PFC Hardware (serial)

[cavaricooper]

Pete-

I use your PFCFSX.dll for my Cirrus II console + pedals. I just ordered their 737 module with separate spoiler, reversers, throttles and flap axis. Do I just select that quadrant in the PFC module or is there more needed through FSUIPC?

I remember reading that the spoiler needs to be mapped in flight so that it actuates properly. Also, I plan on the first tiny movement of each reverser axis sending an F1 command so that ground idle can be reached w/ the NGX.

Any tips..... It arrives this week....

Hope 2013 is a wonderful year for you!

Best- Carl

[Pete Dowson]

You posted your support question into the Download Links subforum, where it was lucky I noticed it. Support is conducted here, in the Support Forum.

I use your PFCFSX.dll for my Cirrus II console + pedals. I just ordered their 737 module with separate spoiler, reversers, throttles and flap axis. Do I just select that quadrant in the PFC module or is there more needed through FSUIPC?

As documented, just select it then calibrate, all in PFCFSX.

I remember reading that the spoiler needs to be mapped in flight so that it actuates properly.

No, only tested in flight. If you arm the spoiler on the ground, FS will activate it, so you cannot test the "arm" position on the ground. But in calibration mode FS is not even seeing the axis.

Also, I plan on the first tiny movement of each reverser axis sending an F1 command so that ground idle can be reached w/ the NGX.

Not sure why you'd need that. A throttle setting of 0, which proper idle calibration will give you, should be fine. If you want to assign keypresses to ranges on an axis you'd not only need to do that in FSUIPC, but you'd also need to use the special added FS controls to send the keypress. Since F1 is, by default, only sending an all-engine Throttle Cut control you'd be better assigning to that instead -- assuming you are only going to use one throttle lever (!?). Else you should use Throttle1 Cut for Throttle1, etc.

Regards

Pete

[cavaricooper]

Thanks Pete- arrives this week... will report back.

C

[cavaricooper]

Pete-

Unlike the FSUIPC settings, the PFCFSX.dll does not have slope for the brake axis'. Would it be possible to add them here, or should I just use FSUIPC for that?

Ta!

Carl

[Pete Dowson]

Unlike the FSUIPC settings, the PFCFSX.dll does not have slope for the brake axis'. Would it be possible to add them here, or should I just use FSUIPC for that?

You shouldn't need a slope on the brake axis for PFC pedals. Proper calibration with a small dead zone at either end is good. PFCFSX applies the brakes in a different way to the standard brake axes used for FSUIPC assignments.

But if you wish to use FSUIPC facilities instead, yes, you can inhibit the exis in the PFC driver and assign in FSUIPC instead. Your choice. the same applies to any PFC axis, but you do need to inhibit them in the PFC part if you are doing that. Button assignment is different, the FSUIPC assignment can override the PFC one.

Pete

[cavaricooper]

Thanks Pete-

From your answer I'm assuming there's already some sort of slope applied to the brakes in PFCFSX.dll?

C

[Pete Dowson]

From your answer I'm assuming there's already some sort of slope applied to the brakes in PFCFSX.dll?

No, it uses a different braking method, one originally used in FS98/FS2000. What is your fascination with slopes, and why on brakes? Really they were only ever designed for aileron, elevator and rudder sensitivity adjustment for different aircraft types. You don't need that with brakes. You want brakes to be proportional.

Anyway, surely you should actually try things out before fiddling around. Seems rather odd to decide in advance that you need to tweak something without any basis for thinking that.

Pete

[cavaricooper]

Thanks Pete! Will do. From past usage (CH Pedals) I liked being able to put in a slope on the brakes so they wouldn't be "twitchy". I'm sure the new PFC ones will be much more precise/proportional so that a little depress won't result in a sudden stop.

Best- C

[cavaricooper]

Pete-

PFC TQ arrived..... Selected the quadrant in PFCFSX.dll. Deleted old quadrant assignment, assigned 737NG TQ. Now throttles move full range, reversers only partly and spoiler and flaps not at all. Tried default calibration, tried automatic calibration.... any thoughts?

C

[Pete Dowson]

PFC TQ arrived..... Selected the quadrant in PFCFSX.dll. Deleted old quadrant assignment, assigned 737NG TQ. Now throttles move full range, reversers only partly and spoiler and flaps not at all. Tried default calibration, tried automatic calibration.... any thoughts?

"Defaut calibration"? What's that? You MUST calibrate!!! The point of calibration is to make the actual input from an axis match the desired output. If you don't calibrate you suffer whatever vagaries individula hardware is subject to!

Please try reading the user guide and follwing the details there.

Pete

[cavaricooper]

Pete-

I meant automatic and manual....

C

[Pete Dowson]

I meant automatic and manual....

If you calibrate an axis, you have a range of numbers, coming from the hardware, mapped to the range of numbers needed by the specific FS control being assigned. That's all there really is to it. If you end up with restricted range or no range at all, then either the calibration was not done correctly, or the input itself is faulty -- i.e. either not varying, or varying inconsistently. So, if you do believe you've calibrated correctly yet still have a problem, then I think you need to contact the hardware supplier with a suspect unit.

There's really no more advice I can give you. I'f you'd like to actually quote some real numbers I'd be glad to compare those with the numbers for the different PFC throttle control systems I have here.so we can see how wacky yours really are. The max range for each of the 6 possible axes is 0 to 127, but most seem to give something more like 10 to 115. And then you should always leave a dead zone at eaither end, so 15 to 110 probably min to max.

Regards

Pete

[cavaricooper]

Pete-

Its the same console that worked absolutely fine with the twin quadrant attached. Now, with the 737 quadrant, after calibration (all 6 axis are within 119-3) the throttles and reversers work, however the spoiler and flap do not. The spoiler is showing at about 1/3 of the way down from the top (even though the lever is all the way up (down position)). I am going to try choosing a custom quad and assigning axis....

Not sure what is going on w/ the NGX not seeing the axis through PFCFSX.dll

C

[cavaricooper]

Pete-

The only way I can get it working is to use FSUIPC to calibrate and map the axis. Doing that it all is working. Despite all efforts I could NOT get it to work just using PFCFSX.dll. Maybe with a default a/c but not with the NGX.

Will fly and test extensively tomorrow. Looking forward to finally having all the correct levers to move :)

Interested in your thoughts about why I cannot get this working in PFCFSX.dll alone?

Thanks for your patience....

C

[Pete Dowson]

Not sure what is going on w/ the NGX not seeing the axis through PFCFSX.dll

Never calibrate in PFCFSX with an add-on aircraft. It should be fine wth most, but it is designed for aircraft which abide by normal FS controls and methods, which the NGX does not.

The only way I can get it working is to use FSUIPC to calibrate and map the axis. Doing that it all is working. Despite all efforts I could NOT get it to work just using PFCFSX.dll. Maybe with a default a/c but not with the NGX.

You should have mentioned that you were not using a normal FSX aircraft. PFCFSX has no flexibility, it is designed for easy and standard FS methods of control. The NGX is non-standard in many ways. FSUIPC has many options and can be configured to suit almost any aircraft configuration, most of which had not been dreamed of when the serial port PFC gear was designed and my PFC drivers were developed.

Pete

[cavaricooper]

Sorry Pete- I guess I'm a bit PMDG centric. Anyhow, I would like the throttles to send out an F1 key press when they bottom out (fully closed). There's a way to do that but I cannot seem to find it.

To fully clarify... Throttles are now set up in FSUIPC as well (I remember that originally they had to be left w/ default assignments, no FSUIPC). I'm hoping that has been resolved...?

That done, I want normal throttle control, but when I also fully close the throttle, I'd like to send ONE (not send while held) F1 key command.

Ta!

C

[cavaricooper]

If its not possible on the throttle axis... Perhaps I can just leave those in PFCFSX.dll and then have the first movement of the reverser axis' send the F1?

C

[Pete Dowson]

Sorry Pete- I guess I'm a bit PMDG centric. Anyhow, I would like the throttles to send out an F1 key press when they bottom out (fully closed). There's a way to do that but I cannot seem to find it.

Not sure why you'd need that. If the lever is calibrated correctly, with an adequate idle zone, the zero value for throttle being sent will set the thrttles to idle anyway.

You shouldn't be thinking of key presses in any case for regular FS controls. F1 merely sends "Throttle_cut" for ALL throttles, which is surely not required in any case unless you are only using one throttle for all engines. You should be thinking in terms of the FS controls, and there are ones for each engine -- Throttle1 cut for engine 1, and so on.

The only way to program an FS control to an axis is via the right-hand side of the Axis assignments tab. You can define a range of inputs which send a control depending on which way that range is entered. These input values are pre-calibration, so can encompass the idle zone which is all also calibrated for idle input.

To fully clarify... Throttles are now set up in FSUIPC as well (I remember that originally they had to be left w/ default assignments, no FSUIPC). I'm hoping that has been resolved...?

It was never so in any case. It is not relevant whether they are assigned in FS or in FSUIPC, the only thing relevant is HOW they are assigned. For AutoThrottle handling in the NGX without interference from the levers you either need to assign to the regular Axis_Throttle... controls, or use the special FSUIPC-added controls to disconnect your throttles in A/T modes and reconnect when disarming the A/T..

Also, I think (from other postings -- I am not an NGX user myself) that if you are using separate reversers then you set "No Reverse Zone" mode (NRZ) in the calibration tab, and "UseAxisControlsForNRZ=Yes" in the relevant JoystickCalibration section in the FSUIPC4.INI. All this is to do with how the NGX (specifically) works. All the regular ways FSUIPC has used for over 10 years seem to be deteated by their programming, without these various fiddles.

That done, I want normal throttle control, but when I also fully close the throttle,

Fully closed is done by proper idle calibration.

Regards

Pete

[cavaricooper]

Pete-

By now I'm sure I've become a total git......but I'm completely lost. Is there a "Idiot's Guide to setting up the NGX reversers? anywhere?

Also re. "For AutoThrottle handling in the NGX without interference............, or use the special FSUIPC-added controls to disconnect your throttles in A/T modes and reconnect when disarming the A/T.."... how?

Ta- C

[Pete Dowson]

By now I'm sure I've become a total git......but I'm completely lost. Is there a "Idiot's Guide to setting up the NGX reversers? anywhere?

You'd be best off going ot the PMDG support forum. I expect there's lots of NGX users there. Most of the folks who've visited here seem to use Saitek throttle quadrants which feature a button on the pull-back position and they program that to send "throttleN decr" commands repeatedly whilst held. I don't know if any are successfully using a reverse throttle range, which is what SHOULD work with any FS reversers, but, PMDG being PMDG, maybe they block such?

Also re. "For AutoThrottle handling in the NGX without interference............, or use the special FSUIPC-added controls to disconnect your throttles in A/T modes and reconnect when disarming the A/T.."... how?

Assign a button (eg your A/T switch) to also send the Throttles Off and Throttles On controls which are listed in the assignments list. Did you not look?

To add extra controls to an already-assigned button you would need to edit the INI file and add the assignments there. If this is beyond you, consider using another otherwise unused button.

Pete

[Pete Dowson]

I just did a search in this Forum for "Reversers" (didn't you try that at all?), and found:

using-fsuipc-with-pmdg-738ngx-throttle-help-needed

fsuipc-throttle-assignments

auto-throttle

Maybe there are good ideas in those?

Regards

Pete

[cavaricooper]

Pete-

Thanks for your patience and assistance (as usual). After ALL of this- my solution for the SERIAL PFC HARDWARE & THE PMDG NGX (using PFCFSX.dll v4.40 & FSUIPC v 4.859s) is the following-

I put this here in the hopes of saving some other poor soul from the frustration encountered-

USE FSUIPC for everything EXCEPT throttles and reversers- that way you can fine tune all the flight controls, brakes etc with custom slopes to your exact preferences.

Be sure to UNCHECK the flight control axis in PFCFSX.dll. UNCHECK the filtering there as well.

DO NOT CALIBRATE THROTTLES OR REVERSER AXIS IN FSUIPC

USE PFCFSX.dll for throttles and reversers- calibrate those axis in PFCFSX.dll ONLY

FLY AND ENJOY THE NGX :)

Best- C

[Pete Dowson]

Thanks for your patience and assistance (as usual). After ALL of this- my solution for the SERIAL PFC HARDWARE & THE PMDG NGX (using PFCFSX.dll v4.40 & FSUIPC v 4.859s) is the following-

I put this here in the hopes of saving some other poor soul from the frustration encountered-

Thanks. Perhaps you could re-post to the User Contributions subforum, with a suitable title. Then it won't get lost.

Best Regards

Pete