Hi all,If you own Cpflight's MCP, fly PMDG's 747X on FSX with FslLabs's driver, and you experience no problem then we need your help !! :)A lot of us experience stutters and micro-pauses that make using the MCP+driver almost impossible, which is a shame considering the price we've paid it. Therefore if you can take 2 minutes of your time to answer to following questions, it might help us find a solution. So we really need you here :) 1) which version of FSX do you run ? (RTM, SP1, SP2, Acceleration)2) Which OS do you run (windows XP, vista, Seven, another ? 32bits ? 64 bits) ?3) did you install FSX in the default directory of did you create your own ?4) did you install FSX as administrator ?5) did you install the driver as administrator ?6) Do you use an antivirus ? if yes which one ?7) Could you give a brief summary of your setup (CPU, mobo, RAM, GPU, rotation speed of your harddrives, or ssd if you have..)8) Do you have other addons (fsuipc, which version,...) ?9) any other ideas or relevant comments are welcome :)On the other hand if some of you DO have stutters or micro-pauses as well, don't hesitate to mention it here and answer the questions. That way we'll be able to estimate which proportion has problems and which hasn't and maybe we'll be able to see an emerging pattern that will help solve the problem.If you experience stutters/micro-pauses with another Fslabs driver and product (engravity CDU...) then please answer as well. All info will help !

no-one using Cpflight's MCP (either the 747 or the 737 versions) with FsLabs driver for FSX around here ?

So really no FSX/PMDG 747X user has ever managed to use this driver without any problems ? All of us users (considering the amount of people who contacted me via PM) have the same problem, and they still dare sell it ?! At that price ?!Please, at least one happy user of the cpflight MCP using Fslabs driver for FSX/PMDG 747X without any problem. Just one who would accept to share info so that we all can move past it ?!

I was thinking to buy this setup but now I will give it another thought.Thanks for sharing your views and I would love to hear from other if they have any other problems.

PM sent Evan.

Strange silence! Sorry, but I hadn't noticed your earlier posts. Yes - I am a happy user of that combination. Although it took me a while to get over the shock of FSLab's price. It is now more expensive due to the exchange rate since I bought it.I will answer seriatim:1) FSX Acceleration.2) Win7 - 64bit3) Avoid 'Program Files' route. Mine is F:\FSX. The driver finds its own way to a dedicated drive. (F for Flightsim)4) Can't recall but available to All users.5) ditto6) No. My 'flying' PC is dedicated to flight simming. It is on internet though, relying on the router's firewall.7) My setup? That's a challenge! I can never remember - mine is bespoke. It's like this:Processor : Intel Core i7 950 @ 3066MHz OCd to 4GHZPhysical Memory : 6144MB (3 x 2048 DDR3-SDRAM )Video Cards : Two NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460Hard Disk : 3 x SSD: C300-CTFDDAC128MAG (128GB)Hard Disk : MARVELL Raid VD 0 SCSI Disk Device (256GB)DVD-Rom Drive : ASUS DRW-1814BLTMonitor Type : Three ViewSonic VP2030 SERIES - 20 inches (SLI linked)Network Card : Intel 82567V-2 Gigabit Network ConnectionOS: Windows 7 Home Premium Home Edition Media Center 6.01.7601 Service Pack 1 (64-bit)DirectX : Version 11.00Windows PI: 7.7 on 7.98) Many. FSUIPC4 full version always updated9) Have a fat cheque book!!!!!I have been completely satisfied with it. The great joy is to be able to operate both my 737 units fully.Hope this helpsFrank

Hi Frank,many thanks for your input. You're the first and only one in months of search. However when you say :

I have been completely satisfied with it. The great joy is to be able to operate both my 737 units fully

what 737 units are you talking about (especially why two) ? If it's Cpflight's 737 MCP you're mentionning, that would be most interesting, as the problem sems to be with the 747 MCP ! All the reports I have are with the 747 MCP. Which would be quite revealing as to how FsLabs worked : they did it for the 737 then when CpFlight created the 747 MCP they didn't even bother to check for compatibility really thoroughly and just sold it like that unashamedly. Anyway...So could you confirm that you are using 1) cpflight's 737 MCP (and if yes which version ? el, pro,...)2) the PMDG 747-400XAnd any other inputs, either happy or unhappy will be appreciated !

Hi Frank,many thanks for your input. You're the first and only one in months of search. However when you say : what 737 units are you talking about (especially why two) ? If it's Cpflight's 737 MCP you're mentionning, that would be most interesting, as the problem sems to be with the 747 MCP ! All the reports I have are with the 747 MCP. Which would be quite revealing as to how FsLabs worked : they did it for the 737 then when CpFlight created the 747 MCP they didn't even bother to check for compatibility really thoroughly and just sold it like that unashamedly. Anyway...So could you confirm that you are using 1) cpflight's 737 MCP (and if yes which version ? el, pro,...)2) the PMDG 747-400XAnd any other inputs, either happy or unhappy will be appreciated !

I have already responded via 'personal conversation' but hadn't realised it was the CPFlight 747 unit you were concerned about. Thanks for that information.I am concerned that the much awaited new FSX version of PMDG's 737 might not work either. That really would be bad news. I bought it when I was running the earlier version.Frank

I am concerned that the much awaited new FSX version of PMDG's 737 might not work either. That really would be bad news. I bought it when I was running the earlier version.Frank

HelloThen buy the FSX I-Fly 737 instead as that will most likely have a CPflight driver as well as a Goflight driver and these will be free..

HelloThen buy the FSX I-Fly 737 instead as that will most likely have a CPflight driver as well as a Goflight driver and these will be free..

Hi Mad DogThanks for the heads up. I have a look at it.Frank

Still no happy user of this ugly driver ?I can't believe they're selling it that expensive for it not to function properly with anybody. There MUST be a solution, even if FsLabs doesn't care about making their own product work properly. We HAVE to find it.

Still no happy user of this ugly driver ?I can't believe they're selling it that expensive for it not to function properly with anybody. There MUST be a solution, even if FsLabs doesn't care about making their own product work properly. We HAVE to find it.

Hi Nephi, I have no problem (yet) with my setup.I own the Serial version of CPFlight MCP and EFIS. I use it on FSX and PMDG B747, Windows 7 Professional 64Bit. I do not experience stutters.It took a bit of effort to get things all working. I had to buy a special Serial to USB converter, of which the driver did not function. This took some effort with the supplier. At times, when you do not take care on launching PMDG B747 in a good order, I experience problems as well. I agree with you that I do not find the FSLabs a good alternative, but there was no really an option to have something else in place.During the setup of FSX in Windows 7 I got quite some help from the owner of CPFlight. He created some beta versions of his drivers which I tested until it worked.1) which version of FSX do you run ? (RTM, SP1, SP2, Acceleration) --> SP2 accelaration2) Which OS do you run (windows XP, vista, Seven, another ? 32bits ? 64 bits) ? --> 643) did you install FSX in the default directory of did you create your own ? --> seperate disk4) did you install FSX as administrator ? --> of course5) did you install the driver as administrator ? --> of course6) Do you use an antivirus ? if yes which one ? --> Yes, AVG7) Could you give a brief summary of your setup (CPU, mobo, RAM, GPU, rotation speed of your harddrives, or ssd if you have..) --> have to come back on this8) Do you have other addons (fsuipc, which version,...) ? --> FSUIPC, FSGlobal, ActiveSky, FSSceneX, FS2Crew, some scenery addons such as Schiphol and FlyTampa Kai Tak and some others9) any other ideas or relevant comments are welcome :) --> I did follow the instructions on optimising the computer before installing, based on articles like these: SimForumNote that the computer is also heavily used as photo-editor and normal office work.

Hi fspaan. Many thanks for your input.So if I understand well, you have the 737 MCP (not the 747) of the serial kind (is it the EL version) ?

Hi. I'm posting here, as my reply to your similar post at the FSLabs forum was deleted by the root admin of that forum, as, according to him, it had a disrespectful, contemptuous and sarcastic tone... I will try to reproduce the deleted post as best I can from memory, including the sarcasm and contempt. Respect has to be earned, so we'll ignore that. I will also try enlighten other prospective purchasers to what awaits them at FSLabs. I'm a very happy owner of the CPFlight MCP EL series and EFIS EL series. I'm also a very happy owner of the PMDG 747-X. I am a very disappointed owner of the FSLabs driver. I have two issues with the driver supplied by FSLabs: First off, the setup: FSX version: SP2 OS: Windows 7 Pro x64 Path: Separate physical drive FSX Install as Admin: Yes Driver as Admin: Yes AV: MSSE System: Asus P6T-SE, 6Gb OCZ DDR3, i7 920 O/C to 3.8Ghz. Multiple 7200rpm HDDs. FSX Addons: FSUIPC 4.60, Radar Contact 4, REX2, Active Sky Evo. Various sceneries. Further Comments: See below. The main issue with the driver is that when specific switches are operated on the CPFlight MCP, FSX pauses for approximately half a second. This becomes a real problem when, for example, on final, you have to operate the Disengage bar (twice) followed by A/T off switch at 40ft AGL. This results in three short but very distinct pauses within the sim, which will ruin ANY landing. These pauses therefore make it necessary to disengage the autopilot and autothrottle much higher up and further from the threshold, endure the micro pauses, simply to enable a smooth landing. This isn't exactly SOP, and as anyone who has purchased a CPFlight product is probably striving for realism with FSX, the micro-pauses that are caused by this driver are sure to frustrate. The developer behind FSLabs driver originally said that the pauses / micro-stutters were not normal. This was later amended to the line: " it's a known issue and it has to do with the polling nature of the PMDG software. Nothing much can be done on this end." Having read multiple posts about this driver and other aspects of FSLabs, I am forced to draw the conclusion that the driver, in its current state is badly flawed, it is overpriced, and its developer is more interested in money than rectifying - or even recognising - faults in his own software. The above is the essence of what I posted on the FSLabs forum, save for closing by implying that FSLabs is operating monopolistically. The post was deleted by Lefteris Kalamaras within hours of it appearing. He obviously didn't like my tone, which is a pity, because if he spent more time reading and replying to posts rather than deleting the ones he doesn't like, perhaps the FSLabs CPFlight driver would be a better piece of software. This leads me on to a second issue with the driver. My full post was: Hi. Just recently purchased a CPFlight MCP EL & EFIS units, and the FSLabs driver for use with the PMDG 747 in FSX.Everything works as it should, save for one small glitch. Sometimes, and for no apparent reason, the HDG SEL function on the MCP (in actual fact the Left CWS button) stops functioning within the PMDG 747. The FSLabs debug window shows offset K034 being sent from the MCP, via the driver. Somehow, the signal just doesnt make it to the PMDG aircraft, or if it does, it doesn't register. Is this a bug, and/or has anyone else experienced this ?Thanks for any insights.Steve Jones This was posted on the 16th March 2011. It has had 116 views and no replies. It's odd that Mr Kalamaras didn't feel the need to reply to this post inside a month, but yet deletes posts critical of him and his company within hours. I followed up his deletion by pointing out to him the truth behind the statements. This didn't go down too well, and resulted from in a threat to ban me from his forums. And me a paying customer.... In closing, please do not be put off purchasing a CPFlight MCP by what you read here regarding its use with the PMDG 747X via the FSLabs driver. The hardware is exceptional, and the supplied, free, CPFlight driver will work with the Level-D and default FSX aircraft just fine. The main reason I purchased the CPFlight MCP was to use it alongside the PMDG747, at least during the long wait for the NGX and CPFlight driver for same. It is a shame, then, to find that the only driver available was flawed and the developer of said driver unwilling to assist his customers in finding a solution. In closing, by all means buy the CPFlight MCP, and use it with the Level-D until PMDG release the NGX, with promised SDK, but I wouldn't part company with 60 Euros + VAT for the FSLabs driver, as it is simply not fit for purpose, especially at its parasitically inflated price.

Hi fspaan. Many thanks for your input.So if I understand well, you have the 737 MCP (not the 747) of the serial kind (is it the EL version) ?

Correct. Do not know what EL version is, but it is an oldie but goodie, so I suspect I do not have the EL version.