to link to, and when loaded entries in that table get filled with the requested modules Linkage table address. The Linkage lists all the locations in the current module which can be accessed by other modules. Two of those relate to initialisation and termination. So, between them they link everything together, like normal DLL imports and exports but done differently, a way which dates way back before there were such things as DLLs (i.e. before Windows). There is some extra info at the top of the tables, to identify the module and which version of FS it is made for. All of this is actually the part which is EXACTLY the same in C-written Gauges and documented in the FS Gauges SDK. So you could work things out from there. In fact your best first step would be to write a gauge and get it working as a gauge. As I said, it is only a DLL loaded through the Panels system instead of by the initial loader. Regards Pete

No. Calibration is where you calibrate. Assignments are done in the axis assignments tab . After assigning, only then can you calibrate -- you can't calibrate an unassigned axis. Please please do find the User guide, as I said, and browse through that. There are pictures in it too, it isn't as deathly boring as it sounds and it'll be a lot clearer and faster than misunderstanding or misreading messages here over several days. User guides are written to help. Regards Pete

Pretty much every one written was done by hacking into FS with debugging and disassembling tools in order to find out how to hook into it. Do you have that sort of experience and tools available? The nearest thing in the SDK would be the C gauge writing stuff (not XML). C Gauges (.GAU files) are just DLLs like FSUIPC and others, but loaded via the PANEL.CFG instead of automatically. If they were renamed .DLL and placed in the Modules folder they'd load like other DLLs (though not necessarily work). None by Microsoft. There was a sort of template DLL which you could build upon published by someone, but that was back in FS98 or FS2000 days. I don't know if it is still available. The DLL loading and linking methods used in FS9 date way back to at least FS95. They only got changed in FSX. Regards Pete

Er ... you cannot do what I suggested by simple assignments in FSUIPC. You have to either create a new Lua plugin, (or add to the one you have already) or edit the assignments in your FSUIPC INI file. Evidently. Let's try it by editing the INI file. Assign the button number you get by turning TO the "MAP" position "parameter 17 (decrease)". Remember the joy/button numbers. Press OK. Load the INI file into an editor like NotePad. Find the [buttons] section, and then, within it, a line starting off n=Pj,b .... where n is simply a line number and j,b are the joy/button numbers. Now, this does one "decrement". You need 3 of those. So make two more copies of that line, with increasing line numbers. Now that same switch selection will do 3 decrements -- placing the switch in the left most (APP) position no matter where is was before. This part will apply to all of the other positions too. To get to "MAP" from there we need two Increments. So make two more copies with increasing line numbers, and change the last number on those two lines from 17 to 16 (the parameter for increase). Now selecting "MAP" will do 5 operations -- 3 decrements and two increments, so reaching the correct position! Okay? Do you understand now? Just apply this logic to all 4 positions. Note that there will be shorter ways for some positions. Representing incr by + and decr by - you could do it most efficiently like this: APP - - - VOR - - - + MAP + + + - PLN + + + So, a maximum of 4 operations listed for any of the 4 switch positions. Note that this method is not very efficient and may appear slow. To speed it up you would need to make a new Lua plug-in to handle the switch instead. Try it first, though, till you understand what is going on. It isn't hard to understand, not really, it is just doing what it says, turning the knob to one extreme then back again. Then, if it isn't very satisfactory, we can look at constructing a Lua plug-in. Regards Pete

Ah, so you don't use PFCHid.dll, nor do you actually require FSUIPC. I assume you only want to use FSUIPC because it offers reversers? It wouldn't matter because there's a later version available here in the Download Links subforum in any case. You won't need anyway it if it is a standard Windows-recognised joystick device. By going to FSUIPC's Axis assignments tab, waggling the lever, selecting "direct to FSUIPC ..." mode and assigning to "reverser". There's a generic reverser for all engines, or separate ones for each of up to four. Good. You'll find all the documentation in the FS Modules subfolder called "FSUIPC documents", as pointed out in the Installation document. Check the User guide. Regards Pete

You do realise you posted the exact same message and thread title twice? I am only answering one, and have deleted the other. Must be a new one. The PFC throttle quadrant I have is a serial port connections using PFC.DLL (for FSUIPC3) or PFCFSX.DLL (for FSUIPC4). Perhaps they that mean it works with the PFCHID.DLL driver I made for the Cirrus Pro -- the throttle quadrant is probably the same as the one in that? Sorry, what do you mean, "missing"? What are you expecting to be there but is not? There are chapters on assigning and calibrating joysticks, with pictures even. Have you actually installed the PFCHID.DLL into the FS Modules folder, or doesn't your quadrant need it? Maybe it is configured like any other joystick/throttle system, in which case it should also be visible and assignable in FS itself, and calibrated in Windows' Game Controllers. Is it? The assignment of axes in FSUIPC is covered quite adequately in the FSUIPC User Guide, as is their calibration. There's a chapter on each of those subjects. What is the problem? What don't you understand? I do not write documentation for nothing, and cannot undertake to provide personalised documentation here in this Forum. I can answer questions, but you need to formulate them. What is it you don't understand? And how do you expect me to help you if i don't know anything about the device you are using? Also, please ALWAYS state what version (by number) of FSUIPC you are using. Check first that it is a supported version -- i.e. 3.99 or 4.70, or later. Regards Pete

Is that some attempt at sarcasm? I don't understand you. If you don't want a central dead zone, why on Earth are you calibrating with one there? I just explained why the facility is there, and that you didn't have to use it! Don't you read the replies? you evidently completely missed this: What more instruction do you need, and why be so nasty? :-( As I said, how you calibrate is up to you. The facilities are there to use as you wish. What guidance do you think you are missing? Pete

"Ease off"? Doesn't sound like a term I'd use! (In fact I haven't used it, after checking with a search!) There are three possible places where you could set a "dead zone" -- the two extremes, and the 'centre'. The reason for a little leeway at the extremes is merely to make sure that you can actually reach the extremes at all times, in all conditions. The leeway there is to allow for temperature and humidity variations which change the resistance measured across the pot and therefore the value returned. The reason for any leeway in the centre is to ensure that, for spring-centred levers (as most are), the position with hands-off, is predictable, always the same, the correct centre of the control surface. Centering on most devices is variable. Additionally it allows for a little amount of jitter. But you don't need to set any. Simply calibrating the centre with no zone is as easy as pressing the button twice without moving the lever. It's entirely up to you. The better quality the control you are using the less reason for any "dead zones" at all. In fact the real best quality controls probably don't need calibrating, or FSUIPC. for that matter. Regards Pete

Hmmm. Sounds like its connection with SimConnect stalled and when it tried to re-connect it failed to do so. I'd certainly need to see the log and the DLL.XML and EXE.XML files, to see what could be interacting with SimConnect to do that. Okay. I don't think 4.703 will fix it -- the changes in that affect registration checks on loading, nothing during normal operation. Regards Pete

Ah, "Add-Ons" in English. Yes, that's the SimConnect addon programs menu. When you say "disappears" do you mean it is there initially but not later, or not there at all from the time FSX is loaded and ready to fly? If the FSUIPC menu entry doesn't appear at all, then it can only be one of two things: EITHER FSUIPC isn't even being loaded. This will be due to either a SimConnect problem or a DLL.XML file problem. So, when the problem occurs lok to see if there is a new FSUIPC4 log file produced in the FSX Modules folder. If there isn't, then find your DLL.XML file (in the same folder as your FSX.CFG) and show it to me. If you don'yt know where to look show me the FSUIPC Install log and I can point you to where it is. OR something is causing FSUIPC's connection to SimConnect to fail, so that it cannot get SimConnect to make the menu entry. This is almost unheard of, but when it does occur it appears to be due to some other loaded application causing SimConnect to stall. If anything like this is happening it is bad, but at least it should show up in the FSUIPC4 log file. So show me that first -- and possibly the DLL.XML and EXE.XML files too so i can see what else is loading. So do I. Best choice! ;-) Regards Pete

If there are only increments and decrements then you have to use them to reach the position you want -- in other words n increments to get from position x to x+n, and so on. You'd either need to synchronise things by hand (i.e. mouse clicks) to start with, and keep track of the position thereafter in the program, or always do enough "decrements" first to be sure it gets to the left-most position so you can count from there. Basically, taking the latter method as being easier, if a switch has, say, 4 position, 0-3, like a 737 EFIS mode switch, always start with: send decrement send decrement send decrement Now you know you are at position 0 If you want 1, send one increment, 2 send two, 3 send three. See? You can do those things in FSUIPC macros or, in a Lua plug-in, your choice. If the controls you need to send can only be done by the Lua "ipc.control" facility then you can only do it in a Lua plug-in. Regards Pete

The toggle control is a control to toggle the marker sound on or off. A control cannot itself be "on" or "off", it is only a control. I assume you mean the switch setting in offset 3122? Er, how are you trying to use '4'? Show me. In this: 3122 will only ever = 132 when all of the sound switches are off except Marker sound, and the COM1 transmit is set. This is because 132 = 128 + 4 = 2^7 + 2^2. Look up those two bits in the 3122 description. However, since you are reading 3122 as "SB", a Signed Byte, it will not look like 132 because the 128 (2^7) bit is the sign bit. Instead it will read as -124 ( = 256-132)! You should always check whether you need a signed value (something which can be negative as well as positive, or unsigned. All values containing only individual bits for flags or switches are unsigned as they don't realy represent numbers at all, only a collection of switch settings. In the Lua program if you want to test just one bit you have to use the logic library function logic.And to extract it: if logic.And(value, 4) ~= 0 then I think you should learn a little more about numbers and bits. Check out the little tutorial "About bits, numbers and hexadecimal ..." in the FAQ subforum. Regards Pete

Yes, thanks. Looks interesting. Regards Pete

Okay. I trust you found the cowl flaps and NAV/GPS switch information you were after? Regards Pete

Not sure what this is about, I cannot get that link to come up with anything. It times out all the time. Regards Pete