GoFlight flaps do not work anymore

[Jean-Claude]

Hi Peter,

I have used fourteen GF modules for the past three years with a registered FSUIPC successfully. Suddenly, out of the blue, the flaps command of my GF modules (LDG and TQ6) do not work normally anymore, i.e. I get full flaps down and flaps full up only, no increment. All other GF modules do work correctly with FSUIPC.

Yesterday GF support asked me to remove FSUIPC from my Modules in FS9 and sure enough, my GF flaps command works like before by increment up or down for both the LDG and TQ6...

So what can cause this sudden and new interference? For your information, I did not change any GF settings or config for the last two years so I am at a loss to understand what I should do to get the whole GF/FSUIPC package to work together again for the flaps. Flaps and throttles were not calibrated with FSUIPC but I left them on the GF cfg. All other GF modules (other than radio) are programmed on FSUIPC.

Any assistance would be welcome.

Kind regards.

Jean-Claude

[Jean-Claude]

To follow-up on my previous post, here are the parameters of FSUIPC regarding the calibration. According to GF support, FSUIPC would be corrupted and would need to be reinstalled. If I do so, would I be able to copy all my settings for my various planes and hardware into the new folder? What part should I avoid copying?

[JoystickCalibration]

FlapsSetControl=0

ReverserControl=66292

MaxThrottleForReverser=0

AileronTrimControl=0

RudderTrimControl=0

CowlFlaps1Control=0

CowlFlaps2Control=0

CowlFlaps3Control=0

CowlFlaps4Control=0

SepRevsJetsOnly=Yes

Reverser1Control=66422

Reverser2Control=66425

Reverser3Control=66428

Reverser4Control=66431

ApplyHeloTrim=No

FlapDetents=No

MaxSteerSpeed=60

Flaps=0,16380/16

ExcludeThrottleSet=Yes

ExcludeMixtureSet=Yes

ExcludePropPitchSet=Yes

Thank you.

Jean-Claude

[Pete Dowson]

To follow-up on my previous post, here are the parameters of FSUIPC regarding the calibration. According to GF support, FSUIPC would be corrupted and would need to be reinstalled. If I do so, would I be able to copy all my settings for my various planes and hardware into the new folder? What part should I avoid copying?

Nonsense, FSUIPC is not corrupted. If the DLL gets corrupted it will not work, period. It is self-checking.

All of your settings are in the FSUIPC.INI file. This line:

Flaps=0,16380/16

proves without a doubt that you have told FSUIPC to handle your flaps! Just go to the FSUIPC Joystick Calibrations tab and press the "Reset" button on the flaps entry. Then it won't touch them.

If you ask FSUIPC to do things, it will do things. If you don't, it won't. It is that simple!

Pete

[Jean-Claude]

Thanks for your straightforward reply Peter. I wish it was that simple. It's not. I am currently fighting with my plane at the end of the runway with flaps going up and down at random after I checked FSUIPC several times and made sure that NO axis was processed for that and every other planes I have. Neither the joystick calibration has any value entered whatsoever and yet, my flaps are playing yo-yo permanently.

One hint, when I go to the axis calibration, it has values entered that I cancel for all axis and save with all boxes in blank, on the joystick page, all axes are left unprocessed, there is not one value entered in any box either for that plane or for FS9.

I reinstalled FSUIPC and copied all my ini file EXCEPT of course the first part of it with the wrong flap settings. I am back to where I was and my flaps still don't allow me to fly.

Thank you.

[Pete Dowson]

Thanks for your straightforward reply Peter. I wish it was that simple. It's not. I am currently fighting with my plane at the end of the runway with flaps going up and down at random after I checked FSUIPC several times and made sure that NO axis was processed for that and every other planes I have. Neither the joystick calibration has any value entered whatsoever and yet, my flaps are playing yo-yo permanently.

It isn't the VALUE, it is whether FSUIPC has anything to do with it or not -- the button top left, above the IN and OUT values, should read "Set" not "Reset". The INI file extract you showed most certainly showed the flaps axis as being handled!

One hint, when I go to the axis calibration, it has values entered that I cancel for all axis and save with all boxes in blank, on the joystick page, all axes are left unprocessed, there is not one value entered in any box either for that plane or for FS9.

None of that is at all relevant. The numbers are HOW you calibrated the axis, not whether is is being "calibrated"! Calibration is turned on and off by the button that turns it on and off.

I reinstalled FSUIPC and copied all my ini file EXCEPT of course the first part of it with the wrong flap settings. I am back to where I was and my flaps still don't allow me to fly.

The "first part" of the INI file generally is all about other things entirely, nothing to do with calibrations.

If the axis is not being handled in FSUIPC, then it isn't being handled in FSUIPC. Full stop.

Maybe you have a button set to operate flaps up/down and it is spuriously repeating. Enable FSUIPC's Axis events AND Buttons and other Event logging, and check what is actually being sent to FS.

Pete

[Jean-Claude]

Sorry Pete, this is beyond me, I am only a pilot (I mean RW that explains my mediocre IT skills and limited understanding...), I can't read this log below (only a excerpt of a lengthy similar set of repetitions), it only tells me that something is obviously wrong given the repeated similar commands with the "axis elevator" and the panel lights??? but after spending three hours today checking all my commands (GF, FS9 and FSUIPC) there is no other button to set flaps other than TQ6 and LDG neither with GF nor my joystick. Next week-end I will uninstall FSUIPC and reinstall and shall input my commands one by one. I have not selected a flap command. All I know is when FSUIPC is removed from the module folder, everything is back to normal therefore the key to this problem is there.

FYI Excerpt of log:

4279407 *** AXIS: Cntrl= 65762 (0x000100e2), Param= 1167 (0x0000048f) AXIS_ELEVATOR_SET

4279516 *** EVENT: Cntrl= 66057 (0x00010209), Param= 1 (0x00000001) PANEL_LIGHTS_OFF

4279532 *** AXIS: Cntrl= 65763 (0x000100e3), Param= -8 (0xfffffff8) AXIS_AILERONS_SET

4279641 *** EVENT: Cntrl= 66057 (0x00010209), Param= 1 (0x00000001) PANEL_LIGHTS_OFF

4279657 *** AXIS: Cntrl= 65763 (0x000100e3), Param= -3 (0xfffffffd) AXIS_AILERONS_SET

4279657 *** AXIS: Cntrl= 65762 (0x000100e2), Param= 965 (0x000003c5) AXIS_ELEVATOR_SET

4279782 *** EVENT: Cntrl= 66057 (0x00010209), Param= 1 (0x00000001) PANEL_LIGHTS_OFF

4279813 *** AXIS: Cntrl= 65763 (0x000100e3), Param= -1 (0xffffffff) AXIS_AILERONS_SET

4279813 *** AXIS: Cntrl= 65762 (0x000100e2), Param= 891 (0x0000037b) AXIS_ELEVATOR_SET

4279922 *** EVENT: Cntrl= 66057 (0x00010209), Param= 1 (0x00000001) PANEL_LIGHTS_OFF

4279938 *** AXIS: Cntrl= 65763 (0x000100e3), Param= 0 (0x00000000) AXIS_AILERONS_SET

4279938 *** AXIS: Cntrl= 65762 (0x000100e2), Param= 855 (0x00000357) AXIS_ELEVATOR_SET

4280032 *** EVENT: Cntrl= 66057 (0x00010209), Param= 1 (0x00000001) PANEL_LIGHTS_OFF

4280047 *** AXIS: Cntrl= 65762 (0x000100e2), Param= 846 (0x0000034e) AXIS_ELEVATOR_SET

4280141 *** EVENT: Cntrl= 66057 (0x00010209), Param= 1 (0x00000001) PANEL_LIGHTS_OFF

4280157 *** AXIS: Cntrl= 65762 (0x000100e2), Param= 843 (0x0000034b) AXIS_ELEVATOR_SET

4280250 *** EVENT: Cntrl= 66057 (0x00010209), Param= 1 (0x00000001) PANEL_LIGHTS_OFF

4280250 *** EVENT: Cntrl= 65956 (0x000101a4), Param= 1 (0x00000001) FUEL_SELECTOR_ALL

4280266 *** AXIS: Cntrl= 65762 (0x000100e2), Param= 842 (0x0000034a) AXIS_ELEVATOR_SET

4280360 *** EVENT: Cntrl= 66057 (0x00010209), Param= 1 (0x00000001) PANEL_LIGHTS_OFF

4280407 *** AXIS: Cntrl= 65762 (0x000100e2), Param= 841 (0x00000349) AXIS_ELEVATOR_SET

And my Joystick calibration

[JoystickCalibration]

ExcludeThrottleSet=Yes

ExcludeMixtureSet=Yes

ExcludePropPitchSet=Yes

SepRevsJetsOnly=Yes

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

Thank you.

Jean-Claude

[Pete Dowson]

... it only tells me that something is obviously wrong given the repeated similar commands with the "axis elevator" and the panel lights?

The elevator axis is jittering a bit, not repeating -- the value changes initially between 1167, -8 and -3 are odd (maybe you touched it), but the rest there are just minor jitters, quite common for ansalogue axes and nothing to worry about.

The PANEL LIGHTS OFF controls are probably coming from an aircraft cockpit gauge just making sure that the lights are as set on the switch. It shouldn't really do it, but that sort of behaviour isn't uncommon and does no harm.

There's nothing there affecting the flaps, so I can only conclude that ytour flaps problems are something to do with the aircraft model you are using. Nothing external to FS is sending any Flaps controls whatsoever, else they'd be seen by FSUIPC and logged.

All I know is when FSUIPC is removed from the module folder, everything is back to normal therefore the key to this problem is there.

Well, I'm sorry, but it certainly isn't FSUIPC which is doing it. If it only does it when FSUIPC is there there must be some weird corruption someplace else in FS which only manifests itself when the timing or memory arrangmenets are just so.

Originally you said "Suddenly, out of the blue, the flaps command of my GF modules (LDG and TQ6) do not work normally anymore ..." Things don't happen "suddenly out of the blue" without something changing, so maybe your best bet would be to try to identify exactly what may have changed.

Regards

Pete