Newbie Question

[English Rebel]

Please excuse my ignorance but I'm new to all of this programing. I have the following (to start anyway):

1. VRInsight Yoke.
2. Saitek pedals.
3. GF TQ6 throttle quadrant with 3 position speed brake lever and 6 detent flap lever.
4. GF landing gear module with rudder, aileron, and elevator trim wheels as well as landing gear switch and red/green gear up/down lights and programable three position switch for fuel tank selection.
5. GF auto pilot module.
6. GF Radio stack with COM1 & 2, NAV1 & 2, XPDR, spare display (for DME maybe).
7. GF switch module (landing lights etc).
8. GF push button module.

I run a fast i7 custom built computer.

My question is, is it better for me to use FSUIPC for control of all my modules and delete the associated controls from within FSX? Are there control modules available for the GoFlight module?

Thanks

Alan

[Pete Dowson]

My question is, is it better for me to use FSUIPC for control of all my modules and delete the associated controls from within FSX?

No, not really, unless you want to do specific things for specific aircraft. FSUIPC is a toolkit, to use for what YOU want to do, not to be imposed on everything regardless. And all the GoFlight kit comes with its own software which is fine for most aircraft. It's only when you start getting ambitious with sophisticated add-on aircraft that you might want to do something the regular drivers and FS assignments can't do so well.

Are there control modules available for the GoFlight module?

From GoFlight, yes, I think so. I don't use any such modules myself.

Regards

Pete

[English Rebel]

No, not really, unless you want to do specific things for specific aircraft. FSUIPC is a toolkit, to use for what YOU want to do, not to be imposed on everything regardless. And all the GoFlight kit comes with its own software which is fine for most aircraft. It's only when you start getting ambitious with sophisticated add-on aircraft that you might want to do something the regular drivers and FS assignments can't do so well.

From GoFlight, yes, I think so. I don't use any such modules myself.

Regards

Pete

Thanks for the quick (and Sunday) reply Pete. I'm having issues with my landing gear module that I think I might have to set up through FSUIPC. It shows up in WIN7 Control Panel as an "Un-Recognized Device". It does not show up in FSX (probably for the aforementioned reason) but I can program it in the GF config utility. Not sure if it's a hardware issue or that WIN7 doesn't have a driver for it. The reason I asked about the FSUIPC module is that it's my understanding that FSUIPC allows you to set the flap indents on the GF TQ6 module whereas the GF config utility only allows you to set it as FLAPS. Not sure what is transmitted to FSX (I'm still setting up my system).

One question. If WIN7 shows a device as Un-Recognized does that mean that it will not show up in FSUIPC?

Thanks

Alan

[Pete Dowson]

I'm having issues with my landing gear module that I think I might have to set up through FSUIPC. It shows up in WIN7 Control Panel as an "Un-Recognized Device". It does not show up in FSX (probably for the aforementioned reason) but I can program it in the GF config utility. Not sure if it's a hardware issue or that WIN7 doesn't have a driver for it.

Excepting the TQ6 I think all of the GoFlight units need either the GoFlight driver module or, for third party programming, GFDev.DLL which provides a standard interface for them. They can be programmed through the Windows HIP API (as supported in the Lua COM library), but that's a programming job not really a user job.

Windows needs no special driver for such devices because they are implemented as HID (Human Interface Devices) following a strict protocol. So the standard HID driver in Windows is enough to support the GoFlight modules, the GFDev.DLLL, and my COM library in Lua.

If you wish to check HID devices connected to your PC and how they describe themselves to Windows you can use a little program I made called HidScanner, get it here: HidScanner

The reason I asked about the FSUIPC module is that it's my understanding that FSUIPC allows you to set the flap indents on the GF TQ6 module whereas the GF config utility only allows you to set it as FLAPS.

Are there indents on the TQ6 for flaps? If so, how many? Which aircraft are you proposing to use it for with indents? Different aircraft have different numbers and therefore indents in different places, so they are only really of any use if you plan to use only aircraft types with the correct number. On the other hand an indent-less lever can be positioned anywhere to suit the positions actually available on the current aircraft.

One question. If WIN7 shows a device as Un-Recognized does that mean that it will not show up in FSUIPC?

If the GoFlight devicer can see it, then so can GFDev.DLL, and therefore so can FSUIPC. As I said, it uses the GoFlight driver. I do have an GF-LGTII here -- I assume that is the one you mean? HidScanner shows it identifying itself correctly, thus:

  **************************************************************************

  Device at "\\?\hid#vid_09f3&pid_0048#8&afbebfb&0&0000#{4d1e55b2-f16f-11cf-88cb-001111000030}"
  Vendor=09F3, Product=0048 (Version 1.1)
  Manufacturer= GoFlight
  Product= LGTII
  Serial Number= 00080 7
  Usage Page: 2
  Input Report Byte Length: 5
  Output Report Byte Length: 0
  Feature Report Byte Length: 5
  Number of Link Collection Nodes: 4
  Number of Input Button Caps: 1
  Number of InputValue Caps: 1
  Number of InputData Indices: 7
  Number of Output Button Caps: 0
  Number of Output Value Caps: 0
  Number of Output Data Indices: 0
  Number of Feature Button Caps: 2
  Number of Feature Value Caps: 2
  Number of Feature Data Indices: 9
  Buttons range 1 -> 6 at indices 1 -> 6
  Value Dial at index 0, range -128 -> 127, using 8 bits
  **************************************************************************

If yours doesn't show the same, at least the same VID and HID (i.e. Vendor=09F3, Product=0048) then if I were you I'd check with GoFlight support as it might be faulty.

Regards

Pete

[English Rebel]

Excepting the TQ6 I think all of the GoFlight units need either the GoFlight driver module or, for third party programming, GFDev.DLL which provides a standard interface for them. They can be programmed through the Windows HIP API (as supported in the Lua COM library), but that's a programming job not really a user job.

Windows needs no special driver for such devices because they are implemented as HID (Human Interface Devices) following a strict protocol. So the standard HID driver in Windows is enough to support the GoFlight modules, the GFDev.DLLL, and my COM library in Lua.

If you wish to check HID devices connected to your PC and how they describe themselves to Windows you can use a little program I made called HidScanner, get it here: HidScanner

Are there indents on the TQ6 for flaps? If so, how many? Which aircraft are you proposing to use it for with indents? Different aircraft have different numbers and therefore indents in different places, so they are only really of any use if you plan to use only aircraft types with the correct number. On the other hand an indent-less lever can be positioned anywhere to suit the positions actually available on the current aircraft.

If the GoFlight devicer can see it, then so can GFDev.DLL, and therefore so can FSUIPC. As I said, it uses the GoFlight driver. I do have an GF-LGTII here -- I assume that is the one you mean? HidScanner shows it identifying itself correctly, thus:

  **************************************************************************

  Device at "\\?\hid#vid_09f3&pid_0048#8&afbebfb&0&0000#{4d1e55b2-f16f-11cf-88cb-001111000030}"
  Vendor=09F3, Product=0048 (Version 1.1)
  Manufacturer= GoFlight
  Product= LGTII
  Serial Number= 00080 7
  Usage Page: 2
  Input Report Byte Length: 5
  Output Report Byte Length: 0
  Feature Report Byte Length: 5
  Number of Link Collection Nodes: 4
  Number of Input Button Caps: 1
  Number of InputValue Caps: 1
  Number of InputData Indices: 7
  Number of Output Button Caps: 0
  Number of Output Value Caps: 0
  Number of Output Data Indices: 0
  Number of Feature Button Caps: 2
  Number of Feature Value Caps: 2
  Number of Feature Data Indices: 9
  Buttons range 1 -> 6 at indices 1 -> 6
  Value Dial at index 0, range -128 -> 127, using 8 bits
  **************************************************************************

If yours doesn't show the same, at least the same VID and HID (i.e. Vendor=09F3, Product=0048) then if I were you I'd check with GoFlight support as it might be faulty.

Regards

Pete

Thanks Pete I will run your utility tomorrow to see what it reports -- I have a feeling that it is bad as I don't hear the "ding" when I plug it in indicating that Windows recognized it. The TQ6 I have can replicate almost any aircraft as it has one spoiler lever, four throttle levers, four reverse thrust levers and a flap lever which has as many as 5 detents. The throttle levers can be removed as necessary (and even replaced with throttle, mixture and pitch levers for a single engine aeroplane) but I think you know that.

Thanks

Alan

[Pete Dowson]

... a flap lever which has as many as 5 detents.

Well a 737NG has 7 intermediate positions as well as full up and full down. A C172 only has 2. Your 5 detentes aren't necessarily going to match any particular aircraft.

Regards

Pete

[English Rebel]

Thanks Pete I will run your utility tomorrow to see what it reports -- I have a feeling that it is bad as I don't hear the "ding" when I plug it in indicating that Windows recognized it. The TQ6 I have can replicate almost any aircraft as it has one spoiler lever, four throttle levers, four reverse thrust levers and a flap lever which has as many as 5 detents. The throttle levers can be removed as necessary (and even replaced with throttle, mixture and pitch levers for a single engine aeroplane) but I think you know that.

Thanks

Alan

Pete

This is what your scanner reports:

Still not recognized in FSX.

Alan

[Pete Dowson]

This is what your scanner reports

Looks okay then.

Still not recognized in FSX.

Of course it isn't! FSX doesn't have any GoFlight drivers built in! I think the only thing it will see is the TQ6 because that's a "normal" joystick-type device. All the others are specific to GoFlight. You either have to use the GoFlight software, or FSUIPC. For FSUIPC you need GoFlight's GFDev.DLL.

I thought we'd been through all this?

Regards

Pete

[English Rebel]

Looks okay then.

Of course it isn't! FSX doesn't have any GoFlight drivers built in! I think the only thing it will see is the TQ6 because that's a "normal" joystick-type device. All the others are specific to GoFlight. You either have to use the GoFlight software, or FSUIPC. For FSUIPC you need GoFlight's GFDev.DLL.

I thought we'd been through all this?

Regards

Pete

Pete

Yes I guess I was expecting to see all the modules not remembering that the TQ6 is a "gaming pad" and my VRInsight Yoke shows up as a "USB pad".

I downloaded FSUIPC so will install it today.

Cheers

Alan

[Pete Dowson]

Yes I guess I was expecting to see all the modules not remembering that the TQ6 is a "gaming pad" and my VRInsight Yoke shows up as a "USB pad".

Hmm. Odd, you'd think it would show up as what it is -- a joystick type device -- like any other yoke.

I downloaded FSUIPC so will install it today.

Why not try the GoFlight software which must have come with it first? You'd have to pay for a user registration to use the FSUIPC facilities. Seems odd to do that before first seeing if it works okay for you without. There's no reason i know of that it won't work perfectly, out of the box, with their software.

Regards

Pete

[English Rebel]

Hmm. Odd, you'd think it would show up as what it is -- a joystick type device -- like any other yoke.

Why not try the GoFlight software which must have come with it first? You'd have to pay for a user registration to use the FSUIPC facilities. Seems odd to do that before first seeing if it works okay for you without. There's no reason i know of that it won't work perfectly, out of the box, with their software.

Regards

Pete

Pete

I already set up LGTII with the GF configuration software -- it's just that it doesn't seem to work in FSX. Having said that I was looking for it in the FSX controls section but after you said that it will not show up there I will have to play around with it some more. I have been tied up building my cockpit so haven't had much time in the sim. They are sending me a replacement for an unrelated issue so I will delve into it some more when I get it. I have no issue with paying for FSUIPC as I'm sure it will come in handy.

Thanks for your help.

Alan