Missing or faulty commands PMDG 737

[goggi 9]

Getting deep into SOPs and comparing also to other available scripts, I developed a (preliminary) full listiing of actions and corresponding commands for the PMDG 737-800NGX. Please find a list of (i) non existing or non-active commands, and (ii) other issues and questions.
Of course I tried different verbiage, but no success. 

Thank you very much for your patience and help !
Giorgio Goggi

1- Non-existing or non active (NO reply, NO action):

- Service interphone on/off
- Chime
- Fixed Landing Lights on/off  (necessary for proper sequencing w.r.t. Retractable)
- Wheel well Lights on/off
- CTR (EFIS panel)
- VSD (EFIS panel)
- Engage/disengage Autopilot Master switch (the MCP disengage bar)
- Test A/P Disengage Lights
- Test Master Lights
- Check/display used fuel  (for FlightPlan checks)
- Main Panel DU to Normal/…   Lower DU to Normal/…  (on forward panel)
- FMC 1(2) to takeoff approach  (i.e. FMC T/O page)
- ALL cabin/instruments lighting commands
- Stab Trim to guard closed
- Flight deck/cockpit door to Auto…

2- Reply but NO action, Errors, other issues:

- Check flight data recorder  (Reply: “Voice recorder test”; NO Action)
- Set Landing Altitude  (command OK, but reply: “Set Cabin Altitude..”)
- Set DH/DA  (Reply: “Can’t find switch..” ; NO action)
- Set bank angle limit to xx  (Reply is correct; NO Action)
- Arm Localizer  (Reply: “Localizer mode on”; NO Action nor light)
- Test/check extinguishers  (Only to the left side, not to right side)
- NAV 1(2) ident on/off  (NO button light)
- Marker ident on/off  (NO button light)

- How to select the T/O “MCP corner”? (Takeoff thrust yields only Max thrust, not the N1 value)
- Could FO read out Transition Level from FMC and Notify?  (At least in DESCENT)

 

 

 

 

[FS++ 707]

On ‎6‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 5:39 PM, goggi said:

Getting deep into SOPs and comparing also to other available scripts, I developed a (preliminary) full listiing of actions and corresponding commands for the PMDG 737-800NGX. Please find a list of (i) non existing or non-active commands, and (ii) other issues and questions.
Of course I tried different verbiage, but no success. 

Thank you very much for your patience and help !
Giorgio Goggi

1- Non-existing or non active (NO reply, NO action):

- Service interphone on/off

Wasn't enabled for this aircraft. Will be
- Chime

What did you mean by "chime"?
- Fixed Landing Lights on/off  (necessary for proper sequencing w.r.t. Retractable)
- Wheel well Lights on/off
- CTR (EFIS panel)
- VSD (EFIS panel)

VSD??
- Engage/disengage Autopilot Master switch (the MCP disengage bar)

FO should be able to engage AP on request. Disengagement via control column switch which is the normal procedure.

- Test A/P Disengage Lights

Never implemented those, but can be done

- Test Master Lights

Use command "check annunciator lights", "test annunciator lights". Will add your verbiage variation "text master lights"

- Check/display used fuel  (for FlightPlan checks)

Not implemented. Could be added

- Main Panel DU to Normal/…   Lower DU to Normal/…  (on forward panel)

Not implemented, but doable.

- FMC 1(2) to takeoff approach  (i.e. FMC T/O page)

there are commands to get FO to press a specific button an a specific CDU unit. See document "FMC commands"

- ALL cabin/instruments lighting commands

Already implemented. Use these voice commands.

Increase/decrease overhead lighting

Increase/decrease pedestal lighting

Increase/Decrease glareshield lighting

The command will typically rotate the lighting rotary switch a couple of notches to the right or left.

You can create elaborate speech commands such as "overhead lighting to maximum" where you would add 3 or 4 successive "increase overhead lighting commands"

- Stab Trim to guard closed

Item can be controlled, but not with that voice command, which you can always alias to an existing one. Try "stab trim cutout to normal"

- Flight deck/cockpit door to Auto…

Never bothered with cockpit door because not many supported aircraft have working doors. Can be done though.

2- Reply but NO action, Errors, other issues:

- Check flight data recorder  (Reply: “Voice recorder test”; NO Action)

OK, will be checked

- Set Landing Altitude  (command OK, but reply: “Set Cabin Altitude..”)

Will be checked

- Set DH/DA  (Reply: “Can’t find switch..” ; NO action)

Although FO could increment/decrement DH, it's not possible to set it accurately without being able to read the current value. We never make any assumption, because you could have dialled another value yourself. The current PMDG SDK doesn't provide access to that value.

- Set bank angle limit to xx  (Reply is correct; NO Action)

Oversight. Can be done

- Arm Localizer  (Reply: “Localizer mode on”; NO Action nor light)

Will check
- Test/check extinguishers  (Only to the left side, not to right side)

Roger, wilco
- NAV 1(2) ident on/off  (NO button light)

Oversight. Can be done.
- Marker ident on/off  (NO button light)

Same as above

- How to select the T/O “MCP corner”? (Takeoff thrust yields only Max thrust, not the N1 value)

What do you mean by corner? Do you mean simulating pressing the "screw" for TOGA? Try command "set toga thrust"

- Could FO read out Transition Level from FMC and Notify?  (At least in DESCENT)

PMDG SDK provides it. Doable

Hopefully sorted by next week.

 

 

 

 

Answers embedded

[goggi 9]

Thanks for the speedy reply. You are right, some of my requests were unclear.
Let me restate them better (following the original order):

- Chime: there is a switch, to the left of the Seat Belts one, labelled “Chime”. It sounds the “Ding” to the cabin crew (it is NOT the Attendant call). Relevant to T/O and Landing phases

- VSD (vertical iSituation Display, an inset in the ND) can be displayed by double-pressing the CTR button (CTR missing as well)

- AP disengage bar on MCP: not really necessary, just a fine detail. Can be omitted

- Test Master Lights: I tried the commands suggested. Correct reply but NO action

- FMC: tested most commands on the document. Only some are working, other get a generic reply (OK) but NO action. In particular the “n one limit” works, but no way to get either directly or via a further “rsk six” to the TAKEOFF page (the document “ fmc one to takeoff approach” is not working). Same for the command “fuel prediction”

- Cabin lighting: I tried the various “…increse/decrese” up to 20 times in a row, NO action. The one working is just “Dome lights on/off”

- Cockpit door: understood. Can be omitted

- DH setting: understood. Can be omitted

- "Arm Localizer" command: I believe it was working before. Could it be a corrupted .dll file?

- TOGA engine setting at takeoff: I tried the “set toga thrust” and “set takeoff thrust”, which work, but they always set MAX (100%) thrust, NOT the actual (lower) N1 limit computed in the FMC

Thanks for all your efforts, and regards! MCE forever.
Giorgio Goggi

P.S.: when in final, overflying the OM, the FO reminder “check altitude” is a splendid and realistic detail.
In cases where the OM is not present in the procedure, would it be possible to direct the FO to do the same at the Final Approach Fix? The Captain could state the FAF name at the time of the APP briefing, for instance …
Thanks for considering it if at all possible. 
G.

 

 

[goggi 9]

Hello,

I am afraid that you might have missed my last reply, with remaining questions, posted on June 19:

....avsim.com/forums/topic/537886-missing-or-faulty-commands-pmdg-737/

These questions should complete, at least to a large extent, the missing or ineffective commands list in the PMDG 737NGX. They are necessary for completing my flows, currently under development.

If, on the other hand, my message is only pending on your side for whatever reason, I shall gladly wait. Your support is always outstanding!

Thanks,
Giorgio

[FS++ 707]

39 minutes ago, goggi said:

Hello,

I am afraid that you might have missed my last reply, with remaining questions, posted on June 19:

....avsim.com/forums/topic/537886-missing-or-faulty-commands-pmdg-737/

These questions should complete, at least to a large extent, the missing or ineffective commands list in the PMDG 737NGX. They are necessary for completing my flows, currently under development.

If, on the other hand, my message is only pending on your side for whatever reason, I shall gladly wait. Your support is always outstanding!

Thanks,
Giorgio

If you mean items listed in this thread, they are being worked on.

Might be a bit optimistic for this Saturday, but most should be sorted.

 

[FS++ 707]

On ‎6‎/‎19‎/‎2018 at 2:00 PM, goggi said:

- FMC: tested most commands on the document. Only some are working, other get a generic reply (OK) but NO action. In particular the “n one limit” works, but no way to get either directly or via a further “rsk six” to the TAKEOFF page (the document “ fmc one to takeoff approach” is not working). Same for the command “fuel prediction” 

 

Just wanted to clarify this "fmc one to takeoff approach".

That fmc speech rule is supposed to be a basic rule, like press that button I am seeing with that label.

Since there is no "takeoff approach" button for this aircraft (command may apply to others), there is no action.

In that case you would need to create a custom command in Voxscript that would get to press all the necessary buttons to achieve the goal.

Example: "set my fmc on the takeoff page" (any sentence you want), then as part of the script

fmc one press init

fmc one press lsk six  (This would select the Index page)

fmc one press lsk four

Note, right now "to" isn't covered by the grammar. Would need to use "press", "select" or "activate", like "fmc one activate init page".

This is a good opportunity to update the grammar to allow these as well

press button

push button

press

push

switch to

select to

to

Will be there in next update.

 

 

 

[goggi 9]

Thanks a lot!
I did not mean in any way to push you; replying so fast to a continuous inflow of queries is definitely a demanding job!
Just to be informed...

Looking forward to the next developments,
Giorgio

[FS++ 707]

On ‎6‎/‎28‎/‎2018 at 2:41 PM, goggi said:

Thanks a lot!
I did not mean in any way to push you; replying so fast to a continuous inflow of queries is definitely a demanding job!
Just to be informed...

Looking forward to the next developments,
Giorgio

You're welcome.

Now almost all reported issues fixed and suggested ones implemented (apart from "chime" and "CTR" button

Download this patch

Unzip and replace a few files according to folder structure.

 

[goggi 9]

Again, thank you so much!
Currently away then on holidays, back sometimes in mid-September.
Very eager to try them out, but shall make tests and give feedback (with great pleasure) only then!
Giorgio

[julian46 21]

Can anyone verify if these commands work ?

"Arm Localizer" command

and also "Arm Approach"

 

thanks - Julian

 

[FS++ 707]

1 hour ago, julian46 said:

Can anyone verify if these commands work ?

"Arm Localizer" command

and also "Arm Approach"

 

thanks - Julian

 

 "arm approach" is probably a command you're used to with another speech recognition program.

We use "approach mode on".

If you find yourself speaking a command a couple of times without FO seemingly being responsive to that, here is how you can keep your natural speech while making it possible for FO to understand you.

In MCE user interface go to <Command> tab and click <Voxscript> button.

Normally, Voxscript is designed for the purpose of elaborating tasks for Fo to perform on your command.

What's little known is that if you create a flow with a single command, MCE would be acting as a translator.

Therefore, click <New> button and type the command you're used to "arm approach".

The command will be listed. Select it and click <Edit>

In next screen Enable "Verbose" option, so you can hear Fo's reply.

Click "Edit script command".

Now, add the built-in command "approach mode on" which MCE FO is trained to understand and save.

Voila, after that, speaking your custom command would be as if you spoke the built-in one., You created an aliased command.

The custom command doesn't even need to have the words "approach". Could have been "press that thing to assist with landing", "ding deng dong" or whatever you like.

You are telling MCE, whenever you make that noise that corresponds to the written custom command, execute whatever  the built-in command it is tied to.

And you can include those aliased commands in other flows.

[julian46 21]

Got it

"Localizer mode on " (To engage LOC/VOR)

"Approach mode on" (To engage APP)

 

Thanks for the Voxscript tips too


Julian

[FS++ 707]

34 minutes ago, julian46 said:

Got it

"Localizer mode on " (To engage LOC/VOR)

"Approach mode on" (To engage APP)

 

Thanks for the Voxscript tips too


Julian

You're welcome.

Forgot to mention something.

By default, when creating flows or aliased commands, you would typically have option "Ahow scripts for currently loaded aircraft only" enabled.

That means any custom command or flow is intended for that aircraft type.

To create a command to use with ANY aiorcraft, untick that option first, so that the flow or aliased commands can apply everywhere.

Suck universal commands or flows are stored in

\My documents\Multi Crew Experience\Myvoicescripts\Copilot\Aircraft\ALL\ folder.

You could simply move those aliased commands you created earlier to that specific folder so you can use them with any aircraft.

 

[julian46 21]

Thanks again for the info

With the 737NGX (latest build) - I tried the below commands this evening during a flight and approach mode enabled fine but VOR/LOC mode did not - is there a different command for that ?

(it worked ok when I manually pushed the button)

 

"Localizer mode on " (To engage LOC/VOR). - no light - did not indicate VORLOC on MFD in white - did not seem to engage

"Approach mode on" (To engage APP) - light came on button and indicated mode on MFD - worked fine

 

 

 

[FS++ 707]

7 hours ago, julian46 said:

Thanks again for the info

With the 737NGX (latest build) - I tried the below commands this evening during a flight and approach mode enabled fine but VOR/LOC mode did not - is there a different command for that ?

(it worked ok when I manually pushed the button)

 

"Localizer mode on " (To engage LOC/VOR). - no light - did not indicate VORLOC on MFD in white - did not seem to engage

"Approach mode on" (To engage APP) - light came on button and indicated mode on MFD - worked fine

 

 

 

Try...

nav mode on

nav hold on