GNS 2.1 display blank

[P Dobson 1]

I have missed something obvious. (Help Please).

 

I down loaded the GNS530XP Ver 2 and installed it successfully.

 

Running X-Plane 10.5 with Seneca PA34 and I get the GNS530XP panel come up. So far so good. Master Switch is on, Avionics Master is on (and the X-Plane GNS530 is alive and working. but despite rotating the PWR VOL control (and observing it rotating) I cannot get the GNS530XP to switch on, just a blank screen.

 

What have I missed???

 

Pete Dobson

[RXP 2,336]

Hi Pete,

 

Please note the ( C ) knob does not control power in the GNS V2, however, it properly controls COM volume in XP11/10.

Likewise, the ( V ) knob controls NAV volume as well.

 

As for troubleshooting, can you please post the content of the rxpGnsSim.dll.log and rxpGNS.xpl.log files in "My Documents" ?

[P Dobson 1]

Hi Jean-Luc,

 

Understand about the © control now. I upgraded from version 1 and bought a new license so maybe my blank screen is caused by a licensing issue or conflict with Version 1 installation?? I could not find any info. on whether Version 1 should be removed before installing Version 2.

 

The two files you requested are both very small, Not sure how to copy them to your 'my Documents' file but here is the visible content:

 

rxpGnsSim.dll.log:  17/01/06 19:21:48.577 05768 -    ] # rxpGnsSim64.dll version 2.0.0.0

 

rxpGNS.xpl.log:  17/01/06 19:21:44.542 05768 -    ] # win.xpl version 2.0.0.0

 

There is no other contents in either file. Hope this allows you to resolve my blank display....

 

Kind regards, Pete Dodson.

[RXP 2,336]

Hi,

 

it shows no errors int the log files, so far so good. So the only probable causes I can see now are either a conflict with the older RXP GNS or just a power failure (avionics).

 

For the former, you just need to exit X-Plane, rename the older GNS plugin extension to disable it, like rxpGNS.xpl -> rxpGNS.xpl.disabled, and start X-Plane again.

 

For the latter, make sure to compare with different stock aircraft, and/or to compare with pilot/copilot side, after making sure the 'failures' options in X-Plane are all cleared.

[RXP 2,336]

Update: we've received a similar support ticket yesterday followed by a video of the screen blinking. This helped us find out the issue.

 

The video showed the screen flashing like an aircraft strobe light when used in an helicopter.

 

The most likely cause for a blank screen, or in the case of this helicopter for a flashing screen, is that the GNS integral lighting is connected to a rheostat which is used by the aircraft in a non standard way (for animation purposes for example).

 

The GNS 530W/430W V2 integral lighting offers additional configuration options than the GTN. Please make sure to review the following entries in your RealityXP.GNS.ini file in your aircraft folder:

 

- Rheostat.Display

- Rheostat.Buttons

 

This permits control both integral sources independently (different indices) or jointly (same index for both), and these are linked to dataref "sim/cockpit2/switches/instrument_brightness_ratio". The settings value tells which index to use from the dataref value array, from 0 to 3 included (X-Plane supports up to 16 rheostats if memory serves well).

 

By default, .Display gets assigned to #1 and Buttons to either #1 (XP10/9) or #0 (XP11). The defaults were defined to closely match how stock aircraft have been designed.

[P Dobson 1]

Hi Jean_luc,

 

Further update on the blank GNS530 I am getting. I checked the rpxGNS.xpl files and they are all the new versions. I modified the Rheostat.Display setting and Rheostat.Buttons each to a value of 3. This made no difference. Turning the avionics Master on and off and the degree of blackness appearing on the GNS530 changes Jet black with Avionics Master off but slightly less black with avionics master on.

 

I tried changing aircraft and found that the PA32 aircraft I have produces a front page saying I have an "RXP Invalid Licence, contact vendor". My default aircraft is the PA34 and this just produces a black screen with no message about an incorrect licence.

 

Perhaps this licence No is associated with the old Ver 1 GNS530 I have?? Not sure how to update the Licence No, when I installed it this all seemed to happen automatically.

 

BR Pete Dobson.

[RXP 2,336]

The older GNS WAAS product will install the following file: Resources\plugin\rpxGNS.xpl

 

Whereas the GNS 530W/430W V2 will install both:

 

Resources\plugin\rxpGNS\32\win.xpl

Resources\plugin\rxpGNS\64\win.xpl

 

or (xp9 only): Resources\plugin\rxpGNS2.xpl

 

Is this consistent with the files on your system?

 

What about just setting these then:

 

Rheostat.Display=0

Rheostat.Buttons=0

 

I'd guess you're guaranteed to have index #0 always available and working in any aircraft, the others depend on how the aircraft was designed.

 

Last but not least:

 

I'd suggest you rename any "RealityXP.GNS.WAAS.ini" file in your aircraft folders to "RealityXP.GNS.WAAS.ini.disabled"

 

The GNS 530W/430W V2 now uses: "RealityXP.GNS.ini"

 

This is just to make sure in case you still have both plugins installed, it won't show up the older one loaded from the older config file, instead of the newest one loaded from the newest config file.

[P Dobson 1]

Blank XPGNS530

 

OK so the win.xpl are all in their correct directory, 32 bit and 64 bit.

I set Rheostat.Display=0 and Rheostat.Buttons=0, no change.

But consistently now if I select the helicopter Bell 206 everything work, no mention of the wrong licence file, but on the PA34 all I get is a blank screen.

I have compared the two ini files for each aircraft type and all I can find is that LinkObs is true in one and false in the other. I can't believe this is responsible is it??

I renamed the RealityXP.GNS.WAAS.ini file as suggested. no change.

 

Sorry Jean-luc any other suggestions??

 

You could Team View in if you wanted to have a look, but I need to know how to get the entry codes to you securely  :smile: 

 

BR Pete Dobson.

[P Dobson 1]

OK I've just found it  :smile:

 

The display is linked to the panel lights rheostat which in daylight on my simulator was switched off. Turning this up on the PA34 instrument panel also turns up the display on the GNS530. Not a very realistic link to be honest. my real PA34 does not behave like this.

 

Anyhow it is now working I guess the Bell 206 did not have an instrument panel Rheostat.

 

So all is well that ends well.

 

One last question, where in the filing system are "user way points" stored??

 

I want to load about 100 of them from my real GNS530 but would rather not do it by hand.

 

BR Pete Dobson.

[RXP 2,336]

We're open to suggestions!

 

Please note X-Plane has a 'rheostat' dataref. It is designed to add integral and panel lighting level control to the cockpit in a standard way. With XP11/10, there can be multiple rheostats in the panel, like you'd find in the stock Baron 58 for example under the right seat yoke, and these are each an index in the dataref values array.

 

My post above about the helicopter shows that some aircraft modellers decided to re-use this dataref for other purposes, in that case, driving the light level of a strobe light... This is not what these datarefs are meant for, or at least, I'd expect modellers tweaking the system for animation purposes would leave alone the first 4 dataref indices.

 

Our plugin offers the setting to permit you tailoring the source to the light, i.e. to connect which rheostat drives which light sources in the GNS (keys and screen). This is designed so that it gives the maximum flexibility with third party aircraft not following the stock standards.

 

It seems easy enough (for an aircraft modeller) to add a standard X-Plane rheostat to drive instrument lights that you might want to 'pressure' the aircraft modeller/vendor to do it.

 

This discussion gives me the idea to take provision for a '-1' value which would disconnect the screen and/or the keys from any rheostat in case there is none in the panel. To add in the next update!

 

 

One last question, where in the filing system are "user way points" stored??
 
I want to load about 100 of them from my real GNS530 but would rather not do it by hand.

 

These are stored in the device non volatile memory. This is not extractable as such, but can be cross-filled between units (and you can make a backup of the file on your hard drive in case it becomes corrupted).

 

Please note we have been looking into ways to offer a user waypoint import (and maybe export) function to the product, but we didn't want to delay releasing the product for the vast majority of users. Another 'to do' in the list for next updates!

[P Dobson 1]

Hi Jean-Luc, Thanks for the User Waypoint info I look forward to the ability to import.

 

Sorry about this back to the original problem, I can't for the life of me find the X-Plane Data Ref attached to the GNS530 display brightness.

 

If I can, I'll write a LUA script to set this to its highest value all the time.

 

I have found a control on the 3D cockpit which alters the brightness but searching with Data Ref Editor I can't find what it is linked to. Can you advise please???

 

BR Pete Dobson.

[RXP 2,336]

These are standard X-Plane datarefs:

 

On XP11/10: "sim/cockpit2/switches/instrument_brightness_ratio"

 

It is an array of values, our settings permits you to hook from index 0 to index 3.

 

XP11 stock aircraft use #1 for the stock GPS display, and #0 for the instrument panel keys, so we default to these in XP11.

XP10 stock aircraft use #1 for both, and we default to these too in XP10

 

On XP9: "sim/cockpit/electrical/instrument_brightness"

 

XP9 starts with the rheostat at 75% by default, so the screen is slightly dimmer.

 

Please note: next update setting value will add support for fixed values. It will probably be in the form:

 

0 to 3: index in the array

-100 to 0: fixed value in percent.

 

This shall be versatile enough.

[P Dobson 1]

Hi Jean-Luc,

 

I am sorry to say that did not work. I am using X-Plane 10.5, Coronado's PA34 Seneca Version 2 (there is a bug in Version 3). If you have it the lower rheostat just to the Right of the Engine controls not only controls the GNS530 brightness from zero to 100% but also all the instrument illuminations too. The variability in brightness is much finer than the 4 discrete levels you are suggesting, so I suspect a control variable width is much greater than 2 bits allocated to it (0,1,2,3).

 

In Data Ref editor I have searched using key words such as: Illumination; ratio; rheostat; instrument; brightness; electrical; gps; lights; switch;

 

None of these key words have shown me a Data Ref connected to the Rheostat controlling the GNS530 and instrument illumination. I'll keep looking unless anyone else has any suggestions??

 

BR Pete Dobson.

[RXP 2,336]

 

 

On XP11/10: "sim/cockpit2/switches/instrument_brightness_ratio"

The setting value is the index to the dataref value array of 16 elements:

 

instrument_brightness_ratio float[16] 920+ yes ratio Rheostat controlling instruments brightnesss. 0 = default pilot, 1 = default copilot, 2-15 = custom

 

http://www.xsquawkbox.net/xpsdk/docs/DataRefs.html

[P Dobson 1]

Hi John-Luc,

 

I am very sorry, it has taken me a while to realize that this is an array parameter (as you described earlier).

 

Now all sorted. Sorry to have occupied so much of your time.

 

Kind Regards, Pete Dobson.