Two controllers - possible?

[Crewecut]

Hi, I got a Saitek yoke + two tq´s, and rudder set up just nicely in FSUIPC4. I only fly a few different planes, and have programmed Aircraft Specific profiles for each.

Some planes are best flown with stick, and, before I got the above mentioned items, I used to enjoy flying the Extra 300 and the EH101 using my Cougar HOTAS controller (had them somewhat set up in FSX, and reversed the axis of the throttle when transitioning to helicopter). It is now my hope to program my HOTAS through FSUIPC4, Aircraft Specific, without disrupting the setup I got going for my current controllers. And I wish to keep the rudder function, rudder is plugged into yoke.

I got the Cougar Control Panel installed (for use when occasionally flying F4.0). I´m running FSX Accel., Win XP.

Can I have both controllers plugged in, and just open a flight with say the EH, open FSUIPC, tick Aircraft Specific, and just map on? Or do I have to unplug one to avoid conflict?

As my time to enjoy flightsimming is very limited due to work and fammily, I just can´t afford to spend time to leaf through endless posts looking for this type of problem, my apologies.

[Pete Dowson]

Can I have both controllers plugged in, and just open a flight with say the EH, open FSUIPC, tick Aircraft Specific, and just map on? Or do I have to unplug one to avoid conflict?

If they are all assigned in FSUIPC, disabled in FS, then the aircraft-specific option will do the trick, because FSUIPC will only scan those devices you've specifically assigned for each aircraft (or group of aircraft if you use the ShortAircraftNameOk option as described in one of the documentation appendices.

It is actually possible to have several controllers connected and assigned for the same functions, but two problems can then arise:

1. As you suspect, one might interfere or override the other, especially if they do not give rock-steady values (inputs are only used when they change, except for POVs). One way around this is to calibrate them with wide enough space in the natural "parking position" (idle for throttles, centre for aileron, elevator, rudder).

2. FSUIPC only offers one set of calibration values for each FS control input, so if you have two aileron controllers, for example, the calibration settings, if they are both assigned) would be the same. If there was a lot of difference in the input values -- particularly the centre, as min/max should be sorted okay by Windows calibration -- the you might get horrible results when using one or the other. Calibrating for two completely difference input ranges is not possible, obviously.

Aircraft-specific assignment gets around both of these problems as FSUIPC will simply only be scanning the axes assigned for the current aircraft. You'd also be amking aircraft-specific calibrations too, and presumably button assignments.

As my time to enjoy flightsimming is very limited due to work and fammily, I just can´t afford to spend time to leaf through endless posts looking for this type of problem, my apologies.

Well it is covered by documentation. It is surprising how much quicker it usually is, for most products, to simply read the supplied documentation rather than going to the products technical support.

Sometimes I wish I could find some time to enjoy flight simming! It is why I try to make sure the documentation is complete, to reduce the technical support workload. And it does work, but not as well as I might wish. :-(

Regards

Pete

[Crewecut]

Thanks a lot for your quick reply (sorry for stealing precious air-time :oops: :wink: ) I´ll definitely have a go at it now!