Autopilot Disconnect - Home Button

[divermar 1]

I have been flying the new and improved NGX on P3D and love it, I forgot how much I missed it.

 

The issue I have a question about is the NGX seem to disconnect the autopilot by pressing the "Home" button.  This is the button right next to the "End" button on the keyboard.  I have looked through all of the places where buttons, key presses, and assignments are made including FSUIPC, EZCA, P3D Controls menu, and finally the FMC, Key Board assignments.  I find the "Z" button, but not the Home button.  I tried this with the House versions for the 736 & 738 and had the same results.  I disabled EZCA to be sure it wasn't hiding something but had the same results.  FYI this behavior doesn't happen in the 777 using the same configurations other than a different plane of course.

 

Has anyone seen this? or can confirm the issue?, any ideas would be helpful.

 

Thanks,

Mark

[divermar 1]

Edit update:

 

I tried assigning the Autopilot Master to a different key other than "Z" key in the FMC & P3D and that made no difference.  I did discover that the "home" key will only disengage the autopilot, not re-engage it when pressed again.  The "Z" key works as expected, engage, disengage.  I have been flying with the "home" key setup in EZCA to bring me to the VC Pilots Chair.  When I re-assign the EZCA to use a different key for VC Pilots Chair this works and the "home" key still causes the Autopilot to disengage.

 

I've contacted PMDG support and they are stumped too,

 

Mark

[Xavi 0]

Hi Mark, this steps working fine for me....

 

If, when you first run this PMDG product you discover
that the aircraft doesn't appear to run, the cockpit
displays are not present, the buttons and knobs do not
work, the landing gear are retracted, the flight controls
do not work, OR if you know this is the first time you
have run the PMDG software and you have never been
asked to activate your license key, then follow the
steps outlined here:

1) Navigate to this folder:
    <P3D root folder>\redist\FSX-RTM\lib
    
2) Run the SimConnect.msi installer file inside the folder.
    
3) Navigate to this folder:
    <P3D root folder>\redist\FSX-SP1\lib

4) Run the SimConnect.msi installer file inside the folder.

5) Navigate to this folder:
    <P3D root folder>\redist\FSX-SP2-XPACK\lib

5) Run the SimConnect.msi installer file inside the folder.

Once you have all six steps completed, you should be all set!

 

Extracted of PMDG installation instructions.

 

Regards, Xavi.

[divermar 1]

Hi Xavi,

 

Thanks for the reply, I tried what you recommended and it didn't fix the problem. This is really a strange issue but it doesn't seem to effect anything other than the Autopilot disengage.  I'll just have to retrain my self to stay away from the Home key.

 

Mark

[shaddyy 9]

Mark did you ever find a solution to this? i usually have my EZCA edit mode as home

 

 

Shane

[kevinh 409]

The action you are seeing for your Home key is the AP disconnect switch. It's assigned in the FMC CDU keyboard section. Look there to see if it's been assigned to Home. You shouldn't be using Z for this anyway. That's default FSX behaviour not suitable for a complex autopilot simulation like this. There is no button in the real 737NG which toggles AP on and off.

[vonmar 123]

"You shouldn't be using Z for this anyway. That's default FSX behaviour not suitable for a complex autopilot simulation like this."

 

Why?

 

I have always (for years) use the Z key (assigned in FSUIPC to a yoke button) to toggle A/P on/Off.

 

BTW, I just checked the PMDG default keyboard shortcuts for the 737NGX:

 

CMD A=90, 0, 0, 0
CMD B=0, 0, 0, 0

 

So CMD A is assigned by PMDG as the A/P On/Off toggle and 90 = Z key.