PFC USB C2 Cirrus Pro (changing switch function)

[amnz]

Dear Pete,

I am using FSUIPC 4.86 with PFCHID 1.30 to use my Cirrus C2 Pro USB console in FSX. (W7 64-bit)

I was wondering if there was a way to change the assignments of the different switches on the console. This is because the 'ANTI ICE' switch is controlling the carb heat, which is a problem since my PFC throttle quadrant has a carb heat lever- so even when I configure the carb heat lever axis to control carb heat, it will initially control the action, but then it will change back according to the position of the anti ice switch.

(FYI, here is the image of the throttle quadrant: Carb-Heat-Throttle-and-Mix.jpg)

Hopefully a simple solution exists?

Kindest Regards,

[Pete Dowson]

I was wondering if there was a way to change the assignments of the different switches on the console.

All switch and button functions can be changed provided your FSUIPC is registered. Please see the section in the PFCHid user guide entitled "Macros: configuring a PFC HID device for FS add-ons".

Regards

Pete

[amnz]

Thanks for your response Pete, I will check it out.

[amnz]

Hi,

I am confused how I can link the macro to the PFC console?

I have attempted to create a macro by starting macro, press the carb heat to 'on' but I don't get the green message which allows me to test it or name it...

The carb heat is already linked with the anti ice switch, so perhaps there is some sort of conflict? How can I unlink the switch from the carb heat?

Yours in confusion,

[Pete Dowson]

I have attempted to create a macro by starting macro, press the carb heat to 'on' but I don't get the green message which allows me to test it or name it...

You do NOT need to use "mouse macros", just basic simple macros, which are just ways of having actions like keypresses and controls in files and referenced by names. Mouse macros are more advanced formas used on some panels which cannot be controlled by key or control assignment and only apply to panels written in a specific manner.

Regards

Pete

[amnz]

Alright... If I am understanding this correctly (probably not :) )

..All I need to do is to assign the carb heat to a keypress, and somehow connect this keypress to the console???

[Pete Dowson]

..All I need to do is to assign the carb heat to a keypress, and somehow connect this keypress to the console???

No no no. Keypresses and buttons are alternative ways of doing things in FS. The PFCHid facility for overriding its built-in actions is by having it call Macros in a Macro File (something named appropriately with filetype .mcro. Macros are described in the Advanced Users guide to FSUIPC. A macro is a sequence of one or more control or keypress actions given a name. A macro file can contain many such macros. The name of the file is related to the PFCHid.INI file by a parameter there, and the macro names are pre-defined according to the switch(es) you want to change. You'll find a list alongside the PFCHid program and documentation.That's how it all ties together.

Pete

[amnz]

Okay, I will have a read of the advanced user guide to see how I will create the necessary macros and report back.

Thanks for your help so far

[amnz]

Alrighty, I have read the user guide, but I can't' find where it explains how to actually create these non mouse macro files.

[Pete Dowson]

Alrighty, I have read the user guide, but I can't' find where it explains how to actually create these non mouse macro files.

Advanced User guide (as I said), the section headed "Macro Controls", round about page 36. That is the actual chapter which also deals with Mouse macros and L:Vars in macros, but those are later parts of that chapter.

Pete

[amnz]

One must have lots of patience with me when I try to deal with problems :)

I have read this page- where I am stuck is on the first sentence...

FSUIPC4 will read any file in the Modules folder which has file type "mcro".

My question was how do I create a file type .mcro in the first place? Sorry if I wasn't clear on my part. I cannot seem to find anywhere in the manual which details how to do this, but rather find that it only details how to handle these macro files.

[Pete Dowson]

My question was how do I create a file type .mcro in the first place? Sorry if I wasn't clear on my part. I cannot seem to find anywhere in the manual which details how to do this, but rather find that it only details how to handle these macro files.

You use an editor, like Notepad, and actually type the contents using the keyboard, then save it. It is just a text file. The format is shown. The Control numbers you will need are shown in the List of FS controls document, and the macro names you need are shown in the macro list provided with PFCHid -- the file called PFCmacroindex.csv, which is also a text file.

Pete

[amnz]

Achso! Lets see if I can use my own brain now and the documentation to make progress with my original goal.

[amnz]

Hi Pete,

Thanks for your help, I managed to get everything working.

All I did was

[Macros]
1=AntiIce=66810
[/CODE]

AntiIce, I got from the [i]PFCmacroIndex.csv [/i](so the program could read what switch I want to modify)

66810, I got from [i]List of FSX controls.pdf [/i](so I could find the function I wanted that switch to do, in this case it was nothing so that there was no conflict with the carb heat axis I wanted to use instead of the anti ice switch on the console for carb heat)

Once again, thank you for quick support Pete and enjoy flying!

[Pete Dowson]

Thanks for your help, I managed to get everything working.

Hmm. I'm glad, but i would have thought it should be

[Macros]

1=AntiIce=C66810

C for "Control" as opposed to K for "Keypress". Maybe I made FSUIPC assume C if nothing was present? not sure ... or perhaps this is enough to fool PFCHid into doing nothing with that switch? Is that what you needed?

Regards

Pete

[amnz]

It is what I needed- although its good that you pointed that out because I wanted to configure some other things on the console to different things

[amnz]

I spoke too soon. I am having trouble assigning the alt air control on the console to act as the fuel cut off valve. I went through the list of fsx control documents and tried (TOGGLE_FUEL_VALVE_ALL) (C66493) but that didn't work. I don't know what else the fuel cut off valve could be in that document.

FYI, The AltAir macro is supported according to the .csv file

[Pete Dowson]

I spoke too soon. I am having trouble assigning the alt air control on the console to act as the fuel cut off valve. I went through the list of fsx control documents and tried (TOGGLE_FUEL_VALVE_ALL) (C66493) but that didn't work. I don't know what else the fuel cut off valve could be in that document.

By "fuel cut off" do you actually mean fuel tank valves? What aircraft is this for -- jet, prop or turbo? The fuel idle/cutoff levers on airliners are operated in FS by the "mixture rich" and "mixture lean" controls, with also separate ones for each engine. On most props the fuel selector switch has an "off" position as well as "right", "left" and "both".

If you know the switch on the screen panel, and can operate it via the mouse or whatever, you can find out which FS control it uses by enabling Event logging in FSUIPC. With FSX you can have the log displayed in a Window next to a Windowed copy of FS, and see the control logged with both number and name when you operate the switch.

Pete

[amnz]

Hi Pete,

The aircraft is a piper cub, it simply has 2 options "on" and "off" - I take it this is called the fuel shutoff control.

[Pete Dowson]

The aircraft is a piper cub, it simply has 2 options "on" and "off" - I take it this is called the fuel shutoff control.

It may be the fuel selector. Sorry, I don't know. Determine the correct control using the logging as I suggested. I think the fuel valves you originally referred to are part of the airliner much more complex fuel systems.

Pete

[amnz]

Hi, checked logging. Weirdly enough, I only got a recurrence of this:

52229 *** EVENT: Cntrl= 66507 (0x000103cb), Param= 100 (0x00000064) PANEL_ID_OPEN

52291 *** EVENT: Cntrl= 66029 (0x000101ed), Param= 1 (0x00000001) ANTI_ICE_ON

52291 *** EVENT: Cntrl= 66507 (0x000103cb), Param= 100 (0x00000064) PANEL_ID_OPEN

52354 *** EVENT: Cntrl= 66029 (0x000101ed), Param= 1 (0x00000001) ANTI_ICE_ON

52354 *** EVENT: Cntrl= 66507 (0x000103cb), Param= 100 (0x00000064) PANEL_ID_OPEN

52401 *** EVENT: Cntrl= 66029 (0x000101ed), Param= 1 (0x00000001) ANTI_ICE_ON

In this case, i couldn't identify what FSX would define as the fuel shutoff control

[Pete Dowson]

In this case, i couldn't identify what FSX would define as the fuel shutoff control

If no control is logged and it is an FS defalut aircraft it probably is a cosmetic switch without real function. Does it do anything noticeably? Is it an add-on aircraft? If so it may need switching some other way -- you'd need to consult the add-on documentation or contact their support.

Pete

[amnz]

It is from A2A simulations so I am pretty sure it isn't a cosmetic switch!

I can definitely live without it, but I find it strange how it worked succesfully for the carb heat and not for the fuel shutoff valve. I will probably ask the guys at A2A if they can help out.

[Pete Dowson]

It is from A2A simulations so I am pretty sure it isn't a cosmetic switch!

In which case it will be implemented in their code, not in the root FS code, and would have to be operated by whatever mechanism might work with it. Maybe they allow keystrokes to be defined for the panel functions? If not, then the other choices are: special FS controls outside the normal range (as is the case with the PMDG 737NGX), or a mouse macro (but i think you said that didn't work), or, finally, a local panel variable (L:Var) which can be written to. In that last case it would mean having a small Lua plug-in to do the job. That can be activated in a macro file too.

I can definitely live without it, but I find it strange how it worked succesfully for the carb heat and not for the fuel shutoff valve. I will probably ask the guys at A2A if they can help out.

Good idea.

Pete