Advice needed: problems with FSX hardware detection

[TerribleAviator]

Peter and others, please help me out. (please read the whole post, questions about FSUIPC are in the last part)

Here goes:

I have a FSX setup containing the following:

• Saitek yoke (yoke and throttle)
  Logitech G940 Flight System (stick, throttle and rudder pedals)
  A full GoFlight set (radios, several switches and a TQ6 throttle quadrant)

I currently use the proprietary GoFlight software to configure the controls externally. Therefore i must delete ALL the axis and button assignments within FSX. So far, so good.

I have assigned the axis of the Logitech and Saitek units using the built in FSX controls configurations within the FSX settings section. It all works like a charm, BUT... after a while the controller config becomes messed up.

It seems - for some reason - FSX redetects the hardware and automatically reassigns some buttons and axis. The most troublesome is the reassigning of the GoFlight throttle quadrant. FSX assigns some levers to ailerons and rudder and i must delete these assignents manually over and over again.

Same happens to the Saitek yoke. After a while a button is automatically (re)assigned to the landing gear on the Saitek yoke and this disables my landing gear lever functionality in the GoFlight setup. (looks like GoFlight does not agree with a function being double assigned)

I figure it has something to do with the use of several USB hubs (i use lots of hardware peripherals). Maybe the hubs sometimes change the ID's of the ports and FSX 'thinks' there are new devices connected. Does that make any sense?

Anyway, here is my question: is there an easy way to disable (re)detection of controllers and / or reassigning controls?

Or... is there a way to make the control config file read only or something? Or can change a setting somewhere so all the assigned controls remain the same?

And yes, I have thought of buying FSUIPC and assigning controls through this program. Does FSUIPC overwrite the standard FSX settings? If so, it will probably work. Do I then manually have to clear all the assignments or does FSUIPC take care of that? In other words: will FSUIPC make my life easy and headache free? Is this the solution?

So many questions, it drives me nuts. All the input on this is very much appreciated.

[Pete Dowson]

I have assigned the axis of the Logitech and Saitek units using the built in FSX controls configurations within the FSX settings section. It all works like a charm, BUT... after a while the controller config becomes messed up.

Whilst you are using them? Or do you mean between FS sessions?

It seems - for some reason - FSX redetects the hardware and automatically reassigns some buttons and axis.

Are they on an external hub? If so, is it powered? If not, use a powered hub. If it is, make sure the power is on all the time the PC is on -- if it switches on later it may be assigned differently.

Either way, hubs or no hubs, check in your Windows Device manage that all USB connections (internal hubs etc) have power management turned OFF, where there is such a switch. Windows has a habit of defaulting power management on.

The most troublesome is the reassigning of the GoFlight throttle quadrant. FSX assigns some levers to ailerons and rudder and i must delete these assignents manually over and over again.

In general, unless you disable all the controllers explicitly -- not just the individual assignments, but the controllers themselves -- FS will do its best to make default assignments. I think that may even happen without the power stuff going on, but certainly it makes it 100% more likely to happen if a device suddenly springs into life after FS has started.

And yes, I have thought of buying FSUIPC and assigning controls through this program. Does FSUIPC overwrite the standard FSX settings?

No, it cannot. If you assign in FSUIPC you should disable the relevant controllers in FS. Otherwise you could end up with dual assignments.

will FSUIPC make my life easy and headache free? Is this the solution?

If you don't want to make any assignments in FS or FSUIPC, then, no, no more than disabling the controllers in FS. However, on the other hand, if you actually still need to make assignments in FS but just don't want them all to be so assigned, then you can use FSUIPC to make specific assignments without it making any itself. And that would allow you to disable the controllers in FS.

Regards

Pete

[TerribleAviator]

Pete, (without the R, sorry!),

Thank you for your quick response. All the USB hubs are powered, but i will check the power management you mentioned. Good point, have not thought of that and it could explain a lot. When I start FSX, some USB could just come alive and FSX starts reassigning.

Preferably I would like to use all the controllers in the same FSX session, all at once that is. Sometimes I fly a fighter jet with the stick and 5 minutes later I am in the mood for some general aviation with the yoke. Sometimes I use the single throttle of the Saitek, but with multi-engine aircraft I use the GoFlight throttle and so on...

However, on the other hand, if you actually still need to make assignments in FS but just don't want them all to be so assigned, then you can use FSUIPC to make specific assignments without it making any itself. And that would allow you to disable the controllers in FS.

I have read the passage above three times now, and I am still not sure. Just to see if I am correct: is it possible to disable ALL controllers in FSX, clear ALL the relevant controller assignments in FSX and assign all axis and buttons of all the connected controllers using FSUIPC? If so, that would be great. Or am I overlooking something here?

[TerribleAviator]

Or am I overlooking something here?

:idea: Just thought of this: is it possible in FSUIPC to - for example - assign the throttle axis to the Saitek throttle and to a lever on the GoFlight throttle quadrant at the SAME time?

Sorry for all the questions: this is new territory for me... Maybe I just want the impossible to be possible... If so, let me know. :lol:

[Pete Dowson]

Preferably I would like to use all the controllers in the same FSX session, all at once that is. Sometimes I fly a fighter jet with the stick and 5 minutes later I am in the mood for some general aviation with the yoke. Sometimes I use the single throttle of the Saitek, but with multi-engine aircraft I use the GoFlight throttle and so on...

You can do that, but it only works with them all connected and assigned at the same time if either they are all perfectly stable, never sending any spurious or jittery values to FS when not being touched, or they can be "parked" in a calibrated null zone where changes they send are ignored.

With FSUIPC you can have assignments which are aircraft or profile-specific, so that FSUIPC automatically changes assignments according to what aircraft you use. That solves those sorts of problems. It also provides a more accurate form of calibration where you can be sure that "parked" or central positions of levers and yokes and sticks aren't going to interfere.

However, on the other hand, if you actually still need to make assignments in FS but just don't want them all to be so assigned, then you can use FSUIPC to make specific assignments without it making any itself. And that would allow you to disable the controllers in FS.

I have read the passage above three times now, and I am still not sure. Just to see if I am correct: is it possible to disable ALL controllers in FSX, clear ALL the relevant controller assignments in FSX and assign all axis and buttons of all the connected controllers using FSUIPC?

Yes, of course. But you don't need to "clear ALL the relevant controller assignments in FSX" if you simply disable the controllers themselves in FS. That makes FS ignore any assignments you might have made.

Regards

Pete