Hi,I own the Saitek Yoke, throttle quadrant and rudder pedals.I see many people instead of configuring their keys within FS, they configure them through FSUIPC.what is the difference?Thanks!Marc

Hi,I own the Saitek Yoke, throttle quadrant and rudder pedals.I see many people instead of configuring their keys within FS, they configure them through FSUIPC.what is the difference?Thanks!Marc

With the capabilities of FSUIPC you have many more options when it comes to configuring yourcontrols and buttons/switches.With FSUIPC you can assign mulitple functions to the same switch or button, much like the"Mode" switch on some controllers. However, instead of being restricted to 2 or 3 modes,FSUIPC can enable you to create up to 256 "modes".FSUIPC also lets you assign axis and controls to be aircraft-specific. This may seem similarto the "profiles" that you can create with the Saitek software but with FSUIPC the "profile"for a given aircraft is loaded automatically.Back to the multiple "modes". I have the Saitek Pro setup with dual throttle quadrants.I also have an X-45 stick and throttle attached. I fly with the X-45 stick and the Pro throttles.I use buttons on the X-45 throttle and the Pro quadrant switches. I rarely use the yoke.In any case, for several complex aircraft I have created several setups in FSUIPC thatallow me to assign more than 60 functions to the Pro dual throttles 6 double-throw switches.For instance, the A2A B-377. I have created 6 "control sets" that are switched in usingone pair of the quadrant switches. The remaining 10 switches are assigned differentfunctions for each of the 6 "control sets". This is just one way in which FSUIPC cangreatly enhance the functionality of your controls.Attached is the mapping of my controls for the dual Pro throttles. Paul

Paul can you expand on this a little bit? I am not understanding "how" you "switch" between these "modes" with your Saitek.Do you flip a switch on the Saitek, and then the stick suddenly becomes a throttle? Then flip another switch and it becomes a sidestick? How does it all work?

Mace,Look at control Set 0. He is using the right most pair of switches to increment and decrement his control set. Those switches are actually active in all sets as they are his "mode" switches. BTW those switches are momentary push buttons on the throttle quads.

Paul can you expand on this a little bit? I am not understanding "how" you "switch" between these "modes" with your Saitek.Do you flip a switch on the Saitek, and then the stick suddenly becomes a throttle? Then flip another switch and it becomes a sidestick? How does it all work?

Hello Mace,Sargeski has it correct. The upper row represents the throttle quad axis and the detent switch on each axis.The double rows labels Set 0 to Set 5 show assignments for the 5 pairs of switches on the dual quads. The 6 th, right-most pair, is reserved as the switches which change the control set up or down.What I am using is the FSUIPC special commands that can be used to increment or decrementa user definable offset in several different ways. ( offsets 66C0 thru 66FF are user definable )These offsets can trigger "on event" actions when thier content changes and can be readand written by various means.As to my use here, those particular switch codes for offset 66C0 look like this:

12=P0,4,Cx510066C0,x00050001 ;//CONTROL SET INC Max = 5 Step = 113=P0,5,Cx610066C0,x00050001 ;//CONTROL SET DEC Max = 5 Step = 1

My right hand quadrant is Joystick 0 as assigned by FSUIPC. Switches 4 & 5 on that quadrant are the right-most switches ( upper and lower). My left hand quadrant isJoystick 3 (P3 in the codes below, switches 14-19)P0,4 tells FSUIPC to execute the following command when joystick 0, switch 4 is pressed.P0,5 does the same for switch 5.The special command code 0x5100 increments location 66C0 up to a maximum of 5 with a step size of 1.The special command code 0x6100 decrements location 66C0 in the same fashion.Location ( offset ) 66C0 is tested when the remaining switches are pressed, provided theyare coded with the following form: x=B66C0=n where x = line number "n" represents the control set for my implementation. = B66C0= tells FSUIPC to test the contents of B66C0 and if it matches "n", execute the command on that lineHere is the code for all of the top left switch (#14) for all 6 control sets:

0=B66C0=0 P3,14,CM4:19,0 ;//APU Start20=B66C0=1 P3,14,C66363,0 ;//GEN 130=B66C0=2 P3,14,C65580,0 ;//AUTOPILOT MASTER50=B66C0=3 P3,14,CM4:21,0 ;//RADAR ALTIMETER 1 ON/OFF60=B66C0=4 P3,14,CM4:29,0 ;//LANDING LIGHTS EXTEND/RETRACT80=B66C0=5 P3,14,C66127,0 ;//MAGNETO 1 INC

A sample for the second from the left, top switch (#16)

3=B66C0=0 P3,16,CM4:8,1 ;//PRIMER activate when pressed 4=B66C0=0 U3,16,CM4:8,0 ; //primer deactivate on release22=B66C0=1 P3,16,C66365,0 ;//GEN 332=B66C0=2 P3,16,CM4:9,2 ;//OIL XFER FORWARD..62=B66C0=4 P3,16,C66379,0 ;//NAV LIGHTS

I use a combination of the "standard" FSUIPC FSX commands ( C66363, C65580 etc ) and Macro calls ( CM4:19, CM4:21, etc ) to implement various functions.All of these techniques are explained with a fair amount of detail in the FSUIPC documentation.Particularly the PDF files "FSUIPC4 for Advanced Users" (pages 18-20, 31,35 particularly)"List of FSX controls" and "FSUIPC Lua Library".I also make use of LUA plugins to implement some special commands like thethrust reverse function for the A2A B-377 and the display of the "Current Control Set",a LUA window that shows what the switch assignments are for the current control set.It displays for 10 seconds ( or as long as you wish ) when the control set is changed.Using these "advanced" techniques in FSUIPC I am able to pretty much start the A2A B-377 from cold and dark without having to use the mouse and managethe most "labor intensive" functions ( IC Flaps, Cowl Flaps ) without leaving the left seat.As for the axis assignments, I just make these "aircraft specific" in FSUIPC.One could, I suppose, use the above technique to change axis assignments 'on the fly'but that would require a fair amount of addition programming in a LUA plugin. Plus,since FSUIPC reads the axis values constantly, when you switched an axis it wouldtake on the value of the previous assignment until you moved it. Not very practical.By use of the "R" code (repeat) for switches you can cause "axis-like" behavior.That is, continuous movement of something like a trim wheel or autopilot heading knob.The above was my first cut at this sort of programming in FSUIPC and I've also createdprogramming for the A2A P-47 and even the relatively simple J3 Cub so that I onlyhave to use the mouse occasionally. I'm refining my programming as I go and on another aircraft I have 7 control sets,at the moment, giving me effectively 70 programmable switches. This is starting to reacha practical limit for "ease of use". I had to carefully group my switch/set assignments so that all those used for pre-flight and engine start were all adjacent and thoseused infrequently and in flight were grouped together.If you have any further questions, feel free to ask away. :) Paul