Spoiler Axis (Saitek) PMDG NGX

[AngeloCosma]

Hello, I am using two Saitek throttles side by side on my Windows 7 64 bit machine. I have on lever set to Spoiler Axis, the problem is, if I ARM the spoilers by slightly moving the handle away from its forward stop the spoilers ARM (Great). The problem is, on landing when they need to deploy, the Auto Spoiler attempts to deploy them. But, since my physical (Saitek) lever doesn't move with it the spoilers they keep retracting, or never fully deploy on landing.

As of now, I only have them calibrated through FSX assignments and reverse boxed is checked, I tried different methods in FSUIPC but was not successful.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Angelo Cosma

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rather than start a new thread do to its similar nature, I will ask here -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is in regards to reverse thrust. As of now my Saitek throttles are set up to do reverse thrust by the use of the button when the lever is fully pulled back. (Ex. Throttle pulled back and pressing button, under button assignments (Throttle 1 Decrease) Repeat when held is ticked) (When button is released "Throttle 1 Cut")

My question, is there a way to gradually reduce reverse thrust back to idle, rather than how it performs right now? Maybe when the button is released it could command idle reverse, then to get forward thrust, I could bump the lever forward forcing it back to idle?

Again thanks for your help.

Edited March 13, 2012 by AngeloCosma

[Pete Dowson]

Hello, I am using two Saitek throttles side by side on my Windows 7 64 bit machine. I have on lever set to Spoiler Axis, the problem is, if I ARM the spoilers by slightly moving the handle away from its forward stop the spoilers ARM (Great). The problem is, on landing when they need to deploy, the Auto Spoiler attempts to deploy them. But, since my physical (Saitek) lever doesn't move with it the spoilers they keep retracting, or never fully deploy on landing.

That override can only happen if FS is receiving signals from that axis. So the problem is that your lever is jittering. You need to calibrate in FSUIPC with a sufficiently wide "Arm" zone that any jitter with the lever positioned in the Arm zone is not transmitted on to FS -- FSUIPC doesn't send unchanged data.

This is in regards to reverse thrust. As of now my Saitek throttles are set up to do reverse thrust by the use of the button when the lever is fully pulled back. (Ex. Throttle pulled back and pressing button, under button assignments (Throttle 1 Decrease) Repeat when held is ticked) (When button is released "Throttle 1 Cut")

My question, is there a way to gradually reduce reverse thrust back to idle, rather than how it performs right now? Maybe when the button is released it could command idle reverse, then to get forward thrust, I could bump the lever forward forcing it back to idle?

You can do that sort of thing with a Lua plug in. Easier than what you suggest would be to have the button release to execute a Lua plug-in which simply did a loop of "throttle 1 incr" controls until the throttle value read "0", e.g:

while true do
	 throttle1 = ipc.readSW(0x088c)
	 if throttle1 >= 0 then
		  break --exit when no more reverse
	end
	ipc.control(65964) --65964 = throttle1 incr. Use 65965 for smaller increment
	ipc.sleep(10) -- adjust for speed of increase. 10mSecs = 100 per second
end[/CODE]

Just save thatas, say "Idle1.lua" and assign the button release to "Lua idle1".

Throttle2 is similar. The Offset is 0x0924 for throttle2 and the controls, as per the list in your FSUIPC documents folder, are 65969 or 65970.

Regards

Pete

[AngeloCosma]

After I created the .lua for that engine how do I get it to appear in the buttons dropdown box? I cannot find it, am I supposed to place the newly created LUA in the "Example LUA plugin directory?"

Thanks

[Pete Dowson]

After I created the .lua for that engine how do I get it to appear in the buttons dropdown box? I cannot find it, am I supposed to place the newly created LUA in the "Example LUA plugin directory?"

No. In the Modules folder, next to FSUIPC etc. FSUIPC will list ALL lua programs for assignment. In fact if you placed a file called "idle1.lua" in the FS Modules folder, next time you load FS, or if you got into the assignments tab in options and press the "reload" button, you'll get all these added to the assignments list:

Lua idle1

Luaclear idle1

Luadebug idle1

Luakill idle1

Luaset idle1

Luatoggle idle1

Luavalue idle1

If you aren't seeing these then either you've not saved the file in the Modules folder, or you've not named it correctly with a ".lua" suffix.

Pete

[AngeloCosma]

Okay I created a blank text document, copy and pasted the text below, and saved it as a .lua verifying the file extension changed. It now says .lua instead of .txt. I placed that newly created file into the Modules folder and restarted FSX and clicked reload buttons in FSUIPC. I checked the dropdown and i was looking for "Idle1" but found nothing nor any other new or recently added command.

Did I do something wrong?

while true do
	 throttle1 = ipc.readSW(0x088c)
	 if throttle1 >= 0 then
		  break --exit when no more reverse
	end
	ipc.control(65964) --65964 = throttle1 incr. Use 65965 for smaller increment
	ipc.sleep(10) -- adjust for speed of increase. 10mSecs = 100 per second
end[/CODE]

Just save thatas, say "Idle1.lua" and assign the button release to "Lua idle1".

[AngeloCosma]

Okay I double checked my work and I see the LUA's now. Although I would like the reverser to more quickly accelerate back to rev idle, then once the N1 slows back down STOW to normal idle. At the moment it is a bit slower but it still closes the reverser too soon thus increasing the landing rollout.

So basically MAX REV ---> to IDLE REV ---> IDLE. This would be preferred if possible.

Now that I figured out how to add LUA's how do I code the second engine, like you posted in post number 2 regarding engine 1?

Thanks again for your patience and help.

Angelo

[AngeloCosma]

Also when creating a higher dead zone for the Spoiler Axis in the FSUIPC calibration "SET" page MIN CENTER MAX i tried what you suggested however this caused an issue. Prior to this, I simply assigned the axis through FSX and nothing from FSUIPC. After setting the MIN CENTER MAX the spoilers even while airborne would NEVER stow or go down. Even as I kept moving the lever all the way forward to STOW they kept trying to deploy and once my lever hit its forward stop the spoiler lever went back to fully deployed.

After I click "Reset" to forget the FSUIPC calibration the spoiler resumes normal functionality.

My spoiler lever is programmed in FSX with reverse checked, and sensitivity is 100% and null is 0%.

[Pete Dowson]

Okay I double checked my work and I see the LUA's now. Although I would like the reverser to more quickly accelerate back to rev idle

What value for the Throttle produces "reverse idle" as opposed to "idle"? I'm not familiar with such terms. If you want the reverse thrust value to decrease more quickly, either reduce the "sleep" value from 10 mSecs down to 5, say, or use two controls instead of one, i.e.

ipc.control(65964)
ipc.control(65964)[/CODE]

Play with both methods till you get it right.

If you want it to only increase to, say, -1024, check against that value instead of 0 in the line:

[CODE]if throttle1 >= 0 then[/CODE]

then once the N1 slows back down STOW to normal idle.

You'll need to have another loop, then, watching N1 instead of the Throttle setting. i.e, this added to the end:

[CODE]
while true do
N1 = ipc.readSW(0x0898)
if N1 <= X then
break --exit when N1 slow enough
end
ipc.sleep(10)
end
ipc.control(65967) -- Throttle1 cut[/CODE]

You'll need to replace X above with the correct value. N1 in FS ranges from 0 (0%) to 16384 (100%), so compute the figure you need.

Now that I figured out how to add LUA's how do I code the second engine, like you posted in post number 2 regarding engine 1?

I thought I already told you the values to change for Engine 2? Yes, I did -- in the last line of post #2. Didn't you read that? The N1 for Engine 2 is at 0x0930. And you can surely look up the control number for Engine2 Cut yourself.

i've gone further that I should in this matter. Normally I prefer to help folks help themselves. It is more constructive that way, and if they understand what they've done they can progress and do more, for themselves. I suggest you try to understand what is going on with these simple examples, and arm yourself with the Offsets list and the Controls list, and the Lua documentation, for future use. You'll find the Offsets lists in the FSUIPC SDK. They'll show you where I got values 088C, 0924 etcera from -- I don't remember all this stuff, I have to look it up just as you would.

Regards

Pete

[Pete Dowson]

Also when creating a higher dead zone for the Spoiler Axis in the FSUIPC calibration "SET" page MIN CENTER MAX i tried what you suggested however this caused an issue. Prior to this, I simply assigned the axis through FSX and nothing from FSUIPC. After setting the MIN CENTER MAX the spoilers even while airborne would NEVER stow or go down. Even as I kept moving the lever all the way forward to STOW they kept trying to deploy and once my lever hit its forward stop the spoiler lever went back to fully deployed.

Sounds exactly like you have the lever reversed! Maybe you are assigning in FS, reversing it there and in FSUIPC too? If so by reversing twice it is the wrong way round again, the two will obviously cancel.

After I click "Reset" to forget the FSUIPC calibration the spoiler resumes normal functionality.

You are most certainly doing something wrong then. The spoiler in FSUIPC works perfectly if you do it right. I can't help you any more than I've done already.

Don't test spoilers on the ground.

Regards

Pete

[alexplgr]

hello

how can i set "sent to fs as normall axis"

[Pete Dowson]

how can i set "sent to fs as normall axis"

Why are you adding this same question, again, to another thread, when I already answered you when you first posted it?

Please see the first answer. I'm not going to keep answerng the same question added to multiple irrelevant threads!

Pete

[alexplgr]

sorry Pete

but i cant find the first thread,and i startet this one

Again sorry i will try to find the first one

thank you