Offset and parameter details for majestic Dash 8 300 setup

[sikum1s]

Hi all,

I recently purchased the Dash 8 from Majestic also the registered FSUIPC4 . I'm up to the part of setting up the Autopilot key presses etc... but can't get the autopilot buttons working because I think there is a gap in my understanding of offsets, parameters and what control type to use.

Here is what I'm trying to do. Basically configure "Num7" to be the Autopilot HDG key for the majestic dash. In my Majestic document it says the following (extract below), but I don't know what this translates to as far as the FSUIPC GUI under Key Presses for the "Control Sent when key pressed", "Offset" and "Parameter" values.

"...............To assign any key or joystick button, go to the fsuipc menu (it must be a registered copy of fsuipc), to the keystrokes assignment page, and assign to a desired keystroke the fsuipc offset write function.

Here is the table of the values that must be written to 50C0 offset to control the particular Dash 8 function (use the last number from a table):................ the APHDG AUTOPILOT HDG 201 1 12865"

Thanks,

[Pete Dowson]

I recently purchased the Dash 8 from Majestic also the registered FSUIPC4 . I'm up to the part of setting up the Autopilot key presses etc... but can't get the autopilot buttons working because I think there is a gap in my understanding of offsets, parameters and what control type to use.

I don't know that product, but surely the autopilot shouldn't need offsets and parameters. Don't the standard FS controls work with that aircraft?

Here is what I'm trying to do. Basically configure "Num7" to be the Autopilot HDG key for the majestic dash.

Num7 is normally used for elevator trim nose down. Is this "HDG key" the heading hold button?

In my Majestic document it says the following (extract below), but I don't know what this translates to as far as the FSUIPC GUI under Key Presses for the "Control Sent when key pressed", "Offset" and "Parameter" values.

Well, for an offset setting you'd use one of the Offsetcontrols -- they all start with the word "Offset", so they are all bunched together in the assignment drop-down list. But then you'd need to now whether to write a Byte, Word, Dword, Float or Double, and whether it's a normal "set", to write a value, or a "setbits" or "togglebits" for individual bits rather than a specific value.

Once you've selected the right control, you will see that you can enter the offset (x50C0 in this case it seems), then the value to be written as a parameter. Those fields appear on screen when you select the control.

"...............To assign any key or joystick button, go to the fsuipc menu (it must be a registered copy of fsuipc), to the keystrokes assignment page, and assign to a desired keystroke the fsuipc offset write function.

Here is the table of the values that must be written to 50C0 offset to control the particular Dash 8 function (use the last number from a table):................ the APHDG AUTOPILOT HDG 201 1 12865"

How strange. I just checked, and offsets 50C0 to 50FF are assigned to Oleksiy Frolov for a Dash8+EPIC project. I had no way to relate that to this "Majestic" name. But now it makes a little more sense.

However, I've no way of interpreting what is meant by "APHDG AUTOPILOT HDG 201 1 12865". Aren't there any column headings for that table you extracted a line from? The number 12865 appears to be the decimal equivalent of hex 0x3241, which makes no more sense to me than 12865 except that it could be interpreted as "A2" in character format.

Perhaps you should be asking the person who would know, the one who designed the aircraft and wrote that document? Isn't there some support address for it? If you want me to help I'll need rather more information, maybe a bigger extract from the document you are quoting from?

Regards

Pete

[sikum1s]

Hi Peter,

Num7 is normally used for elevator trim nose down. Is this "HDG key" the heading hold button?

Yes this is the HDG hold button on the AP.

Well, for an offset setting you'd use one of the Offsetcontrols -- they all start with the word "Offset", so they are all bunched together in the assignment drop-down list. But then you'd need to now whether to write a Byte, Word, Dword, Float or Double, and whether it's a normal "set", to write a value, or a "setbits" or "togglebits" for individual bits rather than a specific value.

Ok, here is one of my problems, whereby I don't know which of the above it is, and the documents provided don't clearly specify this. I will attach the document for you to have a look at maybe I'm missing something. Is there a tutorial or something else that I may benefit from that you can suggest to help me with determining the type of offsets to use, or is this design specific, meaning it depends on what the product developer used, therefore dictating the offset type?

Once you've selected the right control, you will see that you can enter the offset (x50C0 in this case it seems), then the value to be written as a parameter. Those fields appear on screen when you select the control.

Ok I don't think there is any problem with this unless the the hex is not "Five Zero, Charlie Zero". Does the "c" have to be upper case?

However, I've no way of interpreting what is meant by "APHDG AUTOPILOT HDG 201 1 12865". Aren't there any column headings for that table you extracted a line from? The number 12865 appears to be the decimal equivalent of hex 0x3241, which makes no more sense to me than 12865 except that it could be interpreted as "A2" in character format.

No there are no column headings unfortuntely. "A2" meaning what exactly?

Perhaps you should be asking the person who would know, the one who designed the aircraft and wrote that document? Isn't there some support address for it? If you want me to help I'll need rather more information, maybe a bigger extract from the document you are quoting from?

I have been trying without much luck until very recently to get some clarification. I have an extract from the only document that is suppose to tell me how to use FSUIPC and configure FMS etc... This may help.

Thanks again for the support,

John.

Regards

Pete

[Pete Dowson]

Is there a tutorial or something else that I may benefit from that you can suggest to help me with determining the type of offsets to use, or is this design specific, meaning it depends on what the product developer used, therefore dictating the offset type?

Private offsets are completely up to the designer.

Ok I don't think there is any problem with this unless the the hex is not "Five Zero, Charlie Zero". Does the "c" have to be upper case?

No. In hex "C" or "c" stands for 12 (A=10, B=11, C=12, D=13, E=14, F=15), because hexadecimal is to base 16 instead of 10 like decimal. In FSUIPC you enter hexadecimal values with an "x" in front (either case), so x50c0 will do.

No there are no column headings unfortuntely. "A2" meaning what exactly?

Er, "A2" is just two characters "A" then "2". It means nothing more to me without column headings explaining what it means. That's why I asked.

I have been trying without much luck until very recently to get some clarification. I have an extract from the only document that is suppose to tell me how to use FSUIPC and configure FMS etc... This may help.

Well the crucial part in that is where it tells you offset 50C0 is 2 bytes! 2 bytes is a WORD (1 byte = BYTE, 2 bytes = WORD, 4 bytes = DWORD). So you'd use the FSUIPC control "Offset Word Set" with offset 50C0 and the parameter the number he tells you, the "last one".

Pete