Airbus detents

[Sam Harsch]

Dear Pete

As there is increasing amount of Arbus simmers I am very curious if there are any plans to implement detents to calibrate airbus throttles via FSUIPC. There is no proper way to calibrate so far. I am using a motorized throttle and can't think of anyone else who would be able to build a working tool.

Thank you very much and best regards,

Sam

[Pete Dowson]

As there is increasing amount of Arbus simmers I am very curious if there are any plans to implement detents to calibrate airbus throttles via FSUIPC. There is no proper way to calibrate so far.

FSUIPC provides an interface to FS, and as far as the throttle is concerned, inside FS, there are no "detentes", it is just one continuous range apart from idle and reverse . I've no idea how your Airbus detentes are implemented, so there is no way I can possibly provide any special calibration.

Surely, this is all handled by the specific add-on aircraft you are using? Doesn't it have specific controls to set specific thrust modes? If you want to map these onto specific regions of your throttle lever it is easy enough in FSUIPC, via the Axis Assignments facilities -- look at the right-hand side of the Options, and read the user guide on how tyo use this.

I am using a motorized throttle and can't think of anyone else who would be able to build a working tool.

I am certainly not in a position to provide drivers for individual motorised throttles. I'm afraid you'll need to write your own driver for than unless one has been provided by the manufacturer.

Regards

Pete

[Sam Harsch]

Thank you very much for your kind explanation, Pete!

I can absolutely follow your point and regret that microsoft provides just one axis. However, I will check the user guide and try to find a workaround.

Warm regards,

Sam

[Sam Harsch]

Dear Pete

Most probably the whole issue is considerably simpler than we thought! I just had a word with the producer of the throttle and he explained that it is not about addon machines or motorized throttles. The detents of addon Airbusses refer to nothing else than a simple FS axis and are handled just like FSUIPC handles the flaps. He amplified that FSUIPC professionally implements the calibration of flaps also with various notches or detents. Apparently Airbus throttles are to be calibrated identically as they also refer to an ordinary game controller axis recognized in MS and FS.

If you take these facts into account would you reconsider to add a tab in FSUIPC for users who prefer to calibrate throttles like flaps?

A bunch of thanks and warm regards,

Sam

[Pete Dowson]

He amplified that FSUIPC professionally implements the calibration of flaps also with various notches or detents. Apparently Airbus throttles are to be calibrated identically as they also refer to an ordinary game controller axis recognized in MS and FS.

Doesn't this completely depend on how the Airbus is implemented by the add-on aircraft maker? Or are you only concerned with the (rather poor, I've been told) implementation of the Airbus in FSX?

From other support inquiries over the last few years I was under the impression that the specific throttle "detente" positions to which you refer were implemented in add-ons like those from PSS by specific keystrokes or controls, not by detente ranges on the throttle. If this is the case then the facility to calibrate such detentes is already most certainly present in FSUIPC -- it is handled by the assignment capabilities on the right-hand side of the Axis Assignments tab.

If you take these facts into account would you reconsider to add a tab in FSUIPC for users who prefer to calibrate throttles like flaps?

I'd like to know a lot more first, as it is not a trivial job -- probably a week or two's sold programming and testing. I also suspect that it would still be easy enough to do it via the Axis Assignments facilities. You can program specific axis input ranges (your detentes, with a little leeway each side) to send the appropriate "Axis Throttle Set" controls with the parameter required to select the correct position in the FS aircraft implementation.

In fact, the Flaps detentes could have been done this way too -- it is just that the latter facility was added long before I provided the more generalised axis assignments capabilities.

Take a closer look. I'm sure you are missing something you can do already.

Regards

Pete

[Sam Harsch]

Thank you very much for your reply, Pete!

Wilco's Airbus throttle does not operate on keystrokes. The throttle works as one simple axis with small ranges for the detents similar to the flaps. They are indeed little detent ranges on the axis - no keystroke. Would this be handled in FSUIPC the way as you explained?

Best regards!

Sam

[Pete Dowson]

Wilco's Airbus throttle does not operate on keystrokes. The throttle works as one simple axis with small ranges for the detents similar to the flaps. They are indeed little detent ranges on the axis - no keystroke. Would this be handled in FSUIPC the way as you explained?

Yes. Recall: I said "you can program specific axis input ranges (your detentes, with a little leeway each side) to send the appropriate "Axis Throttle Set" controls with the parameter required to select the correct position in the FS aircraft implementation. (New bold emphasis here).

Haven't you even looked at this yet? As I also said, I probably wouldn't have implemented the more-complex flap detente system if I had done this more generalised method first!

Regards

Pete