Calibration feature request

[zip]

Hello Pete,

me again with another feature idea following my earlier suggestion for a curved response on throttle axes :)

Would it be possible to enhance the calibration of the various axes to make them type specific? Thinking along the lines of calibration profiles, the idea would be to select response curves and calibration "sweet spots" specific to particular configurations:

Example:

- Turbo-prop calibration without reversers

- Turbo-prop calibration with reversers

- Jets with reversers

- Regularly aspirated piston

I find myself constantly "tweaking" calibration and curves in response to the way various add-ons behave based on the class of each aircraft.

Best regards,

Etienne Martin

[Pete Dowson]

Would it be possible to enhance the calibration of the various axes to make them type specific? Thinking along the lines of calibration profiles, the idea would be to select response curves and calibration "sweet spots" specific to particular configurations:

It's a lot of work and may be best left till I have a chance to work on that separate joystick axis allocation system I have wanted to do for a long time. However, it isn't too dissimilar to what is already done for Buttons and Keys (they have aircraft specific sections) so it may be worth a look before then.

Something very like what you are suggesting is actually implemented for the PFC throttle quadrants in my PFC driver. In that case it was pretty much essential, since you can actually change the levers to suit each aircraft.

Anyway, all I can say at present is that such things are on my list. There's just no way I can give a date, or even a firm promise come to that.

Regards

Pete

[dfournie]

Pete,

On a related subject, I just received my new PFC airliner rudder pedals and noticed they are USB, and are detected by Windows as a normal joystick. It is unclear to me how they interact with the PFC.DLL driver I have loaded for my original cirrus yoke, and throttle running though the serial port. They work quite fine, but (as to be expected) are not detected in the PFC dialog pages. Is PFC leaning toward all USB connections? What would happen to the PFC driver you've authored? Would it even be necessary?

[Pete Dowson]

On a related subject, I just received my new PFC airliner rudder pedals and noticed they are USB, and are detected by Windows as a normal joystick. It is unclear to me how they interact with the PFC.DLL driver I have loaded for my original cirrus yoke, and throttle running though the serial port.

They don't relate at all. It seems you have ordered and received the USB version of the standard game port pedals. The PFC DLL driver I made interfaces only to the PFC controls systems. the rudder pedals for those plug into the back of the throttle quadrant or other PFC control system.

Is PFC leaning toward all USB connections?

Well, I expect they have to. The game port is dying out. And because of the (Microsoft promoted) gradual demise of the serial port, even some of the controllers have USB connections instead of or as well as serial, now. (The PFC MCP is one such).

Unlike the converted Game Port devices (like you have with your new pedals), the controllers use USB as a serial port emulated connection. The FTDI driver which is needed in the PC makes the USB device look like it is on a serial port -- when you check the Windows device manager you'd see the additional COMn port resulting.

What would happen to the PFC driver you've authored? Would it even be necessary?

LOL! It has never been "necessary" -- there was a PFC driver before I did that. It's just that I didn't like it and, with the encouragement of hardware from PFC, wrote my own, which was warmly received by PFC.

The PFC.DLL only interfaces to the controllers inside sophisticated PFC devices - i.e. those with 'computers' actually inside. It deals with the PFC protocols these devices utilise. The current examples include the Throttle Control System, the Cirrus II (each of those with optional Avionics stack and RIC), the Professional version of the prop console, the Jetliner console, the MCP (with the optional EFIS and Six-pack modules), and the 737NG cockpit. [Apologies to PFC if I've not use all the right names here].

I expect you could have specified that you wanted to plug your pedals into the controller you already have (it has a socket round the back, hasn't it), and then it would be handled by PFC.DLL. As it is you have a generic USB pedal set which may, or may not, be more flexible for use in the future.

Good flying in any case!

Regards,

Pete

[zip]

Hi Pete,

thanks so much for your response. I'm just happy this wasn't so far out in left field...

Etienne