777's throttle

[JohnsonPBX 8]

Hello guys. After formatting my computer and installing PMDG's 777 SP1C (both for the base package and the -300ER expansion) I noticed something rather odd with the throttle: 

 

I have the Saitek Pro Flight Yoke with its included Throttle Quadrant. I also have the latest FSUIPC 4.937. Since there's a known issue in which the throttle cannot sent directly to FSUIPC's calibration, I assigned the throttle lever axes individually through FSX's internal Controls menu. What happens is that, for example, when I have the engines in idle, and advance ONE of the levers a little to perform a single engine taxi (let's say engine ONE's lever), engine TWO's N1 automatically advances to the same N1 percentage as the moved lever, EVEN THOUGH that engine's physical lever in the Throttle Quadrant is left in idle; then, when I return engine ONE's lever to idle, engine TWO's N1 remains in the "advanced" percentage, so, in order to bring it back to idle as well I need to advance that engine's physical lever a little and bring it back to idle. I tried checking Saitek's control panel to see if it was a spiky axis or if by moving either of the levers the other one advanced automatically, but that's not the case. I also tried in other aircraft (default), and this does not happen there. Has anyone experienced this or can reproduce it? Or is it a normal behavior of the airplane's throttle / is there something I forgot to configure in the airplane's configuration options? I don't remember experiencing this in SP1 / SP1B. This basically means that right now I cannot perform a single engine taxi since even if I move one of the levers the other engine's N1 will advance as well, as if I was moving both levers together, which I'm not.

 

Any help is appreciated, thanks in advance!

[scandinavian13 5,192]

 

 

Has anyone experienced this or can reproduce it? Or is it a normal behavior of the airplane's throttle / is there something I forgot to configure in the airplane's configuration options?

 

I have a Saitek X-55 and I'm not seeing similar. Are you sure you have the axes assigned to Engine 1 and Engine 2 only? Sounds like your default throttle (all engines) axis is still there, too, and is causing a conflict in the sim.

 

To be clear:

You should have one lever set to engine one, another lever set to engine two (and one to three and four, if you have more throttle levers), but the default all engines axis needs to be deleted.

[JohnsonPBX 8]

Yes! I already double-checked that (that the default all throttles axis was deleted). I tried setting the axes individually through FSUIPC (Send direct to FSUIPC calibration), tried "Send to FS as normal axis" as both "Axis Throttle# Set" or "Throttle# Set", and even tried assigning them both on FSUIPC as "Send to FS as normal axis" and setting them in FSX's controls menu. With either alternative, same issue... I mean, I can control the levers individually (if I move either to 100% the other one will remain NEARLY at idle), thing is that if I advance either a little in order to break the aircraft's inertia, the other one will follow it...

 

EDIT: I also just checked the airplane's pedestal and saw that when slightly moving either lever a little ahead the other one does move as well a little bit in the pedestal.

[scandinavian13 5,192]

 

 

EDIT: I also just checked the airplane's pedestal and saw that when slightly moving either lever a little ahead the other one does move as well a little bit in the pedestal.

 

Sounds like some signals are getting crossed, or the components just aren't that great (no offense). The hardware is only as good as the signal that it sends. Look at the calibration screen for the same issue and I'm betting you'll find it shows the same thing as the throttles in the sim (one will somewhat follow the other when moved independently).

 

Again, I have a two-throttle setup and it's behaving as one would expect, so my bet is that it's your hardware or your hardware's calibration.

 

If nothing else, just delete your FSUIPC.ini and let it rebuild it. This will ensure there is absolutely no FSUIPC throttle processing going on, which is the only other logical option.

[777simmer 117]

Yes deleting the FSUIPC.ini is allways a good idea if you are having problems.....has solved all kinds of things.

Also, I would personally only install the SAITEK driver but uninstall the SAITEK software (if it was jnstalled) from Start/Control Panel/add and remove software (as far as I know that also lets you assign buttons and axis just like FSUIPC).

Then you want to make sure the throttle is calibrated correctly in Windows too!
Start/Control Panel/and type USB Game controller in the search box.
Check (click TEST) that all axis and buttons in the calibration window behave as they should. If not, click on Calibrate (if one axis spykes you will see that there as well).

Last but not least FSUIPC can be used to define your throttles now......there were some problems with the original PMDG777 version but things seemed to have been improved since SP1.
My throttle works perfectly.....even reverse now......with FSUIPC.

 

If FSUIPC works with my non standard throttle then it will surely work with a Saitek throttle!

 

I have been wanting to post this pic for a while....now is as good a time as any I gues.....I proudly present this summers project :-)

 

Before:

 

After:

 

It is not motorized, but every axis and every button works....thanks to FSUIPC!

 

 

 

Look here at my post#66 for my FSUIPC settings:

http://forum.avsim.net/topic/453929-777-thrust-reverse-bug-still-persistent-in-sp1c/page-5

[JohnsonPBX 8]

That's a nice setup there Rob!

 

Regarding my issue, I've just run out of ideas now...

 

I tried deleting both FSUIPC.ini and the Standard (FSX's internal controls file) in AppData\Microsoft\Roaming\FSX\Controls. At first, I tried re-setting ONLY the thrust levers in the FSX's internal controls menu and they were working fine. However, as soon as I re-assigned the remaining axes in FSUIPC the issue appeared again. I tried monitoring the two levers in real time in both Saitek's control panel and FSUIPC's axis calibration pop-up, but in both of them, when I move one of the levers, the remaining one does remain in idle. No crossed signals in this case. Again, I tried in a different aircraft (this case the default CRJ-700), and it works perfectly fine. This issue is only happening on the 777-300ER (haven't tried the other variants). I then deleted the axes from FSX's internal controls and set them up in FSUIPC's "Send direct to FSUIPC calibration", same issue  :mellow: This was not happening to me when I was on SP1B...

[777simmer 117]

I then deleted the axes from FSX's internal controls and set them up in FSUIPC's "Send direct to FSUIPC calibration", same issue  :mellow: This was not happening to me when I was on SP1B...

The thing is that FSX will keep trying to assign the default settings to your hardware axis.

 

Have you tried the FSX setting that disables the conteollers completely?

There is a little checkmark box on the first FSX/settings/controls tab.

 

Only then can you be sure that no FSX control settings are intervening.

 

Saitek Control Panel is I guess the software that came with your throttles?

Or is it the driver?

I really would uninstall that software (not the driver) or at least look for a button to reset things to default.

I do not know but maybe that software gives commands to FSX regardless of having FSX controllers enabled/disabled (in the same way that FSUIPC does).....but when in doubt I get rid of things like that because I know FSUIPC will work (so does FSX own controller settings but they do not offer enough features for me).

 

That Saitek software can be easily redownloaded and installed if you need it!