Wierd one - pushback ignored with FSUIPC4

[BAW019]

Hi Peter,

I've been experiencing a wierd problem with pushback requests being ignored by FSX, the planes just sit there refusing to move back.

After an un-install, a reboot, a clean, successfull install and hours and hours of methodical testing I've found that I can generate the problem at will by disabling or enabling the FSUIPC4 entry in the DLL.XML file: Disabled, pushback works. Enabled, pushback is ignored and does nothing.

As an aside, I also found that FSinn (my only current add-on) seems to work fine if I delete FSUIPC4.DLL and erase the entry from DLL.XML. Ordinarily I'd shrug and live without FSUIPC4 but my home-build has reached a phase where I need to start networking PCs together. Is the file required by WideFS.dll or are they independent of each other?

All the best

Ian

[Frank.O]

Ian,

sorry I can't help you with the push back but I do know that FSUIPC and WideFS are interdependant. WideFS is just an extension of the FSUIPC interface across a network and you need both. With FSUIPC4 for FSX the server part of WideFS is even integrated into FSUIPC.

As for the pushback - is it possible that FSUIPC and FSInn are interfering? Did you try if it works with FSUIPC working and FSInn disabled? Just a thought.

Regards,

Frank

[BAW019]

Hi Francois, thanks for the info. I did try just FSX and FSUIPC without starting up FSInn and still get the problem.

I had problems a while back with some 3rd party software upsetting Simconnect and reported it to Peter and MS. Uninstalling it solved the problem but perhaps it's left something lying around that's upsetting FSUIPC4.

[Pete Dowson]

After an un-install, a reboot, a clean, successfull install and hours and hours of methodical testing I've found that I can generate the problem at will by disabling or enabling the FSUIPC4 entry in the DLL.XML file: Disabled, pushback works. Enabled, pushback is ignored and does nothing.

As an aside, I also found that FSinn (my only current add-on) seems to work fine if I delete FSUIPC4.DLL and erase the entry from DLL.XML.

Sounds like a SimConnect problem. Make sure you install the very latest FSUIPC4 version first (see Announcements above) then let me see the FSUIPC4.Log please.

BTW, you don't need to keep editing the DLL.XML file -- just temporarily rename FSUIPC4.DLL or move it out of the FSX Modules folder to disable it.

Regards

Pete

[BAW019]

Hi Peter, thanks for getting back to me, I'll try the Add Attachment to show you the info you need. If it fails you can download the info from my website at:-

http://www.fsbuddy.com/SimConnect0.Log

http://www.fsbuddy.com/FSUIPC4.log

http://www.fsbuddy.com/FSUIPC4.ini

It's probably worth noting that I took a peek in the logs and was suprised to see a lot of TOGGLE_PUSHBACK commands (all setting the parameter to 0 which would explain why I can't make it work).

I was curious to know if I was somehow triggering these events so I renamed my EXE.xml file to prevent FSX loading any other 3rd party apps and got FSUIPC4 to create its log while I sat back and thouched nothing for a few seconds. Hopefully that eliminates any human input or 3rd party interference.

Any ideas?

Cheers

Ian

[Pete Dowson]

It's probably worth noting that I took a peek in the logs and was suprised to see a lot of TOGGLE_PUSHBACK commands (all setting the parameter to 0 which would explain why I can't make it work).

No, the parameter isn't relevant on "Toggle" controls. They just turn things off if on or on if off.

Something is sending both those Toggles (switching pushback on and off repeatedly, AND control 66514 (which isn't assigned as far as I can tell -- and it wasn't assigned in FS2004 either).

To check whether something is writing to FSUIPC4 to cause this, enable the IPC Write logging (on the Logging tab) as well. If nothing is using FSUIPC4, then these controls must be emanating from something else -- it must be internal to FSX as they are many and frequent.

I was curious to know if I was somehow triggering these events so I renamed my EXE.xml file to prevent FSX loading any other 3rd party apps and got FSUIPC4 to create its log while I sat back and thouched nothing for a few seconds. Hopefully that eliminates any human input or 3rd party interference.

Doesn't FSInn reside as a DLL in FSX too? Doesn't it use FSCopilot or something? What else is in the DLL.XML file?

[LATER]

Ah, yes -- I see from the SimConnect log that FSCopilot.DLL is loading too. Can you try without that?

Also TrackIR is running. Try without that too, please.

Finally, I see from the Simconnect log that FSUIPC4's connection to Simconnect stalled after about 2 minutes of loading, and so it reconnected. When these things happen it is likely that other SimConnect clients also stall, and possibly they don't have recovery built in like FSUIPC4. The first part of the FSUIPC4.Log would have shown the errors (but you only supplied a continuation log).

I suspect that at least the FSInn stopping working is part of the well known and already reported problems Simconnect has with multiple clients. you have three, all of which are quite heavy on Simconnect usage.

Regards

Pete

[Pete Dowson]

I suspect that at least the FSInn stopping working is part of the well known and already reported problems Simconnect has with multiple clients. you have three, all of which are quite heavy on Simconnect usage.

On checking the SimConnect log further, it seems that FSInn and TrackIR's connection did certainly "stall" at the same time as FSUIPC4's first stall. FSUIPC4 re-connected and stalled again, and was "lucky" the third time and continued. I added this recovery system precisely because of these events.

I suspect SimConnect was a bit screwed up by then, and it may be that the Toggle Pushback continuous events were a spurious result -- one event arriving caused a complete chain of repeats. I find nothing in the SimConnect log relating to that other, unknown and maybe unused control though. I don't know wyhere that is coming from.

You may have to run with a reduced number of SimConnect clients until Microsoft release the expected FSX patch, with, hopefully, these bugs fixed.

Regards

Pete

[BAW019]

Hi Pete

Thanks again for your replies. OK, so this time I did the following steps:-

First, to check it really is ok with no add-ons running at all:-

I rebooted my pc

Deleted all Simconnect Logs

Deleted all FSUIPC4 logs

Renamed EXE.XML as OLDEXE.OLD

Renamed DLL.XML as OLDDLL.OLD

Renamed FSUIPC4.DLL as FSUIPC4.20FEB07DLL

(In fact I also renamed all non-microsoft dlls and exe's in the FSX\Modules directory just to be sure nothing was loading sneakily)

Closed down TrackIR

Started FSX (a little pushback truck appears in front of my 747)

FSX started without FSinn, TrackIR or FSUPIC4 and pushback worked as expected.

Next, to see which module invokes the behaviour:-

I re-enabled Simconnect logging (with simconnect.ini)

Renamed FSUIPC4.20FEB07DLL as FSUIPC4.DLL (to reactivate it)

Renamed OLDDLL.OLD as DLL.XML (ditto)

Started FSX (curiously, the pushback truck is missing despite loading same default flight as before)

Enabled FSUIPC4 logging with all check boxes ticked

Waited a few seconds without any input from me

Stopped the logging

This time FSX started with FSUIPC4 but still without TrackIR or FSInn and pushback failed.

I zipped up the logs and uploaded them to http://www.fsbuddy.com/FSUIPC4_IAN_NIBLO.zip

Sorry to spell it all out like this but sometimes it helps!

Ian

[Pete Dowson]

This time FSX started with FSUIPC4 but still without TrackIR or FSInn and pushback failed.

I only just noticed you have Axis intercepts disabled. Can you tell me why? Maybe it's related to this?

Please try it with the "NoAxisIntercepts=Yes" changed to No or commented out.

I'll try it here with that in place too ...

Pete

[Pete Dowson]

Please try it with the "NoAxisIntercepts=Yes" changed to No or commented out.

I'll try it here with that in place too ...

OkayI can reproduce that pushback problem here with "NoAxisIntercepts=Yes". I'll figure out what's wrong and fix it in the next interim update -- look out for it in a few days, in the FSX downloads.

Meanwhile I'd like to know the reason for the "NoAxisIntercepts=Yes" setting, please? Did you have some problems with axes?

Regards

Pete

[BAW019]

Peter, do you ever go do bed?!!

Thanks again for looking at this, you're right on the money with the AxisIntercepts flag. I've reset this to 'No' and the pushback is restored in all it's glory.

I think I set this a little while ago. I'd noticed writing my own DirectX throttle interface just how many input events are created by 'jitters' on analog pots and hoped that this flag would steer the code away from any un-neccessary processessing. I guess I forgot I'd set it. Really MUST start keeping a change log....

Thanks again,

All the best

Ian