Saitek Control Systems Without Saitek Software?

[oldJ3pilot]

I have always used the programming software from Saitek primarily because of the three modes capability. However,with FSX I don't often use modes 2 or 3. With my registered version of FSUIPC can I get the same kind of control settings that the Saitek software provides?

If I change over do I remove the drivers as well as the programming software? The system consists of a Pro Yoke, Pro Rudder Pedals, and a second Pro Throttle quadrant.

Help and advice appreciated. Please keep it simple... I'm an old flyboy that isn't as quick as he used to be.

Regards

Neal

[Pete Dowson]

I have always used the programming software from Saitek primarily because of the three modes capability. However,with FSX I don't often use modes 2 or 3. With my registered version of FSUIPC can I get the same kind of control settings that the Saitek software provides?

If I change over do I remove the drivers as well as the programming software? The system consists of a Pro Yoke, Pro Rudder Pedals, and a second Pro Throttle quadrant.

Help and advice appreciated. Please keep it simple... I'm an old flyboy that isn't as quick as he used to be.

Sorry, I don't know. Perhaps someone who knows the Saitek software will chime in.

Pete

[Gypsy Baron]

I have the Saitek Pro Yoke with dual throttle quadrants as well a Saitek X-45 stick & throttle.

I use FSUIPC4 to assign functions to all those axis, buttons and switches. With the various programming

capabilities of FSUIPC4 and the Lua facilities, you can create very complex control structures.

As an example, I have a setup for my A2A B377 that assigns 7 different functions to each of the switches

on my dual throttle quadrant. That would be like have a 7-mode switch. in fact, using the technique

that I implement, I could have up to 256 "modes".

The ability to create aircraft-specific assignments allows you to do pretty much what the Saitek

software multiple profiles would do but with more capabilities.

You can keep the Saitek software on your system as well as the drivers. As long as you don't load

a profile, they won't be used.

I suggest you have a good look at the documentation, specifically the Advanced Users guide and the

Lua Library documents to get an idea of what is possible with FSUIPC4.

As an illustration of one of my implemntations, below is the "Buttons" section of my FSUIPC4.ini file

for the A2A B-377.

The coding is, of course, unique to my hardware assignments and Lua routines but it may give you

some insight into what is possible. I use one of the 6 double-pole switches on the quadrants to switch

"modes" and the other 5 switches to control various functions. I can pretty much get into the

cockpit of that complex aircraft and get it into the air without having to use the keyboard

or the mouse :)

Paul ( BTW, I'm an old aircrewman and EE - 69 years old now ) :)

!1=//------------------------ A2A B-377 CONTROL SETS -------------
[Buttons.Boeing Stratocruiser]
!1=//SET 0 STARTUP SETUP
0=B66C0=0 PD,14,Cx110066C9,x00040001 ;//INC ENGINE SELECT through LUA routine
1=B66C0=0 PD,15,Cx210066C9,x00000001 ;//DEC ENGINE SELECT through LUA routine
3=B66C0=0 PD,16,CM4:8,1 ;//PRIMER
4=B66C0=0 UD,16,CM4:8,0
5=B66C0=0 PD,17,C65858,0 ;//PITOT HEAT
6=B66C0=0 PD,18,CM4:7,1 ;//STARTER
7=B66C0=0 PD,19,CM4:6,1 ;//BOOST
8=B66C0=0 PA,0,C66340,0 ;//FUEL BOOST PUMP 1
9=B66C0=0 PA,1,C66341,0 ;//FUEL BOOST PUMP 2
10=B66C0=0 PA,2,C66342,0 ;//FUEL BOOST PUMP 3
11=B66C0=0 PA,3,C66343,0 ;//FUEL BOOST PUMP 4
12=PA,4,Cx510066C0,x00060001 ;//CONTROL SET INC Max = 6 Step = 1
13=PA,5,Cx610066C0,x00060001 ;//CONTROL SET DEC Max = 6 Step = 1
14=PD,20,CM4:5,1 ;//ADI ON
15=UD,20,CM4:5,0 ;//ADI OFF
16=PA,8,CL2:R,0 ;//REVERSE THRUST ON
17=UA,8,CL1:R,0 ;//REVERSE THRUST OFF
18=PC,10,C1079,0 ;//TRAFFIC ZAPPER

!2=//SET 1 GENERATORS,CARB HEAT/AIR/TURBOS
20=B66C0=1 PD,14,C66363,0 ;//GEN 1
21=B66C0=1 PD,15,C66364,0 ;//GEN 2
22=B66C0=1 PD,16,C66365,0 ;//GEN 3
23=B66C0=1 PD,17,C66366,0 ;//GEN 4
!3=//----------- THE FOLLOWING CODE EXECUTES "ON EVENT" CALLS TO A LUA PLUGIN  ------
!4=//----------- THE EVENTS ARE CHANGES TO LOCATIONS 0X6662, 0X66C3, 0X66C4 ------
24=B66C0=1 PD,18,Cx010066C2,x01 ;//CARB HEAT ON
25=B66C0=1 PD,19,Cx010066C2,x00 ;//CARB HEAT OFF
26=B66C0=1 PA,0,Cx010066C3,x01 ;//CARD AIR ON
27=B66C0=1 PA,1,Cx010066C3,x00 ;//CARB AIR OFF
28=B66C0=1 PA,2,Cx010066C4,x01 ;//TURBO CLIMP
29=B66C0=1 PA,3,Cx010066C4,x00 ;//TURBO TAKEOFF

!3=//SET 2 AP/OIL/COWL/IC FLAPS SETUP
30=B66C0=2 PD,14,C65580,0 ;//AUTOPILOT MASTER
31=B66C0=2 PD,15,C65726,0 ;//ALTITUDE HOLD
32=B66C0=2 PD,16,CM4:9,2 ;//OIL XFER FORWARD
33=B66C0=2 UD,16,CM4:9,1
34=B66C0=2 PD,17,CM4:9,0 ;//OIL XFFER BACK
35=B66C0=2 UD,17,CM4:9,1
36=B66C0=2 PD,18,CM4:20,5 ;//OIL XFER ENGINE SELECT
37=B66C0=2 PD,19,C66465,0 ;//COMM RCVR AUDIO
38=B66C0=2 RA,0,Cx7C0037F0,x0000000F ;//COWL FLAPS 1 INC
39=B66C0=2 RA,0,Cx7C003730,x0000000F ;//COWL FLAPS 2 INC
40=B66C0=2 RA,0,Cx7C003670,x0000000F ;//COWL FLAPS 3 INC
41=B66C0=2 RA,0,Cx7C0035B0,x0000000F ;//COWL FLAPS 4 INC
42=B66C0=2 RA,1,Cx7C0037F0,xFFFFFFF1 ;//COWL FLAPS 1 DEC
43=B66C0=2 RA,1,Cx7C003730,xFFFFFFF1 ;//COWL FLAPS 2 DEC
44=B66C0=2 RA,1,Cx7C003670,xFFFFFFF1 ;//COWL FLAPS 3 DEC
45=B66C0=2 RA,1,Cx7C0035B0,xFFFFFFF1 ;//COWL FLAPS 4 DEC
46=B66C0=2 RA,2,Cx010066C1,x01 ;INTER-COOLER FLAPS INC VIA LUA PLUGIN  NEW IMPLEMENTATION
47=B66C0=2 UA,2,Cx010066C1,x00 ;INTER-COOLER FLAPS SWITCHES OFF
48=B66C0=2 RA,3,Cx010066C1,xFF ;INTER-COOLER FLAPS DEC VIA LUA PLUGIN
49=B66C0=2 UA,3,Cx010066C1,x00 ;INTER-COOLER FLAPS SWITCHES OFF

!4=//SET 3 RADAR ALTS/RMI
50=B66C0=3 PD,14,CM4:21,0 ;//RADAR ALTIMETER 1 ON/OFF
51=B66C0=3 PD,15,CM4:22,0 ;//RADAR ALTIMETER 1 RANGE SWITCH
52=B66C0=3 PD,16,CM4:23,0 ;//RADAR ALTIMETER 2 ON/OFF
53=B66C0=3 PD,17,CM4:24,0 ;//RADAR ALTIMETER 2 RANGE SWITCH
54=B66C0=3 PD,18,CM4:25,0 ;//RADAR ALTIMETER 3 ON/OFF
55=B66C0=3 PD,19,CM4:26,0 ;//RADAR ALTIMETER 3 RANGE SWITCH
56=B66C0=3 PA,0,CM4:27,0 ;//RMI 1 NAV/ADF TOGGLE
57=B66C0=3 PA,1,CM4:28,0 ;//RMI 2 NAV/ADF TOGGLE
58=B66C0=3 PA,2,C66719,0 ;//SEAT BELTS
59=B66C0=3 PA,3,C66718,0 ;//NO SMOKING

!4=//SET 4 LIGHTS
60=B66C0=4 PD,14,CM4:29,0 ;//LANDING LIGHTS EXTEND/RETRACT
61=B66C0=4 PD,15,C65751,0 ;//LANDING LIGHTS ON/OFF
62=B66C0=4 PD,16,C66379,0 ;//NAV LIGHTS
63=B66C0=4 PD,17,C66376,0 ;//WHITE LIGHTS/PASSING LIGHT
64=B66C0=4 PD,18,C66240,0 ;//NOSE TAXI LIGHT
65=B66C0=4 PD,19,C66378,0 ;//GEAR TAXI LIGHTS
66=B66C0=4 PA,0,C66239,0 ;//BEACON
67=B66C0=4 PA,1,C65560,0 ;//STROBES
68=B66C0=4 PA,2,C65750,0 ;//RED LIGHTS
69=B66C0=4 PA,3,CM4:30,0 ;//EMERGENCY EXIT LIGHTS ARM

!5=//SET 5 MIXTURE
70=B66C0=5 PD,14,Cx110066C5,x00030001 ;//INC Mixture1 through LUA routine MAX 3
71=B66C0=5 PD,15,Cx210066C5,x00000001 ;//DEC Mixture1 through LUA routine MIN 0
72=B66C0=5 PD,16,Cx110066C6,x00030001 ;//INC Mixture1 through LUA routine MAX 3
73=B66C0=5 PD,17,Cx210066C6,x00000001 ;//DEC Mixture1 through LUA routine MIN 0
74=B66C0=5 PD,18,Cx110066C7,x00030001 ;//INC Mixture1 through LUA routine MAX 3
75=B66C0=5 PD,19,Cx210066C7,x00000001 ;//DEC Mixture1 through LUA routine MIN 0
76=B66C0=5 PA,0,Cx110066C8,x00030001 ;//INC Mixture1 through LUA routine MAX 3
77=B66C0=5 PA,1,Cx210066C8,x00000001 ;//DEC Mixture1 through LUA routine MIN 0
78=B66C0=5 PA,2,CM4:19,0 ;//APU Start
79=B66C0=5 UA,2,CM4:19,2 ;//APU GEN ON
80=B66C0=5 PA,3,CM4:19,1 ;//APU OFF

!6=//SET 6 MAGNETOS, BATTERY, AVIONICS
90=B66C0=6 PD,14,C66127,0 ;//MAGNETO 1 INC
91=B66C0=6 PD,15,C66126,0 ;//MAGNETO 1 DEC
92=B66C0=6 PD,16,C66129,0 ;//MAGNETO 2 INC
93=B66C0=6 PD,17,C66128,0 ;//MAGNETO 2 INC
94=B66C0=6 PD,18,C66131,0 ;//MAGNETO 3 INC
95=B66C0=6 PD,19,C66130,0 ;//MAGNETO 3 INC
96=B66C0=6 PA,0,C66133,0 ;//MAGNETO 4 INC
97=B66C0=6 PA,1,C66132,0 ;//MAGNETO 4 INC
98=B66C0=6 PA,2,C66241,0 ;//BATTERY
99=B66C0=6 PA,3,C66293,0 ;//AVIONICS
!7=//INITIALIZE
100=PD,22,C1084,0 ;//KILL ALL LUA PLUGINS
101=UD,22,CL18:R,0 ;//RUN LUA PLUGIN 18
102=PD,11,CL18:D,1

[oldJ3pilot]

Thanks for all the input Paul.

I am especially pleased that you included the start routine for the A2A B-377. I flew a KC-97 for about 1500 hours and naturally bought the A2A sim. Unfortunately, I am not much of a flight engineer and start-ups and I didn't mesh well (translation; too many fires). I will give your script a try.

Btw...Our flight engineer NEVER had any problems starting up regardless of the outside air temps so maybe A2A overdid it a bit.

Regards

Neal

[Gypsy Baron]

Thanks for all the input Paul.

I am especially pleased that you included the start routine for the A2A B-377. I flew a KC-97 for about 1500 hours and naturally bought the A2A sim. Unfortunately, I am not much of a flight engineer and start-ups and I didn't mesh well (translation; too many fires). I will give your script a try.

Btw...Our flight engineer NEVER had any problems starting up regardless of the outside air temps so maybe A2A overdid it a bit.

Regards

Neal

Hello Neal,

I've got Lua plugins for the B-377 for implementing the prop reverse as well as handling several of

the functions like inter-cooler flaps, mixture, carb air and others.

The coding I included above uses those files along with a MCRO macro file. In addition, the coding

is unique to my setup in that FSX assigns the controller ID's based on how it sees them attached.

So my controller "A" may not be your controller "A". Note that I am using the FSUIPC "AutoAssignLetters=Yes"

feature under the "JoyNames" section.

I can give you some guidance on using my "multi-mode" approach with the B-377 as an example. I also have

similar configurations for the A2A B-17G and the A2A P-47D.

This would best be carried out via email so send me a PM here and we can work on this. I think that I

could easily create a [buttons.Boeing Stratocruiser] entry for your setup that you could just copy and paste

into your FSUIPC4.ini file and then you can experiment and adapt the technique to other aircraft.

Paul