Calibrate Input devices in PSX

[B744-Simmer]

Hello Forum,


is there a way to calibrate USB input devices like throttles except for setting up the Neutral position (Preferences -> USB) ?
For example two of my four throttle-levers give a positive 1000 and the other two a negative 1000 value when in the fully forward position and vice versa.

And I have not found a way to bind the Flaps lever to the Flaps, just key strokes for gradually up and down.


Thanks for any answer in advance.

Best regards

[Hardy Heinlin]

Hello Simmer,

in the USB section of PSX there are no options to reverse the axis values, nor to assign axis values to flap lever positions. PSX focusses more on TCP/IP for reliable and precise hardware interfaces, especially for the bigger sims. USB cannot provide this quality (how should the A/T servo move via USB anyway?). But if there is a big demand for axis reversal and a flap lever axis via USB, I might consider making an update later this year. Nevertheless, I still recommend to use the TCP/IP interface instead of USB.


Regards,

|-|ardy

[ahaka]

Uh oh... I would probably need an axis reversal function as my elevator axis and brake pedals are usually reversed in other sims... They are all USB.

Is there anything I can do to make them usable?

[Hardy Heinlin]

You could reverse the wires :-)

[ahaka]

Yeah I know, but if you knew my system you'd know it's a job to avoid at all costs.

[JRBarrett]

I have CH rudder/brake pedals. I have to reverse the left and right brake axis in both FSX and X-Plane. (Otherwise the brakes would be locked "on" when the pedals are not depressed.) Interestingly, the brakes work correctly in PSX, despite the lack of a reversal function.

[garys]

But if there is a big demand for axis reversal and a flap lever axis via USB, I might consider making an update later this year.


Regards,

|-|ardy

+1 for this. Ive read the documentation over and over and honestly I don't even now where or how to start writing Q values to the network. I turn nuts and bolts for a living and despite my best efforts I have to concede that this is over my head.

[Will]

JRBarrett (and others), I've had the same experience you've had. I've tested nine different USB devices with PSX (including the CH Products rudder/brake pedals), with a total altogether of some 30+ axes and 350+ buttons, and so far all of the axes have been interpreted correctly.

This is of course with a Mac, which usually doesn't run the special configuring software that manufacturers provide for Windows.

So one suggestion comes to mind: if axes are reversed, try again after disabling any software "profile editors" that might be in use.

[ScudRunner]

My Logitech G940 system works very smoothly in PSX.

Except the toe brakes which are reversed (ie locked on). Not a big deal but if axis reversal become an option in a later update of PSX it would be appreciated.

Meantime I will see what workaround can be achieved.

Scud.

[Hardy Heinlin]

To avoid clutter on the USB page: Instead of adding a "REV" checkbox for each axis, I could allow a negative entry in the associated Neutral field: If the value is negative, the axis is reversed. An entry as small as -1 would already be sufficient to reverse the axis. -1 would have no impact on the neutral value itself, as -1 is practically the same as zero.

What kind of neutral function would the flap axis need?


|-|

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

I am not sure you can assume that the flap axis will be linear. It worked that way with GoFlight but that was a severely simplified setup. You may end up with defining center points for the slots, and calculate your switchover points from them. This would mean a comma-separated list for up,1,5,10,20,25,30.

[garys]

Depending on setup -  Hotas etc  the flap axis would definitely be non linear.
We would need to set the min and max values of the pot then we set the individual centre points for the slots as Hoppie suggested or do it like FSUIPC were you set a value on either side of the slot and any value which falls in the middle would move the flaps into that position. Setting the min and max values would tell the software in which direction the flaps lever is heading with the minimum pot value being at flaps up. This would probably require an actual REV checkbox for this axis to work this way instead of using a negative value to reverse the axis.

Although at first it may sound complicated doing it this way, however as an end user it is very simple once you understand what is happening. I can now have all flap positions correctly calibrated in less than 1min in Fsuipc.

[Hardy Heinlin]

If you buy such a USB flap lever axis from the supermarket, how do you set the physical slots for the individual aircraft types? Is there a special plastic profile piece with tactile slots for the 737, and another piece for the 747, etc.? Or are there no tactile slots at all and you turn the lever slowly like a throttle until the next flap position is annunciated?

[garys]

There are usually no slots and from what I have seen, most if not all guys make up decals to replicate the flap positions and then calibrate as mentioned earlier. I will let the owners chime as well but here is a nice example of taking an ordinary Saitek throttle to the next level  
http://www.mycockpit.org/photopost/data/529/throttles9.JPG

[B744-Simmer]

Thanks for all the replies  

I do favor the proposed solution from Hardy Heinlin to enter a negative value (-1) into the 'Neutral'-Box to invert the input-values.
A less elegant workaround would be to use an external tool called "PPJoy", free of charge for non-commercial usage. Then it is possible to create one or more additional virtual joysticks with up to 8 axes, up to 32 Buttons and up to 2 POV hats. Those axes can individually be set to 'Reversed'. Here is a step-by-step guidance with a download link included:

http://wiki.mechlivinglegends.net/index.php?title=PPJoy_for_using_multiple_joysticks

This solution works perfectly with only one of my system-setups with my Saitek X52Pro though. For the bigger simulator with four throttle control PSX does not want to recognize the virtual joystick for whatever reason, that is what I have to figure out next  

I can readily give you a guidance if someone wants to experiment with PPJoy.
There is also another tool available called GlovePIE to setup the boundary values of your joysticks but that did not suit my needs, so I do not recommend this.


Finally I look forward to a solution for the (yet) missing flaps lever.


Best regards

[Stephane LI]

Hello Simmer,

in the USB section of PSX there are no options to reverse the axis values, nor to assign axis values to flap lever positions. PSX focusses more on TCP/IP for reliable and precise hardware interfaces, especially for the bigger sims. USB cannot provide this quality (how should the A/T servo move via USB anyway?). But if there is a big demand for axis reversal and a flap lever axis via USB, I might consider making an update later this year. Nevertheless, I still recommend to use the TCP/IP interface instead of USB.


Regards,

|-|ardy

Please forgive me, but what is the TCP/IP interface and where is it located in PSX ?

Stephane

[John Golin]

It's the 'Network' tab in the Instructor window.

In your Aerowinx install there is a 'Developers' folder which contains some basic information about the network comms, and some example code in Java.

[Ray_CYYZ]

You'll see a Developers directory in your Aerowinx folder

What Hardy is saying is it makes sense to have someone write an external application to do the reading and configuring of the joystick axis as needed then using the PSX TCP/IP interface write to the appropriate variable, which in this case is the 7 position flap lever.

Qh389="FlapLever"; Mode=ECON; Min=0; Max=6;

ie: Instead of fixing the "cart", update the "horse" to a modern "tractor"  :mrgreen:

[JP59]

I tried some takeoff and landings with PSX and my ACE yoke. I flew a PMDG flight model within FSX before with the same hardware. When switching to PSX, I've been immediately surprised by the extreme sensibility of the ailerons at low speed and the relative low sensibility of the elevator. Only some degrees of rotation on the yoke and the airplane takes an important roll rate. This is the contrary with elevator witch needs great amplitude maneuvers. The huge inertia of the airplane on these two axis surprised me also.

Is it a normal comportment of the 747 ? If not, is there a way to change the sensibility of the axis within PSX ?

[GodAtum]

Still trying to get my Saitek pedals to work with brakes. I will try reversing them in the Saitek software.