Throttle Control Issue w/Reverser

[pilotjohn]

Reverse in aircraft (350) only goes to 15%.

I'm running latest MSFS using latest FSUIPC7 beta with a VirtualFly TQ6+.

1. Throttle axis is sent direct to FSUIPC for calibration of Throttle1

2. Throttle1 is calibrated to the range 16383 .. -9801 (detent) and -10100 .. -16384

3. Out correctly show 16384 .. 0 and 0 .. -4096 for range, but in aircraft reverser only goes to 15%

Am I missing something?

[Pete Dowson]

24 minutes ago, pilotjohn said:

Reverse in aircraft (350) only goes to 15%.

-4096 is a nominal amount for calibration only. The actual max reverse sent is specified by the Aircraft-specific configuration -- specifically by the "min_throttle_limit" parameter in the Aircraft.CFG file. I'm not sure, but does that aircraft even have such a parameter.

Typically that value might be -0.25 which means - (for reverse) 25%: hence the general value initially assumed of -4096 (25% of -16384).

The value is actually supposed to be supplied in a SimConnect variable, "THROTTLE LOWER LIMIT", which is read into offset 0B00. Please use the Offset logging facility in FSUIPC to log 0B00 as type S16, to the Normal log, and tell us what it says.

Pete

 

 

[pilotjohn]

1 hour ago, Pete Dowson said:

-4096 is a nominal amount for calibration only. The actual max reverse sent is specified by the Aircraft-specific configuration -- specifically by the "min_throttle_limit" parameter in the Aircraft.CFG file. I'm not sure, but does that aircraft even have such a parameter.

Typically that value might be -0.25 which means - (for reverse) 25%: hence the general value initially assumed of -4096 (25% of -16384).

The value is actually supposed to be supplied in a SimConnect variable, "THROTTLE LOWER LIMIT", which is read into offset 0B00. Please use the Offset logging facility in FSUIPC to log 0B00 as type S16, to the Normal log, and tell us what it says.

Pete

 

 

Here's the log... which seems to align with the 15 marking (2457/16384) for whatever logic is used there.

 

      672 LogOptions=00000000 00000001
      875 Monitor IPC:0B00 (S16) = 0
     3313 Simulator detected
     8469 SimConnect_Open succeeded
     8469 Running in "KittyHawk", Version: 11.0.282174.999 (SimConnect: 11.0.62651.3)
     8469 MSFS version = 11.0.282174.999
     8469 Initialising SimConnect data requests now
     8500 C:\Users\[user]\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\MISSIONS\Custom\CustomFlight\CustomFlight.FLT
     8500 SimObjects\Airplanes\Asobo_KingAir350\aircraft.CFG
     8516 User Aircraft ID 1 supplied, now being used
     8563 Aircraft loaded: running normally now ...
     9344 Monitor IPC:0B00 (S16) = -2457
     9344 SimRead: 0B00="THROTTLE LOWER LIMIT"
            FLT32: -15.0000009537
     9344 Aircraft="Beechcraft King Air 350i Asobo"

Switching planes didn't seem to update the read for this offset (e.g. from the King Air 350 to Caravan), but the Caravan is showing 15% as well at the bottom of the controller/input range.

The animation in the Caravan goes to the stops (but still reads 15%), while on the King Air it goes to the "lift" marking.

[Pete Dowson]

11 hours ago, pilotjohn said:

Here's the log... which seems to align with the 15 marking (2457/16384) for whatever logic is used there.

Yes, SimConnect is telling us that the max reverse thrust is 2457/16384 of full thrust.

If this isn't defined in the Aircraft.CFG file for the aircraft then it must be default. Maybe it isn't defined for any of the aircraft. It might be a good idea to see if it reads the same for a jet, especially an airliner like the 787 or Airbus. I'll check this myself later.

For information, the parameter defining this value in FSX was in the [GeneralEngineData] section of the Aircraft.cfg file. The section for the old King Air 350 was:

[GeneralEngineData]
engine_type = 5                                 //0=Piston, 1=Jet, 2=None, 3=Helo-Turbine, 4=Rocket, 5=Turboprop
Engine.0 = -8.3, -4.8, 0.5                      //(feet) longitudinal, lateral, vertical distance from reference datum
Engine.1 = -8.3,  4.8, 0.5                      //(feet) longitudinal, lateral, vertical distance from reference datum
fuel_flow_scalar        = 1.0                   //Scalar for fuel flow efficiency
min_throttle_limit = -0.25;                     //Minimum percent throttle.  Generally negative for turbine reverser

Maybe this doesn't feature in the "new model", but in that case SimConnect should supply the correct value from wherever it is now defined. It will probably need raising with Asobo.

Pete

 

[IanAbel]

3 hours ago, Pete Dowson said:

Maybe this doesn't feature in the "new model",

Pete,

  After a little searching it is still there, but now contained in the engines.cfg file

For what it's worth, here's the default A320 section;

[GENERALENGINEDATA]
engine_type = 1 ; 0=Piston, 1=Jet, 2=None, 3=Helo-Turbine, 4=Rocket, 5=Turboprop
fuel_flow_scalar = 1 ; Fuel flow scalar
min_throttle_limit = -0.2 ; Minimum percent throttle.  Generally negative for turbine reverser
master_ignition_switch = 0
starter_type = 2 ; 0=Electric, 1=Manual, 2=Bleed Air
max_contrail_temperature = -39.724
Engine.0 = -6, -19.2, -4
ThrustAnglesPitchHeading.0 = 0, 0
Engine.1 = -6, 19.2, -4
ThrustAnglesPitchHeading.1 = 0, 0
 

 

[Pete Dowson]

3 hours ago, Pete Dowson said:

Maybe it isn't defined for any of the aircraft. It might be a good idea to see if it reads the same for a jet, especially an airliner like the 787 or Airbus. I'll check this myself later.

Okay. The value for max reverse IS working. here's the results for the airliners

Boeing 787

   285516 Monitor IPC:0B00 (S16) = -4095
   285516 SimRead: 0B00="THROTTLE LOWER LIMIT"
            FLT32: -25
   285531 Aircraft="Boeing 787-10 Asobo"

The offset value didn't change for the 747, meaning it is the same for both Boeings.

Airbus A320:

   911609 Monitor IPC:0B00 (S16) = -3276
   911609 SimRead: 0B00="THROTTLE LOWER LIMIT"
            FLT32: -20
   911625 Aircraft="Airbus A320 Neo Asobo"

So I think the 15% you are getting for the A350 is intentional. If you think it is wrong perhaps you could lodge it as a problem with Asobo (on Zendesk).

53 minutes ago, IanAbel said:

After a little searching it is still there, but now contained in the engines.cfg file

For what it's worth, here's the default A320 section;

[GENERALENGINEDATA]
engine_type = 1 ; 0=Piston, 1=Jet, 2=None, 3=Helo-Turbine, 4=Rocket, 5=Turboprop
fuel_flow_scalar = 1 ; Fuel flow scalar
min_throttle_limit = -0.2 ; Minimum percent throttle.  Generally negative for turbine reverser

Ah! Thanks! 

So there we have it -- 20% for the A320 as reported by SimConnect.

@pilotjohn   If the -15% for the 350 isn't right maybe you can adjust it in the engines.cfg file. 

Pete

 

 

[pilotjohn]

Ok, so in the 350 this is likely just an animation issue (e.g. at -15% the reverse lever does not go past the detent mark), but in a the Caravan it seems fully correct.