Cannot get th2go to work.

[Drewsta]

Hi guys , this is my first real post here and its a cry for help. I have come over to this forum as I believe the experience in here is at a better level for the help I need.

My problem is I cannot seem to setup the Th2go with my brandnew projectors. Wether i'ts a resolution issue or a software/hardware issue, I am unsure.

My setup.

Core I5 760 @2.8ghz
4 gig ram
2x ATI 5670 1GIG GPU'S
350gig HDD
Windows XP Home 32bit SP3
750 watt PSU
fs9 running LevelD767
3 x Benq 811ST wxga (1280x800) native widescreen projectors
th2go  digital edition

My problem.

I attached a DUAL LINK DVI  "cable with all the pins" To the 1st GPU and also to the TH2go box. I attached a usb cable from computer to the th2go box. Connected up all 3 projectors and started the computer. The middle projector shows the windows desktop, the left shows the benq logo etc, then nothing, the right keeps the benq logo up and says no sinal. I then ran the cd and loaded the software and followed the prompts. The computer reognised everything and gave me all the green ticks and asked me to restart. The computer srestarts normally nd the desktop comes up at 1280x1024 and looks good. The matrox software completes the install and says finished. I then right click properties and choose 3840 x 1024 for monitor 1, which says its the th2go on the ati5670. the screen changes and all projectors come alive and quickly say resolution 640 x 800 and all screens just have distorted horizontal lines across all screens and then i can't make out anything on the desktop. I also went to the matrox site and found that my GPU's can handle 3 x 1280 x 1024 resolution no problem and i have the green ticks from their software saying that its all compatible with my system. I have just spent close to $10,000 on this sim and the most important part I just can't seem to get to work.

When I first tried to set t all up, admittedly I was using a standard DVI cable, not a DUAL LINK. I am now using a DUAL link cable and it still doesnt work. I updated the matrox software from their site and that hasn't helped.

I am now lost. I have a 15000 dollar brown elephant sitting in my garage that I can't use and I can't tell you how heartbreaking that is right now.

If anybody has experienced this before or could perhaps shed some light on what I may be doing wrong, I would be forever grateful.

Thankyou in advance
Drew

[jackpilot]

Has to be a way...
Someone here will pop in.
We will make your Elephant a happy camper...
Guys..!!!

[Drewsta]

Thanks for the welcome Jack, nice to be here, I'm sure we'll bump brains and get it working somehow, I'm just slighly out of my depth now, so I am looking towards the SIMGODS for guidance.

Thanks again.

Drew

[Nat Crea]

GDay Drew its Nat here...

For a start , select 3840 X 800...no point selecting x 1024...selecting a higher rez
than your projectors is pointless and actually looks worse.

Second...I hate ATI...but thats my problem 

3rd...From memory in WinXP, you have to add 3840X800 to your Matrox config thingy box first (?)

Youll get it...

Nat

[ivar hestnes]

Yes, in the Matrox powerdesk software, there is a list where you can select up to 5 resolutions. The list is tricky to find, but you will find it when you search for it.

Set a mark for the 3840x800 resolution in that list.
Then you will be able to run your elephant at its proper resolution

[Drewsta]

Thankyou for the replies guys. I'll try and change the resolution to that 3840x800 tonight. I do happen to have a "zotac"nvidia GTX275 and 8800gt that I could use for the sim instead of the Ati cards. Would they run the sim better? I'm guessing they probably would. I have always been an Nvidia fan, these ATI cards came with the computer. That may have to be my next move if this next step does not work.

Some good news though, my 747FMC arrived from FDS today and looks fantastic! I'll send some screenshots etc through when i can. Also 767 yoke from ace should be close now too!

I'll keep you posted on how it all goes.

Drew

[Drewsta]

Hi all, I just tried to set the 1280x 800 in the matrox setup and its not available? I checked the matrox website and it says the ATI 5670 is compatible and can have up to 3 x 1280x1024. Infact there is not much available to me at all. This is obviously where the problem lies. I have taken some screen shots to show you what i see.

Cheers
Drew

[carlos hermida]

Hi,

   Maybe  you can try this below as I had the same problem like you...

  I was never able to use my  Matrox TH2GO using those  DVI output or input connections for my setup  and the only way that worked for me was using all three output display connections with three  DVI to VGA adapters for outputs  and using the VGA input to connect to PC.
Then you only need to select the resolution that your displays or projectors  support in windows display resolution.

     It is working for me after that without any problem...

     In my case it only worked using VGA cables for all connections  but you can try first to use only the input vga to see if works....if not connect all with VGA cables and should work.

BR

[Drewsta]

Hey Carlos, I do have DVI-VGA adapters for all three projectors. I was under the impression that I needed a Dual Link DVI cable from the PC to the TH2GO box? I could try vga adapters on both ends of the Dual link DVI cable. That seems like a backward step though, im unsure.

Drew

[ivar hestnes]

Drew, it looks to me that you still have not found the list. None of your pictures is showing the list where you select up to 5 resolutions. It has to be done or you will not get your resolution. I think you need to look harder in the powerdesk software. The list is not so obvious to find...  I will make a screenshot later today if you still have not found it.

[Drewsta]

Ok Ivar , thanks , I'll go have another look

Drew

[Drewsta]

Ivar, I not sure wether or not I found your list but i did managed to save the setting somewhere so that it now appears in the box as you can see in the pics. Unfortunately it says that its not supported with my graphics card, yet the ATI HD 5670 has a Dual link DVI port?? Matrox website says that my graphics cards are compatible for that resolution.

Maybe I should be looking at putting in the Nvidia GTX 275 and 8800GT??

Drew

[ivar hestnes]

Hmmm... it looks like you have found the setting I was talking about, but not 100% sure.

But just discovered that you are using two gfx cards. How is these set up? SLI or is the computer running more than three screens? Could have something to do with it. You using teamviewer?

Sending a PM to you...

[Drewsta]

Ivar, yes 2 x HD 5670 not SLI/crossfire and running 3 screens only, as the captains panel has a splitter cable for the FO. I will download that software so you can have a look if you like.

Cheers
Drew

[Trevor Hale]

Just one other thing to check Drew..  I am sure you have already checked this..

But With my tripple head to go, I remember that the matrox documentation made it explicitly clear that you use the cable they provide from the PC to the TH2go.  I know you stated that you have used a cable with all the pins, but I happen to think they have a propritary cable between the pc and the th2go.

Is there any way you can move the th2go to the pc, and use their short cable (that comes with) to test the unit?  I knwo that may be a pain in the a$$ but just another thought.

Trev

[astron]

Trevor is correct, if you are using a long dvi cable,you will get no signal on your monitors or projectors,i know this for a fact, i wanted to move the triple head to go,farther away from the computer and i used a regular 6 ft cable and had no signal but to one monitor, for whatever reason you have to use the short little cable provided with the triplehead to go and it works fine. good luck

Tom

[Bob Reed]

Sounds to me like Trevor is right. There is something that the TH2Go is looking for that is not present in a regular cable. It probably has to do with keeping the connection from the computer short so they are not working with a weak signal inside the TH2Go. My guess.

[ivar hestnes]

Have been helping Drew through teamviewer, and the problem was first that it was not possible at all to set the reolution through the powerdesk software. Only native "bios" resolution was working. After a software update, we successfully set the resolution.

So now the computer show the desktop correct in 3840x800. But to get it out to the projectors, the matrox cable must be installed. Looking fwd to see how it goes after he swap the cables 

[carlos hermida]

    So, that´s why I never was able to use my MATROX DVI input as my PC is connected 5 meters away from matrox . I never tried with the short matrox cable... 

    Ivar, do you think that I will note any image quality improvement using the matrox DVI input with this short cable?

   

[Trevor Hale]

LOL...  We all learn the hard way don't we?  ROFL..  Oh well..  if all else fails RTFM ha ha ha..

[Maurice]

If anyone needs long DVI-D cables (or other cables), here is a very good seller on e-bay with reasonable prices. I bought 25' cables from him and I am very happy with them.
http://myworld.ebay.com/cmplefree/?_trksid=p4340.l2559

Maurice

[ivar hestnes]

    So, that´s why I was never able to use my MATROX DVI input as my it is connected 5 meters away fro my setup and never I tried with the short matrox cable 

    Ivar, do you think that I will note any image quality improvement using the matrox DVI input with this short cable?

   

Hi Carlos 

Well, if you have quality issues on your screens, it should defo improve with using the original Matrox cable. Even if it is short... (Size does not always matter, lol).

What kind of quality issues do you have?

[carlos hermida]

Hi Ivar,

   For now I am very happy with my visual setup using 3 x 32" LED tv's with resolution of 3840x720. Using this LED tv's it really shows  bright colours including real night flight feeling.What  I mean is that black is black at night and not dark grey colour as it was with my "old" 26 LCD from my first project. 

   ...and back to my question, what I mean is if I use TH2GO DVI input I could see any improvement that really justify to review my VGA setup, of course using the same resolution.
I have done some quick tests when working on my visual setup testing VGA and then DVI and for my eyes I didn't note any visible improvement but for sure that have or they didn't had include this DVI outputs on all new systems...

I am  sure that running DVI D with 5040 will give the better image quality with this tv's but I am afraid about frames in FSX...
   

[ivar hestnes]

Carlos... you basically answered yourself here

If your image quality is crisp and you are happy, no need to do anything, but if you want to run higher resolutions, you need to change the cable and upgrade to DVI/HDMI cables all the way as the VGA will not do. Higher resolution = lower frame rates  And higher resolution on relatively small screens, will not neccessary improve the overall quality afterall...

[Drewsta]

Hey guys, just a quick update to where I am at the moment. Ivar has been helping me with the Th2go setup and with some troubleshooting we have it up and running. Thankyou Ivar! The software did need to be updated and most definatelty use the cable supplied by matrox, alot of you were right about that one:)

I am very close now but still running into problems. I have the screens up, Fwdleft,Fwd,Fwdright and although not quite lined up, it's starting to look the picture. I will have to make some ajustments with the projectors and distance later. Warping wouldn't happen with the Fly Elise-ng warping software and after conversing with the guys there we may have solved that issue with a directx9c update, just waiting to see.

Before I do that , I need to fix another snag! Something very interesting is now happenening with my Leveld767 aircraft. When I have Fs9 in windowed mode I set the aircraft at the gate with aircraft cold and dark and save that flight. I click the battery switch on the overhead and watch the mip screens, i hear the audible click of the battery switch and see the correct parts of the panels on the mip come alive. I switch it off, they go off, all good. I then choose the top down view and over the top undock 3 outside views as discussed. I choose fullscreen view and it all spreads out across all 3 projectors and looks great (not warped yet though). Once again I click the battery switch and the mips show the battery is coming on and off still and the overhead is working properly, the flap lever makes the correct noises etc, all good because its all working as it should. The problem is when i save THAT as a flight either in windowed mode or fullscreen. I choose save flight, rename that scenario and save that flight. When I reselect that flight in windowed mode the flight comes up showing all the views on the forward projector. I have to select the mip panels and undock them and they fly away to their correct screens then I go to fullscreen. The views now go out to all three projectors and everything looks sweet. Now when i click the battery switch I hear the audible click and nothing happens! I bring up the overhead and it seems to be stuck in limbo or something. Buttons and switches work but their states don't change. The duct pressure gauge is frozen etc. If I reselect another flight from before without 3 undocked views it all starts working again. The panels seem to stop working after I save a flight with 3 undocked views.

Is there a procedure that i should be following when saving flights etc.?

Thanks again for your help guys, outstanding:)

Drew