PFC Twin Jet Throttle Quad Jitters

[Mario Alberto]

Hi Peter,I'm a registered user of your FSUIPC using the PFC Throttle Quad for the Twin jet.I'm using PFC DDL 1.84 & FSUIPC 3.201.My hardware & drivers are all the very latest.

My ongoing problem is with the throttle sync. It suffers from the sometimes frequent asymmetric thrust btwn engines 1 & 2,as well as the occasional jitter & drift on engine 1. I must say though,that after your latest updte addressing these specific issues,flying is 100% better than it was B4. But,it still happens..usually on the ground or after being in the sim for more than 10mins.It seems that engine 1 is always trying play "catchup" to engine 2,thus making it more difficult to control a large aircraft during the approach/landing phase.

I was wondering if other users have also reported this even after your latest updte,or if there is any tweak that I can do to eliminate this once and for all,or if you are working on a newer updte around this issue.

The only thing that I've tried is to calibrate the throttles via the PFC throttle calibration section.I have not tried the INI file change to base actions on the values of engine 2 rather than engine 1. This may solve my problem because when in the calibration screen,I notice that upon moving the engine 1 slider,it jitters more & is by far,much more unstable than engine 2. The problem is than I'm not sure on how to do this.

Any help or input would be appreciated.Thanks for your time.Rgds.

[Pete Dowson]

My ongoing problem is with the throttle sync. It suffers from the sometimes frequent asymmetric thrust btwn engines 1 & 2,as well as the occasional jitter & drift on engine 1. I must say though,that after your latest updte addressing these specific issues,flying is 100% better than it was B4. But,it still happens. usually on the ground or after being in the sim for more than 10mins.It seems that engine 1 is always trying play "catchup" to engine 2

It sounds like there is something seriously wrong with your throttle hardware. No way should values change noticeably over time like that. Have you checked back with your supplier?

The throttle equalisation option added recently can be used (do you have that enabled?) to make close readings identical, and since version 1.844 you can adjust the difference that it acts upon by editing the parameters in the PFC.INI. In fact you can be so brutal there that you can never get differential thrust at all -- the thrust actually set always being the average of the two levers. So, sure, there's a way of overcoming your problem.

BUT the main thing to do, to be reasonable, is to get the throttles properly calibrated and working in the first place. I've got three PFC systems with throttle quadrants -- the basic Throttle Quadrant System, a Cirrus II, and a Jetliner console, and I've never seen any drift or jitter more than the 3 units either way, which are dealt with by the driver at present. Something is wrong somewhere otherwise.

As a process of elimination, try using one of the PFC User Configurations to assign the throttles to different levers -- maybe you can specifically identify a lever which is behaving badly and therefore has a suspect pot or connection. Getting replacement parts or repairs for identified and specific problems should be a lot easier than just complaining of jitter, so it is worth the effort.

I have not tried the INI file change to base actions on the values of engine 2 rather than engine 1.

Well, try that too. But it sounds like you aren't using the equalisation? Try that first, not the throttle sync. See the Main options page, it's the option at bottom right.

This may solve my problem because when in the calibration screen,I notice that upon moving the engine 1 slider,it jitters more & is by far,much more unstable than engine 2.

It needs fixing then. You should expect quality behaviour from expensive quality equipment.

The problem is than I'm not sure on how to do this.

Sorry, to do what? Set throttle 2 as the reference for throttle sync? Just edit the PFC.INI file (before loading FS) so that there's a line reading "ThrottleSyncEngine2=Yes" in the [General] section (see the PFC User Guide, near the end).

Regards,

Pete

[Mario Alberto]

HI Pete, thanks very much for your quick reply!

In answering your questions..yes,I do have all boxes ck'ed in the PFC Main Options page.The only item that I have un-ck'ed is the one pertaining to the A/T. I also have tried calibratiing the throttles several times & in different ways(whether that makes a diff or not.That's when I noticed the engine 1 jitters when moving the slider up & down).

I guess that I'll 1st try doing the last item on your e-mail reply. If that does'nt work, I'll try assigning the throttles to diff levers via the PFC config. I'm sorry if this is a stupid question,but,to accomplish this 2nd item,do I just go to the Throttle page on the PFC screen? I ask, because, I or don't anywhere a place for re-assinging levers.

Once,again,thanks for your time & quick reply in trying to help me.Rgds.

[Pete Dowson]

I'm sorry if this is a stupid question,but,to accomplish this 2nd item,do I just go to the Throttle page on the PFC screen? I ask, because, I or don't anywhere a place for re-assinging levers.

Go to the throttle quadrants pages, where you go to calibrate (you HAVE calibrated there, surely?). Page past all the pre-defined quadrants and you'll come to a whole set of vacant user-definable sets. Just use one of those. Full instructions are in the documentation, with an example even!

Pete

P.S. Why don't you get the hardware fixed? It sounds like there's certainly something very wrong. After all, the equalisation option, which you say you have enabled, always sends to FS the average of the two throttles for both engines whilst their difference is within a certain value (512 FS units by default). If you aren't getting them equalised even with larger values in PFC.INI, as I suggested, then the throttle lever must be truly broken.

You shouldn't really try using software fiddles to get around broken hardware. Much better to get it fixed.

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[Mario Alberto]

Pete, thanks very much for all your input & help.'ll just try the suggestions you outlined above once to see what happens. If no luck,I'll just send the unit to PFC for them to test/repair.

Once again,thanks so much for everything.I'll drop you a note with the final outcome/solution once it happens.Best reggards.

[flyguy]

Mario,

I have experienced this type of problem with my PFC setup if I have another joystick or input device hooked up to the same machine and have not selected the option for suppressing joystick throttle inputs that is on the Main Options Tab of the PCF screen.

Regards,

Jay

[Mario Alberto]

Hi Jay,

Unfortunatley I don't have another joystick hooked up to my computer.Also,I do have the option selected to suppress joystick conflicts.I wish that my answer to one of these ideas would have been no.This way,maybe my problem would have been solved.Thanks for the input Jay.Regards.