PSS Dash 8 Freezes

[The Bean]

Sir,

I have a copy of the PSS Dash 8, every time I try to use it with any version of FSUIPC greater that 2.8 it goes into a freeze thaw mode. This renders it useless in fs9. I have removed the FSUIPC mod from the fs9 flight sim and the aircraft works fine but I no longer have the benfit of using your critical mod.

I would also like to thank you for all the years of work you have put into the FSUIPC, without it I don't believe that flightsimming would be as popular.

If there is no fix for this problem, then out goes the dash 8 as I am frustrated with this problem. Maybe the best fix is just delete the aircraft and act as if I just spent the money in the bar. :D

[Pete Dowson]

I have a copy of the PSS Dash 8, every time I try to use it with any version of FSUIPC greater that 2.8 it goes into a freeze thaw mode.

The last version before FS9 was 2.975. Version 2.8 is VERY old. It sounds like there's a real problem with the PSS Dash 8 in that case. I can only suggest you write to the authors about this.

This renders it useless in fs9.

Is it supposed to be FS9 compatible? Many previous aircraft do need updates for FS9.

Sorry I am unable to help in this instance. PSS used to be quite good with their support. Have you tried them? After all, if it didn't work with any later version of FSUIPC than 2.8 is must have been reported quite a lot, and there may even be a correction available -- version 2.8 dates back to later 2001, not all that long after FS2002 came out.

Regards,

Pete

[The Bean]

Thank you for writing back so quickly. I have written them and have asked for help on this problem 4 times. I have written to their forum and also thier direct help line. Every time I just get my wheels spun. It's just like they won't admit there is a problem.

I guess I'm just going to put this model in the hanger and use it as a learning tool.

I'd rather be flying than fixing.

Again I really apprciate the response and will keep using your product as I have done now since I started with fs98 :wink: .

[Thanos68]

Peter hi,

actually we are many PSS -8 users on the very same boat. We are talking about fs9 and their latest patched version. I understand that maybe it is not your problem but in one of the replies from their support they stated that they would contact you to further investigate...

So the question is "has anyone from PSS contacted you on this issue"?

It is always bad to have a payware addon permanently "parked".

Regards

Thanos Anogiatis

[Pete Dowson]

I understand that maybe it is not your problem but in one of the replies from their support they stated that they would contact you to further investigate...

So the question is "has anyone from PSS contacted you on this issue"?

No, not at all. I really can't see what sort of conflict there could be, to be honest. Especially when the limiting version of FSUIPC was apparently 2.8 which is over two years old! You'd think someone would have mentioned something during those two years or more, whether PSS or a user?

The only description of the 'problem' I've received is the one above: "goes into a freeze thaw mode", which I don't understand and cannot visualise.

Regards,

Pete

[Thanos68]

I understand that maybe it is not your problem but in one of the replies from their support they stated that they would contact you to further investigate...

So the question is "has anyone from PSS contacted you on this issue"?

No, not at all. I really can't see what sort of conflict there could be, to be honest. Especially when the limiting version of FSUIPC was apparently 2.8 which is over two years old! You'd think someone would have mentioned something during those two years or more, whether PSS or a user?

The only description of the 'problem' I've received is the one above: "goes into a freeze thaw mode", which I don't understand and cannot visualise.

Regards,

Pete

Peter,

thanks for the time to answer this...

For me it is a problem of last month and not two years as I was waiting for pss to patch -8 for fs9...

Actually here is the thread I initiated over at PSS

http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=ype=search

Later, in another thread, other users reported that by going to older fsuipc versions their problem was solved. I did not bother testing it because all my other addons work fine with latest fsuipc... (PSS ones too)

I regard it as a PSS problem of course but as I was browsing in this forum for help I came across this thread...

Needless to say I followed all pss instructions for install and reinstall...

Maybe I have to put pressure to pss again but there are other important things in life too :)

Best Regards

Thanos

[Pete Dowson]

Maybe I have to put pressure to pss again but there are other important things in life too :)

Well, if I had a copy of the Dash 8 and some better description of the problems I could have a look and maybe advise PSS what their problem is, if it is indeed anything related to things I understand. But if PSS have stopped support there's maybe not a lot of point. They were pretty good at one time, and even sent me aircraft to check out.

Ah well, nothing good seems to last these days. :(

Regards,

Pete

[Thanos68]

Maybe I have to put pressure to pss again but there are other important things in life too :)

Well, if I had a copy of the Dash 8 and some better description of the problems I could have a look and maybe advise PSS what their problem is, if it is indeed anything related to things I understand. But if PSS have stopped support there's maybe not a lot of point. They were pretty good at one time, and even sent me aircraft to check out.

Ah well, nothing good seems to last these days. :(

Regards,

Pete

Pete,

sorry I cannot help with the -8 copy :-). The overall answer from PSS was How can a problem exist if they do not have it or cannot replicate it.

I deleted fsuipc and the freeze-unfreeze situation went away. Works fine apart from problems with the autopilot.

I reinstalled fsuipc and i created a log file with one cycle of data during the problem (apart from weather).

Would you be so kind to tell me if I can forward the zip file to you (94K)?

Which address?Contact me privately if you would like so.

May be you could find sth. For a detail description of the problem pls. see my thread over at PSS.. I pointed to it earlier in this thread too... Sorry but I am too tired to describe it again.

Your support is greatly appreciated over here.

TIA and best regards

Thanos

[Pete Dowson]

I reinstalled fsuipc and i created a log file with one cycle of data during the problem (apart from weather).

Would you be so kind to tell me if I can forward the zip file to you (94K)?

Which address?Contact me privately if you would like so.

You can send it ZIPpped up please to petedowson@btconnect.com.

For a detail description of the problem pls. see my thread over at PSS.. I pointed to it earlier in this thread too... Sorry but I am too tired to describe it again.

I did look but the thread is rather long and winding. Could you perhaps cut and paste the relevant details into a covering message for your Log attachment? Without a decent description I won't really have a clue what I'm looking for, even assuming there is anything relevant in the log.

Did you enable IPC read/write logging?

Regards,

Pete

[The Bean]

Peter if you need a copy of the dash 8 I'll be happy to send you my copy of the download along with my password and e-mail address.

E-mail me at odieone@mts.net with where you want it sent.

It don't work for me now anyway. :)

[Pete Dowson]

Peter if you need a copy of the dash 8 I'll be happy to send you my copy of the download along with my password and e-mail address.

I shouldn't think that would work, even if it was legal -- the validation would be via your email, wouldn't it? I don't know how their system works, but the fact that it uses the email address makes it sound quite involved.

Let me look at the Log I will be receiving and I'll go from there.

Pete

[Pete Dowson]

I found that I had a legitimate copy of the PSS-Dash 8 installed in my FS2002 installation. It won't be up to date (I went to the PSS site, but they've changed the system and I cannot see how to update my copy). But it does install into FS2004 and works there, in a fashionthe PSS-Dash8 and PSS-Dash8Q gauges, 25Mb each, are dated 15 DEC 2002.

They load up okay and I can operate them, but there's usually one of the dreaded black screen crashes before long. Windows reports the crash as being in G2D, which could mean anything from a video driver problem (unlikely) to anything involved in graphics anywhere. It certainly isn't related to anything FSUIPC does, and I've found it to be quite common for sophisticated non-FS2004 aircraft transplanted into FS2004 unamended, so I'm not reading much into it.

However, I ran it with FSUIPC IPC logging enabled, and this shows that it uses FSUIPC access quite considerably, for all sorts of things. PSS does have a license for this and the current versions of the Gauges should have built-in FSUIPC access keys -- they have been issued to them.

If the key is not built in or is not sent to FSUIPC correctly, the aircraft continues attempting to read and write stuff through FSUIPC, but all these attempts fail. This could, conceivably, cause it to go into periodic pauses, depending what it was using the information for and how much checking it does. For instance, if it reads a count of aircraft for its TCAS and gets zero (which it will), then if it assumes this is non-zero and counts before checking, it will get into a very long loop.

I am not saying this happens, but it is one of many possibilities which may explain what you see.

The point here really is -- are those of you having problems with the PSS-Dash 8 using a fully user registered FSUIPC, or not? If it is, then I cannot imagine what is causing the periodic freeze/unfreeze. If it isn't, then it sounds like the Gauge isn't correctly registering access with the correct Key. I should be able to tell from a Log.

Another observation, however. When the aircraft is run without FSUIPC installed, it does not complain. However, it must be that many of its functions are relatively disabled -- it is using FSUIPC a great deal, after all. Evidently the programmers just carry on with a subset of the features if FSUIPC isn't there. This does, however, mean that there might be considerable areas of normally used code which simply isn't used at all when FSUIPC isn't installed. Maybe the problems you see are in those areas.

When I see one of your logs, I'll certainly take a look, but I don't really think I can take this any further. It's a job for someone who knows the PSS code and can dig his way though it I'm afraid.

Regards,

Pete