Pete Dowson

Sorry, I don't know SB at all. I didn't even know that all the text messages were done through a single line display -- that must make life a bit difficult, not seeing the context? I did install SB4 on a networked PC for use with FSX, but I've not even used that yet through current lack of support for transponder operation via buttons or keypresses. SB4 is very different from SB3 I think -- on FSX it doesn't use FSUIPC at all, but SimConnect entirely. Possibly they've changed the method of text display and are using a gauge, or similar, which you need to install too? Regards Pete

And thank you for some rare positive feedback! Have a nice weekend! Regards Pete

Best to test with a normal aircraft first, please -- helicopter throttles are different. I need to know explicitly whether you see the throttle lever on the aircraft throttle quadrant moving. I'd rather they weren't attached (if you do attach, ZIP them in any case). For ordinary text files, if not too big, you can paste them into your message here. If you mark the inserts as "List" (see the button above?) the formatting will be retained. If the files are huge (they shouldn't be if you keep the test short and to the point) then I'll give you an email address to send them to (but still ZIPped). Please don't send or post anything will you are using the updated FSUIPC. Regards Pete

Nico Kaan is the expert on interfacing to the LevelD. Either search him out and ask, or re-post with a more explicit tile mentioning the Level D. With a title "wiring real FMC" it rather sounds like you need an electrical engineer! ;-) I think LevelD have a Forum of their own. You'll probably get more specific help there. If the encoder is producing keystrokes for those buttons, you could probably program "mouse macros" for the functions on the LevelD panel, using a registered copy of FSUIPC, then use the Keys tab in FSUIPC to assign the keystrokes from the encoder to the correct macros. Mouse macros are discussed in the FSUIPC documentation. Regards Pete

Just enable the Button logging. nothing else. Then make your macros. Try to make them exactly as you want them. fingers crossed! ;-) Thanks. Pete

What? On all 16 devices it can show, only 2 axes, no buttons, no other axes? If that's the case then that'll be all that FSUIPC3 can see too. It uses exactly the same interface. Are you sure it isn't acting as a mouse? Does it move and click the Windows mouse cursor? Otherwise, that last action sounds like it must be acting as a button. If that's not seen in FSUIPC's Button & Switches tab then it must be outside the standard 32 button range FSUIPC can cope with -- DirectInput can handle 64 buttons. If not a mouse, the microstick might be a POV (point of view) device, like a "hat". In FSUIPC3 one POV only is supported, as a set of 4 or 8 buttons (depending on the Hat). DirectInput supports more, but you'd need FSX + FSUIPC4 for that. The throttle device looks as if it already has a hat on it, so maybe the microstick is a second hat, or a true joystick with X-Y type axes. DirectInput has been around longer than that. FS has been using it since FS2002 I think. Before that FS used the same interface as FSUIPC -- in fact that's why I used that interface in FSUIPC which was designed in FS98 days. Sorry, for FSUIPC3 it looks like you may be out of luck for that button/stick. Regards Pete

What IS this "microstick"? Sorry, I've no idea. Maybe it uses some of the later-added axes not supported in the Joystick facilities FSUIPC3 uses. If so, I'm sorry but you are out of luck until you update to FSX and FSUIPC4 -- I wrote new axis code in FSUIPC4 which copes with all the axes which "DirectInput" can support. FSUIPC3 supports axes called X Y Z R U and V. These are the 6 axes supported in al versions of Windows for many many years. More were added in DirectInput. I attach a program you can run to check which axes are which. It uses the same interface as FSUIPC3. Regards Pete joyview.zip

If this is truly related to VB.NET and/or the DLL I'll let Paul handle it, but meanwhile please could you enable IPC write logging in FSUIPC, reproduce the crash, and show us the last parts of the log, leading to the crash. There should be no way of crashing FS just by writing to 3380 as it is purely an FSUIPC memory location, so it may be that the string that you end up writing is too long (more than the 128 bytes including zero terminator) and so overwriting something more critical. And, please, can you elaborate on: as it doesn't make sense to me I'm afraid. Regards Pete

You don't need it to be registered in order for those programs to connect, as they are both licensed in any case. Maybe the "extreme irritation" should be kept to yourself, as it may well be of your own doing? Let's find out ... Please check the FSUIPC.LOG file which you will find in the FS Modules folder. Does it state a problem? Show it to me if you don't understand it. And try temporarily removing the FSUIPC.KEY file from the Modules folder, then load FS. If the programs connect then, you have one of these problems: 1. Either you have the date set incorrectly on your PC, and it actually precedes the date of the purchase of your FSUIPC registration, making it invalid, 2. Or you have an incorrect, possibly pirated, registration key. If so, delete the KEY file and go and purchase a legitimate registration. If you think it is nether of these then please ZIP up your FSUIPC.KEY file and send it to me at petedowson@btconnect.com. Regards Pete

There is a specific area allocated for private use, free for anyone to use as they like. That is from 66C0 to 66FF (i.e. 64 bytes -- enough for 512 LEDs). If you've been poring through the manual I'm surprised you missed those. If you wish to have offsets allocated specifically for use by a program which will be distributed to others then you need to work out your requirements properly and make an application. I will then assign an batch for your program, and document as so allocated internally. What "manual" did you get those from? There are certainly none marked as free (except 64 bytes at 66C0 as I said) in any current edition of the offsets lists, either for FSX or before. And none of those 4 have been listed as even available on application for years! It looks as if you are referring to a version at least 4 years out of date! Please, if you are developing for FSUIPC, be sure to keep your SDK (and FSUIPC version) up to date! Regards Pete

A "beamer"? Is that what we call a projector? This is with FS's main window in Windowed mode, I assume, not full screen? (i.e. you still have the FS title bar visible?) Ernot work with gauges? All the aircraft have gauges -- there's a mixture of C/C++ gauges and XML ones. Sorry, I've no idea. The windowing system in FSX is completely different. I wouldn't know where to being with it. Why not try to size and arrange the windows so they don't overlap? Surely you have room on 3 monitors without the scenery window? Regards Pete

Aha! I have heard of that happening too, with a rather badly written joystick driver. Was this an old Game Port device, or USB? With Game Ports if the device is not connected the driver has to wait so many milliseconds for a time-out before returning to say so. It's to do with measuring analogue axis settings by the discharge time of a capacitor (!). When that time is longer than the interval between two successive polls from the PCnothing else can happen! Anyway, if you really don't want to use that joystick I would uninstall its driver if i were you. I think the problem will disappear then! Regards Pete

I'm not interested in the version of WideClient (although YOU should be -- the latest and best WideClient is version 6.782, in the Updates above). I certainly cannot support a version as old as 5.50 -- that is YEARS old! As I said before it is WideServer (note the difference in the name?) that is the point on the FS PC! WideClient does not run on the FS PC!!! To your logs: WideServer 5.50 is many years old now! In fact it is so old I have no records of how old it is! I am pretty sure that it is completely incompatible with ANY recent version of FSUIPC! The list of Supported Versions shows clearly that the earliest supported version is WIDEFS 6.78. You seem to have ignored the most important request in my earlier response, which was: If either of these two are not the latest supported versions, please try those first. There are updates for FSUIPC in the Updates announcement above, and the Supported Versions announcement tells you which are the minimum version numbers to be used. There's absolutely no point at all in submitting any logs for ancient versions of my programs which you really should not still be using. Please update your software before coming back. I really can't imagine how you updated FSUIPC to such a recent version and forgot entirely about your WideFS? :-( Regards Pete

This is probably caused by something connected as a joystick or input device, being scanned by FSUIPC, constantly changing a button or POV state so rapidly that FSUIPC gets no chance to display it. Try unplugging things to see what is doing it. Or try running the attached program, "JoyView", which scans the joysticks in the same way as FSUIPC. It may help you locate the culprit. If you can identify the faulty joystick & button number(s), and cannot fix it, you can use the "IgnoreThese" parameter in the main [buttons] section of your FSUIPC.INI file to disregard it(them). This facility is described in the Advanced User's guide, in the Button Programming section. Regards Pete joyview.zip

Are you using Windows Vista by any chance? If so, did you follow the important notes in the instructions and register whilst running FS9 in elevated administrator mode? (Don't run FS9 directly, but by right-clicking and selecting "run asadministrator"). If you come back with more questions, please quote the version number of FSUIPC. You should be using at least 3.85. There are later versions in the Updates announcement above.. Regards Pete

You must not try installing WideClient into FS9 -- it is the part of WideFS which is intended for your Client PCs, not the FS PC. If you really mean WideServer, I need more information, please: 1. Version number of FSUIPC 2. Version number of WideServer If either of these two are not the latest supported versions, please try those first. There are updates for FSUIPC in the Updates announcement above, and the Supported Versions announcement tells you which are the minimum version numbers to be used. 3. A list of other add-ons and add-ins installed in FS9. 4. Details of whatever programs where running from a Client PC at the time. 5. Version number of FS9 (9.0 or 9.1?) 6. Show me the FSUIPC.LOG and the WideServer.log files, both from the FS9 Modules folder. 7. When the error message occurs, please click on the place where you can view more details. I need the Module name and the address is provides. Regards Pete

Microsoft added facilities to set a GLOBal weather mode in FSX. It doesn't exist in FS9 I'm afraid. No matter what you do, unless you clear the weather and reset it regularly (every 10 minutes or less, depending on conditions), the local stations start changing and become independent, and then can no longer be controlled as "GLOB", only by their ICAO. If you only want the weather at a secluded location, away from all weather stations completely (like in the middle of the Atlantic), then you could control by GLOB alone. Otherwise you need to populate all of the weather stations within a good range, maybe 40 miles, with the same weather. GLOB weather is only applied to stations without their own weather already. I really cannot pore through all the details in the log extract you showed. Perhaps you could point to (or highlight) the parts you feel I ought to see? I'm not clear on exactly what it is you need. Have you sent the "clear weather" command first? You need to do that to clear down all the stations, otherwise GLOB will likely not be seen anywhere near the aircraft. There are no facilities to do this before they were added by Microsoft in FSX. And then you need to do it via SimConnect, not via FSUIPC. As often as it will accept them, but don't necessarily expect FS9 to keep up. And you will impact FS performance, of course. If you want complete global control of weather in FS you need to use FS2002. The changes they made in FS2004 were such that it really only works well with localised weather -- i.e. weather set by writing to all of the weather stations within range. This is how all the weather programs for FS9 work. Those which might only use global weather are forced to clear all weather regularly, causing some cloud flashing of course. FSX includes a Global mode, which gets over this, but it is a bit lacking in other areas, such as the cloud thickness and type control. It tends to make up its own mind in those areas. Additionally the winds can be rather erratic sometimes (a bug actually carried over from FS9, but which FSUIPC was able to "fix" in FS9 but not in FSX). Using SimConnect FSX also offers the facilities to create weather stations where you like. ASX and ASA use this to control transoceanic weather. Regards Pete

Please, before asking for support, always try the current supported version, as noted in the Announcements here. 4.26 is far too old for me to even think about dealing with. 4.40 is the earliest supported version, and it would be worth your while trying the latest increment, 4.427, from the Updates Announcement above -- but be sure to install 4.40 first, please! Once you've done that, then, if you still get the same problem: ... I will need more information please. 1. Is this with all aircraft, or a specific add-on aircraft? If an add-on, please test with a default one. 2. When you say calibration screen, you do mean the FSUIPC4 one, yes? 3. Which page of the calibrations are you using -- the single throttle bottom right on the first page (with the aileron, elevator and rudder)? Or the one with the 4 throttle controls on? 4. How have you assigned the throttle in FSUIPC --to an FS control (which one?) or direct to FSUIPC calibration (which one?)? 5. What other options have you set? Maybe the quickest way for me to see what you've done is for you to show me the [Axes] and [JoystickCalibration] sections of your FSUIPC4.INI file, please (in the FSX Modules folder). One other thing to do, to elicit more information, is to enable Axis logging (only) in the FSUIPC4 logging tab, operate the throttle in flight mode, then check the FSUIPC4.LOG file -- show me it. Regards Pete

When you "restarted" FS9, what do you mean -- re-install? Or did you also re-install Windows? If you deleted your FSUIPC.KEY file you will need to restore it from your backup, or if you have lost it, you will need to re-enter your registration details -- all three parts, exactly correctly. If you re-installed Windows you need to re-register too, same as if you moved to another PC. Deleting files won't help. You need to restore the good KEY file or re-register, that's all. Regards Pete

Well, more or less -- controls are not so much "launching programs" but more just identifying an action. They are, in fact, the identity numbers of private Windows messages (Commands in fact) which are send around between different parts of Flight Sim. No problem, I assumed it was a misunderstanding. Regards Pete

Okay. Then something is obviously different on your system, as there are no other reports of any crashes caused by FSUIPC4 whatsoever, and you are not actually using it in any way when it appears to cause this crash. You really have no add-on aircraft at all, no add-on scenery? As well as the FSUIPC4.LOG file I asked for (that would be the most useful in the first instance), could you please also find the DLL.XML and EXE.XML files, from the same folder as your FSX.CFG file, and show them to me? Also, please look at the "FSX Help" announcement above and follow the instructions for obtaining a SimConnect log. Show me that too, please. If you cannot find any of the files I ask for, look first in the FSX "Modules" folder, and show me the Install log file. That will contain information on the paths to the files needed. Sorry you got that impression, but I really did not misunderstand. It was only the assumption that is "must be FSUIPC crashing my system" which I felt you should have justified. Believe it or not, but because FSUIPC is probably the single most prevalent add-on on all FS systems, it is always the first to get the blame for when things go wrong. Sometimes it has been, but such occasions really have been very rare. It is even more unlikely on FSX because, instead of hacking into FSX code to do its job, it is almost 100% reliant on the SimConnect interface. Because it is the first to be blamed, my first reaction is ALWAYS to ask "how do you arrive at such a conclusion?" If I did not do this, and elicit as much information as possible, I would be spending all my time debugging other people's programs or system problems. So you refuse to even show me the log as I asked? What is the problem? I think you must be interpreting my responses in a very strange way! :-( Please reconsider ... Regards Pete

How do you know this? FSUIPC4, merely installed, does almost nothing. It sits there waiting to be used. In almost 100% of such cases, where things go wrong with FSUIPC installed and not without, it comes down to something using FSUIPC or setting it to use bad data. Perhaps you will kindly list all of the add-ons which you are running with FSX. Let's then go through a process of elimination to see which might be the crucial factor. Also remember to start by removing or deleting your FSUIPC4.INI file, so we know it isn't anything to do with assignments or other user settings. And this is what points you to FSUIPC4? How? Well, you could start by justifying your assumptions, please. I'd like to know how you arrived at FSUIPC4 being your culprit. No, why not instead please first try the latest Interim version from the Updates Announcement above? There have been 20 or 30 new versions since 4.40 and there's no point in trying to delve into it or anything earlier. When you've done that, please find the FSUIPC4.LOG file, which is produced explicitly to show what FSUIPC is doing, and show that to me, leading up to the crash. Pete

I edited my answer above as i was 100% out. There are 6 supported "shifts": Shift, Ctrl, Alt, Tab, Windows, Application though you should try to avoid Alt. So 5 left, 31 combinations ... Pete

ESCape is too useful for getting out of things. I would never want to tie that up. The Windows key is most certainly available as an extra shift key -- as are the Applications key and the TAB key. So you have 6 possible shift keys, in any and all combinations (though ALT has be use used with great care as it invokes the menus). Even without ALT you have 31 possible combinations of shifts alone, to apply to the other 60-80 keys, giving at least 1800 possibilities. Regards Pete

I don't know, sorry. It isn't really my area. What does the website say? The upgrade offer was originally for a period of 6 months, but I don't remember if that was 6 months from the date of your purchase of FSUIPC3, or 6 months from the Release of FSX. If there's no mention of such a discount on the SimMarket site I expect it has expired in any case. Regards Pete