MCP Combo 2 Airbus buttons stop working

[Jose_Pereira 0]

Hi,

 

I am aware that MCP2 Airbus style is not supported by Linda, yet I have been able to put it to work and everything works...at times.

 

Why at times, because when I load Linda and as soon as the Radio panel displays "Instrument by Linda v1.11" replacing "Instrument Radio by VRIsim" message, buttons on the MCP stop working.

 

Until today i was able to reload Linda a couple of times and if the message stays as "Instrument Radio by VRIsim" all works perfectly.

 

Anyone has any ideas?

 

As I said everything works and everything is correctly configured, FSUIPC and Linda related.

If I remove Linda from ipc.Ready file, FSUIPC can see all MCP buttons.

 

I am also wondering if I might need VSPE to overcome this issue, as it looks like a conflict in the handling of the COM port assigned to MCP device, yet I have WIN 7 64 and I need to spend some cash on the software I don't want to do that only to find out that VSPE will not solve this issue.

 

Regards,

Jose

[Andydigital 93]

VSPE is only needed if you plan to setup your device through FSUIPC, if you're using Linda alone then VSPE is not needed at all.

 

As to your other question I have no idea why it does work sometimes and not others, as has been said before the Airbus panel is not supported by Linda.

 

Are you trying to run VRISIM or serialFP2 for other devices at the same time as Linda by any chance? If you are make sure the MCP is deselected in the VRI software before you load it, then reload Linda.

[Jose_Pereira 0]

Hi Andy,

 

Thanks for your answer.

 

No I am not trying to run any VRSim software.

 

After posting I also did make a complete re-installation of VRSIm drivers and it is still the same behavior.

 

I don't even know how to explain the behavior but it is always the same.

 

Looks like that Linda is taking control over the hardware and all buttons become unavailable.

 

Before I did manage to "break" Linda loading somehow and when Linda stops loading, in this case, the message in Radio Panel is "Instrument Radio by VRIsim" buttons work with no issues, on the other hand if the last message is "Instrument Ry Linda v1.11" (Yes i spell it right "Ry" apparently the "R" is from VRSim Radio panel message) it doesn't work at all.

 

I have been looking from where "Linda v.1.11" message might be coming coming from, to check code there, but I haven't been able to locate this message until now.

 

I don't have an MCP 2 Boeing style, but for what I could see hardware is almost identical, there are a few changes in the knobs "names" but that's all I could find not working with Linda configuration files for MCP 2 Boeing style.

 

Thank you,

Jose

[Jose_Pereira 0]

If you are make sure the MCP is deselected in the VRI software before you load it, then reload Linda.

 

If I start VRSim after Linda the MCP is not listed there, actually that is the only hardware I have from VRInsight so nothing is listed there,

 

Jose

[Jose_Pereira 0]

Hi,

 

Apparently giving more time to the hardware initialization in the file common.lua solves the problem with MCP Combo 2 Airbus.

 

I did replace sleep time from 150 to 250 also tried with 500 and 5000 ms it works with all values.

 

With the default value of 150ms usually doesn't. Don't ask me why as I have no clue what those two com.write funcitions do, I can guess "CMDRST" does a RESET to the unit, but I can't figure out what the other might do.

 

 

function InitMCP ()

 

if dev == 0 then return end

 

-- initialize MCP Combo

ipc.sleep(250)

com.write(dev, "CMDRST", 8)

ipc.sleep(250)

com.write(dev, "CMDCON", 8)

ipc.sleep(250)

 

....

....

....

 

}

 

This was my main issue to use MCP Combo II Airbus with Aerosoft Airbus X Extended with modified files created by guenseli, a big Thank You for those files as they were a major start in my case.

 

I have been messing up with default files and functions, so my files aren't at a stage to share because they really mess configuration files for other aircrafts, not to mention they completely void the use of MCP Combo II Boeing.

 

Jose

[Andydigital 93]

Well done for figuring it out, I wouldn't have, lol.

 

I think CMDCON means connect.

[Jose_Pereira 0]

I would say it was a good share of luck, as I was getting desperate after more than 12h debugging.

 

You know where VRinsight commands (like RST and CON) can be found, any documentation about it?

 

Now that you mention connect, probably just sleeping a little more between reset and connect might do the trick also, but I am happy as it is (always) working right now.

 

Jose

[Andydigital 93]

Sorry no I don't have any documentation. If you write to tech support at the address below they may be able to supply you with an up to date SDK, I'm not sure if there is any documentation included in that though. I had some old SDK examples in the past but they meant nothing to me as I am not a programmer, but I can no longer find them on my system.

 

[Jose_Pereira 0]

Hi Andy,

 

Thanks will email them, SDK might do the trick. :smile:

 

Jose

[pavelosipov 0]

Dear colleagues,

 

Please let me join this club. I also have MCP Combo Airbus type and fly only Aerosoft Airbus X Extended. Last evening I spend hours trying to make things work. Just got same result with initMCP(). From the other side, I don't like Joystick simulation via COM port and FSUIPC. It's only one direction. I enjoy LINDA, and think its perfect!

 

How can I support you with activities making LINDA 1.1 understand MCP Combo Airbus type?

 

Thank you and best regards,

Pavel Osipov (EDDM)

[Jose_Pereira 0]

Hi Pavel,

 

In the end I couldn't understand were you able to configure or not?

 

All the configuration I have made was not done with Linda GUI, because that was done to support Boeing style only and that's a choice of the author, which I respect.

 

The GUI would help to get things done but it can be done manually.

 

Regards,

Jose

[pavelosipov 0]

Hi,

 

No, my MCP Airbus is not working with LINDA. I'm too bad in Lua programming to rewrite the common.lua and other files to make it run. I can write to to the screens, but just Hello World message. With Serial poert emulation I see it as Joy in FSUIPC. In fact Aerosoft Airbus is not using MS controls and I can't map the buttons.

 

My experiment for today:

 

1. To set keyboard as vitual Joy via PPJoy

2. To map Airbus commands at LINDA for keyboard buttons

3. In FCU Combo Keymapper map keyboard buttons an write it to VRiSim.ini file with deafult DLL

4. Run FSX and VRiSim and run New key set with defauld Airbus DLL. It will show inputs at screens to ALT, HDG etc (but not read them from sim).

 

I try it and reply here.

 

br,

Pavel

[Jose_Pereira 0]

Hi,

 

Ok.

 

Try to download the latest version of the Aerosoft Airbus X Linda config files from this post http://forum.avsim.net/topic/394358-aerosoft-airbus-x-extended-module-version-21/page__st__50#entry2587547

 

You don't need to mess up with common.lua, I have done but because I wanted to chage the way data was displayed on FCU,

Default common.lua will work just fine.

 

There are at least 1 or 2 files you will need to change after installing the files above. I will look at them and post the relevant part here.

 

Regards,

Jose

[Jose_Pereira 0]

Here you go:

 

handlers-mcp2.lua in ..\Modules\linda\system

 

you need to replace this

 

BUTTONS = {
["MCP"] = MCP_buttons ,

 

to

 

BUTTONS = {
["FCU"] = MCP_buttons ,

[Jose_Pereira 0]

and the other file:

 

config-mcp2.lua in ..\Modules\linda-cfg\aircrafts\Aerosoft Airbus X\, this file has blocks for each part of the unit EFIS, BARO, MCP/FCU, etc and 3 modes for each block, at the moment I am only using MODE 1 and i only posting some of the change lines. It will be easy to go from there and make you own changes.

 

-- EFIS block buttons and switches
EFIS1 = {
["ENABLED"] = true  ,
["IDENT"] = "Main"  ,
["FD  ."]  = Autopilot_FD_toggle  ,
["ILS ."]  = Autopilot_LS_toggle  ,
["InHg."]  = BARO_Unit_inHg  ,
["hPa ."]  = BARO_Unit_hPa  ,
["CSTR."]  = ND_CSTR_toggle  ,
["WPT ."]  = ND_WPT_toggle  ,
["VORD."]  = ND_VOR_toggle  ,
["NDB ."]  = ND_NDB_toggle  ,
["ARPT."]  = ND_ARPT_toggle  ,
["VOR1:"]  = ND_ARROW1_left  ,
["VOR2:"]  = ND_ARROW2_left  ,
["VOR1."]  = ND_ARROW1_right ,
["VOR2."]  = ND_ARROW2_right ,
["ADF1:"]  = ND_ARROW1_right ,
["ADF2:"]  = ND_ARROW2_right ,
["ADF1."]  = ND_ARROW1_left  ,
["ADF2."]  = ND_ARROW2_left  ,
}

 

-- MCP/FCU block buttons and switches
MCP1 = {
["ENABLED"] = true  ,
["IDENT"]  = "Flgt"  ,
["MACH."]  = SPD_MACH_toggle  ,
["TRK ."]  = HDG_TRK_toggle  ,
["MTR ."]  = ALT_Step_toggle  ,
["SPD ^"]  = Autopilot_SPD_set  ,
["HDG ^"]  = Autopilot_HDG_set  ,
["ALT ^"]  = Autopilot_ALT_set  ,
["VVS ^"]  = Autopilot_VS_pull  ,
["AP1 ."]  = Autopilot_AP1_toggle  ,
["AP2 ."]  = Autopilot_AP2_toggle  ,
["LOC ."]  = Autopilot_LOC_toggle  ,
["ATHR."]  = Autopilot_ATHR_toggle  ,
["EXPD."]  = Autopilot_EXPED_toggle  ,
["APPR."]  = Autopilot_APPR_toggle  ,
}

 

-- USER block buttons and switches
USER1 = {
["ENABLED"] = true  ,
["IDENT"] = "Lght"  ,
["BTN1."]  = Autobrake_dec  ,
["BTN2."]  = Autobrake_inc  ,
["BTN3."]  = Autobrake_max  ,
["BTN4."]  = empty  ,
["BTN5."]  = empty  ,
["BTN6."]  = EFIS_MODE_toggle  ,
["BTN7."]  = MCP_MODE_toggle  ,
["BTN8."]  = USER_MODE_toggle  ,
["USR1."]  = empty  ,
["USR2."]  = empty  ,
["USR3."]  = empty  ,
["USR4."]  = empty  ,
["USR5."]  = empty  ,
["USR6."]  = empty  ,
["USR7."]  = empty  ,
["USR8."]  = empty  ,
}

 

All of this only works after you install version 2.2 of Airbus X Extended posted above.

 

Enjoy,

Jose