SmartRunway, SmartLanding: new addon (SRSL-PSX) v 1.0

[B747-400]

Hi Avi,

Your addon makes a huge difference in my sim Excellent work!

I have an additional idea to complement Gary's and Macroflight's suggestions:

One of us (perhaps me) could write a little tool that reads your network variable and displays the according RAAS text to a transparent text overlay placed over the PSX ND.

So whenever your SRSL plays a series of WAV files, additionally sending an "addon=...13;02;05;11" (example for APP 25C) message into the network, would give such a tool the possibility to construct the text string and display it for the 15 seconds or so that RAAS messages are usually shown.

Open for further discussion in this topic!

BR
Hans

[Avi]

Hi Will,

I can reproduce it.
The immediate suspect is the ground calls thread. It looks like it is in wait() mode for some reason. I can think of a reason but only tommrow I will have the time to check it out.
In the meantime, an immediate solution is to close SRSL-PSX and start it over. It solved the problem in my test.

I will response tomorrrow to the requested modifications.

Cheers,

[Avi]

Hi all in general and macroflight and Gary (and Will) in particular,

I gave a thought about what you said / suggested and here is how I see it:

In the software frame I will add a panel named "Multi PC setup" (could be in one place or shared cockpits all over the world) and in it there will be three radio buttons and the options will be (selection only when not connected to PSX):

  · Off: SRSL-PSX works as a stand-alone (basically what there is now)
  · Master (temporary name): everything is as Off option (including CDU registration, controls over the settings, generates EICASS messages, illuminates the G/S INHIBIT light and more except it doesn't play any audio file and instead it sends to the network something like: addon=SRSL;PLAY_FILE_XXX
  ·   Slave (very temporary name): in this option SRSL-PSX will do nothing. No registry to the CDU, no caculations, no runway file reading, all threads (except play audio file) will be in wait() mode and will never be notified and the only thing it will do is to get the addon play messages and play the audio files. In this mode all parameters in the settinga will be ignored (Master controls, almost, everything)

One thing I will late you decide: Gender.
I wrote XXX because the first X can be gender bit: '0' for female or '1' for male. Another option is to send only XX (file name) and let the local setting decide (I think it is better because it doesn't matter and the user hears the gender he wants).
Also note that slaves will use their own volume offset (which also should be ok).

This way it can be used in shared cockpits and Gary can choose if he wants to use one master and few slaves or one master and few PSX Sounds (after his own modifications of course).

I checked with ChatGPT and learned that the pairs "master" and "slave" were common in the past but much less today (for obvious reasons). It suggeted:

  ·  Primary / Secondary

  ·  Main / Replica

  ·  Leader / Follower

  ·  Controller / Worker

  ·  Host / Device

  ·  Parent / Child

I am not happy with any of them (Main ok but Replica less). As a native English speakers feel free to suggest a pair that replace Master and Slave.

Will,

For some reason, at some point because I tested it, ground call thread ended when SRSL-PSX was started ahead of PSX (or ahead of PSX server). I made a change and it looks ok on my side but for the moment start PSX server first and only then SRSL-PSX. It should be ok for you.

That's it for now,

Cheers,

[Hardy Heinlin]

How about "server and client" :-)

[Avi]

I don't know. It doesn't sound right (server is a big word for this).

[B747-400]

Hi Avi

If client / server sounds too big, it could be "main and remote".

Btw. did you see my posting https://aerowinx.com/board/index.php?msg=85798?

A string with the number of files to play would save network traffic and also make it easier for a text generator to build the string to display. Our programs can just loop through the numbers and play the files or build the string.

If you prefer single network messages for each file, some kind of "last file" marker would be great, just to know when no more data is expected right now and the text message can be displayed.

Some of the messages, for example "ON 25C", will be shown in green after entering, and in yellow/amber after remaining on the rwy for a longer time. Therefore, some kind of indicator whether it is an announcement or a warning would be excellent. The tool could then display the text in the correct color.

I started developing the tool in the meantime. The first (fake) tests in the sim looked really great and promising.

Cheers
Hans

[Gary Oliver]

Avi,

Perfect, master/slave AND addon messages... love it :-)

Cheers
G

[Hardy Heinlin]

In PSX I could implement a "free text" message option for add-ons that displays SRSL messages on the ND – similar to the EICAS free text option that I added already.

I just need a sample picture of the ND with such a message so I can see what font size and text position is required. Of course, I would then add another Qs code for the network for the text string and color.


|-|ardy

[B747-400]

That would be excellent! Thanks Hardy!

I found some videos, where we can see RAAS messages, and how they apperar. Links sorted best quality first, pointing to correct scene.

https://youtu.be/3H7mSxmzjbA?t=1504

https://youtu.be/3H7mSxmzjbA?t=1541

https://youtu.be/ojInWdxwlFI?t=1429

https://youtu.be/qWDJhjkiNIw?t=1729

I found no information about which font is used. It's most likely a custom font from Honeywell. However, all the pictures I found look very similar.



BR
Hans

[Hardy Heinlin]

Thanks. I see, the text isn't a vector graphic; it's a pixel raster directly painted on the terrain raster image (that the EGPWS sends to the ND via the weather radar image data bus), so it appears and disappears gradually with the 180° raster image sweeps, and the text moves and turns with the terrain image.


|-|

[B747-400]

I noticed that too. Apparently there are different options for customers. I found some information saying that the text is only displayed when the terrain is displayed, but I'm not sure if that applies in all cases.

BR Hans

[Avi]

Hi Hans,
Of course I read your post, I'm just "limited" and take things one at a time 
No doubt displaying the messages on the ND is better than the EICAS messages but for now let's wait and see what Hardy will come with.

You are right (twice). It is better to send over the network just one "long" string and not each part of it and this is what I will do.

I found some information saying that the text is only displayed when the terrain is displayed

Right again and it is implemented in SRSL-PSX. You will not see the EICAS messages unless one of the terrain display is ON.


Gary,

You didn't read carefully my post   . Master/Slave is way NO GO. I will use Hans's suggestion: Main and Remote.

Just to let you know (for your PSX Sounds): the structure of a call string is: nXX;XX;XX;XX;XX;... (';' exists at the end).

n (the first char) can be:
  * 0: normal volume
  * 6: lower volume. 6dB should be subtracted from the normal volume
  * 3: increase volume: 3dB should be added to the normal volume

The rest is the file name without the '.wav'.


Hardy,

Thanks, great idea. Here is a picture I have as an example:

 

There are two ccolors for messages: green for routine calls (and "RAAS OK" maintenance message) and amber for all the rest.

Cheers,

[macroflight]

In the software frame I will add a panel named "Multi PC setup" (could be in one place or shared cockpits all over the world) and in it there will be three radio buttons and the options will be (selection only when not connected to PSX):

Your idea should work fine in shared cockpit. We will then run one "active" SRSL and multiple "passive" ones. Or possibly one active SRSL and then use Gary's PSXSounds to play the sounds since we already use that addon.

Since I'm trying to automate my sim startup as far as possible, it would be nice if (maybe this is already the case) the config file contains all options (active/passive, PSX IP, PSX port, ...) as well as an option to automatically connect to PSX on startup.

regards,

// Macroflight

[B747-400]

Hi Avi,

yes, we're waiting to see what Hardy comes up with. There can't be a better external solution than a native one.

I'm looking forward to the new feature. Let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Cheers
Hans

[Avi]

Hi,

Here is the future frame (when not connected to PSX):



Everything is saved in the ini file. When you start SRSL-PSX, you get your last setting (including the connection state however note to start SRSL-PSX after PSX as there is a problem in current version).

Cheers,

[Chris Stanley]

Thank you so much Avi.

[Avi]

Hi,

V b0.3 is up.

In this version:
* When starting SRSL-PSX before PSX, there were problems with ground calls. Hopefully fixed.
* Multi PC setup added. As already mentioned it has 3 options:
  * Off: SRSL-PSX acting stand alone.
  * Main: SRSL-PSX does everything but playing the audio files. Instead, it sends the network a play command.
  * Remote: SRSL-PSX does nothing except playing the audio files. It doesn't even register the CDU. It does use its own gender and audio volume offset.

The message Main sends and Remote reads is:
addon=SRSL;PLAY_CALL;nXX;XX;XX;XX;...
where n is volume offset and it can be:
* 0 for normal volume
* 6 for reduction of the volume by 6dB
* 3 for increasing the volume by 3dB
XX is the name of the audio file without ".wav"

To install the new version just download it and replace the old jar file.

Will,
Please tell me everything is ok on your side now.

Cheers,

[Will]

Hi Avi,

The newest version fixed the problem for me. I'm hearing the call on the ground now.

Thanks again, this is a great addition!

Will

[Hardy Heinlin]

Regarding the text message on the ND: I'll have to make a small cosmetic compromise. If I draw the text directly on the terrain raster image, the text will be pixelated and illegible because the resolution of that raster is too low for such things. So I'll draw the text in an extra layer above the raster in sharp vector graphics, so it will be sharp as all other text objects on the ND. But the text will not sweep and not move with the raster but stay in the center of the ND where it's usually located on the real ND.


|-|ardy

[Hardy Heinlin]

Hi Avi,

these are the longest messages, right?

LONG-LAND-INOP
FLAPS-MON-INOP

They are 14 characters long. So I guess it's OK if I set the max input length to 16?

Edit: I set max 24; that fills the width of the ND and it's a good number :-) (same limit as on the CDU)


Question 2:
In your manual I've read the conditions that remove the message from the ND. One of the conditions is the ND range change. This condition is applied to all messages. So would it help if I implement this condition directly in PSX to assure the text will blank promptly whenever the terrain image blanks? You know, when the ND range is changed, all the ND objects blank promptly without delay. There may be a delay if the blanking is controlled via network. Let me know what you think. Your decision :-)


Regards,

|-|ardy