PFCCom64.dll ADF swap frequency coding

[zfehr]

*** Moved to FSUIPC7 support sub-forum ****

I am using an older serial port Precision Flight Controls Cirrus II console with radio stack. The COM and NAV coding work perfectly for all button functions, the ADF swap frequency button sends the frequency tuned in the hardware to the swap frequency location in the sim. I tried assigning that button to the ADF swap in FSUIPC, but since the PFC hardware uses that button in the hardware to switch between the flight timer and standby frequency (as it does in the real aircraft unit) it causes problems with the hardware. The PFC radio stack is also programmed so the ADF can control ADF1 and ADF2 and when in ADF2 mode the frequency swap sends to the ADF2 standby frequency. Can the PFDCom64.dll be programmed so it sends to the active frequency?

I have attached my FSUIPC and PFCCom64 logs.

PFCcom64.log FSUIPC7.log

Edited April 2, 2023 by John Dowson
Moved to FSUIPC7 support forum

[John Dowson]

I moved your post to the FSUIPC7 support sub-forum - please take care to post in the correct forum for your issue / product.

1 hour ago, zfehr said:

Can the PFDCom64.dll be programmed so it sends to the active frequency?

I think your issue maybe aircraft dependent - and certainly dependent on the FS you are using. As this dll is FS-agnostic, I cannot change its behavior for a specific FS or aircraft.
In fact, I only provide these dlls and cannot provide any more information than that is given in the provided User Guide, sorry. However,  the User Guide does say:

Quote

Note: All of the avionics buttons, knobs and switches can be re-programmed in FSUIPC’s “Buttons” section when using FSUIPC version 3.30 or later. See the section about Button and Switch Re-programming later in this document.
 

so you should be able to re-program the buttons to do this - I do not fully understand when you say "but since the PFC hardware uses that button in the hardware to switch between the flight timer and standby frequency (as it does in the real aircraft unit) it causes problems with the hardware", as the User Guide also says:

Quote

When any switch position, button, or rotary action has been successfully programmed in FSUIPC, the normal, documented action in the PFC driver is bypassed. This is important to realise. However, all is not lost. Just delete the programming in FSUIPC’s Buttons page, and the previous PFC action on that button or whatever will be instantly restored.

So if you re-program the action in FSUIPC, the default action should be bypassed.

 

 

John

[zfehr]

Hi John,

Yes, the default action from the PFC radio stack ADF swap is bypassed and the standby frequency will now appear active. But the PFC radio stack now doesn't function correctly and you lose the ability to swap frequencies when using the radio stack to control ADF2. I was just thinking that something in the PFCCom64.ini was sending this particular frequency to the standby instead of the active and that could be altered in that file.

In the .ini file the ADF has these entries:

ADFmode=0

ADFsb=816
ADFxsb=0
DME=2048
ADF2sb=0
ADF2xsb=649

[John Dowson]

18 minutes ago, zfehr said:

In the .ini file the ADF has these entries:

What ini file? Can you please attach that.

As I said, not owning or being familiar with PFC devices or the driver, it is very difficult for me to advise in this. However, I will take a look further tomorrow to see if I can see anything.

Are you using the updated driver that Pete provided a short while ago (2-3 months) so that the radio stack could be recognised when using MSFS / FSUIPC7?

[zfehr]

7 minutes ago, John Dowson said:

What ini file? Can you please attach that.

As I said, not owning or being familiar with PFC devices or the driver, it is very difficult for me to advise in this. However, I will take a look further tomorrow to see if I can see anything.

Are you using the updated driver that Pete provided a short while ago (2-3 months) so that the radio stack could be recognised when using MSFS / FSUIPC7?

 

PFCcom64.ini

[zfehr]

My present work around has been to program the lower right two buttons on the radio stack (labeled CON and INSTR) to swap the ADF frequencies from standby to active in FSUIPC. I just have to keep my head in the game since then on the radio stack turning the tuning knobs changes the standby on the radio stack itself, then pressing the FRQ button on the radio stack swaps them on the radio stack to active and loads that frequency to the standby frequency in the sim... than I press the corresponding lower right button to swap the ADF frequency in the sim (1 or 2) that will now be active in the sim. Those buttons do have functions in the FAA certified xPlane v9 which I also use with the sim for IFR currency but I find MSFS 2020 so much more enjoyable when I don't need to log the time.

[John Dowson]

I will ask Pete about this when he returns from his holidays (next week) to see if anything can be done, but if not, and for now, you will just have to use your work-around.

 

[John Dowson]

These are Pete's comments on this:

Quote

On the serial port ADF question, this puzzles me:

the ADF swap frequency button sends the frequency tuned in the hardware to the swap frequency location in the sim.

You shouldn’t need to press a button for the frequency to be reflected in the Sim. The display and Sim should show the same! Certainly that was always the case with my PFC equipment and is for my cockpit. Whilst turning the tuning knobs the sim isn’t updated till there’s a short pause in turning (this is done to avoid a queue of changes piling up). The code for his ADF is exactly the same as in my cockpit.

The Swap button just swaps Active and Standby, as it should. None of this should need programming as it is default action for the stack.

Also, this doesn’t make sense:

since the PFC hardware uses that button in the hardware to switch between the flight timer and standby frequency (as it does in the real aircraft unit)

If this is truly the case (and I can’t believe it), why is the Swap button so labelled, and if you can’t swap Active and Standby, what Earthly use is there for a standby frequency?

He later says:

I was just thinking that something in the PFCCom64.ini was sending this particular frequency to the standby instead of the active and that could be altered in that file.

Where there is a Standby all updates are and should be sent to the standby, not direct to the active. If there is no ADF2 standby in the Sim, then, yes, he’d need to program a button to send direct to the Active – via Lua probably as it would have to read the standby frequency offset and write it to the active offset.

BTW The radio stack he pictured looks identical to the one I had. If has no ADF2, which never bothered me. ADF stations are becoming a rarity anyway in today’s navigation, and I never found a need for two of them!

[zfehr]

11 hours ago, John Dowson said:

These are Pete's comments on this:

I have attached my .ini and .log files for FSUIPC and PFCcom64. The photos show the settings used in PFCcom64 relating to the ADF. Starting with IMG_1602 the PFC radio stack is in its default state with the ADF showing the current frequency on the left and the elapsed time on the right, press the FRQ button once and the time changes to standby frequency. press the BFO button per my settings and the ADF changes to ADF2 and the center light indicates this (now the frequencies shown and sent will be to the second ADF radio if so equipped). Press the ADF button and per my settings the radio shows the extended frequencies (used in Europe). You can see on the sim when I press the swap frequency the hardware is sending to the standby frequency in the sim and does not swap the frequency within the sim... only on the hardware do I see this. This may be a limitation imposed by having the hardware functionality for two ADF units.

If I program the FRQ button on the radio stack via FSUIPC to swap ADF frequency the functionality of the hardware gets all confused and doesn't work correctly.

Very few aircraft in MSFS simulate dual ADF radios. I find it much more challenging and hence rewarding to fly an IFR NDB or Lctr approach especially with 12 knot or higher crosswinds. Oostende Belgium has a very interesting approach that utilizes three NDB's, Croatia has many as well, Rijeka has one that when coupled with the STAR utilizes four! Keeps ones skills much more honed than watching the magenta line on the Garmin video game display!

PS. The photos did not load in order.

PFCcom64.log PFCcom64.ini PFC.mcro FSUIPC7.ini FSUIPC7.log

Edited April 10, 2023 by zfehr
Photos didn't load in order, made not of it

[Pete Dowson]

Sorry, I don't know what is going on with your ADF. I had exactly the same stack (except all one unit rather than identifying separately), and the ADF swap functioned fine without changing how the unit worked. Are you sure that isn't a malfunction? You probably need to check with PFC tech support.

Pete

 

[zfehr]

I just tested this in an aircraft which has an ADF that does not have a standby frequency and the PFC Radio Stack ADF does send the signal to the active frequency (only one available) in the sim. The problem only seems to be if the aircraft one is using is equipped with an ADF that has a standby frequency so I am not sure how this is a PFC tech support problem.

[Pete Dowson]

16 minutes ago, zfehr said:

The problem only seems to be if the aircraft one is using is equipped with an ADF that has a standby frequency so I am not sure how this is a PFC tech support problem.

The PFC thing which seems to be wrong is that the ADF swap button changes how the unit functions. It should simply swap between Active and Standby.

Pete

 

[zfehr]

The physical radio stack works perfectly. The COM and NAV radios function correctly sending the frequency to the active frequency in the sim when you press the swap button. It is just the ADF that sends to standby in the sim unless the radio in the sim doesn't have a standby frequency feature in it. Is there a choice in the programming that allows one to choose between the ADF hardware sending to the active or standby?

[Pete Dowson]

13 minutes ago, zfehr said:

The COM and NAV radios function correctly sending the frequency to the active frequency in the sim when you press the swap button

Because the frequency being set was written to the Standby, and the Swap does its job.

13 minutes ago, zfehr said:

It is just the ADF that sends to standby in the sim unless the radio in the sim doesn't have a standby frequency feature in it.

Which implies that the Swap button isn't doing the right thing, as you seemed to be saying and what I am calling odd.

13 minutes ago, zfehr said:

Is there a choice in the programming that allows one to choose between the ADF hardware sending to the active or standby?

As it says in the PFC DLL documentation:

Note: All of the avionics buttons, knobs and switches can be re-programmed in FSUIPC’s “Buttons” section when using
FSUIPC version 3.30 or later. See the section about Button and Switch Re-programming later in this document.

So you could program it there. You'd probably need a small Lua plug-in. For a swap just copy the ADF standby offset to the ADF active offset.

Pete

 

[zfehr]

44 minutes ago, Pete Dowson said:

Because the frequency being set was written to the Standby, and the Swap does its job.

Which implies that the Swap button isn't doing the right thing, as you seemed to be saying and what I am calling odd.

As it says in the PFC DLL documentation:

Note: All of the avionics buttons, knobs and switches can be re-programmed in FSUIPC’s “Buttons” section when using
FSUIPC version 3.30 or later. See the section about Button and Switch Re-programming later in this document.

So you could program it there. You'd probably need a small Lua plug-in. For a swap just copy the ADF standby offset to the ADF active offset.

Pete

 

But I have tried assigning the swap frequency command to the button on the hardware and in doing so many of the hardware functions no longer work correctly for the ADF in the radio stack. Unfortunately that is not an option that works. In the PFCCom64.ini file I see entries for COM, NAV, and ADF1 ADF2 with alpha-numeric codes. Do those have anything to do with how FSUIPC sends their function to the sim?

This:
COM1sb=9349
COM1na=8848
COM2sb=9349
COM2na=9349
NAV1sb=5008
NAV2sb=5008
ADFsb=2192
ADFxsb=0
DME=2048
ADF2sb=0
ADF2xsb=649

Edited April 11, 2023 by zfehr
added lines from PFCCom64.ini

[Pete Dowson]

19 hours ago, zfehr said:

But I have tried assigning the swap frequency command to the button on the hardware and in doing so many of the hardware functions no longer work correctly for the ADF in the radio stack.

It shouldn't need assigning as it is the default action. As to the button changing how the hardware functions, that certainly doesn't seem right to me and why I suggested you need PFC tech support.

19 hours ago, zfehr said:

In the PFCCom64.ini file I see entries for COM, NAV, and ADF1 ADF2 with alpha-numeric codes. Do those have anything to do with how FSUIPC sends their function to the sim?

They are just the frequencies which were set last time you closed the Sim, recorded for restoring next time. Convert to hexadecimal to see.

eg NAv1 5008 => 1390, giving 113.90 as the frequency. (The Sim stores them without the leading 1).

sb = standby, na -= active.

I don't remember what xsb means. I wrote this software in 1999, i.e 24 years ago. I don't know why I'm even still supporting it -- there was no income generated, only hardware on loan (just to test it with) and a discount to purchase. And now I am almost 80 years old and retired it is really not in my capability to support it to the level you need. I know PFC switched their support to X-Plane, and are no longer interested in the FS series nor P3D.

Sorry.

Pete

 

[zfehr]

1 hour ago, Pete Dowson said:

And now I am almost 80 years old and retired it is really not in my capability to support it to the level you need. I know PFC switched their support to X-Plane, and are no longer interested in the FS series nor P3D.

Sorry.

Pete

 

Your work is appreciated and we are fortunate that it still works in Windows 10. I've owned the PFC hardware since 2007 and with over 3,300 hours on the Hobbs I am lucky it all still works... I've replace a couple switches that wore out, replaced a couple broken springs for the yoke, replaced worn out pots in the rudder pedals, and recently the circuit board stopped reliably sending power to the radio stack but fortunately the radio stack can be powered independently. The replacement cost is staggering!