Overcoming hardware limitations ...

[eudoniga]

Hello mr. Pete !

I have one old CH pedals set (with a game port adapter for USB), and it may only use one set of axis at a time: pedals or brakes. There's a hard switch to commute.

Now I'd like to set things up so that I leave the hardware switch set on the "pedals" position, but - when on the ground - the pedals should produce a breaking action, instead, as if brakes were pressed.

By the way I'd love to simulate a Cirrus SR-22, and even the real thing uses differential brakes for taxing and the takeoff roll ...

Any suggestion about how do to that ?

Thanks and best regards,

Eugenio.

[Pete Dowson]

I have one old CH pedals set (with a game port adapter for USB), and it may only use one set of axis at a time: pedals or brakes. There's a hard switch to commute.

Now I'd like to set things up so that I leave the hardware switch set on the "pedals" position, but - when on the ground - the pedals should produce a breaking action, instead, as if brakes were pressed.

How are you steering on the ground, then? Don't you need the pedals for that -- or do you have a tiller?

You can automatically change the function of an axis by assigning it in FSUIPC to a Lua plug-in instead of a speific axis. That Lua plug-in receives the axis value as a variable called ipcPARAM, and can then direct it to the appropriate true axis according to the state of FS values -- in this case the "on ground" flag.

Have a look in your FSUIPC documents folder for the Lua package and its documentation and examples. If you want to go ahead but are still unsure how, come back and we'll g through it in a bit more detail.

By the way I'd love to simulate a Cirrus SR-22, and even the real thing uses differential brakes for taxing and the takeoff roll ...

Any suggestion about how do to that ?

You need rudder control as well. How would you propose to have both? FS does have the facility to automate the rudder action, effectively linking it to the aileron action on the yoke. but if you use that there's no need to have the facility to switch the pedals -- you could have them permanently assigned to toe brakes.

Regards

Pete

[eudoniga]

On the ground, the real Cirrus uses just only toe brakes for steering: the rudder does nothing to the front wheel, in fact the latter may spin freely ...

I bought the Eaglesoft version, and that allows you to use the pedals too for steering; but I saw that in the most recent Carenado version you really have to steer with the brakes, and nothing else.

(I guess they made it so that the rudder is disabled when on ground).

I know that if I used automated rudder control, I could permanently use the pedals for the differential toe brakes ...

But I'd like to keep the rudder separated, when airborne.

Therefore I think I need to play with the lua plugins to obtain what you suggested.

I won't come back soon, I'll try to progress as much as I can by myself, so that I won't abuse of your kindness.

Best regards,

Eugenio.

[Pete Dowson]

Therefore I think I need to play with the lua plugins to obtain what you suggested.

Okay. You should find it's only a matter of a few lines of Lua code, basically just calling FSUIPC added functions to test a button and to send controls. For the axis controls you want you can either use the FS ones (number equivalents listed in the List of FS controls document), or the "direct to FSUIPC calibration" ones (listed in the Advanced User's guide) -- whichever you would have otherwise assigned in the Axis Assignments tab. Realy the only "programming" part if the "if ... then ... else ... end" part.

Regards

Pete