Problems setting up pro flight yoke and TT

[Demious]

I just got my new hardware delivered, a Saitek pro flight yoke&throttle quadrant and the VRInsight TT panel and I was advised to use FSUIPC4 to set up the controls, but I'm running into some problems.

-Regularly FSX starts reloading mid-flight. (Black screen, with the loading bar in the middle, like you would just be entering the sim environment.)

-I had several functions within FSUIPC programmed, which didnt do anything within FSX. It seems like there's no function assigned to them.

-when using auto pilot through FSUIPC, I regularly notice that a landing on autopilot doesnt find the runway and dives into the ground, well before reaching the runway. When I perform the same procedures by using the mouse in the virtual cockpit, everything works fine.

-Which command do need to set up to toggle 'speaker nav1'?

-Which command do I use for 'nav light on' and 'nav light off'?

-Which command do I use for 'taxi light on' and 'taxi light off'?

-Which command do I use for 'deice on' and 'deice off'?

-Which commands do I use for 'GPS/NAV(switch to NAV)' and 'GPS/NAV(switch to GPS)'?

-Which command do I use for 'FD on' and 'FD off'?

-With the pro flight yoke system, several times already, I've seen the yoke in my virtual cockpit slam to left or right and get stuck there, without any of the controls being touched(with the aircraft still parked on the ground, or when flying on AP). I have to move the hardware yoke in all direction for some time, before the virtual yoke releases again. The same I've seen happening with the throttle leaver, it slams to full throttle and doesnt want to go back down, untill I moved the hardware throttle back and forth, several times.

-When I program the hatswitch to 'view left/right/up/down' or 'pan left/right/up/down' and I use the hatswitch, it makes a little step, then stops and after a few seconds, it moves on panning, instead of a constant movement.

-Even with auto rudder active(I dont have pedels yet), my aircraft keeps drifting off to the right when taxying, hte only way to counter this is by counter steering with the yoke. The rudders are clearly centered, but still I keep drifting off.

-About the VRInsight TT panel, I'm having trouble programming the switches on the middle and right part of the panel.

For example, I tried to program the cowlflaps to a T-switch. I programmed 'cowl inc' to the 'button pressed' function (when the switch is flicked on/up) and the 'cowl dec' to the 'button released' function (when the switch is flicked off/down). This made the cowl open and close for just a bit, so I activated the 'control to repeat while held' function, which solved the problem only for opening the cowl, but didnt have any effect on the 'button released' function. So now the cowl opens fully when the switch is flicked on, but when the switch is flicked off, it closes only to '69% open'.

(I can, however, flick the switch up halfway and back down several times and then the cowl closes bit by bit, but that, of course, isnt the intended use of those switches.)

-When I press a button to program the first time, it often gives a different control number, then when I press it the second time, from which the first number not being the one corresponding to the button. After pressing the second time and I get the right number, it doesnt change anymore, I only get the wrong number on the first press.

-When I set the AP alt hold with a switch, it sets the alt different then the alt I'm at, for example, when I set alt at 3000ft, it keeps descending to 2500, constantly, until I set alt by hand, with the mouse and when I turn on ALT with the mouse, HDG or NAV, which was switched on through FSUIPC turns off.

-When I use the on/off functions from the AP buttons, for example the HDG doesnt turn off when I switch to NAV, they do when I use the normal HDG, but then the function of the switch turns around, like first time using HDG you have to switch up and after using NAV, the HDG has to be used by switching down.

-And where can I find the file with the programmed setup, so I can backup my settings for when I need to reinstal?

Can someone help me out here, please?

Edited January 6, 2013 by Demious

[Pete Dowson]

Apologies for the delay in replying. As announced, I have been away on holidays.

-Regularly FSX starts reloading mid-flight. (Black screen, with the loading bar in the middle, like you would just be entering the sim environment.)

Sounds like something is changing the time -- that's the usual reason for scenery/texture reloads.

-I had several functions within FSUIPC programmed, which didnt do anything within FSX. It seems like there's no function assigned to them.

Maybe those functions don't exist in the aircraft you are using? Without details i'm afraid I cannot advise.

-when using auto pilot through FSUIPC, I regularly notice that a landing on autopilot doesnt find the runway and dives into the ground, well before reaching the runway. When I perform the same procedures by using the mouse in the virtual cockpit, everything works fine.

FSUIPC does not control the aircraft. All your auto-pilot controls are doing is sending the same instructions to FS and clicking the A/P functions on the screen with the mouse. Seems like you've got some assignments wrong.

-Which command do need to set up to toggle 'speaker nav1'?

-Which command do I use for 'nav light on' and 'nav light off'?

-Which command do I use for 'taxi light on' and 'taxi light off'?

-Which command do I use for 'deice on' and 'deice off'?

-Which commands do I use for 'GPS/NAV(switch to NAV)' and 'GPS/NAV(switch to GPS)'?

-Which command do I use for 'FD on' and 'FD off'?

All the assignable FS controls arel isted in the List of Controls provided for you in your FSUIPC Documents subfolder. You'd need to find them there or in the drop-down assignments lists. If you have difficulty simply enable FSUIPC's "event" logging, use the on-screen switch, and check the log for the name of the relevant control.

-With the pro flight yoke system, several times already, I've seen the yoke in my virtual cockpit slam to left or right and get stuck there, without any of the controls being touched(with the aircraft still parked on the ground, or when flying on AP). I have to move the hardware yoke in all direction for some time, before the virtual yoke releases again. The same I've seen happening with the throttle leaver, it slams to full throttle and doesnt want to go back down, untill I moved the hardware throttle back and forth, several times.

This can only be caused by a few things: conflicting assignments, connection problems (eg loose wiring), or, possibly more commonly, devces going to sleep because of lack of power. For the latter make sure you turn off Windows USB power management -- it defaults to 'on'. Check all the USB hub devices in the System - Device manager.

-When I program the hatswitch to 'view left/right/up/down' or 'pan left/right/up/down' and I use the hatswitch, it makes a little step, then stops and after a few seconds, it moves on panning, instead of a constant movement.

Best to assign it as a hat in the Axis assignments. Check FSUIPC documentation.

-Even with auto rudder active(I dont have pedels yet), my aircraft keeps drifting off to the right when taxying, hte only way to counter this is by counter steering with the yoke. The rudders are clearly centered, but still I keep drifting off.

Check the rudder trim and make sure it is zeroed. Depending on the aircraft you may also be experiencing torgue or propwash effects. Until you get pedals you'll need to turn down some of the aircraft realism settings.

-About the VRInsight TT panel, I'm having trouble programming ...

Try the VRi support forum.

-When I set the AP alt hold with a switch, it sets the alt different then the alt I'm at,

The are different AP alt hold setting controls. You are using the one which enables climbing or descending to a preset altitude. Try the other one.

-And where can I find the file with the programmed setup, so I can backup my settings for when I need to reinstal?

All FSUIPC settings are in the INI file, in the FS Modules folder, next to FSUIPC, as documented.

Pete

[Demious]

I know I'm still messing around with some bugs in FSX, I think installing FSUIPC did something to make those come to light. I'll have a look at those, see what I can do.

The logging event was totaly new to me, so I didnt really know I could use that to search for connections, but I figured it out now and I already found a lot of things I got stuck on. It's not always easy when different names are used fort he same items. I'll have a go at it and I think I'll get a lot more out the program, this way.

Thanks, Pete! :D

[Pete Dowson]

It's not always easy when different names are used fort he same items.

Tell me about it! Blame Microsoft. All the FS control names are obtained from their CONTROLS.DLL module at run-time, not built into FSUIPC, and they are the same ones FS itself uses in its configuration files which record its assignments too. I think many of the names are historical, and some probably do nothing now in any case but have simply not been removed. Some are actually named incorrectly! The only way I find out which does what is usually trying them, or using the logging as you've fond.

Incidentally, when doing such an investigation you'll find it much easier if you temporarily switch FS to Windowed mode (ALT + ENTER), make the window a little smaller, and enable the "console log" in FSUIPC's logging. Then you can see the controls being logged as you use them.

Regards

Pete

[Demious]

Indeed, I got 2 monitors, so I have FSX run on the left, in windowed mode, while I have the console log on the right. That log is a very nice gadget. :)

I did have some difficulties getting the hang of it, but now I do... This is a truely awesom tool you build, I love it! :D

I actually got one issue left, with the ALT-hold function.

My favorite aircraft is the C337 Skymaster, for which I use the Carenado version, and this aicraft has a very oldschool autopilot.

When I'm flying on autopilot and want to change altitude, the ALT-hold is turned off and when I reach my desired altitude, I have to turn it back on, but what happens now, is that when I switch ALT-hold on, it reads in the log:

AP_ALT_HOLD

AP_ATT_HOLD_OFF

AP_NAV1_HOLD_OFF

AP_HDG_HOLD_OFF

So, simply put, my HDG- or NAV-hold gets turned off when I turn ALT-hold back on, which happens through FSUIPC when I use the options AP ALT HOLD ON/OFF or AP PANEL ALT ON/OFF, but it doesnt when I use AP ALT HOLD.

However, due to lack of hardware toggle buttons, I have to use an on/off switch, with the AP ALT HOLD assigned to the on- and the off-function. So to turn it on I switch up, when change my altitude and it turns off automatically, but to turn it on again, I have to switch down. This way the switch turns the on- and off-function around, every time I changed altitude.

If I use one of the two other options I mentioned above, every time I changed altitude and turned the ALT-hold back on(then I flick the switch down and up again, so it switxhes off and back on, but on would again be upwards), the HDG-, or NAV-hold are turned off and I have to turn it back on again.

So I would actually need a FSUIPC-function with an on- and off-option, instead of a toggle, that doesnt make my HDG or NAV turn off when I use it.

Is there a way to get around it, to make my ALT-hold consistantly turn on when switched up and off when switched down, in such way it doesnt turn my HDG or NAV off, when activated?

[Pete Dowson]

My favorite aircraft is the C337 Skymaster, for which I use the Carenado version, and this aicraft has a very oldschool autopilot.

When I'm flying on autopilot and want to change altitude, the ALT-hold is turned off and when I reach my desired altitude, I have to turn it back on, but what happens now, is that when I switch ALT-hold on, it reads in the log:

AP_ALT_HOLD

AP_ATT_HOLD_OFF

AP_NAV1_HOLD_OFF

AP_HDG_HOLD_OFF

So, simply put, my HDG- or NAV-hold gets turned off when I turn ALT-hold back on, which happens through FSUIPC when I use the options AP ALT HOLD ON/OFF or AP PANEL ALT ON/OFF, but it doesnt when I use AP ALT HOLD.

This looks like an add-on aircraft specific action. I suggest to pose the question on this in the Carenado support forum. It really shouldn't do what you say.

So I would actually need a FSUIPC-function with an on- and off-option, instead of a toggle

That is EXACTLY what AP_ALT_HOLD_ON/OFF FS controls are -- not FSUIPC but FS controls. In FS itself there is no distiction between those and the Toggle with the appropriate previous condition.

So, it must be that coding in the Carenado add-on it intercepting these controls and acting incorrectly when it sees them. There is nothing FSUIPC can do itself about that. It is an error in the add-on.

Is there a way to get around it, to make my ALT-hold consistantly turn on when switched up and off when switched down, in such way it doesnt turn my HDG or NAV off, when activated?

You can, of course, program your toggle switch to send the same toggling command both then switched on and off. All you'd need to do is ensure it was synchronised to start with. A more complex and reliable solution would be to program both to depend on the state of the FSUIPC offset which indicates whether the ALT hold is on or not. With an offset condition you could make the "on" position do nothing if it was already on, and the reverse for the "off" position. This involves editing the FSUIPC INI file.

Regards

Pete

[Demious]

The AP_ALT_HOLD_ON/OFF gives the multiple command, as shown above, the only option in FSUIPC that gives an ALT HOLD command only, is the AP_ALT_HOLD. But I'll check about the multiple command with Carenado, it is indeed a C337 specific issue, I noticed.

With synchronising the toggle function from AP_ALT_HOLD does stay constant, as long as I dont climb or decent with the autopilot. The C337 from Carenado has a quite primitive Nav-o-Matic 400A, which doesnt have a function to set a desired altitude, but you set a virtical speed with a sort of pitch trim function and that function turns the alt hold off and you turn it back on when you reach the desired altitude, what causes the alt hold switch to change direction. You set the ALT HOLD, switching up, use the autopilot to climb which turns the ALT HOLD off, while the switch is still up, so to activate ALT hold when reaching the desired altitude, you have to switch down. Thats what happens.

But I'll have a look at the multiple commands the button gives on/off functions, if I get something done with that I should be able to use other alt hold functions within FSUIPC, which have an on and an off option.

[Demious]

I'm trying to setup my Saitek X52-pro and when I setup all axisses and go back to the flying environment, my rudder doesnt work. When I go back to FSUIPC to check the axis, the R-axis is read as Z-axis. So I rescan the R-axis for the rudder, go back to the flying environment and the rudder still doesnt move, going back to FSUIPC, the R-axis again reads the Z-axis and so on and so on...

What can I do to fix this?

[Pete Dowson]

I'm trying to setup my Saitek X52-pro and when I setup all axisses and go back to the flying environment, my rudder doesnt work. When I go back to FSUIPC to check the axis, the R-axis is read as Z-axis. So I rescan the R-axis for the rudder, go back to the flying environment and the rudder still doesnt move, going back to FSUIPC, the R-axis again reads the Z-axis and so on and so on...

What can I do to fix this?

The R and Z axes are NOT the same, and nothing will read one as the other. It sounds like you have a Z axis which it jittering. Just use the "ignore" button to temporaily cause the assignments tab to ignore Z.

But also be sure that this "R" axis is really your rudder. This is not usually the case. "R" doesn't mean "Rudder". The usual axis names are X Y Z U V R. Sliders are usually P and Q but the others can be anything.

Pete