pFC digital console prroblem

[alymcleod-1]

Hi Pete, I recently changed my Pc and went over entirely to Fs9 (my old Pc having Fs8 and Fs9). Im running XP pro and a 3 gig system. Ive downloaded the latest drivers for my PFC digital console from both shiratti and PFC but it doesnt work any more. On the test prog i get the following-

FSUIPC is okay. All options available: 3.5200 - a green tick

COM2 open ok com port open- a green tick

Yoke aileron control Okay! a green tick

Pedals rudder control Okay ! a green tick

Throttle quadrant operation No results seen at all! - a red cross

If I move the first lever (from left side) sometimes the view changes ! Move the second the mags cut!

Ive gone through the PFC menu and the throttle is enabled but when I try to set any of the levers there is no movement of the sliders on the screen.

Ive tried "COM port 1", "COM port 2" "None" and it makes no difference. Ive tried to contact PFC for 3 weeks but theres no answer from them (lucky b#ggers must be on their hols! Do you have any ideas before I pull out what little hair Ive got left :(

[Pete Dowson]

If I move the first lever (from left side) sometimes the view changes ! Move the second the mags cut!

View changes? Mags cut? On quadrant axes? Phew -- the codes coming from your quadrant must be really screwed up.

Ive gone through the PFC menu and the throttle is enabled but when I try to set any of the levers there is no movement of the sliders on the screen.

What does the TEST page in the options show? Are codes from anything seen correctly? The test page says the yoke and rudders are working (which simply means it has seen correct signals which may or may not be from them). Are they working, in FS, in the flight controls option screen?

You say "I recently changed my Pc and went over entirely to Fs9 (my old Pc having Fs8 and Fs9). Im running XP pro and a 3 gig system. Ive downloaded the latest drivers for my PFC digital console from both shiratti and PFC" ...

... which implies you had things working before. With what drivers?

You haven't actually said what PFC equipment you have, by the way, nor how the bits are connected, so I'm not sure what to tell you to check, but it is sounding as if you do really need help from PFC. However, it would help to know what you've changed, i.e. what you were using before. Merely changing PCs isn't going to break external hardware.

Ive tried "COM port 1", "COM port 2" "None" and it makes no difference.

Er .. so the driver still sees the yoke and rudder WITHOUT the correct COM port set? That's very difficult to believe. It isn't going to be able to read them at all with the wrong or no connection!?

Regards

Pete

[alymcleod-1]

Hi Pete,

Im using the CH pro yoke, but the CH throttle quadrant (the three little grey levers on top) I disconnected so as to use the PFC throttle quadrant-which is set up for Twin Prop baron style-6 lever control. I also was using the CH pedals and everything was hunky-dory.

For the sake of simplicity I disconnected the CH stuff completely (the drivers are still in there) to try to get the PFC digital throttle to work. The CH stuff works ok on its own. The MS pro Joystick USB works ok either on its own or with the CH pedals fitted.

heck Im sorry but I cannot remember which drivers I was using before. I took bits and pieces from my old Pc to build the new one so now Ive lost them.

Bear with me here Pete but Im a little confused. I have FSUIPC version 3.52 and I may be looking at the wrong menu. When I look at the top menu bar I have Flights-Aircraft-World-Options-Views-Help-Modules-PFC

On Options I dont have a test page. If I go to PFC there is a test page but the only options are

I am using a Jetliner Yoke

I am using a Pro Console with electric trim

I am using a Beech or Mooney Yoke

The right hand window scrolls through the f swtches with unknown or ? marks continuously regardless of which option is chosen.

When I look at the flight controls menu everything is static with the exception of the ailerons slider which has a "nervous twitch" fluctuating rapidly from 42 sometimes down to 10 on the input value box!

I have nothing else connected either on a Serial port or a USB port. I remember having this problem before and I fixed it (?) with an earlier version of FSUIPC. The problem surfaced very occasionally after I "fixed " it but shutting down Fs9 and restarting seemed to cure it. Now, could it be that its just a coincidence that changing the driver seemed to fix an intermittant hardware fault ?

[Pete Dowson]

If I go to PFC there is a test page

...

The right hand window scrolls through the f swtches with unknown or ? marks continuously regardless of which option is chosen.

Okay. Not sure what you mean by "scrolles through f switches (what are they?), but if there's nothing recognisable appearing at all there's one of the following things wrong:

1. the PFC device you have is not one of the devices PFC.DLL controls, but an older (probably non-digital) version. You must have had a completely different driver for it -- certainly not one of mine, or

2. it is a correct device but it is switched to the wrong mode -- possibly Elite mode. Remove the quadrant and look for the switch. If it isn't there it may be permanently set for Elite, not for FS.

3. it is the correct device in the correct mode but there is something wrong. Maybe it is set to run at a different speed to all their other devices, or maybe you have a faulty or incorrect COM cable or a faulty COM port. Or maybe the unit itself has an fault. For most of these possibilities you need PFC support.

I remember having this problem before and I fixed it (?) with an earlier version of FSUIPC.

No, none of that is at all related to anything FSUIPC does.

Regards

Pete

[flypfc]

It sounds as if you protocol switch

is in the wrong position

http://www.flypfc.com/illustrations/protocol%20switch.html

Please check it and make sure it is in the PFC position

[alymcleod-1]

It sounds as if you protocol switch

is in the wrong position

http://www.flypfc.com/illustrations/protocol%20switch.html

Please check it and make sure it is in the PFC position[/quote

Thanks Pete and PFC (at last!). I took off the levers and the switch was in the PFC position already.Switched itt the other way (Left) started Fss and it still didn't work so I shut it all down, swthched to the PFC position and started it up again. This time it was perfect. Must be a dirty contact in tthe switch. Thanks again. Aly