Pete Dowson

Does the CH yoke now possess a trim wheel? I'm afraid I need more information before I can help much. What have you assigned the trim wheel to do (or is it not a wheel, but simply an up/down momentary switch, programmed via buttons?) Things to consider in the meanwhile: Have you enabled the "Fix control acceleration" option? Try with it disabled too. And: you can program the trim to operate at any speed you like using the increment/decrement offset controls. The trim action is in fact the example chosen in the user guide for this. See the boxed section entitled Offset Increment/Decrement Controls. Regards Pete

I've no idea what is wrong with your Visual Basic (I don't know it -- hopefully someone else will jump in), but the BCD hexadecimal values 0x1050 and 0x0950 most certainly are both okay and result in 110.50 and 109.50, respectively. Perhaps some references in the VB documents or books will explain how to manipulate binary and hexadecimal values? VB has always seemed to me to be one of the most awkward languages for any sort of real computer work. Regards Pete

No. The key is yours and you can run FSUIPC on as many PCs as you wish, providing they are for your use. Apart from incorrect data entry (name, email and key must all be 100% correct), the most likely problem is that it is an old version of FSUIPC you have installed. Registrations purchased in 2010 will not work on any old versions of FSUIPC. Please download the currently supported version (earliest for FSX is 4.60). You should also certainly check the date set in your Notebook, as already suggested, but normally if that is incorrect it causes FSUIPC to simply not work correctly rather than giving an outright key rejection. Regards Pete

I cannot afford the time to make a complete new release package (a day's work in itself) with fully updated documentation (a week's work) every single time a minor change or fix is made. So I post them here. I cannot even access the page you refer to -- it isn't mine but Mr. Schiratti's, and he updates it infrequently, but often enough for the two or three major re-issues each year. And for the vast majority of users the interim updates and fixes aren't of any interest or consequence in any case! The point of a Support Forum is to support the product, and that is what happens here. That is why I politely suggested that you take a look at the Subforums when or if you ever have a question or problem. If it is not already answered, by all means post in the general Forum. How do you work that out? I don't know where you are coming from with such undeserved criticism. I provide what must be one of the best support responses available anywhere. The only time I don't respond within a few hours is when I'm away on holiday, at which times I post an Announcement to that effect and others kindly jump in and help. If you find being referred to a subforum where you can find updates to fix problems such a chore then I really think you must be in the wrong hobby altogether! :-( Pete

Why bother? You don't need to use FSUIPC. Saitek quadrants can be assigned in FSX. Try Saitek support. I am not supporting Saitek. Pete

It was a bug reported some time ago and fixed in an update, as described in this paragraph of the release notes: Please do make use of the Sub-forums in this Forum, where you will find much useful information as well as updates and lists of changes and fixes. Regards Pete

Usually this is down to Windows' operating its power-saving management on the USB hubs in the PC. I've never heard of it happening once you switch all that off. It's simply re-scanning the complete range of joystick possibilities to see if any have been connected or disconnected. I expect this makes Windows wake each up to get its config details. Go into the Windows' device manage (Control Panel - System - Device Manager), and for all the entries listed as USB hubs of one sort or another, select them, right-click, select 'properties' and, in the power management tab, uncheck the place that allows Windows to turn it off. If they are in regular use Windows won't put them to sleep. If they are left for a while the power management kicks in and appears not to revert until something reconnects. Regards Pete

That's probably because it is defaulting. Since FS9 times I think FS no longer includes joystick settings in the Config file unless you modify the settings in the FS assignments, which of course you won't if you are assigning only in FSUIPC. Odd that your yoke is providing the values reversed like that. Is it home built, or are you using it upside down? ;-) The default parameters for joysticks are in the DEVICES.CFG file in your FS folder. You could change the relevant AXIS_SCALE parater(s) in that, or maybe just use the REV check box in FSUIPC. You need to do that before calibrating -- or re-calibrate afterwards. I probably need to revise that section of the User documentation It applied quite happily till FS9, and no one has come against it since then, or at least not to report it. Thanks, Pete

Reserved offsets are used differently for different simulators with different facilities. The reason they aren't available for general use is often simply that they don'teven exist. On FSUIPC3, in particular, all the offsets are really just labels, looked up in a table to see what should be supplied or acted upon. The illusion of them being offset addresses in a contiguous memory is just that, an illusion -- to keep the interface looking as it did when invented back in FS95 days. Pete

Best to let FSUIPC scan the Lua files and make that list for you. if the numbers change from any assignments you made, you can edit it then, but letting FSUIPC make the entries ensures they match to what it can load. Regards Pete

What have you changed in the FSUIPC.INI file, and why? There should be no need. FSUIPC will automatically list all files found in the Modules folder which have a .lua filetype. There's really no way it can omit any. If you add a Lua file into the Modules folder whilst FS is running you simply need to go into the FSUIPC options tabs for Keys, Buttons or Axes and tell it to reload, using the button provided. Please show me your FSUIPC4.INI file. Regards Pete

It is most definitely NOT a good idea just to choose some random offset for personal use.There's a block of 64 bytes from 66C0 reserved for that, as listed in both the original Programmer's guide and in the FSUIPC4 Offsets status documents. Of course, if you link to an offset which might be used for something else. 3555 is listed as reserved. Regards Pete

That's the only difference. Mine appears to be version 2.4.16.0, probably the one which was installed with SerialFP2. But I doubt that would make any difference at all. I do have a lot of my COM ports showing "(In Use)" in the assignments drop-down. You've got none in use, which is odd. I assume you don't have any other serial devices, and VSPE wasn't running? I suspect the real difference is in the MCP-Combi end. I recall during Beta testing that out of the entire Beta group of about 8 folks, only two of you (yes, there was anoyther) had any initialisation problems at all. Maybe if FSUIPC was to retry the Open stuff at intervals it would help -- I suspect serialFP2 keeps trying? However, it isn't a trivial change to get this to happen, as all of the VRI setting up is done during FSUIPC initialisation and I'd need to rearrange things quite a bit to enable later retries. I'm deep into other stuff at present, but if you still haven't resolved things in a few weeks (say, by December), let me know and I'll look at it. Meanwhile you could try monitoring the serial port and seeing if you can discover the difference between what SerialFP2 does and what FSUIPC does onyour system. You could try "Device Monitoring Studio" (www.hhdsoftware.com) or "Advanced Serial Port Monitor" (www.aggsoft.com). I think you can get a free trial of either of those. I used to use the former, but my license expired. I do have a license for the AggSoft Advanced USB Port Monitor, and that is very good -- I am currently adding USB device support into the Lua COM library facilities. Regards Pete

Why not use the AP PANEL SPEED HOLD TOGGLE control instead of either of those? If the FS panel speed hold does not go on then, no, it isn't working. Have you enabled the auto-throttle? Speed hold can't work without autothrottle. Pete

Users guides are for users, not developers. The full offsets lists in the FSUIPC SDK (standing for "Software Development Kit") details all of the information FSUIPC can supply. The SDK is provided for exactly such purposes, for folks to develop software and mechanisms linking to FS and driving whatever they need. The SDK package has been available for all of the 12 years that FSUIPC has been available, and continually maintained for each successive version of FS. Regards Pete

Ift may simply be that occasionally the port is not appearing connected. Try resetting the device before loading FSX. And maybe try connecting it to a different USB port (on a different hub -- i.e. a different pair). Do you have the MCP-combi externally powered? If not it may be taking too much power off the USB port, especially if the same hub is shared with another device. I seem to recall you had difficulties similar to this back in the Beta testing days, around last Christmas. Regards Pete

Yes, but the problem is the device port, as you can see: VRI port 1 "COM3" failed to open Basically, FSUIPC tries to open the device port and cannot -- Windows is saying it is unavailable. Normally that means something else has already got it. So whatever has COM3 when you start FS is releasing it sometime after. You need to find out what it is and kill it, or wait. As I said, i never have any similar problems here. Maybe something was still running which you thought was closed? FS will, for example, not be full closed for quite a few seconds after its Windows all disappear. Check the Process list in Task manager before loading FS -- if you are re-booting it often i bet it's just an overlap. Regards Pete

0x5720 ? I think that's in a big area assigned to Project Magenta. you'll find complete documentation of their use of Offsets on the Project Magenta website, or, for pmSystems, in the "sysvar.txt" file which is included with the pmSystems files. [LATER] After a quick glance i see that it is part of the pmSystems area, but it doesn't appear to be in use, at least in my copy of pmSystems. Regards Pete

there wasn't much to understand, just make one file with one line in it, exactly as shown and stated. I really don't know how much more I could possibly have done as well as telling you EXACTLY what to put in the file! how on Earth would you suggest i word it? I don't understand where you are coming from at all! No comment. ;-) Pete

Well, if it also applies to the default aircraft (and that's the acid test, because all of those add-on aircraft do their own thing), you've certainly got something else going on then, and I don't think you are telling me the whole story. I suggest that you remove your FSUIPC INI file and start again. Regards Pete

I don't know what that does!I go to the Device Manager (via right click My computer, manage, or via control Panel, System), then expand the USB controllers list, select every USB Hub listed in turn, and for each right-click -- Properties -- Power Management Tab -- uncheck "allow computer to turn off this device". I have 7 entries "Generic USB Hub" and 5 entries "USB Root Hub", and do this for all 12 of them! Regards Pete

Assigning autopilot and autothrottle controls in FSUIPC is abvsolutely no different to assigning them in FS. In fact you do not need to use FSUIPC for such standard FS controls. You have something else going on. There is no relationship between the spoiler arming and the autobrake system and the two things you mention. None whatsoever. You arm spoilers with a different control, and the autobrake is controlled by a 6 way switch and accompanying control. If I were you I'd contact PSS about your problems with their aircraft. Pete

Well something is stopping FSUIPC opening the port -- otherwise SerialFP2 wouldn't be able to do so. Maybe the device has gone to sleep and doesn't activate, or something. Have you stopped Windows doing power management on all USB hubs? Or maybe the virtual pairing isn't always right. If one of the ports is sometimes grabbed by a real device then VSPE will not make the pairing. Mind you, that would still apply after restarting FSX. Check the VSPE window anyway, see what it says when it happens. Don't forget to first enable VRI debugging -- adding those two lines to the FSUIPC.INI file, as documented. Regards Pete

Sounds like you are running SerialFP2 before the FSUIPC part has grabbed the ports. Of course not -- FSUIPC failed to get the correct port because SerialFP2 opened it first, and FSUIPC only tries the once, during initialisation. It was because the order is critical that i arranged everything in FSUIPC to do the program starts AFTER it does done the VRI device opens. I saw from your new document that you prefer starting SerialFP2 manually -- but if you do, be sure to wait. Better really to follow the instructions I provided in the documentation. It works then 100% Logging will show you these things. Regards Pete

No, but the fuel quantity is, the vacuum is, the oil pressure is, and the battery voltage level is. You'd have to check whether these are below some threshold -- you'll need the C172 reference data for those values. Pete