Problem with PFC.dll with twin prop throttle

[ianbennett]

Hi,

I have been using the PFC throttle controle with the 2 engines Jet with no problem, last weekend I tryed to fly with a twin Prop plan , so I changed the throttle caribrated it but I have the following problem :

when the two throttles are at the minimum possition the plan is in Reverse mode

when the throttle are in the middle the throttle ( in FS2004 ) is at iddle

and when I advance the throttle to there max possition in FS2004 throttle is only up to about 50%. So its inpossible to take off

Any idee wy this happens , I tryed with default FS2004 plans and its allways the same ?

With my 2 engine Jet I have no problem ?

All my builts are last version

Thanks for any help

Ian Bennett

[Pete Dowson]

when the two throttles are at the minimum possition the plan is in Reverse mode when the throttle are in the middle the throttle ( in FS2004 ) is at iddle

and when I advance the throttle to there max possition in FS2004 throttle is only up to about 50%. So its inpossible to take off

You need to calibrate the correct twin prop quadrant to give you the correct results. Each quadrant you use (or each mode) has a separate set of calibrations. You need to calibrate each one separately. Please see the PFC DLL user Guide, which you will find inside the PFC DLL Zip!

For twin prop you will see that there are three styles to select from, two of the normal style, where the Throttle calibrations have no centre nor reverse, and the turboprop style, where both throttles and propeller pitch lervers have reverse zones. The calibration is obviously different for each. Please select the correct ones.

You can also tell the difference from the fact that the Throttle names (at the top of the calibration columns) have "R1" or "R2" at the end, not just the engine number.

Regards,

Pete

[ianbennett]

Hi Peter,

thanks for your answer but I have allready tryed all the thing you are giving me:

I select in the PFC the first normel Twin Prop Throttle

I calibrate that Twin Prop ( one by one each lever, min and max)

And I can see at the top of the two Throttle levers : 'THROTTLE1 and THROTTLE2 not THROTTLER1 and THROTTLER2.

I also tryed to make a usercongif 1 with THROTTLE1 and THROTTLE2

but the result is the same. Could it be a bug in the last version or somthing like that , I have not been using my Twin Prop throttle for a long time. ( before it allways worked perfectly )

Ian Bennett

PS : I was borne at Stoke on Trent , but since the age of 3 month old I have never came back to the place ( never lived in the UK ) so its always special for me to see it righten.

[Pete Dowson]

Could it be a bug in the last version or somthing like that , I have not been using my Twin Prop throttle for a long time. ( before it allways worked perfectly )

No, there is no change in that and hasn't been for years.

When you say "when the two throttles are at the minimum possition the plan is in Reverse mode when the throttle are in the middle the throttle ( in FS2004 ) is at iddle", what aircraft are you flying? There is no reverse range for the twin props for which you would use the standard twin prop quadrant. If you are seeing a reverse range in the aircraft (check FS's own throttle quadrant) you should be using the turbo-ptop selection.

Look at the "scaled output" values shown in the PFC DLL options. They should show 0 for idle (the lever pulled right back) and 16384 for max thrust (the lever pushed full forward). These are the correct values for the ful forward range in FS. To get reverse the output has to go negative.

PFC sends these values direct to FS, so there's really no other software getting in the way to change that.

I can only think that you have the quadrant selection set to "automatic" and you are loading a turbo-prop aircraft (or at least one that identifies itself as one), and therefore, although you think you are using the normal twin prop selection in PFC DLL, it is actually poicking the turbo one, which does have reverse, and which you probably haven't calibrated.

The fact that you cannot set full thrust also indicates that you are actually using an uncalibrated quadrant selection, since the FS values for full throttle are 16384 across the range.

Regards,

Pete

[ianbennett]

Hi Peter,

thanks for your answer,

I found on my hard disk version 1.70 of PFC.dll and when I use this version all is perfect !!

The plan I am using : I tryed with the Beechcraft Baron 58 and other twin prop from FS2004 ( the second beechcraft ...)

The autoselect throttle console is desactivated in my PFC main menu

I am not in Automatic mode in the Throttle calibration menu

I calibrated each throttle min and max, verifyed that I have the Twin Prop selected and not the Turbo twin prop

The way in know that I am in Rev mode is because I run Project Magenta EICAS page on a client computer and the N1 value is at REV, also with some plans the plan gose back.

Once more I say that Version 1.70 is working fine !!

So for the moment I will just use this older version,

Ian Bennett

[Pete Dowson]

I found on my hard disk version 1.70 of PFC.dll and when I use this version all is perfect !!

In that case it sounds like it is something to do with the "prop sync" or "throttle sync" facility I put into 1.72, which seems to be prone to misbehaviour. I've changed it all here ready for the next release. Probably the prop sync is enabled in your aircraft, even if you didn't do it yourself.

Oddly enough I cannot reproduce anything like it here with 1.72. I can see no possibly reason why full forward thrust cannot be obtained, even if the idle position does appear to give reverse.

I'll send you test version 1.73 to try. Let me know how that goes. And I'd really still love to know what actual output values you are seeing in the calibration screen, because for reverse it just has to go negative!

The plan I am using : I tryed with the Beechcraft Baron 58 and other twin prop from FS2004 ( the second beechcraft ...)

Well the Baron doesn't have reverse but the King Air is a turbo-prop and has reverse both on throttle and propeller pitch.

The way in know that I am in Rev mode is because I run Project Magenta EICAS page on a client computer and the N1 value is at REV

I see. And what are the calibrate output values showing in the calibration dialogue? It's those that are important for me to know, please.

Regards,

Pete

[ianbennett]

Hi

PFC version 1.73 works perfectly with my Twin Throttle!!!

Thanks

Ian Bennett

[Pete Dowson]

PFC version 1.73 works perfectly with my Twin Throttle!!!

Good. the problem must have been somehow related to the prop sync setting in FS then.

I'm doing quite well with the other changes in PFC.DLL so I hope to be releasing the official update in about a week. Probably version 1.80.

Regards,

Pete