FSUIPC / VRInsight Mod Problem

[PQA]

Pete: Your work is very impressive!

I am having a problem which might not be directly related to FSUIPC. I've tried the VRInsight mod without success. When I load my pairing profile directly from within VSPE.exe, it loads fine. When I completed the mod, I get an error message on reboot saying "unable to load configuration file". I've tried several different com port pairings and file names for the configuration files with no success. I know there aren't any typos in my shortcut load instructions because I copied the path right out of the explorer path window. And even when I load it manually (the VSPE GUI indicates that the manual load was successful), my FSUIPC log does not show any com port activity related to VSPE and the only port appearing in my windows device manager is COM 3 (which I know from SerialFP2 is assigned to my VRInsight MCP Combo). I know this is likely not a FSUIPC issue, but the VSPE website forum is filled with spam posts and no helpful information.

I am running 64 bit Windows 7 with FSX and X-Plane 9 trying to get the sims to talk to a VRI MCP Combo via Serial FP2. Both FSUIPC and VSPE are fully registered versions (VSPE is the 64 bit license). Any ideas? I believe I plugged the MCP into a USB port on the back of my PC, but would it matter if I had plugged it into a USB hub?

Finally, can you tell me where the device information in the FSUIPC.ini file comes from? Mine contains an old Saitek yoke I no longer use and refers to my VRInsight Flight Master yoke as a "usb pad". I've deleted the reference to the Saitek yoke and changed the name on the Flight Master yoke, yet they keep reverting. I thought they might come from device manager, but I deleted the Saitek yoke without effect. I was unable to rename the Flight Master yoke in device manager to see if the change flowed through to my .ini file. For some reason, Windows 7 does not allow you to rename the devices.

Thanks for any insight you may have.

Regards,

Jay

[Pete Dowson]

I am having a problem which might not be directly related to FSUIPC. I've tried the VRInsight mod without success. When I load my pairing profile directly from within VSPE.exe, it loads fine. When I completed the mod, I get an error message on reboot saying "unable to load configuration file".

What is this "mod"? What is giving you an error message? If cannot be VSPE because you said "it loads fine", so I cannot imagine what is is you are then doing.

I've tried several different com port pairings and file names for the configuration files with no success. I know there aren't any typos in my shortcut load instructions because I copied the path right out of the explorer path window. And even when I load it manually (the VSPE GUI indicates that the manual load was successful), my FSUIPC log does not show any com port activity related to VSPE and the only port appearing in my windows device manager is COM 3 (which I know from SerialFP2 is assigned to my VRInsight MCP Combo). I know this is likely not a FSUIPC issue, but the VSPE website forum is filled with spam posts and no helpful information.

So you are saying you can get VSPE running but it isn't creating the virtual ports? What does it display when you open it? I mean the status of the pair?

And if the FSUIPC log shows nothing about the ports, it sounds as if you've not added the VRInsight section into the FSUIPC INI, because if you had, and the ports were not created, it would log that as an error.

I am running 64 bit Windows 7 with FSX and X-Plane 9 trying to get the sims to talk to a VRI MCP Combo via Serial FP2. Both FSUIPC and VSPE are fully registered versions (VSPE is the 64 bit license). Any ideas? I believe I plugged the MCP into a USB port on the back of my PC, but would it matter if I had plugged it into a USB hub?

If SerialFP2 sees it and works it, then it doesn't matter. But I don't know anything about X-Plane. Does that support VRInsight directly?

Finally, can you tell me where the device information in the FSUIPC.ini file comes from? Mine contains an old Saitek yoke I no longer use and refers to my VRInsight Flight Master yoke as a "usb pad".

The information put into the INI file is direct from the Windows Registry.

I've deleted the reference to the Saitek yoke and changed the name on the Flight Master yoke, yet they keep reverting. I thought they might come from device manager, but I deleted the Saitek yoke without effect. I was unable to rename the Flight Master yoke in device manager to see if the change flowed through to my .ini file. For some reason, Windows 7 does not allow you to rename the devices.

The only reason FSUIPC lists the devices with names and GUIDs is so it can track them if you opt to use the device letters for joysticks instead of the Windows ID numbers, which are subject to change. There is no other use for the information, and no point in trying to erase it.

Regards

Pete

[PQA]

What is this "mod"? What is giving you an error message? If cannot be VSPE because you said "it loads fine", so I cannot imagine what is is you are then doing.

Sorry. The method you describe in Appendix 3 of your Advanced FSUIPC Manual has colloquially been referred to on other boards as the "VRInsight Mod". The error message occurs when I reboot the machine and the startup file is processed. As I understand it, when correctly configured, VPSE is started from the Windows startup menu and should automatically load VPSE (with Com5_6.vspe profile) and run it minimized in systray. Before my windows desktop even refreshes with icons, I get a Windows popup error message "Configuration File cannot be loaded". VPSE thereafter loads, but without a profile. After the errormessage is cleared, it will say "Emulation Started" in the window title bar, but no profile is loaded. If I load the profile manually (File, Open), the pairing appears in the upper window and below that VSPE says "Initialization...OK". No sign of this occurs in the logs or device manager, however.

So you are saying you can get VSPE running but it isn't creating the virtual ports? What does it display when you open it? I mean the status of the pair?

After a boot, if I maxmimze VSPE running in systray, it has no active profiles. As mentioned above, I can load the one I am looking for manually, but this doesn't seem to have any effect; at least none that I can tell and nothing in the log file.

And if the FSUIPC log shows nothing about the ports, it sounds as if you've not added the VRInsight section into the FSUIPC INI, because if you had, and the ports were not created, it would log that as an error.

This is how my .ini file reads (to shorten my post I deleted some of the General settings that don't seem important):

[General]

UpdatedByVersion=4600

History=0VON9EOFBWQJE5GE4IAVH

TCASid=Flight

TCASrange=40

[Deleted Items]

UseProfiles=No

Debug=Please

LogExtras=x4

[VRInsight]

1=COM3, COM5

[Programs]

Run1=READY,CLOSE,C:\Program Files (x86)\SerialFP2\SerialFP2.exe

[JoyNames]

AutoAssignLetters=No

1=Saitek Pro Flight Yoke

1.GUID={6FEC3440-F805-11DF-8001-444553540000}

2=Logitech G13 Joystick

2.GUID={8E624DA0-E483-11DF-8001-444553540000}

0=usb pad

0.GUID={DC3B1FA0-25B7-11E0-8001-444553540000}

3=Saitek Pro Flight Rudder Pedals

3.GUID={2BD70BD0-F806-11DF-8001-444553540000}

[WideServer]

WideFSenabled=Yes

[buttons]

ButtonRepeat=20,10

[AutoSave]

AutoSaveEnabled=No

[GPSout]

GPSoutEnabled=No

[GPSout2]

GPSoutEnabled=No

_____________________________________________________

My FSUIPC log file reads as follows:

********* FSUIPC4, Version 4.60a by Pete Dowson *********

Reading options from "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Modules\FSUIPC4.ini"

Trying to connect to SimConnect Acc/SP2 Oct07 ...

User Name=xxxxxx

User Addr=xxxxxx

FSUIPC4 Key is provided

WIDEFS7 not user registered, or expired

Running inside FSX on Windows 7 (using SimConnect Acc/SP2 Oct07)

Module base=61000000

Wind smoothing fix is fully installed

DebugStatus=15

499 System time = 24/02/2011 01:54:17

499 FLT UNC path = "\\JAY-ASUS\Users\Jay\Documents\Flight Simulator X Files\"

499 FS UNC path = "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\"

1201 LogOptions=00000000 00000051

1201 SimConnect_Open succeeded: waiting to check version okay

4758 Running in "Microsoft Flight Simulator X", Version: 10.0.61472.0 (SimConnect: 10.0.61259.0)

4758 Initialising SimConnect data requests now

4758 FSUIPC Menu entry added

4821 Ready Flags: Ready-To-Fly=N, In Menu=Y, In Dlg=Y

4821 C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\FLIGHTS\OTHER\FLTSIM.FLT

4821 C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Airplanes\Aircreation_582SL\Aircreation_582SL.AIR

If SerialFP2 sees it and works it, then it doesn't matter. But I don't know anything about X-Plane. Does that support VRInsight directly?

For now I've just been trying to get FSX working (X-plane supposedly has an interface that mimics yours (XUIPC), but I haven't really explored it yet).

I believe SerialFP2 sees the MCP Panel.. One or two of the buttons have the intended effect, but only one direction. For example, the VNAV button reacts with the cockpit, but there is absolutely no data transmitted from the cockpit to the MCP (heading, altitude, etc. are all inoperative).

Thanks for your repsonse.

Jay

Edited February 25, 2011 by PQA

[prokopiu]

Hi Jay,

Reading this thread I am not quite clear what it is you want to achieve. If you go through the hoops of connecting the VRInsight MCP Combo via VSPE to FSUIPC then you must intend to use Lua scripting to control the MCP outside SerialFP? Or what else do you want to do?

Are you trying to connect an FSX plane such as AirbusX which cannot be programmed via SerialFP?

Otherwise why not use SerliafFP with its many preprogrammed planes?

Tell us a bit more about the goal and then we can see if there is a solution. I have the MCP Combo and use Lua scripting to connect it to all my planes wit VSPE and SerialFP.

Cheers

Kosta

[Pete Dowson]

Reading this thread I am not quite clear what it is you want to achieve. If you go through the hoops of connecting the VRInsight MCP Combo via VSPE to FSUIPC then you must intend to use Lua scripting to control the MCP outside SerialFP? Or what else do you want to do?

Actually you do not need a Lua script if all you want to do is program some of the switches and knobs and buttons to do something different. If you assign them in FSUIPC they are not passed through to SerialFP2.

Regards

Pete

[Pete Dowson]

The error message occurs when I reboot the machine and the startup file is processed. As I understand it, when correctly configured, VPSE is started from the Windows startup menu and should automatically load VPSE (with Com5_6.vspe profile) and run it minimized in systray. Before my windows desktop even refreshes with icons, I get a Windows popup error message "Configuration File cannot be loaded". VPSE thereafter loads, but without a profile. After the errormessage is cleared, it will say "Emulation Started" in the window title bar, but no profile is loaded. If I load the profile manually (File, Open), the pairing appears in the upper window and below that VSPE says "Initialization...OK". No sign of this occurs in the logs or device manager, however.

In the first problem, then, you most certainly have not set the command line correctly in the shortcut you've put into the Windows "startup" folder. Perhaps you should show me exactly what you have there, and what and where you've saved your configuration file. I expect it is something simple like an incorrect folder path.

In the second problem, where you don't see the devices in Device Manager, I wouldn't worry about that. Device Manager doesn't see these virtual ports, only the real ones. I have three pairs set in my VSPE: COM14-COM2, COM6-COM10 and COM8-COM9. Device manager lists the REAL com ports for my VRI devices -- COM3, COM4 and COM5. The main thing to check is, when you right click on the VSPE icon in the system tray, so that it brings up the VSPE window, does it show your virtual pair at the top with "Pair" and "Ready", and "initialiszation ... OK" in the bottom part?

This is how my .ini file reads (to shorten my post I deleted some of the General settings that don't seem important):

Assuming your device is on COM3 and one of the virtual pair is COM5, this is okay:

[VRInsight]

1=COM3, COM5

and your log does not show any "VRI port n "COMx" failed to open" messages, which it surely would if those ports couldn't be opened. So, provided SerialFP2 is set to find the other port in the virtual pair, you are good to go.

The first time you use FSUIPC for the VRI device you probably need to tell SerialFP2 to re-search for the correct port -- it might want to use COM3 at present.

I believe SerialFP2 sees the MCP Panel.

If it does, but FSUIPC doesn't see the buttons, then SerialFP2 is using the device's real port, COM3. Check. Look at the little SerialFP2 window.

For more assistance try enabling the VRI logging. Add

Debug=Please

LogExtras=x4

in the INI [General] section.

Regards

Pete

[PQA]

In the first problem, then, you most certainly have not set the command line correctly in the shortcut you've put into the Windows "startup" folder. Perhaps you should show me exactly what you have there, and what and where you've saved your configuration file. I expect it is something simple like an incorrect folder path.

In the second problem, where you don't see the devices in Device Manager, I wouldn't worry about that. Device Manager doesn't see these virtual ports, only the real ones. I have three pairs set in my VSPE: COM14-COM2, COM6-COM10 and COM8-COM9. Device manager lists the REAL com ports for my VRI devices -- COM3, COM4 and COM5. The main thing to check is, when you right click on the VSPE icon in the system tray, so that it brings up the VSPE window, does it show your virtual pair at the top with "Pair" and "Ready", and "initialiszation ... OK" in the bottom part?

I will post it when I get home. I've checked it several times though.

When I click on VSPE in the systray, the VSPE window pops up, but there is nothing in the pairings. I can only get the pairings to show if I load to configuration file manually at which point the pair shows up as "ready" with "initialization ok".

Assuming your device is on COM3 and one of the virtual pair is COM5, this is okay:

[VRInsight]

1=COM3, COM5

and your log does not show any "VRI port n "COMx" failed to open" messages, which it surely would if those ports couldn't be opened. So, provided SerialFP2 is set to find the other port in the virtual pair, you are good to go.

The first time you use FSUIPC for the VRI device you probably need to tell SerialFP2 to re-search for the correct port -- it might want to use COM3 at present.

After I posted my logs, I went back to the logs and some addtional lines had been added after I manually loaded the VSPE configuration. I believe I did have a line on the failure of VRI COM3 to open.

If it does, but FSUIPC doesn't see the buttons, then SerialFP2 is using the device's real port, COM3. Check. Look at the little SerialFP2 window.

For more assistance try enabling the VRI logging. Add

Debug=Please

LogExtras=x4

in the INI [General] section.

When I load SerialFP2, my com selections are grayed out -- COM3 is the only available port. I can't change to the VSPE paired ports and they do not show up anywhwere. This leads me to believe you are correct - SerialFP2 is using the device's real COM port and not one of the virtuals. My logging is enabled and I quoted it below. I will post an update later when I get back to that PC.

Thanks for all your help.

Edited February 26, 2011 by PQA

[PQA]

Hi Jay,

Reading this thread I am not quite clear what it is you want to achieve. If you go through the hoops of connecting the VRInsight MCP Combo via VSPE to FSUIPC then you must intend to use Lua scripting to control the MCP outside SerialFP? Or what else do you want to do?

Are you trying to connect an FSX plane such as AirbusX which cannot be programmed via SerialFP?

Otherwise why not use SerliafFP with its many preprogrammed planes?

Tell us a bit more about the goal and then we can see if there is a solution. I have the MCP Combo and use Lua scripting to connect it to all my planes wit VSPE and SerialFP.

Cheers

Kosta

I'm not proficient enough at this yet to understand Lua scripts. All I want the MCP Combo panel to do is interact with the aircraft is is supposed to support out of the box. Currently even if I load an aircrafts profile in SerialFP2,, (i) only about 5 of the button on the entire MCP do anything within FSX and the balance do nothing even on planes that are supposedly supported, and (ii) the MCP only picks up data like heading, spped, etc. when first initialized -- later changes within the sim are not passed to the device.

Once I get this worked out, I'll worry about key mapping and support for other planes (and X-plane) later once I learn a little more. But I think that is premature if I can't even to get the basic FSX planes to interact with the MCP.

[PQA]

Pete - Here's my latest log. I note the line item you mentioned about COM3 failing to open.

********* FSUIPC4, Version 4.60a by Pete Dowson *********

Reading options from "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Modules\FSUIPC4.ini"

Trying to connect to SimConnect Acc/SP2 Oct07 ...

User Name=

User Addr=

FSUIPC4 Key is provided

WIDEFS7 not user registered, or expired

Running inside FSX on Windows 7 (using SimConnect Acc/SP2 Oct07)

Module base=61000000

Wind smoothing fix is fully installed

DebugStatus=15

219 System time = 24/02/2011 23:11:56

219 FLT UNC path = "\\JAY-ASUS\Users\Jay\Documents\Flight Simulator X Files\"

219 FS UNC path = "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\"

656 LogOptions=00000000 00000051

656 SimConnect_Open succeeded: waiting to check version okay

2029 Running in "Microsoft Flight Simulator X", Version: 10.0.61472.0 (SimConnect: 10.0.61259.0)

2029 Initialising SimConnect data requests now

2029 FSUIPC Menu entry added

2075 Ready Flags: Ready-To-Fly=N, In Menu=Y, In Dlg=Y

2075 C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\FLIGHTS\OTHER\FLTSIM.FLT

2075 C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Airplanes\Aircreation_582SL\Aircreation_582SL.AIR

719867 C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Airplanes\B737_800\Boeing737-800.AIR

905773 C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Airplanes\Bombardier_CRJ_700\Bombardier_CRJ_700.AIR

905773 C:\Users\Jay\Documents\Flight Simulator X Files\FSXMark07.PLN

905773 Weather Mode now = Custom

905773 \\JAY-ASUS\Users\jay\documents\flight simulator x files\FSXMark07.FLT

906335 Exception 3 "UNRECOGNIZED_ID", Ref 2680, Index param -1 on unknown request!

906663 Ready Flags: Ready-To-Fly=N, In Menu=N, In Dlg=N

906959 Ready Flags: Ready-To-Fly=N, In Menu=Y, In Dlg=Y

925820 Ready Flags: Ready-To-Fly=Y, In Menu=Y, In Dlg=Y

926054 System time = 24/02/2011 23:27:22, Simulator time = 13:17:29 (20:17Z)

926054 Aircraft="Bombardier CRJ 700 Paint1"

926381 Ready Flags: Ready-To-Fly=Y, In Menu=N, In Dlg=N

926444 VRI port 1 "COM3" failed to open

926444 C:\Program Files (x86)\SerialFP2\SerialFP2.exe

927645 Advanced Weather Interface Enabled

961247 Ready Flags: Ready-To-Fly=Y, In Menu=Y, In Dlg=Y

961247 Sim stopped: average frame rate for last 35 secs = 106.3 fps

1186997 Ready Flags: Ready-To-Fly=Y, In Menu=N, In Dlg=N

1194017 Ready Flags: Ready-To-Fly=Y, In Menu=Y, In Dlg=Y

1214406 Ready Flags: Ready-To-Fly=Y, In Menu=N, In Dlg=N

1702408 Ready Flags: Ready-To-Fly=Y, In Menu=Y, In Dlg=Y

1702408 Sim stopped: average frame rate for last 488 secs = 102.3 fps

[Pete Dowson]

Pete - Here's my latest log. I note the line item you mentioned about COM3 failing to open.

But COM3 is actually the REAL serial port, isn't it? The one where your VRI device is located?

It looks like SerialFP2 has already claimed it? If SerialFP2 is already running when you start FS, then naturally FSUIPC won't get a look-in!

Regards

Pete

[Andydigital]

RE your problem getting VSPE to load correctly as system boot time via the startup folder, try removing the part from the target line that says hide splash screen or some such comment. For some strange reason if I left the hide splash screen command switch in there it would never load my custom settings for VSPE, as soon as I removed it all was well.

Here is an what my target line looks like;

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Eterlogic.com\Virtual Serial Ports Emulator\VSPEmulator.exe" -minimize C:\vri.vspe

My setting file is saved in the root of the C: drive

[PQA]

Thanks for all the replies. My apologies for being so tardy in responding, but I got sent out of town for work.

Changing the splash screen settings and whatnot for VSPE did nothing, so I finally went back to keeping it very simple: I renamed my config .vspe file to a short name with no special characters and then moved it to my c:\ root directory so as to avoid any possible issues with the path. Although I am positive I had the path correct since I cut and pasted it from the address bar, nevertheless this fixed the problem.

On the MCP Combo device, I am truly embarrassed. I could not figure out why only certain buttons, etc. worked and I started re-thinking my USB port setup. I had assumed that since it was the sole device on a USB 3.0 port that it would get plenty of power. That was incorrect. When I plugged in the AC wall adapter and powered the unit through that instead of the USB port, everything started working perfectly. With the VSPE profile now loading, FSUIPC is now correctly identifying my virtual COM port and I am one happy (but feeling stupid) camper.

Pete (and Andy) - thanks much for all of your help.

I still have a few issues to work out, but nothing that I don't think a few key assignments can't fix.