PM MCP

[Bob Reed]

I have plenty of room on the NAS. This is a great idea.

[Bob Reed]

I mis spoke. Not fixed...... Out of ideas.

[blueskydriver]

Hey Bob,

I am working at getting out too the sim room... Just a few questions, and remember at this point I am not running Xplane yet, but when you run FSX and PM without the FSC MCP plugged in, does PM MCP virtual MCP work as normal?

Next, if the FSC hardware is working with PM MCP in FSX as normal, when physically connected or not, but not working when in virtual with FSU unconnected in Xplane, it makes me think that you either have offset issues or FSUIPC/XUIPC issues to WideFS. However, you say that some buttons are working, but the wrong things are happening.

Therefore, please link me to offsets you're using for XUIPC. I will look at those, as well as see how XUIPC works with Xplane10. I will look at other things as well, but may I suggest this, have you plugged and unplugged hardware, then plugged it back in while trying too solve this?

I ask because it could be that somehow the port numbers or joystick numbers are getting rearranged, and then even though you have the FSU MCP unplugged, settings or activity could be coming from something else. The only way to truly know is unplug everything, except the keyboard and mouse, then run the all PM software with the XUIPC and Xplane 10 too see if it will work normally. If it does, you start with one piece of hardware at a time, and I suggest it be the FSU MCP.

Lastly, when you thought it was working correctly on Wednesday, were you able to use it normally, with no other issues at that time? What changed it back too non-working? I will Skype with you shortly to find out more; I am asking the above questions and even though they may seem very basic to you, please don't take them wrong. I am trying to catch up to you.

John

[Bob Reed]

Hey Bob,

I am working at getting out too the sim room... Just a few questions, and remember at this point I am not running Xplane yet, but when you run FSX and PM without the FSC MCP plugged in, does PM MCP virtual MCP work as normal?

Next, if the FSC hardware is working with PM MCP in FSX as normal, when physically connected or not, but not working when in virtual with FSU unconnected in Xplane, it makes me think that you either have offset issues or FSUIPC/XUIPC issues to WideFS. However, you say that some buttons are working, but the wrong things are happening.

Therefore, please link me to offsets you're using for XUIPC. I will look at those, as well as see how XUIPC works with Xplane10. I will look at other things as well, but may I suggest this, have you plugged and unplugged hardware, then plugged it back in while trying too solve this?

I ask because it could be that somehow the port numbers or joystick numbers are getting rearranged, and then even though you have the FSU MCP unplugged, settings or activity could be coming from something else. The only way to truly know is unplug everything, except the keyboard and mouse, then run the all PM software with the XUIPC and Xplane 10 too see if it will work normally. If it does, you start with one piece of hardware at a time, and I suggest it be the FSU MCP.

Lastly, when you thought it was working correctly on Wednesday, were you able to use it normally, with no other issues at that time? What changed it back too non-working? I will Skype with you shortly to find out more; I am asking the above questions and even though they may seem very basic to you, please don't take them wrong. I am trying to catch up to you.

John

At this point I am not using any hardware on the MCP just the PM software. So when I say push a button it is with the mouse and not a real button. I will explain more when we talk. Skype? I will need my laptop. On my way to get it. Do you have my Skype name?

[blueskydriver]

Send me your Skype name please...

John

[blueskydriver]

Hey Everyone,

Hopefully, Bob will post soon about his MCP issues and how the two us had a lot of fun over the telephone trying to determine what the problem was. So far, he believes we got it fixed; although, I am crossing my fingers, because we're talking PM here. Not bashing PM at all, it's just Enrico will fix things and forget to tell us how to use the changes.

For example, Dynamic Pitch F settings, which can be found by going to your virtual MCP screen, putting your mouse over the top center of the left EFIS until the word options appears, and then you click on that word to make an check box dialog window showup. There you will find the millicycle settings that go from 20-100 (50-70 is the range PM says to use). You can also find these settings in the mcp.ini file.

In the dialog window, you will also see the Bank Factor, where you set the bank factor, not bank angle limits (so don't get confused), and you'll see a Pitch Factor, which works like the Bank Factor. You use these three items to resolve the oscillations problems known to happen for some users. Next, you will see a Dynamic Pitch Factor F and under that a Dynamic Pitch High Low where you can set values for the high and low of the dynamic pitch factor F. Are you still with me?

The point is, by changing these settings you can or might get the oscillations to stop, even in Xplane as Bob is doing. You will have to pull out your "I got a lot of patience for this" hat and sit there making small changes to one item at a time, untill you get the oscillations to stop. Mind you that means you only do one change, not three or four; that means you go through the millicycle rate say by a incremental value of 5 or 10 from 20-100 to see if the problem gets resolved. If not, put the millicycle back to the default value and start incrementally changing the pitch factor (if pitch oscillations only) and bank factor (if bank oscillations only), or adjust both if you got oscillations in both factors.

If you get the bank oscillations to stop, but not the pitch, that is where you start changing the dynamic pitch F High Low values incrementally, until the problem is fixed. Oh, by the way, you must have the simulator program running and with the aircraft in the air paused, with the AP turned off, you then make a change in the above settings, and then you come back to the aircraft, unpausing the simulator program, re-engaging the AP to give it a try. That try means, let the aircraft fly a bit, engage the AP, see if the oscillations occur or not, and if they do repeat the entire process.

If the oscillations stop once you find a happy setting, don't assume it's fixed. You must fly the aircraft again, changing altitudes, changing headings, changing speeds, and then the joke of wash, rinse and repeat...lol. Seriously, if the oscillations do stop, tryout all phases of a flight using the AP/MCP, and if you dialed it in correctly leave it alone and never update PM again...uh, okay...lol...you can update, but you might be surprised as to what you get...sometimes great and sometimes not so great!

Good Luck,

John

[Bob Reed]

Well.. I did not want to say anything until the sim slept over night and got woke up today. So I got home from work, went to the sim and started it all up. Well all my changes where still in place!  Ok put the plane on runway 10 at KROC setup the MCP released the breaks and headed down the runway. N1, yup holding V1 Rotate, ok climbing. Gear up.... Clean up the plane climbing nice.. Here we go engage the autopilot.... Aircraft followed all my commands perfectly. No oscillations.... Ok lets head back towards the airport. Lets slow back down, so far so good..... flaps, gear.. Still too fast, boards... Aircraft is under 200knts (John will know what that means) Aircraft is still flying perfectly. Ok autopilot off and down for the landing.. WOW!!!!! I landed! IT WORKS!!!! John I can not thank you enough for putting up with me on the phone trying to figure this all out! Now I can continue work on the sim. LOTS to do but I am putting aplan together now that I can fly the thing.....

[Bob Reed]

It took lots of messing with the timing, but I have it pretty close. It is very flyable now. I may have a few little tweaks as I go but I have now flown several flights with Lnav and Vnav so this part of the aircraft is complete. Next step, fix the yoke (Teensy) and start the structure. Now how do I get the wood all here....

[Bob Reed]

So today I accidentally lost all my changes to the MCP... Now i have to start all over..... ACK!!!!!!