FSUIPC vanishes from Addon menu mid flight

[mccaba]

I have used FSUIPC registered for many years, but have recently experienced a problem where although my VA acars client is still running ( the timer is still running ), but the aircraft position is static. FSX is still running OK, and the aircraft is still moving on the map within EFB. So the sim etc all seems to be working fine. In fact on one occassion I completed the flight and landed only to find the acars program still had me "frozen" in mid flight. I initially suspected the acars program, but seesm to be OK, but then spotted that FSUIPC was no longer listed in the FSX Add-ons menu, although it had been there at the start of the flight.

System details

FSX PC is Windows 7 64 bit, with FSUIPC 4.853 installed. FSX incl SP1 and 2.

2nd PC also Windows 7 64 bit running WideFS 6.987 along with various add ons such as Active Sky 2012, Aivlasoft EFB and my ACARS program.

Active Sky and EFB are still connected OK and updating. The WideFS button screen is populated so that looks to be OK.

I saved a few of the log files before I shutdown FSX just in case these were of any help and these are attached.

I recognise this might not even be an FSUIPC issue.

Regards

Drew

FSUIPC files.rar

[Pete Dowson]

I have used FSUIPC registered for many years, but have recently experienced a problem where although my VA acars client is still running ( the timer is still running ), but the aircraft position is static. FSX is still running OK, and the aircraft is still moving on the map within EFB. So the sim etc all seems to be working fine. In fact on one occassion I completed the flight and landed only to find the acars program still had me "frozen" in mid flight. I initially suspected the acars program, but seesm to be OK, but then spotted that FSUIPC was no longer listed in the FSX Add-ons menu, although it had been there at the start of the flight.

Something is causing SimConnect to stop sending data to FSUIPC for a period which exceeds its timeout. Once it happens it seems not to recover despite all the FSUIPC retries. This is logged here:

1689413 **** No SimConnect events or states being received! Re-connecting now ... ****

1689522 SimConnect_Open succeeded: waiting to check version okay

1689522 Running in "Microsoft Flight Simulator X", Version: 10.0.61472.0 (SimConnect: 10.0.61259.0)

1689522 Initialising SimConnect data requests now

1689522 FSUIPC Menu entry added

1689647 \\DESKTOP-PC\Users\System User\Documents\Flight Simulator X Files\AutoSave Sun 135943.FLT

1690193 System time = 02/12/2012 13:59:50, Simulator time = 17:26:43 (10:26Z)

1809050 **** No SimConnect events or states being received! Re-connecting now ... ****

et cetera ....

I don't know what is doing it. You could try stopping each SimConnect-using add-on in turn to check. You could also extend the FSUIPC timeout to see if that at least allows it to recover. That's this parameter in the INI file:

SimConnectStallTime=1

That's 1 second, the default. Try a higher value.

There is a problem, and this is only a possible work-around. Since SimConnect should be sending data to FSUIPC at the frame rate, to not receive any for a whole second is certainly wrong and unusual.

Regards

Pete

[mccaba]

Thanks for the propmt reply Pete, and late on a Sunday evening too !

I will try the timeout work around and also work through the simconnect using add ons and report back.

It have also remembered that on this latest occassion, I was aware that the FSX PC HDD was in almost constant use. I could hear it chattering away. I rhad this on a previous event and when I checked via Task Mgr, the physical memory in use was almost maxed out ( almost 8 Gb ). I started the sim again and monitored it during a flight and although the memory in use at the start was say 2 Gb, it steadily crept up and up as the flight progressed, although FSX never got the the point where it crashed or stopped responding. I will monitor this during further testing in case its relevant.

Regards

Drew

[Pete Dowson]

It have also remembered that on this latest occassion, I was aware that the FSX PC HDD was in almost constant use. I could hear it chattering away. I rhad this on a previous event and when I checked via Task Mgr, the physical memory in use was almost maxed out ( almost 8 Gb ). I started the sim again and monitored it during a flight and although the memory in use at the start was say 2 Gb, it steadily crept up and up as the flight progressed, although FSX never got the the point where it crashed or stopped responding. I will monitor this during further testing in case its relevant.

It could be part of what is slowing things down. Check that you haven't got SimConnect logging enabled all the time -- it produces huge amounts of information. (It's enabled via a SimConnect.ini file in your "My Documents\Flight Simulator X files" folder).

Regards

Pete

[mccaba]

HI Pete,

This is the contect of my simconnect ini file.

[simConnect]

level=verbose

console=yes

;RedirectStdOutToConsole=1

;OutputDebugString=1

;file=c:\fsx program/modules/simconnect%03u.log

;file_max_index=9

I also have a simconnect diagnostic output window that runs behind FSX. I installed that a while ago when I was trying to fix a SB4 issue with simconnect. However, I cant figure out how to uninstal it !

Sounds like I may have cause the problem myself !

Drew

[Pete Dowson]

This is the contect of my simconnect ini file.

[simConnect]

level=verbose

console=yes

;RedirectStdOutToConsole=1

;OutputDebugString=1

;file=c:\fsx program/modules/simconnect%03u.log

;file_max_index=9

I also have a simconnect diagnostic output window that runs behind FSX. I installed that a while ago when I was trying to fix a SB4 issue with simconnect. However, I cant figure out how to uninstal it !

Sounds like I may have cause the problem myself !

Well the console shouldn't be that harmful but it will slow things down a bit. It's caused by the "console=yes" line in the file above. But best for now simply to delete or rename the SmConnect.ini file.

Regards

Pete

[mccaba]

Hello again Pete.

Been trying to pin this down over the last two days.

Yesterday I loaded up FSX on the main PC and my VA Acars ( BAVirtual Phoenix client ) recorder on the networked PC. Phoenix uses FSUIPC for network connection. I had intended flying with only the acars running in addition to FSX. The acars client stopped receiving fsx data ( ie aircraft shown to be static although the acars app was still running ) This was after about two hours flight. However, I then noticed I had FSInn Control Panel running in the background on the networked PC, so I guess it would have a Simconnect connection to FSX. So, I thought I would run the scenario again, but make sure it was only FSX and Phoenix running.

Today, tried the scenatio. FSX pc and Phoenix on netwroked PC. Same flight, same aircraft ( PMDG MD11 ), same flight plan. Completed flight in about 2 hrs 20 min without a problem. Acars received data and PIREP was filed.

However, I then looked at the FSUIPC log file ( attached ) and there is a loss of simconnect events throughout the flight. Tho I guess it must be successfully reconnecting. It seems to coincide with Autosaves, but not always. Autosave is set at 2 min, and there are greater gaps in the log. The last entry is interesting. I use a CH yoke set up through FSUIPC. It stopped responding for a short period. The last entry shows the FSUIPC Menu Item being added again. Does this mean FSUIPC "crashed" and restarted ?

I intend re-running the test again each time adding one of the addons that uses simconnect to see what happens, buy any observation at this stage appreciated.

Drew

FSUIPC4.rar

[Pete Dowson]

However, I then looked at the FSUIPC log file ( attached ) and there is a loss of simconnect events throughout the flight. Tho I guess it must be successfully reconnecting.

Yes. did you change the stall time parameter?

The disconnections don't start till the 1,332nd second (22 minutes in), but then seem to occur almost regularly: In fact it's either every 12 seconds, or sometimes a multiple of 12 seconds, like 24, 36 or 48:

1332639 **** No SimConnect events or states being received! Re-connecting now ... ****
36s
1690661 **** No SimConnect events or states being received! Re-connecting now ... ****
1810189 **** No SimConnect events or states being received! Re-connecting now ... ****
1929810 **** No SimConnect events or states being received! Re-connecting now ... ****
2049260 **** No SimConnect events or states being received! Re-connecting now ... ****
2168664 **** No SimConnect events or states being received! Re-connecting now ... ****
36s
2527481 **** No SimConnect events or states being received! Re-connecting now ... ****
2647087 **** No SimConnect events or states being received! Re-connecting now ... ****
24s
2886175 **** No SimConnect events or states being received! Re-connecting now ... ****
3005703 **** No SimConnect events or states being received! Re-connecting now ... ****
3124981 **** No SimConnect events or states being received! Re-connecting now ... ****
3244571 **** No SimConnect events or states being received! Re-connecting now ... ****
3364396 **** No SimConnect events or states being received! Re-connecting now ... ****
36s
3723104 **** No SimConnect events or states being received! Re-connecting now ... ****
3842601 **** No SimConnect events or states being received! Re-connecting now ... ****
48s
4320807 **** No SimConnect events or states being received! Re-connecting now ... ****
etc
[/CODE]

That strongly suggests it's related to some other regular activity on your system. do you have background defragging, antivirus checking, anything like that going on? Is your weather program inserting new weather every 12 seconds, or at least dowbnloading it?

It seems to coincide with Autosaves, but not always. Autosave is set at 2 min, and there are greater gaps in the log.

There are none at 2 mins. The base interval is definitely 12s. That's the main clue.

The last entry is interesting. I use a CH yoke set up through FSUIPC. It stopped responding for a short period. The last entry shows the FSUIPC Menu Item being added again. Does this mean FSUIPC "crashed" and restarted ?

No! Every single SimConnect stall requires FSUIPC to reconnect to SimConnect and regenerate theMenu. All of them show the Menu being re-added. Why do you only see the last one? FSUIPC itslef doesn't stop and restart, only its ability to deal with FS via SimConnect, and the Menu is made by Simconnect..

Regards

Pete

[mccaba]

Thanks again for the prompt reply Pete.

Darn it, I forgot to change the timeout paramater ! I have now done so ( set to 5 sec ), so will rrun the test again tomorrow.

Some of the points above are down to me misreading the log file. I was looking at the sim time in the line after each auto save entry thinking that was the time the simconnect connection was being lost. My error. As is only seeing the create Menu Item entry at the end. I now see it's all over the place.

I use Active Sky 2012, but it was not running during this latest flight. I will check the FSX weather setting and set it to static for the next test. Regards other programs running in the background - I do use McAfee Internet Security which runs real time anti virus, but there does not seem to be any option to exclude specific directories or files from real time scanning.

I fly with another VA which uses a different acars program. Not had any obvious issues there, but there again, never looked at the log file after using that client. It's also less sophisticated thatn Phoenix, so maybe less sensitive Will try it next time to see if the loss of connection occurs with that one.

Test will continue, but meanwhile very appreciative of your help and patience.

Regards

Drew

[Pete Dowson]

Darn it, I forgot to change the timeout paramater ! I have now done so ( set to 5 sec ), so will rrun the test again tomorrow.

Actually it would be better to track the cause down.

I use Active Sky 2012, but it was not running during this latest flight. I will check the FSX weather setting and set it to static for the next test. Regards other programs running in the background - I do use McAfee Internet Security which runs real time anti virus, but there does not seem to be any option to exclude specific directories or files from real time scanning.

See if you can stop that secion of McAfee. There should be no reason to have that activity going on. It might be periodically checking loads of stuff -- any files which have been changed. It should only be necessary to have virus checking on downloads, internet access and so on, when you actually do them.

Pete