Problems with FSUIPC 4.50 / Goflight / Project Magenta

[mattriggins]

FSUIPC4 4.50

Latest Project Magenta Boeing GC

FSX SP1

Goflight P8 w/latest GoFlight software.

When FSX starts, my config file loads the goflight software which lets me use their modules in FSX, pretty basic.

So I want one of my P8's buttons to control a few of the PM ND commands, like increase range, decrease, etc. Again pretty basic.

I open up FSUIPC within FSX (I'm registered) and hit the buttons and switches tab. I press a button on the P8 and it shows up with it's joystick # 101 and button 7 number. Awsome!

I press select for FS and include PM checkboxes.

From the drop down, I choose

PM ND Range Increase

I hit OK

I'm back in my cockpit, I press the goflight button, and nothing happens on the ND of the project magenta boeing GC.

If I click into the PM window, and press say G or H, range increases/decreases.

I click back into FSX, hit the go flight button, nothing.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks!

[mattriggins]

just to note, I do not have any functions for these P8 buttons set within the goflight software, so it's not an over ride issue.

[Pete Dowson]

What am I doing wrong?

All of the PM controls in FSUIPC operate directly on PM's offsets. You'll find documentation for those on the PM site. You can Monitor the offsets involved (right-hand side of the Logging tab). See if your button is changing the correct bit in the correct offset. If it is and PM is not responding, it is a question for PM support. All of those offsets used to work fine, but there are so many releases since they were presented that I'm not sure what PM maintains any more.

Regards

Pete

[mattriggins]

All of the PM controls in FSUIPC operate directly on PM's offsets. You'll find documentation for those on the PM site. You can Monitor the offsets involved (right-hand side of the Logging tab). See if your button is changing the correct bit in the correct offset. If it is and PM is not responding, it is a question for PM support. All of those offsets used to work fine, but there are so many releases since they were presented that I'm not sure what PM maintains any more.

Regards

Pete

Thanks for the prompt reply Pete. I'm at work but will check the logging tab when I get home to see if there is any communication going on.

Prior to discovering that "include project magenta" actually put in PM xyz commands, I was trying to setup a word set with the x04F4 offset, but wasn't sure I was doing it properly. There was a vaule of 322 for the command I was testing and I assumed that went into the parameter section. However upon closing FSUIPC, it would reset that paramater to a x0 value. So I figured I was doing something wrong there. That's why I was elated to see there was a direct PM command, but alas, it wasn't working. I'm assuming you simply linked those offsets to the PM commands? (And if so, thank you, thats a life saver)

Also, where can I find the advanced FSUIPC user guide that everyone mentions? It was very difficult to locate it on your site. I was hoping to read through that regardless, knowledge is power.

When I get home I'll check the logging tab to see if the PM command is indeed sending out an offset, however according to the PM site it wasn't bits but values. Could that be an issue?

The FSUIPC PM offset page I was referencing from was:

http://www.projectmagenta.com/pmoffsets.html

Thanks again Pete!

Matt Riggins

[Pete Dowson]

Prior to discovering that "include project magenta" actually put in PM xyz commands, I was trying to setup a word set with the x04F4 offset, but wasn't sure I was doing it properly. There was a vaule of 322 for the command I was testing. and I assumed that went into the parameter section. However upon closing FSUIPC, it would reset that paramater to a x0 value.

That's not right. You can have parameters with any control -- even many of the standard FS controls take parameters. I've never known any problem where the parameter got reset to zero -- you'll need to give me more information about that. All it does is store that field as a parameter no matter what the control chosen, even if it doesn't actually use a parameter.

I was elated to see there was a direct PM command, but alas, it wasn't working. I'm assuming you simply linked those offsets to the PM commands?

They operate via the relevant offsets. I use a lot of them in my own cockpit, in fact, including the ND range inc and dec which works okay for me.

Also, where can I find the advanced FSUIPC user guide that everyone mentions?

If you mean the Advanced User's guide, it is supplied along with the normal User's Guide and the History document (detailing changes release to release) within the FSUIPC ZIP file (for FSUIPC3), or installed in your Modules folder (for FSUIPC4). Please refer to the first page of the User Guide, where it does actually tell you what files you get.

It was very difficult to locate it on your site.

I have no other "site" than this Forum. But I don't supply documents which are part of every release here separately. You need to go to Enrico Schiratti's "Dowson" page and get the main Release ZIP.

When I get home I'll check the logging tab to see if the PM command is indeed sending out an offset, however according to the PM site it wasn't bits but values. Could that be an issue?

I spoke generally. Some of the PM offsets use bits, some values. It depends which you use. The ND Range inc / dec used by FSUIPC's PM controls happen to be bit-oriented. They are in offset 5418 -- set bits 20, 21, 24 or 25, as documented for PM, thus:

CRNG- Bit20 (Captain ND range -)

CRNG+ Bit21 (Captain ND range +)

FRNG- Bit24 (F/O ND range -)

FRNG+ Bit25 (F/O ND range +)

FSUIPC actually queues requests for you, waiting for the bit to zero before setting it again. not so easy to guarantee doing it yourself.

The FSUIPC PM offset page I was referencing from was:

http://www.projectmagenta.com/pmoffsets.html

Good. The ones FSUIPC uses are all there.

Regards

Pete

[mattriggins]

This is a little puzzling.

I went into FSUIPC and I set the same (non working button) to use PM ND Rage 320 with 0 for parameter. Pressing that works. I set the same button to then PM ND Range 10 with parameter set to 0, and that works.

But PM ND Range Inc and PM ND Range Dec with the paramter set to 0 doen't work, ie it doesn't go from 2.5, to 5, etc up to 320 or vice versa.

Thoughts?

Update: So some PM ND commands work, others don't. For example, I can set 3 keys up, one to PM ND Map Arc Mode, the 2nd to PM ND Ctr Mode and the last button to PM ND Plan mode. Pressing those buttons changes to the mode I specificed for that button.

But if I set one of those buttons to PM ND Mode Inc or PM ND Mode Dec, they don't cycle through the modes. The same for range, if I set a button to a direct range (say 160) it works, but using Range Inc or Dec doesn't work.

It's like cycling through something is broken. I'm stumped. How can I help debug this?

Update 2: Heh Pete, look at this post from 2005.

viewtopic.php?f=54&t=43773&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

Sound familiar? I can't imagine after 4 years this is still broken?

[Pete Dowson]

But PM ND Range Inc and PM ND Range Dec with the paramter set to 0 doen't work, ie it doesn't go from 2.5, to 5, etc up to 320 or vice versa.

The parameter isn't relevant for any of those in any case.

Update: So some PM ND commands work, others don't.

This may well be true. what works and what doesn't in Project Magenta has varied quite a bit over the years as it has been continually modified. All the FSUIPC PM controls added did work when they were implemented, some 8 to 10 years ago. According to the PM documentation, they should still work now.

You should also note that some of the offsets are read and actioned by the Glass Cockpit module (PFD) itself, and some by the MCP (or FCP) module. It may well be that your setup is work in some ways but not others.

But if I set one of those buttons to PM ND Mode Inc or PM ND Mode Dec, they don't cycle through the modes. The same for range, if I set a button to a direct range (say 160) it works, but using Range Inc or Dec doesn't work.

That sounds like the stuff in the 04F4 offset is working, but the bits in 5418 are not. You'll note from the PM Offsets document that 04F4 is processed by the Glass Cockpit, whilst 5418 is processed by the MCP. So the connection MCP->GC modules needs checking. But first prove to yourself that the correct bits in the correct offset (5418) are being set by your button. If they are being set but never reset to 0, then PM's MCP isn't working properly. To check offset changes use the Monitor facilities -- right-hand side of the FSUIPC Logging tab. Set the offset to 5418, the type to U16, and check the "FS display" or "Adv display" option at the bottom for a real time display on screen. Also check the "normal log" option so it goes into the log from which you can show me extracts if necessary.

You could also use the MCP program's EFIS controls to try changing the GC range and mode, just to see if that works. However, I don't know what offset that uses to taslk to the PFD module, if any.

It's like cycling through something is broken. I'm stumped. How can I help debug this?

You really need PM support -- as I have on many occasions for questions like these. But also try the voluntary support forum over on http://www.mycockpit.org/forums . Someone there might be able to help.

Regards

Pete

[mattriggins]

Heh well you may have already solved it. I'm going to test now but if some of those bits are handled by the pm mcp then that would be the problem..... I have only had the PM GC open, but not the MCP.

I'll fire the sim up now, open both the PM GC and the PM MCP and will let you know.

[mattriggins]

So having both the GC and the MCP resolved it. Thanks for having patience with a noob!

Greatly appreciate the help!!

Matt