Flashing CDU's

[Sam Llorca]

Hello guys, I need some help with flashing cdu's, lol, yes flasing cdu's, it started like two months ago, I was hoping the problem will go away the same way it came, by itself, but no luck they still flashing, I think I should move them to the wingtips and use them as strobe lights instead, Well if anyone have a solution for it please let me know, I updated the video drivers and still doing the same thing, here is a link to the video, any sugestion will be greatly appreciated, Thanks.

B737-800 full motion simulator

[Garys]

As it is happening to both units it suggests that the problem is not with the units themselves. Thats a good thing. How do you have the fmc's hooked up? Are they directly to the computer or through a usb hub. If through a hub try a direct connection to test. Is there a certain time when they start to flash like when the atc window is open? Try lowering the brightness a little on each one as well and see if that helps. Honestly not to sure what would cause it but its probably something simple. Hopefully anyway.

Gary

[HarryZ]

Hi Sam,

Almost looks like some kind of mini power surge. Check the power supply to the units if you can.

Harry

[XOrionFE]

My guess is that you have a video card issue.  Either a bad driver (try updating) or maybe your video settings.

Scott

[Sam Llorca]

Thank you guys for your comments and suggestions, I will try all of them,  wish me luck., cheers!

[blueskydriver]

Hi Sam,

Depending on which version of Windows you have, you need to go to contorl panel and add/remove programs or even Windows Update icon, and then look at the list of any updates back to the two months you mentioned. So, whatever is listed at that point will let you know what could be a problem with an update(s).

However, it might not be an update if you're not doing them. Thus, you need to go to Start>Accessories>System Tools>Restore, and then do a restore. You will be shown a calendar and you choose the point you'd like to use. Now, you can move back to previous months by using the little back pointer on the top left of the calendar; go back to a point (date) where this started or somewhere close to it. Most likely you will only see "System Check Points" unless you made some restore points yourself.

While going back through the calendar look for anything that doesn't say system control point. If you find any, note what they are about, they might say update for "whatever the name" program. So, you noted them, now select the date right before you believe when it started. Let Restore do its thing, and then fire up the sim/cdu and see if they flash? If not, you can look at your list or the calendar again to determine if anything has be updated or changed since that point.

Try a restore again, but move forward through the list repeating the restore process for each named point (not each system created control point). You'll have to check the CDU after each restore to see if they flash. Once you discover what program is the root, you'll have narrowed it down to know what needs fixed. Although if you have no named control points (based on a program or update). You could leave the restore back at the date right before it happened and you're good.

If you prefer to set the control point back to today, that's fine, just restore back to today. Of course that means you'll have to troubleshoot beginning with the FDS program or driver and etc, etc to find the problem... Assuming it is software, if it is hardware, you need to try what Scott, Harry and Gary suggests, if you haven't already...

John

[Garys]

Given the custom nature of Sam's sim and the issues he's had in the past I would not advise doing a system restore.
I would try Scott's suggestion and re installing the cdu drivers/sim avionics cdu software first.
Gary

[Sam Llorca]

I'll be affraid to try system restore, I'm using Windows 7 Ultimate OS, one in a while I do get automatic updates, should I turn off Windows updates?? after all the problems we went thru with my original PC's, I rebuild my system with new SSD's etc, is working like a dream, is just the CDU's, Thank you John for your advise but I will try Scott's, Harry's and Gary's first, then I'll try something else, meanwhile I have a towel to cover them while fying, lol. Best Regards,

[blueskydriver]

Hi Sam,

You shouldn't fear System Restore because that is the beauty of it. You can go back and forth try things, but yet bring it back to where it once was. Either way, I would suggest you not fly your sim until the flasing CDU's are resolved because you must be sending a full load of power in order for the light to be so intense; therefore, that surge could/will do damage to the actual monitors within the CDU's themselves.

As for windows updates, you could go either way. On one hand, windows updates work if you use your computer for other programs and you use it to connect to the internet; on the other hand, if you only use the computer for the sim and nothing else, then avoid windows updates. In other words, if it ain't broke don't fix it...or update.

Furthermore, this is what leads me to believe that you had an update and it affected your computer; unless, you installed another program, it will more than likely be the updates. With W7 updates you'll even get video card drivers pushed to the computer via the update process. I just had some automatic updates on my non-sim computer and the updates had a Nvidia update that was Windows related, so the driver changed and now that computer's display settings keep changing on its own. There are two monitors connected too it, but it'll switch one of them off, and then I have to go and do a detect to turn it back on... So, I plan to undo that update.

If you did not change anything hardware wise, like connected/disconnected a usb hub or unplugged/replugged it's power source, you should have no issues with it. By the way, the CDU's are powered via USB cables, so that means the place they're plugged into (hub or computer) could be having a problem with the proper power feeds or their assignments in the Device Manager has gotten screwed up because of the updates. In the old days computers used IRQs for assignments, but today it is different, but the same, so a resequence of the assignments will do this. An example is if you unplugged stuff and plugged it back in, FSUIPC might not see them in the same order as they were assigned. It's not a FSUIPC fault, it is because Windows assigns the USB devices based on when they're plugged in.

Finally, in my best opinion, you should go into System Restore and look at the calendar and see the restore points. You will see that there will be titles that W7 OS even made for you when it did do an update. You do not have to select the point(s) or go through with the restore, you just hit cancel. This way you can narrow it down a bit. Additionally, you need to go into control panel, and then go to Programs and Features, on the left hand side of the window you will see "View Installed Updates". Click that and a list will be shown of all the updates; look at all those listed for the past two months or when the issue began, and now see if you notice anything to do with the video card or video card drivers, as well as just look over the others... Don't worry about doing this as it will not change anything whatsoever.

John

[Sam Llorca]

Thank you John, I will take your advise, you are very knowledgeable and your input is very important to me, I will not be doing anything to it until next week, I just purchase a c-182 and I'm spending a lot of time at the airport, but I will make some changes and I let you know the results.
Best,!!

[Bob Reed]

Hey Sam, any update on this issue? We are due a phone chat!

[Sam Llorca]

Yes we are Bob, where have you been hiding? Just kidding I know you are busy. No changes, still flashing!!!

[Bob Reed]

Yes we are Bob, where have you been hiding? Just kidding I know you are busy.

To be honest Sam, I have not been away or busy I have been hiding..... But I am trying to get back.

[Sam Llorca]

Me too. Call me tomorrow after lunch if you can, take care my friend.

[Bob Reed]

Me too. Call me tomorrow after lunch if you can, take care my friend.

Talk to ya then!

[Sam Llorca]

Hi all, just want to wish you a very happy new year and also to tell you that I try all of your recommendations and I still have flashing CDU's. Ho well maybe next year it will get fix, wish you guys the best and don't eat to much, lol.

Cheers,

[iwik]

Hi Sam,
Been reading about your problems and seeing suggestions and your reluctance to try things
and i fully understand as you have a really complex system. Do you Image your pc's. What
i mean here do you save an image of all of your PC'S. You should and then the fear should
subside. Ive done this in recent years as i have found FSX can do some nasty things and have
had to reinstall everything. I am configuring my system bit by bit at the moment and when im satisfied all is good then an Image is taken.
Just a thought, i would hate to see some offering really mess up your PC.

Seasons Greeting also and hope you find Resolution Soon
Les

[Sam Llorca]

Hi Less, I do have an image of the avionics pc, I have tried installing new video drivers, I have updates off , also did system restore to the date we last did some changes on the system, I don't want to go further back on that date because I may loose some upgrade done by Steve FDS and he really worked hard on it. Also updated the CDU drivers, next on my list is to exchange video cards since there are 3 boards on it, I did lowered the brightness, tried it with atc windows closed, every trick I know, my last stop is to exchange the video cards but I'm too lazy to open the computer, I will try different board's output first, thank you so much for your help, I'll keep you posted.

[Maurice]

Sam,

Here is a thought about something you could easily try without disturbing anything. If you have a spare low end PC with one or two VGA outputs, you could load the SimA software and just run one or two CDUs from that PC. This way, it could help you really isolate the problem without disturbing your main SimA server.

Anyway, this is what I would do if I were you

Maurice

[Sam Llorca]

Great idea Maurice, I will try that next, thank you, cheers.

[Sam Llorca]

Hello friends!  Happy new year!!  Well I had a few days to play around with my CDU's  and they still flashing, I connected the CDU's on a different video output and still flash, then I
Reconnected them to two different video boards and still flashing, double checked connection to CDU's  and power supplies everything looks to be in order, any other comment or suggestions will be greatly appreciated, thanks.

[saabpilot]

Hi Sam,

Looked at your video.
It could be that you have got an update from SimA that has a bug ?
Try to revert to an earlier build for the CDU.

The units at least seems to be OK.

Bjorn

[Sam Llorca]

Thank you, Bjorn, I'll try that, even tho I have the latest drivers from SIM-A.  Cheers.

[Maurice]

Hello friends!  Happy new year!!  Well I had a few days to play around with my CDU's  and they still flashing, I connected the CDU's on a different video output and still flash, then I
Reconnected them to two different video boards and still flashing, double checked connection to CDU's  and power supplies everything looks to be in order, any other comment or suggestions will be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Sam,

I'm not sure if you did what I suggested. Did you actually load SimA on a different PC altogether and connect the CDU(s) to that PC or did you just connect the CDUs to different video cards/outputs on the same SimA server PC where they are connected now?

Maurice

[Sam Llorca]

Hi Mau, no I didn't use a separate computer. I use different video cards and reset the windows on the same pc.