Saitek Yoke Mode Switch

[BobKinSTL 5]

I've ready everything I can and still do not find a good explanation.  I'd like to program buttons on the yoke under Mode 2 to do things such as switch to external view for UGCX (such as Alt+E) and zoom in/out those views.  I program, I quantize the time, I save but it just doesn't work.  Something maybe with the mode switch not being recognized?  Because if I program a switch that for example is a flap extension in Mode 1, it is still a flap extension in Mode 2.

[ark 1,290]

40 minutes ago, BobKinSTL said:

Something maybe with the mode switch not being recognized?

Are you running your yoke controls through FSUIPC? If so, suggest you open the FSUIPC Buttons & Switches tab and check if FSUIPC responds when you move the Mode switch.

Al

 

 

Edited March 22, 2020 by ark

[BobKinSTL 5]

I have my yoke buttons and axis' programmed through P3D.  I believe you are talking about a paid/full version of FSUIPC?  I do not have that but if it's needed to fix this I'm happy to do so.  I'm not overly knowledgeable about FSUIPC but I believe I have a "light" version that was part of another download......maybe EZDok?  Thanks.   

[ark 1,290]

47 minutes ago, BobKinSTL said:

I have my yoke buttons and axis' programmed through P3D.  I believe you are talking about a paid/full version of FSUIPC?  I do not have that but if it's needed to fix this I'm happy to do so.  I'm not overly knowledgeable about FSUIPC but I believe I have a "light" version that was part of another download......maybe EZDok?  Thanks.   

Yes, I was talking about the paid, registered version of FSUIPC.  Since it is not clear what is causing your problem, I can't say that the registered version of the FSUIPC would be the 'cure'. Back when a version of FSX was the only sim choice, there was a Saitek file that had to be disabled in order for FSUIPC to 'see' the Saitek mode switch. I'm not sure if that has carried over to P3D.

Since there are many, many P3D users, I have to assume many are successfully using the mode switch. There must be a bug of some type in your system that needs to be tracked down. Wish I had some other ideas.

Al

Edited March 22, 2020 by ark

[fppilot 4,371]

1 hour ago, ark said:

I have to assume many are successfully using the mode switch

Recommend never assuming.  Even using FSUIPC (paid) and Spad.Next (supported) I did not over 4 years figure out how to utilize the mode switch.  I am now a Honeycomb owner/user.  My switchover however had nothing to do with the Saitek mode switch.

[ark 1,290]

6 minutes ago, fppilot said:

Recommend never assuming.  Even using FSUIPC (paid) and Spad.Next (supported) I did not over 4 years figure out how to utilize the mode switch.  I am now a Honeycomb owner/user.  My switchover however had nothing to do with the Saitek mode switch.

Well, a lot of us have been using the Saitek Yoke mode switch very successfully starting back in 2013 (for me) with FSX, and still do to this day with P3Dv4.5!  😉

Al

Edited March 23, 2020 by ark

[fppilot 4,371]

2 minutes ago, ark said:

Well, a lot of us have been using the Saitek Yoke mode switch very successfully starting back in 2013 with FSX, and still do to this day with P3Dv4.5!  😉

Al

I never had an ounce of success.  Do you think perhaps I had a defective yoke?  Could never get any recognition off of the one green light mode indication.

 

[ark 1,290]

27 minutes ago, fppilot said:

I never had an ounce of success.  Do you think perhaps I had a defective yoke?  Could never get any recognition off of the one green light mode indication.

 

If you mean when you rotated the mode switch (wheel) the green mode display on the yoke didn't change, that is really strange and does suggest the possibility of a defective yoke or something wrong with the USB driver in the computer. I use FSUIPC exclusively and none of the Saitek software.

Al

[fppilot 4,371]

The green mode display changed but on two and three despite the lights no inputs were sensed/recognized, thus no way to assign.  Only the one light position was sensed.

Yoke left to an eBay buyer, so no longer an issue for me.  Sale for me had nothing to do with the 3 position switch. I just lived fine despite it.  But I reiterate, do not assume....

Edited March 23, 2020 by fppilot

[bbuckley 133]

I don’t use the mode switch but I’m pretty good with FSUIPC and I’ve programmed it with view commands etc for another user. I had to do it by editing the FSUIPC5.ini file. The button interface would not recognize the mode switch change and desired command at the same time. 
 

But 1. It requires the paid version (which is the investment for P3D you’ll make) and 2. It requires a LOT of FSUIPC expertise to make all the needed entries. 

[ark 1,290]

2 hours ago, fppilot said:

But I reiterate, do not assume....

Frank,

I will reiterate I know many people had a working mode switch -- I flew with a lot of them. Just imagine all the forum posts there would have been if most Saitek yoke buyers couldn't get it to work over the past many years. I do agree there are exceptions. It is unfortunate it didn't work for you. If you still had the Saitek yoke maybe we could have figured out what the problem was.

Al

 

Edited March 23, 2020 by ark

[ark 1,290]

2 hours ago, bbuckley said:

I don’t use the mode switch but I’m pretty good with FSUIPC and I’ve programmed it with view commands etc for another user. I had to do it by editing the FSUIPC5.ini file. The button interface would not recognize the mode switch change and desired command at the same time. 

Yes, conditional button programing in FSUIPC does require editing the FSUIPC.ini file.

Al

[ark 1,290]

9 hours ago, BobKinSTL said:

Something maybe with the mode switch not being recognized? 

Bob,

If you ever loaded any Saitek software, check in C:\windows\system32\ for a Saitek file called SaiD0BAC.pr0 . If you do find it, try renaming it to something else like SaiD0BAC_bkup.pr0 to disable it and back it up at the same time. Then start the sim and see what happens. What we found with FSUIPC was this file would prevent FSUIPC from 'seeing' the mode switch -- the file would trap the mode switch setting. Maybe you are having a similar problem with P3D.  Understand that using the mode switch is somewhat like using the shift or control key in that it modifies some other key or button so that key or button can be used for more than one thing. What we also found is sometimes the SaiD0BAC.pr0 file would reappear -- never figured out why. I finally deleted all the Saitek software since I was using FSUIPC instead.  P3D may not respond to 'direct' use of the mode switch without FSUIPC, or something like it. You may be able to use LINDA, which is free. A lot of simmers like LINDA and it is supposedly easier to use in some ways than FSUIPC, but I don't have any LINDA experience.

https://www.avsim.com/forums/forum/424-linda/

Al

EDIT: Found this thread which talks about using the mode switch with LINDA. The thread starts in mid 2018, but see the last few posts from 2019. I noted the file I mentioned above may have been updated in later versions of the Saitek software so besides checking for the above, you may also want to look for a file called SaiD0BD3.pr0.

https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/536429-saitek-pro-cessna-yoke-mode-switch/

 

Edited March 23, 2020 by ark

[BobKinSTL 5]

7 hours ago, ark said:

check in C:\windows\system32\ for a Saitek file called SaiD0BAC.pr0 . If you do find it, try renaming it to something else like SaiD0BAC_bkup.pr0 to disable it and back it up at the same time.

Thanks ark.  I do have Saitek software because I am able to use the desktop icon to open the programming interface.  From there I can go to Mode 2 and assign a key combination including a modifier to a button on the yoke.  In my example I set ALT+E in the UGCX .ini file which is my command in UGCX to switch to and cylcle through exterior views at the gate to button C1 (aileron trim in Mode 1).  I then have to save it which I simply called it UGCX Test and it goes to folder Windows (C:)/Users/Public/Public Documents/Logitech/Flight Yoke System.  But then after reboot I go to the programming interface and the keystroke assignment I set up under Mode 2 is gone.

I located the file you mentioned above.  Questions...1. Renaming it as you said will disable the file?  2. What is meant by "back it up at the same time"?.  Sorry...reaching the limits of my computer capabilities.  And 3....If this creates any issues how to I revert back to the way it is now?  Your help is much appreciated, it's more a matter of principal at this point, I can use the keyboard commands for what I want to do.     

[bbuckley 133]

11 hours ago, bbuckley said:

But 1. It requires the paid version (which is the investment for P3D you’ll make) and 2. It requires a LOT of FSUIPC expertise to make all the needed entries. 

I meant to say "the BEST investment...).

Here is the buttons section of the FSUIPC5.ini file I did for that other user. The CR and CP entries are the Conditional commands based on mode sw position. They are based on the Saitek Pro Flight yoke and the Beech Baron (but the view entries etc should apply to all aircraft). You can paste a few of the view entries into the Buttons section of your FSUIPC5.ini file and renumber your entries appropriately. Please make sure you make a backup copy of your FSUIPC5.ini file FIRST. 

Spoiler

[Buttons]
PollInterval=25
ButtonRepeat=20,10
0=RB,32,C65734,0     -{PAN_UP}-
1=RB,36,C65735,0     -{PAN_DOWN}-
2=RB,38,C65671,0     -{PAN_LEFT}-
3=RB,34,C65672,0     -{PAN_RIGHT}-
4=RB,0,C65588,0     -{BRAKES}-
5=CP(+B,8)B,1,C65567,0     -{VIEW_MODE}-
6=RB,2,C65607,0     -{ELEV_TRIM_DN}-
7=RB,3,C65615,0     -{ELEV_TRIM_UP}-
8=CR(+B,8)B,4,C65655,0     -{ZOOM_IN}-
9=CR(+B,8)B,5,C65656,0     -{ZOOM_OUT}-
10=CP(+B,8)B,6,C66153,0     -{NEXT_SUB_VIEW}-
11=CP(+B,8)B,7,C66154,0     -{PREV_SUB_VIEW}-
12=CP(+B,8)B,14,C65580,0     -{AP_MASTER}-
13=CP(+B,8)B,16,C65725,0     -{AP_HDG_HOLD}-
14=CP(+B,8)B,18,C65726,0     -{AP_ALT_HOLD}-
15=CP(+B,9)B,1,C66509,0     -{HEADING_BUG_SELECT}-
16=CR(+B,9)B,4,C66446,0     -{NAV1_RADIO_FRACT_INC_CARRY}-
17=CP(+B,9)B,5,C66448,0     -{NAV1_RADIO_SWAP}-
18=CR(+B,9)B,6,C65880,0     -{HEADING_BUG_DEC}-
19=CR(+B,9)B,7,C65879,0     -{HEADING_BUG_INC}-
20=CP(+B,10)B,1,C66510,0     -{ALTITUDE_BUG_SELECT}-
21=CR(+B,10)B,4,C65892,0     -{AP_ALT_VAR_INC}-
22=CR(+B,10)B,5,C65893,0     -{AP_ALT_VAR_DEC}-
23=CR(+B,10)B,6,C66524,0     -{EYEPOINT_UP}-
24=CR(+B,10)B,7,C66525,0     -{EYEPOINT_DOWN}-
25=CP(+B,10)B,15,C66375,0     -{TOGGLE_GPS_DRIVES_NAV1}-
26=CP(+B,10)B,14,C65752,0     -{PARKING_BRAKES}-