FSLabs and FSUIPC not interacting properly when sending information to third-party applications

[GillyTheKid]

Hello,

I am part of BA Virtual which uses it's own third-party flight tracking application called Merlin. Normally, once STD pressure is selected, the altitude tracking will change to flight level, rather than specific values, but for whatever reason, the FSLabs and FSUIPC aren't interacting properly and FSUIPC can't sense the change of barometric pressure and send that to Merlin. I have contacted the developer of Merlin and he has had a look at some flightlogs. He says that Merlin checks the Kollsman value sent from FSUIPC and crosschecks it with the current altitude; if there is a value of 1013, the altitude displayed in the flight tracking will be FL rather than local altitude. When flying the FSLabs, the Kollsman value doesn't seem to change from that of the one that is displayed on sim load up. Is there any reason for this value not changing and being able to send it out to Merlin and is there any way that I would be able to fix it so it can do that? I have the latest version of FSUIPC, and have tried reinstalling FSLabs in different locations, but nothing seems to work. I can't remember if I installed FSUIPC as administrator, so would reinstalling it as administrator help?

Thanks,

Will

[Pete Dowson]

  On 8/22/2021 at 8:32 PM, GillyTheKid said:

Normally, once STD pressure is selected, the altitude tracking will change to flight level, rather than specific values

Expand  

Yes, as normal.

  On 8/22/2021 at 8:32 PM, GillyTheKid said:

The FSLabs and FSUIPC aren't interacting properly and FSUIPC can't sense the change of barometric pressure and send that to Merlin.

Expand  

The STD pressure, 1013, is set by the aircraft panel, not the other way round. The Kollsman value is held as hPa x 16 in offset 0330 (an unsigned 16-bit word).

  On 8/22/2021 at 8:32 PM, GillyTheKid said:

He says that Merlin checks the Kollsman value sent from FSUIPC and crosschecks it with the current altitude; if there is a value of 1013, the altitude displayed in the flight tracking will be FL rather than local altitude

Expand  

That sounds rather cock-eyed. The aircraft panel should set 1013 to the offset when STD is pressed. And if it is using Flight Levels if the pressure read is 1013, it will be wrong when that is the true value but you are not above the transition altitude.

It is always up to the aircraft programming to set STD mode. It is never automatic in the Sim, as it doesn't know the local TA.

  On 8/22/2021 at 8:32 PM, GillyTheKid said:

When flying the FSLabs, the Kollsman value doesn't seem to change from that of the one that is displayed on sim load up. Is there any reason for this value not changing

Expand  

It is only changed by the cockpit panel. You adjust it using a dial for the true current pressure which you get from ATIS or from ATC, or by pressing STD to go to Flight Levels. Neither FSUIPC nor the Sim changes it without the correct input.

There's also a separately set Kollsman value for the G1000 if that is installed. That's at offset 0332. The behaviour is the same.

Pete

 

[GillyTheKid]

  On 8/23/2021 at 11:55 AM, Pete Dowson said:

It is only changed by the cockpit panel. You adjust it using a dial for the true current pressure which you get from ATIS or from ATC, or by pressing STD to go to Flight Levels. Neither FSUIPC nor the Sim changes it without the correct input.

Expand  

Yes sorry, when the value is STD. However, I do change to barometric pressure to STD above the TA, but it does not seem to effect the level displayed on Merlin. It still reads it as the pressure that I had previously in below the TA; the flight level shown is a reference to the QNH I had previously, rather than that shown on the PFD on the aircraft, with STD selected. 

In the picture, a specific value is clearly seen of 35288ft, when on the sim I was cruising at FL350 on STD pressure. It seems something isn't working correctly between the two as the incorrect value is being sent over, unless it is an issue with the FSLabs specifically. I managed to work out some sort of work around by assigning a key directly to Q1013 in FSUIPC itself, which then changes the value sent over to 1013, but as it's not controlled by the aircraft itself, I don't particularly consider it a longer term solution. I flew earlier on with this method and the correct Flight Level was displayed this time. 

Not sure if that description makes sense.

Thanks,

Will

Edited August 23, 2021 by GillyTheKid

[Pete Dowson]

  On 8/23/2021 at 4:05 PM, GillyTheKid said:

I do change to barometric pressure to STD above the TA, but it does not seem to effect the level displayed on Merlin. It still reads it as the pressure that I had previously in below the TA; the flight level shown is a reference to the QNH I had previously, rather than that shown on the PFD on the aircraft, with STD selected. 

Expand  

You need to Monitor offset 0330 (FSUIPC Logging Tab, right-hand side, offset 0330 type U16. For 1013 that will read 1013x16 = 16208, or if it sets it more accurately (1013.25) then 16212.  check the option below to write it to the log.

If your STD button is not writing this value then that will explain your problem.

  On 8/23/2021 at 4:05 PM, GillyTheKid said:

I managed to work out some sort of work around by assigning a key directly to Q1013 in FSUIPC itself

Expand  

Sorry, you need to explain that. "Q1013" isn't a control recognised by FSUIPC.

Pete

 

 

[GillyTheKid]

  On 8/23/2021 at 6:33 PM, Pete Dowson said:

You need to Monitor offset 0330 (FSUIPC Logging Tab, right-hand side, offset 0330 type U16. For 1013 that will read 1013x16 = 16208, or if it sets it more accurately (1013.25) then 16212.  check the option below to write it to the log.

If your STD button is not writing this value then that will explain your problem.

Expand  

It is indeed not writing to the log - what would be the reason for this and is there any was to fix it?

  On 8/23/2021 at 6:33 PM, Pete Dowson said:

Sorry, you need to explain that. "Q1013" isn't a control recognised by FSUIPC.

Expand  

The hotkey option within FSUIPC itself.

[GillyTheKid]

Just an addition to this - it seems like it may be an issue with the FSLabs. I ran two tests, one with the FSLabs and the other with the PMDG 777. Both named log files are attached below. PMDG 777 clearly writes the correct offset value, whereas the FSLabs is just not writing it at all. 

FSUIPC6 Log FSLabs A320.rarFetching info... FSUIPC6 Log PMDG 777.rarFetching info...

[Pete Dowson]

  On 8/23/2021 at 8:04 PM, GillyTheKid said:

It is indeed not writing to the log

Expand  

You mean not writing to the offset 0330, I assume.

  On 8/23/2021 at 8:04 PM, GillyTheKid said:

what would be the reason for this and is there any was to fix it?

Expand  

It's got to be that the STD button in that aircraft is not doing what it should. You need to get the author to fix it, I can't.

  On 8/23/2021 at 8:04 PM, GillyTheKid said:

The hotkey option within FSUIPC itself.

Expand  

Ah! that's "Set standard altimeter" -- I wouldn't recognise it as "Q1013".

  On 8/23/2021 at 8:26 PM, GillyTheKid said:

Just an addition to this - it seems like it may be an issue with the FSLabs. I ran two tests, one with the FSLabs and the other with the PMDG 777. Both named log files are attached below. PMDG 777 clearly writes the correct offset value, whereas the FSLabs is just not writing it at all. 

Expand  

So you need to ask FSLabs what is going on.

Note that neither PMDG nor FSLabs aircraft use or depend on FSUIPC. They'll be setting the pressure value via SimConnect -- or should be, at least. FSUIPC interfaces to SimConnect to read the value and populate offset 0330.

Pete

 

[GillyTheKid]

  On 8/23/2021 at 10:02 PM, Pete Dowson said:

Note that neither PMDG nor FSLabs aircraft use or depend on FSUIPC. They'll be setting the pressure value via SimConnect -- or should be, at least. FSUIPC interfaces to SimConnect to read the value and populate offset 0330.

Expand  

I'll update my SimConnect and see if that helps. Maybe the SimConnect version I have installed isn't particularly liked by the FSLabs, or there are files missing preventing it from interacting properly with it.