Please Help with Saitek TC settings

[duckbilled]

Hello,

I am having trouble setting up my Saitek TC. I have the Yoke which came with a TC and a separate add on TC. The Yoke TC is attached to the yoke through a connector similar to a s-video input. The add on is connected to the pc through a USB connection. I did not plug it directly to the USB connections on the yoke. I'm not sure if this is relevant but I thought I would mention it.

There are a total of 6 axis on the TCs - each with 3. 1, 2 and 3 are on the 1st TC; 4, 5 and 6 are on the second. Here is how I have it set up.

1-Spoilers

2-Throttle 1

3-Throttle 2

4-Throttle 3

5-Throttle 4

6-Flaps

The problem is I can not get the inputs to match between the two TCs. Engines 1&2 match. Engines 3&4 match. I am getting a lot more thrust on one wing than the other. I have played with the slope a bit but I still can't seem to get it right. I think I am missing something and I am not even sure the slope is the issue. Here is my FSUIPC.ini joystick section.

[JoystickCalibration]

ExclThrottleSet=No

SepRevsJetsOnly=No

ApplyHeloTrim=No

FlapsSetControl=0

FlapDetents=No

ReverserControl=66292

Reverser1Control=66422

Reverser2Control=66425

Reverser3Control=66428

Reverser4Control=66431

MaxThrottleForReverser=256

AileronTrimControl=0

RudderTrimControl=0

CowlFlaps1Control=0

CowlFlaps2Control=0

CowlFlaps3Control=0

CowlFlaps4Control=0

MaxSteerSpeed=60

Throttle1=-16384,-16384,-16384,16383

Spoilers=-16380,16380/16

Flaps=0,16380/16

Throttle2=-16384,-16384,-16384,16383

Throttle3=-16384,-16384,-16384,16383

Throttle4=-16384,-16384,-16384,16383

SlopeThrottle3=3

SlopeThrottle4=3

SlopeThrottle1=-2

SlopeThrottle2=-2

[Keys]

2=76,10,66579,0

3=78,9,66375,0

[Axes]

0=0X,1,D,11,0,0,0

1=0Y,1,D,12,0,0,0

2=0Z,256,D,23,0,0,0

3=1Z,256,D,22,0,0,0

4=1R,1,D,10,0,0,0

5=1U,1,D,9,0,0,0

[buttons]

10=P1,2,C65607,0

11=P1,3,C65616,0

12=P1,14,C66239,0

13=P1,15,C66379,0

17=R3,7,C65981,0

18=U3,7,C65981,0

This is really annoying because I originally had the yoke and the first TC set up perfectly. My wife bought me the second TC for my b-day and that is when everything went pear shaped.

Thanks in advance for you help. In addition, thank you Pete for all of your contributions to this hobby!

-Jeff

[Pete Dowson]

The problem is I can not get the inputs to match between the two TCs. Engines 1&2 match. Engines 3&4 match. I am getting a lot more thrust on one wing than the other. I have played with the slope a bit but I still can't seem to get it right. I think I am missing something and I am not even sure the slope is the issue.

You most certainly don't want to use any curved slopes on throttles -- they are only useful for adjusting sensitivity on flight controls. The throttles need to be linear, slope 0. Having slower or faster bits in one section compared with another doesn't make any sense.

Throttle1=-16384,-16384,-16384,16383

Throttle2=-16384,-16384,-16384,16383

Throttle3=-16384,-16384,-16384,16383

Throttle4=-16384,-16384,-16384,16383

Spoilers=-16380,16380/16

Flaps=0,16380/16

Well, those values all look too "perfect" to be real! Have you actually been through the calibration process to get those? And have you calibrated in Windows first?

I wouldn't expect any pair of potentiometer-based axes (assuming that's what they are) to give such exact and identical values, so it looks odd.

Also, I hope you are not really expecting that for a 4-engined aircraft you get exactly the same thrust settings in all four engines when the throttles are lined up in exactly the same position? Have a look at a cockpit video some time -- you'll notice that the alignment is never perfect. They can't be really, though I supposde immediately after a full service and calibration they might be close.

Regards

Pete

[duckbilled]

Oops. I replied to the wrong thread. Here is what I posted in the other Saitek thread. Sorry for the confusion.

Thanks for the quick response.

Everything seems to be equal when I look at the throttles in the Saitek calibration software (not sst).

I understand that they will not be completely equal but they are really off. When I advance the throttles 1/2 way I get

E1-71% N1

E2-71% N1

E3-95% N1

E4-95% N1

I think the problem stems from the settings I have in the FSUIPC calibration page. I did achieve the "too perfect" values using that screen but the in/out values in the calibration page are really off. This is what I did for each engine. Advance throttle all the way - set max. Decrease throttle all the way, set reverse. Leave in the same position, set both idle. The reverse thrust will be mapped to the button activated by push the throttles in the red zone below idle which activates a button.

In the FSUIPC calibration page these are the in/out values I get when the throttles are advanced 1/2 way,

E1- -130/8127

E2- -130/8127

E3- 7676/12030

E4- 7418/11901

BTW, I did remove the slopes. I had a feeling I was on the wrong track with those. I also set all of the deltas back to 256.

[Pete Dowson]

I understand that they will not be completely equal but they are really off. When I advance the throttles 1/2 way I get

E1-71% N1

E2-71% N1

E3-95% N1

E4-95% N1

That is bad. What are the actual values from the axes (the "IN" values) [Oh, it's okay -- I see yoou've given then further down].

You don't need to run FSUIPC to check these values. Try the little Joyview program attached.

I think the problem stems from the settings I have in the FSUIPC calibration page. I did achieve the "too perfect" values using that screen but the in/out values in the calibration page are really off.

If those truly are the limit values, and your slopes are all set to 0 (linear, not curved), then all FSUIPC is doing is scaling the incoming values to the values needed for FS, which are 0-16384. So it is effectively simply halving them and adding 8192 to make them positive.

In the FSUIPC calibration page these are the in/out values I get when the throttles are advanced 1/2 way,

E1- -130/8127

E2- -130/8127

E3- 7676/12030

E4- 7418/11901

Well, you can immediately see the problem I hope. Your throttles 3 and 4 are giving totally different input values, even though the limits are the same! That's really bad!

There's nothing FSUIPC can do to change the INPUT values -- those are coming from your devices, or at least their drivers. Seems that the calibration needed there is in Windows Controllers (i.e. the Saitek drivers).

Check the input values in Joyview, attached.

Regards

Pete

joyview.zip

[duckbilled]

Thanks Pete. I am sorry to be dense here but what am I looking for with joyview? Only two of my throttle levers seem to produce any sort of response. It does list 4 joysticks (Which I have CH pedals, Yoke, TC and a keyboard that is always listed as a joystick).

I am thinking that I may want to uninstall the drivers for both devices? Maybe start a little cleaner?

[duckbilled]

FYI, I think I have it fixed. Although I think that it is strange that the inputs are different, I adjusted the idle positions and they seem to be operating properly.

Before, I made both idle settings the same. I went in and made the top idle slightly different from the bottom idle and it works now.

Thanks for the help.

[Pete Dowson]

Thanks Pete. I am sorry to be dense here but what am I looking for with joyview? Only two of my throttle levers seem to produce any sort of response. It does list 4 joysticks (Which I have CH pedals, Yoke, TC and a keyboard that is always listed as a joystick).

If it only lists 4 joysticks, and none of them the throttle quadrants, where are you seeing the two throttle levers you are seeing? I don't understand.

In your axis assignments in FSUIPC you had these listed:

[Axes]

0=0X,1,D,11,0,0,0

1=0Y,1,D,12,0,0,0

2=0Z,256,D,23,0,0,0

3=1Z,256,D,22,0,0,0

4=1R,1,D,10,0,0,0

5=1U,1,D,9,0,0,0

and all those (X Y Z R and U) axes are always recognised in the standard Windows joystick API (there's also a "V"). The joystick numbers, 0 and 1, correspond to the first two entries in the Joyview list - they'll be numbered 1 and 2 there

I can see from the above that your throttle levers are:

1 U = Throttle 1

1 R = Throttle 2

0 X = Throttle 3

0 Y = Throttle 4

You also have the Delta set to 1 for all those -- not really recommmended. That could make FS spend all its time reading the joysticks. I thought you said you'd restored them to 256. Not sure why you would fiddle with such things in any case?

Joyview might not get the names of your devices, that's not relevant, but it most certainly should see the values being received from them. When you open up the relevant joysticks (click the little +) then select "joyGetPosEx(), it shows you all 6 axes (X Y Z R U V), the 32 buttons (as a 32-bit value) and the POV hat. As you move the axes you should see the values change. That's the whole point.

And you still haven't confirmed that you've calibrated these axes in Windows!

Regards

Pete