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Problem CH Throttle Quqdrant

Started by J D ADAM, Tue, 1 Jan 2019 20:52

J D ADAM

Greetings Gentlemen,


For the past 4 years my throttle quadrant has performed flawlessly and now for no apparent reason (to me!) ,after about an hours flying it losses complete focus to PSX (won't work). Reloading USB preferences in the instructors panel does not get it going again. Reloading PSX solves the problem.
Loading CHCt manager shows it working properly and loading Devices and Printers in Win7 shows no problem.
Any advice would be appreciated.

Just as an aside, on occasions whilst in the taxi mode PSX  movement freezes and will not respond to throttle inputs. Thought it was maybe that the brakes have frozen !!!!

Regards to all my worldwide PSX friends.

Derek Adam
NZAA

Hardy Heinlin

Hi Derek,

did you install a new add-on?


Cheers,

|-|ardy

J D ADAM

Thank you Hardy for your (as always) prompt reply.

I always run P3D External Sim Router.

I mostly run     Adapt PSX
                      PSX Bacars
                      PSX Vibrate
                      PSX Aloft 

And seldom run FIFI

I have never updated JAVA . (Better the devil I know!)

Java Runtime Environment version:   1.8.0_144
Java Runtime Environment vendor:   Oracle Corporation
JVM specification version:   1.8
JVM specification vendor:   Oracle Corporation
JVM specification name:   Java Virtual Machine Specification
JVM version:   25.144-b01
JVM vendor:   Oracle Corporation
JRE specification version:   1.8
JRE specification vendor:   Oracle Corporation
JRE specification name:   Java Platform API Specification
Java class format version number:   52.0
JIT compiler to use:   null
Maximum memory reserved for JVM:   444 MB
Threads:   ABCDEF

Trust this may be of some help.

Regards

Derek

Hardy Heinlin

Hi Derek,

is your USB throttle connected to a PSX client? (Just a question, not an advice.)

"PSX movement freezes" -- How long does it freeze? For a fraction of a second? Or for several seconds?

Did you install any new add-ons shortly before this problem first occured?


Regards,

|-|ardy

J D ADAM

Thank you for your reply Hardy,

I had the intention to try he throttle control on the client and will do so in the next day or so. It had passed through my mind that it could be a computer problem. I will report.

Quote"PSX movement freezes" -- How long does it freeze? For a fraction of a second? Or for several seconds?
It can be permanent and requires a reload, and although not a SOP! using reverse thrust sometimes will release it!.

This has been going on for some years so not new. I just hoped that somebody else reported it before making a fool of myself.

Anybody who has had any dealings with me knows I engender esoteric problems

Cheers
Derek


J D ADAM

Hi Hardy,
                 Well I have tried everything with no joy. Even  loaded a backup copy of PSX  and the throttle quadrant lost focus sometimes very quickly and sometimes after 10 minutes or so.  The interesting thing (to me) is that the quadrant works fine with the CH test facility and also under devices and printers.  Win7
The only thing I have learnt  is that when the connection is lost the computer makes a sound. Question how can I describe it ???   "a double downbeat sound like the last of the water going down a plug hole" !!!!!!
The log files are empty.

Cheers,
Derek

Hardy Heinlin

#6
Hi Derek,

I fear I have no idea either. It doesn't look like a PSX problem to me.


Quote from: Derek Adam on Mon, 14 Jan 2019 03:06
... the computer makes a sound. Question how can I describe it ???   "a double downbeat sound ..."

... We Will Rock You? :-)

Does that sound come from the mechanism or from the speakers?


Cheers,

|-|ardy

torrence

Probably just the sound that my computer makes whenever you plug in or pull out a USB device.  It's buried in the settings somewhere.
Cheers
Torrence

Hardy Heinlin

So perhaps Derek may want to test the USB wires between the thrust levers and the computer box. Maybe they disconnect in the lever box at random when a lever is being moved?


|-|ardy

Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers

Derek, the device obviously works fine -- but for how long?  If you leave it not in PSX but in one of the other test modes, does it "survive" forever?  Leave it sitting there; does it bail out after a while?  If you leave it in PSX and don't touch anything, just have PSX sit on the tarmac, nothing moves; does it bail out after a while?

If feels more like a hiccup than a real failure. Irritating, of course, but not something that Windows or another application will reveal without endurance testing.


Hoppie

Hardy Heinlin

Rumble sounds from the speakers also cause vibrations that may disconnect an unstable mechanical connection.


|-|

J D ADAM

Thank you Hardy and Hoppie for your replies.

I have gone through all the suggestions for USB problems on Google including reloading drivers in device manager and unticking "Allowing the computer to turn off this device to save power".

Running PSX in a constant holding pattern so as not to touch any control in case of shorts in the device but it still kills any input and the only way to fix it is to reload PSX.

When PSX loses focus the loading of ChCt  manager is still working perfectly for outside calibration.

I had hoped that reloading a PSX preference for USB would solve this problem but alas no.

Can I be cheeky enough Hardy to ask if an option to reload a preference could be included in the intructrs


J D ADAM

Sorry was sent before being finished!
Can I be cheeky enough Hardy to ask if an option to reload a preference could be included in the
instructors panel

Cheers
Derek

Hardy Heinlin

#13
Reloading a preference file during a sim session is already possible.

But it will have no effect anyway. It's not the same as reloading the entire sim. Reloading the sim just takes a couple of seconds. Reloading just the USB part wouldn't save a second.

That reload trick is no reasonable solution anyway, I think. I still think there is some fragile part in the throttle box. The PSX software will not change itself during a sim session.

You may try another "small" reset by cycling the "USB on" checkbox on the USB page. This will clear all unprocessed USB events in the event queue.


Cheers,

|-|ardy


P.S.: Can you show me the content of the file Aerowinx/Developers/USB-Detect.txt ?

Hardy Heinlin

Another theory:

If it's not a mechanical problem, the reported temporary USB disconnection (accompanied by a Microsoft Windows alert sound?) may be caused by another program that has been reconfigured or installed recently. This could be a new driver, or a virus scanner, defender, or a program that resets USB inputs for its own use, or a system feature of Windows itself etc. That would explain why restarting PSX takes the USB input "electronically" back to PSX.


Regards,

|-|ardy

J D ADAM

Hi Hardy, 
Contents of    Aerowinx/Developers/USB-Detect.txt ?                             USB detection:


Hi Torrence

  You are correct in your interpretation of the computer sound when the throttles etc lose focus.

Probably just the sound that my computer makes whenever you plug in or pull out a USB device.

Cheers

Derek


J D ADAM

Hello all

After many hours days and weeks of trying to solve the problem of my CH Throttle Quadrant losing focus after a short period of flying, I am at last up and running again.

I reversed the computers being main and client, reassigning the yoke and rudders to one and the CH Throttles to the other. all is working again . 

For several years of working faultlessly it inexplicable failed and for the same reason it is working again.

So thank you Hardy and others for advice given.

Hardy Heinlin

Hello Derek,

glad to hear it's working again.


Cheerio,

|-|ardy