Hi,my name is Massimo, I'm the developer of SPAD, a replacement "driver" (I know, the word driver is not completely correct) for the Saitek ProFlight panels ( http://fstools.weebly.com ).Recently I've discovered LINDA which is a much more advanced project than SPAD. So I'm here to ask the developers if we can collaborate to include Saitek Panels support within LINDA. I saw LINDA is built around a modular architecture, so, maybe, I could help developing a specific module for the Saitek Panels.Please, let me know if such a collaboration could be interesting to you.Thank you for your attention. Cheers,Massimo

I still don't see why anyone should support Saitek when they use a piece of software without permission of the copyright holder, i.e. FSUIPC. As I understand it Saitek simply ignore Peter Dowsons requests for them to use the software legally by negotiating licensing terms. Saitek are lucky, if I was Pete I'd have blocked all Saitek equipment from working on unregistered FSUIPC PC's long ago.

I still don't see why anyone should support Saitek when they use a piece of software without permission of the copyright holder, i.e. FSUIPC. As I understand it Saitek simply ignore Peter Dowsons requests for them to use the software legally by negotiating licensing terms. Saitek are lucky, if I was Pete I'd have blocked all Saitek equipment from working on unregistered FSUIPC PC's long ago.

Hi Andy,it's not about supporting Saitek, it's about supporting Saitek's customers which are members of the FS community indeed.I don't know the relations between Saitek's developers and Pete, but my relations with Pete are fine, I'm a customer of his and he helped me during SPAD development.So, where's the problem developing free software which makes usable those pieces of hardware ? Anyway, I'm not interested about flaming. I'd like to know if LINDA developers are interested about a collaboration :-)Regards, Massimo

Hello Massimo, generally I can say, that LINDA is of course interested in any colaboration as far as the community will gain something! Feel free to make any modules or whatever you can do with the current stage of LINDA.For further collaboration (on the technical, internal side of LINDA) I would ask you to wait until Artem is back from holiday at about middle of october.He has the knowledge behind the scenes of LINDA and knows what is possible with LINDA, LUA, FSUIPC and all around. I just create some modules and hunt for LUA variables.If you have any questions about this, feel free to ask me.For the other techie stuff, please be a bit patient and ask again mid of october, sorry.

Hi Guenter,thank you very much for your answer. I fear that support for completely different panels will require some kind of extensions inside LINDA core code.So, I'll wait when Artem is back. Massimo

The thing is neither LINDA nor SPAD would be able to work without FSUIPC, I think its only fair that customers and potential customers know the type of company they are dealing with when purchasing a Saitek product. If Saitek were a software only company the community and Saitek would be up in arms if their products were pirated and given away free and we would all be expected to do our bit to help stop it, but because they make hardware its irrelevant to them and they don't care because they already have your money. What they are doing by using FSUIPC without licence is no less than piracy in my opinion and I am doing my bit to make the community aware of this.

Andy, you are obvisously right!that is not a fine step from Saitek! But as I understand Massimo and its tool it is the same kind of tool for Saitek devices like LINDA is (for all devices ) And he has nthing to do with Saitek!? please correct me if I'm wrong....

I'm not saying that Massimo is from Saitek or that what he wants to do is wrong, I just cannot understand how someone would go to such lengths to help a company that clearly has ethical issues, at the end of the day it will still help Saitek sell more devices. I just hope that one day enough people complain to Saitek directly and get this situation with FSUIPC sorted out as its not fair, but even that is going to be difficult now because as far as I understand their forums are closed to new registrations. I'll leave it at that, I've had my say now.

Andy, take it easy ... If you think about it, you will see that LINDA is the same for VRInsight.LINDA's first intention was to enable additional features for the MCP Combo as VRInsight was not able to make modules for A2A or several other addons nor they aren't able to enhance the Combo in a way LINDA (Artem) does. If we wait for companies like Saitek or VRInsight that they fullfill our wishes, we get very old.I do not say, that some companies try to solve wishes (e.g. VRInsight) more than other companies (Saitek), but it tooks far too long and is partly inadequate ... So let us roll up our sleves and do it ourselves!

I know I said I'd leave it at that but I had to correct something here. VRinsight do pay a licence fee to use FSUIPC, so there is no comparison there. VRinsight may not have the man power or aircraft available to do all the programming to add new aircraft support but they added a whole host of new features to the way the MCP2 can be programmed externally by programs like LINDA, making Artems and others job easier. A lot of the facilities that people have asked for over the time the MCP has been available are now possible in the new MCP2 and FCU as a result of these improvements. It simply wasn't possible with the original MCP because the new features would require the firmware on the panel to be updated and that isn't possible outside of the factory.Im not sure what the "take it easy" comment was for by the way, nothing I said in my posts warrants such a response, I am after all stating truths and have not acted in an aggressive manner as far as I am aware.

Andy, I highly apologize for "take it easy" as it obvisiously is not the right phrase as I wanted.Please see it as a failure from my side as I'm no native english speaker! No offense meant!! I simply wanted to state that I see and understand your point.And I hope also that it was clear, that I see VRInsights progress that they try to solve (and have solved) customers wishes.

OK no problem, I did think that it may be a translation issue, so thanks for clarifying what was meant. I was not offended by your comments, I was worried I had offended someone else though and I had no idea why :)

Ok... ok....Let me explain .... I'm not a Saitek guy.... (these guys refused to tell me any word about their comm protocols and SPAD was programmed only by reverse engineering, just to say)... nor I'm not Saitek's advocate.... so I don't want to comment their agreement policies, but let me only say that their products were designed for FSX only.So, in original design the drivers used only SimConnect (no FSUIPC). After a while many users vehemently demanded for FS9 support. So the tech support released the debated FS9 drivers which use FSUIPC. So... if Saitek doesn't come to an agreement with Pete... well I agree that they have behaved very badly !! But if we have to boycott Saitek for this......... we have to boycott every chinese product:- they don't respect intellectual properties....- they don't respect human rights...- they don't respect any basic environment rules.... But we all have home filled with chinese products !! Andy, I respect your opinion but I live in a world where a little bit of realpolitik is really needed.Just my 2 cents !Cheers,Massimo

thanks Andy, thanks Massimo ... so, I hope in the end we have a conclusion here: VRInsight are the good guysSaitek are the bad guys We - as users - have to deal with both and believe in Pete Dowson for his outstanding work!!!! Hope this statement is free of misunderstanding for middle, southern and northern europe parts

We - as users - have to deal with both and believe in Pete Dowson for his outstanding work!!!! Hope this statement is free of misunderstanding for middle, southern and northern europe parts

ahahaaha!! Right said Guenter !!