Reverser#2 not working

[Alpin-Flier]

Hi John

Since my last update of FSUIPC I have a problem with my right reverser, meanwhile the left one works perfectly. When I move  lever#2  to some amount, the reverser engages, first yellow, then green on the display. But after some seconds, without moving the lever any more, the display turns to yellow and then to off. Every time I move the lever a little bit, the same happens. Reversers 1 and 2 are programmed the same way. Any idea what I probably have done wrong? I enclose the last log-file. 

Best regards Urs

FSUIPC7.log

[John Dowson]

I don't think this can have anything to do with anything in the last update, but I have attached the previous version below so that you can test with this to make sure.
Just temporarily rename your current FSUIPC7.exe, download the attached to your FSUIPC7 installation folder and test with this version: FSUIPC7.exe

The attached log file is of no use as there is no additional logging. Could you set logging for Events and Axes Controls and generate another log file showing your issue, and attach that together with your FSUIPC7.ini  file and I will take a look. Use both Reversers 1 and 2 so that I can see any differences. Use the latest version for this!

John 

[Alpin-Flier]

You are right, the version has no influence. So I made a new log including Events and Axes Controls. Strange for me: so many AXIS_FLAPS_SET lines. I did not touch the flaps lever. First I moved throttle 1 and 2, then reverser 1 and 2. 

 

 

FSUIPC7.log FSUIPC7.ini

[John Dowson]

27 minutes ago, Alpin-Flier said:

Strange for me: so many AXIS_FLAPS_SET lines.

Yes - that is strange - maybe they are just events that are continually being sent. Many aircraft do this, and such events can be ignored using the DontLogThese ini parameter (see the documentation on using this).
However, I do see that you have an axis assigned to Flaps using 'direct to FSUIPC calibration' but have not calibrated the flaps. Does this work? Usually such flaps assignment with PMDG aircraft can cause issues (especially loss of power on climb). The usual method to assign flaps for PMDG aircraft is to use the custom controls (or also preset in MSFS) to be sent on entering/leaving an axis range (i.e. using the right hand side of the axis assignment panel) - see the following topics:

As for your reverser 2 issue, there is nothing I can see in the logs. One thing that can prevent the reverser activating is if the throttle is not at 0 (can be changed by setting the MaxThrottleForReverser ini parameter). So it may be worth logging the throttle values to check these are 0 - to do this, add logging for both offsets 0x088C and 0x0924 as S16.
Your throttle1 and throttle2 calibrations are also different around the null zone:

Quote

Throttle2=-16384,285,512,16383/32
Throttle1=-16384,-512,512,16383/32

It is strange that the lower number is positive and not negative...although these values shouldn't really be used when calibrating throttles with no reverse zone - but maybe just set them to be the same values in the ini, just to be sure.
You can also check that the out value of your throttle axes are both 0 (when no throttle is applied) in the axes joystick calibration page 3.

Can you also check your assignments in MSFS are empty, just to make sure.

Other than that, I will need to investigate here further as I am not familiar with the Reverser axes or how they are implemented, I won't have time today (finishing now for the weekend), but I will look into this further on Monday.

John

 

 

[Alpin-Flier]

Hi John

First of all, after some throttle range adjustment following your advice the reverser#2 works again. I think I had in fact a problem with the 0 position of throttle#2. When there is no or little dead zone, it may send erraneous or repetitive positive signals to the throttle axys during reverse operation, resulting in a reset of the reverser. Unfortunately there is still this only throttle axys in MSFS, working as throttle in the positive range and as reverser in the negative range (FSX heritage). 

My problem is solved therefore 😊. But during my investigations I found some log problems I did not experience before MSFS. E.g. I cannot display log infos in a FS window (selection is grayed out). Is that normal? When I choose for infos in the window title line, I can see the first defined offset there but always with 0. The only way to see changes is the console resp. the log file. 

The Flaps control works fine again after a new calibration, even using just the axys and not the range method. Well, sometimes I loose survey. There are so many parameters in such a homecockpit... Specially the mixing of Tiller and Rudder resp. Throttle and Reverser resp. Brakes and Parkbrake_Reset tend to make problems 🤪. And correct function depends on where they are defined (FSUIPC or MSFS). 

Finally I have a comprehension question. IMHO PMDG still does not allow direct axys control, but only increase and decrease commands. But it returns the positions of the internal levers. Is it correct, that FSUIPC compares the hardware positions with those values and sends then increase or decrease commands, until they coincidence? Or am I completely wrong? 

Let me thank you very much for your fast and committed help. Without such help it would hardly be possible to realise such complex, but fantastic systems.

All the best
Urs

[John Dowson]

2 hours ago, Alpin-Flier said:

I did not experience before MSFS. E.g. I cannot display log infos in a FS window (selection is grayed out). Is that normal? When I choose for infos in the window title line, I can see the first defined offset there but always with 0. The only way to see changes is the console resp. the log file. 

Displaying text in (simconnect) text windows has been broken in MSFS for a long time...it did work in limited circumstances in earlier versions of MSFS but has been broken for a long time. The MSFS SDK SimConnect_Text function has basically now been removed from the MSFS SDK and it is no longer possible to use any of the text display functions (to external windows) that use this. The only way now that can be used to display text in an external window is to use the lua Wnd library.

Due to this, the FSUIPC offsets for text display also no longer work (they should be marked as such in the offset status document). I have been meaning to update these offsets to use an external window as provided by the Wnd library, but just haven;t had time to look into this in detail so far. So your only option for text display in a separate window is to use the lua Wnd library at the moment (and for the foreseeable future).

2 hours ago, Alpin-Flier said:

Finally I have a comprehension question. IMHO PMDG still does not allow direct axys control, but only increase and decrease commands. But it returns the positions of the internal levers. Is it correct, that FSUIPC compares the hardware positions with those values and sends then increase or decrease commands, until they coincidence? Or am I completely wrong? 

No, FSUIPC does not do this - if assigned to an axis, it sends the axis controls regardless of aircraft.
You should be able to use axis assignments with PMDG. The issue with axes assignments in PMDG is not the assignments, but the calibration. If you assign using 'direct to FSUIPC calibration' and calibrate, this should work. But if not, you should assign using 'Send to FS as normal axis'. I think the problems are caused when assigning using 'Send to FS as normal axis' and then calibrating in FSUIPC, due to conflicting event priority levels between the PMDG aircraft and MSFS. However, I am not 100% sure on this (I don't generally use/fly PMDG aircraft, but do have some to investigate issues). I am not that familiar with the MSFS version, but perhaps this also has to do with how they are set-up in the flypad (if my memory is correct, although this may be for the FBW...). But if you have any issues, let me know and I can take a look.

2 hours ago, Alpin-Flier said:

Let me thank you very much for your fast and committed help. Without such help it would hardly be possible to realise such complex, but fantastic systems.

No problem - and thanks for your kind words.

John