FSX Accel and PFCFSX PtII

[alexdan]

Pete

Re PFC FSX and Accel problems. New twist. I have FSUIPC and PFC correctly in the addons.

I can calibrate the quadrant correctly within PFC, but there is no aircraft actions from the Prop,Throttle,Mixture levers.

The Yoke and Rudders, which connect through the quadrant work normally. Flaps and Rudder trim are also OK.

FSUIPC4.log, PFCFSX.log, Simconnect.log portions and WinSxS snip attached.

Baffled

Alex

Logs.zip

[Pete Dowson]

Re PFC FSX and Accel problems. New twist.

Sorry, I don't recall the old one?

I can calibrate the quadrant correctly within PFC, but there is no aircraft actions from the Prop,Throttle,Mixture levers.

Have you ENABLED the relevant quadrant in the PFC options?

The Yoke and Rudders, which connect through the quadrant work normally. Flaps and Rudder trim are also OK.

Sounds rather as if your quadrant is not enabled. Which quadrant is it, and is it actually being selected?

FSUIPC4.log, PFCFSX.log, Simconnect.log portions and WinSxS snip attached.

SimConnect and WinSxS are both totally irrelevant. If SimConnect problems were occurring you'd have trouble on everything, not just one part of your PFC system.

The PFCFSX log shows some odd logging. What logging options have you enabled? Please don't turn anything on unless asked.

The FSUIPC log shows something odd (though nothing whatsoever to do with anything you are reporting). See this:

11156 G:\FSX\SimObjects\Airplanes\Douglas_DC3\Douglas_DC3.AIR

190250 System time = 10:55:23, FSX time = 10:52:24 (18:52Z)

191797 Aircraft="Douglas DC-3"

197141 **** No SimConnect events or states being received! Re-connecting now****

197141 SimConnect_Open succeeded: waiting to check version okay

197141 Running in "Microsoft Flight Simulator X", Version: 10.0.61637.0 (SimConnect: 10.0.61259.0)

197141 Initialising SimConnect data requests now

197141 FSUIPC Menu entry added

It appears to be taking over 179 seconds (i.e. 3 minutes!!!) to get to the point where FSX is actually almost ready! During some or a lot of that time SimConnect is totally disconnecting (i.e. not supplying any data to FSUIPC) Why is this? What is your FSX doing for 3 minutes?

Anyway, the only file which might possibly show why your quadrant isn't operating is missing -- the PFCFSX.INI file which has your settings in it.

Regards

Pete

[alexdan]

Old post Jun 29th.

The Quadrant is enabled. U1 only has Mixture controls reversed. PFCFSX.ini attached.

However it now appears there is nothing wrong with PFC as it works normally on both the Baron and the Goose.

I was using the stock DC-3 pending re-installation of my own piston aircraft.

Aircraft.cfg and DC-3 airfile are normal and original, as is the panel.cfg.

Ideas?

Alex

PFCFSXINI.zip

[Pete Dowson]

However it now appears there is nothing wrong with PFC as it works normally on both the Baron and the Goose.

I was using the stock DC-3 pending re-installation of my own piston aircraft.

Aircraft.cfg and DC-3 airfile are normal and original, as is the panel.cfg.

Ideas?

No, sorry. That is a bit odd. Obviously the PFC driver is feeding FS with the correct controls, else they wouldn't work for the other aircraft. The DC-3 must have something odd about it.

It's getting a bit late here and my PFC-enabled system isn't on at present, so I'll make a note to look at it tomorrow. It won't be first thing, so I might not get back to you till the evening. Meanwhile, you could try axis Event logging in FSUIPC4 (Logging page, one of the radio buttons on the left). Just to assure ourselves that the right things are being sent.

Looking at the PFCFSX code, the throttle operation uses the same system as the aileron, elevator and rudder, whilst the mixture, prop and brakes use FSUIPC offsets -- so that deepens the mystery, because your split isn't by method but bysource?

That suggests one other experiment. Suppose you go into one of the other user settings for the quadrant (U2?) and, as an experiment, assign the aileron, elevator and rudder there (temporarily disabling the main ones of course, via their checkboxes). If they work we know for sure it's nothing to do with PFCFSX or the hardware, but something to do with the specific axes and their treatment in the DC3.

[LATER]

I'm a bit puzzled by the PFCFSX.INI file you provided. Although it says you are using quadrant "U1" there don't appear to be any assignments or calibrations set for it. At least none saved in this INI file.

Are you using one of the standard quadrants from PFC? Does it's normal settings page work for the DC3? Or could you choose one of the ready-made ones which suits the DC-3 and try that?

From this:

[AircraftQuadrants]

Curtiss_C-46A=U1

ALPHA_Hudson_0=U1

Douglas_DC-3=U1

it seems that you have two other aircraft set to use U1. Do they suffer in the same way?

So far it is looking like there's no settings for U1 in the INI , so it is never actually doing anything. None of the levers are being assigned! The quadrant will work in the Baron and Goose because they presumably aren't using U1.

Regards

Pete

[alexdan]

No problem, I'm expatriate myself and aware of that. No rush anyway.

I was using U1 for the Baron and the Goose as well. Odd. I tried the stock Baron quadrant in the DC-3 and it did not work either.

However, bringing FSX up again I noted my assignments had disappeared. I corrected these again in U1, and regained control.

Next FSX reload had my Mixture settings disappear. Corrected these and OK.

Now my settings appear to hold provided I wait approx 10-15secs until PFC appears in the Addon menu..and check my settings are activated.

FSUIPC appears immediately.

Reloaded my own aircraft and apparently normal with the above proviso. Drive needs Defrag done which may have something to do with delays.

Will do later.

Strange one - but PFC/FSUIPC would appear to be working properly. Summat amiss with my Quadrant assignments holding, although I have used the same settings

for years in Fs9.. I simply check them each time now.

Will watch it and advise if it reverts again. Thanks.

Alex

Best

Alex

[Pete Dowson]

However, bringing FSX up again I noted my assignments had disappeared. I corrected these again in U1, and regained control.

Next FSX reload had my Mixture settings disappear. Corrected these and OK.

Now my settings appear to hold provided I wait approx 10-15secs until PFC appears in the Addon menu.

Erhow on Earth are you checking them before the PFC driver is running? The PFC menu appears when the PFC driver is loaded by FSUIPC4, and it has read the INI and initialised itself. None of that happens till a while after FSX is "ready to fly" as FSUIPC4 doesn't get sufficient data from Simconnect until then!

FSUIPC appears immediately.

FSUIPC4 is loaded by SimConnect when FSX is loading, but it has to wait until everything is ready before loading any other ancillary drivers. The same applies to WideFS initialisation, and subsidiary activities such as GPSout and AutoSave. This is simply because all of them are dependent upon the FSUIPC interface to SimConnect and that isn't fully viable until FSX is fully initialised and running with regular data exchanges.

Strange one - but PFC/FSUIPC would appear to be working properly. Summat amiss with my Quadrant assignments holding, although I have used the same settings

for years in Fs9.. I simply check them each time now.

There's no difference in PFCFSX.DLL to the original PFC.DLL as far as INI settings and their operation are concerned. Only the interface to FS was changed, and rather than have multiple clients to SimConnect (very inefficient when they are all using the same data), PFCFSX is a wholly-owned FSUIPC client application, just as many external programs are. It is more efficient that it would be as an external program as it can access FSUIPC directly, but it still cannot do this until it is loaded and FSUIPC will not load things prematurely.

I think you should re-enable the PFC connection checks, via the main PFC options screen. Leave them enabled so you can see when the PFC driver is loaded -- when that finishes its checks (or you force it to continue into FS via the button), it is all established. Having already waited 3 minutes for FSX to load, another few seconds should seem like no time at all! ;-)

Regards

Pete

[alexdan]

Thanks Pete, will do that. Appreciate the education :)

Alex