VRInsight MCP Combo knobs sloppy?

[Gregg_Seipp 565]

Hi all,

 

I've got the MCP Combo and I've had a problem since I got it with the knobs jumping values...especially when making small adjustments. Sometimes it's 5-10 digits...sometimes more. I decided to take a look at FSUIPC to see what commands the knob was sending. Using the HDG knob as an example, I found that it was sending 16 and 17...mostly 17 but when I made small adjustments it would, sort of, alternate. Clearly, my goal is to have it stop jumping around. But I'm wondering if this could have something to do with it.

 

BTW, this is the second board I've had. The first did the same thing exactly. It's a new machine with both USB2 and 3 slots...I've tried both. I've also tried using the external power supply which doesn't help at all. I've dug around and found a few posts on this from folks but no suggestions. Just wondering if someone can help.

 

Thanks,

Gregg

[Andydigital 93]

When you say this is the second board you've had what are you referring to? Do you mean motherboard in your PC?

[Gregg_Seipp 565]

No...second board for the MCP Combo. I fried the first with the wrong power supply. This one's a newer model that has circuit protection for bozos who do that.

[Andydigital 93]

Oh right so you have one of the later generation PCB's then, I was sent one too because the V/S dial was temperamental/jumping like you speak of on my original MCP Combo. The Rotary encoders are supposed to be better on those boards now.

 

To see if its a software issue in LINDA, FSUIPC or a hardware issue, test the panel with the VRiSim software and enable the test mode by ticking the box label TEST and it will show you in the display near the TEST box what is being output by the encoders as you turn them.

 

If an encoder is not behaving you will be able to tell by the numbers/data being output. Each encoder has 4 possible button ident numbers (5 if you include the push facility) i.e. left slow and left fast, right slow and right fast, plus the push. If you see a slow right number followed by a slow or fast left number even though you are only turning the dial in one direction then this is a sign of an encoder that is past its best.

 

If it only plays up when you use LINDA and FSUIPC then this could be a sign of the same function being assigned in both LINDA and FSUIPC at the same time and they are conflicting with one another.

[Gregg_Seipp 565]

Ok...ran some tests with VriSim. I noticed that, when turning it clockwise, it would give a + but, even if I was turning it relatively slow it would sometimes give a ++ and an occassional - on all knobs. If I turned it the other way everything was reversed but the same effect. When I had the old board it did the same thing and I decided to plug it into the power supply to see if it would help...hence, how I fried it. Not sure if other people see these same things when they test.

[Andydigital 93]

The + + + + ++ + + is normal as the trigger point between fast and slow can be quite small. But seeing lots of opposite directions triggered even though you are only turning in one direction shouldn't be happening regularly, especially not from every dial, one or two faulty encoders maybe but not all of them. If you stop turning right in between pulses the spring inside can force the dial in the opposite direction, but you will probably be able to feel when that is happening through the movement and clicking of the dial.

 

I wonder if its a general noise problem with the electricity in your home, I know some parts of the world have pretty terrible electricity supply, maybe a spike protector power strip with filtering built in could help.

[Gregg_Seipp 565]

Hmmm...the pc is plugged into a pretty nice strip. The electricity is pretty stable...without plugging a meter in it'd be hard to say but we don't have any problems with anything else. If I had to describe it it's like

 

+ + ++ + + + + + + ++ + + - + +

 

The opposite signals are fairly rarish. My guess is that it's the ++ that are messing with stuff.

[Andydigital 93]

Maybe try being move definitive with the turns of the dial then, i.e. grip it slightly harder and turn it slower still.

[Gregg_Seipp 565]

Well, one thing I am testing is to change the setting of the knobs on Linda so that the 'fast' is turned off. I just default it to the norm. Seems to work well, though I need to experiment with it more. Right now I'm trying it with the FSX Default aircraft setting. Not sure if it's as simple as that with the JS41 since I noticed that it has an LUA function it calls. Can I just reassign the fast buttons to be normal speed for all aircraft? (What I don't know about LUA could fill volumes.) The speed of the heading bug, for example seems quite good when I do it...with a zip of the thumb and forefinger...pretty much same speed in real aircraft. Not sure if that's the best solution but, so far, it's looking ok.

[Andydigital 93]

That's what is fantastic about LINDA you can do a lot, if you want to reassign fast turns to output slow you can, but I doubt you will keep it like that for long as it takes an age without a fast facility to turn 180 degrees.

[Gregg_Seipp 565]

Cool. Linda makes it easier. I changed all the knobs on the MCP part to change the plusfast/minusfast to just plus and minus and they're working significantly better. I can do a 180 with two flips of my finger and thumb on FSX default...about a second...pretty much like a real aircraft. Other aircraft aren't as bad but even those seem better with the change...the RealAir Duke for example. Maybe some people's dials behave differently and that's why they're slow but mine seem better like this.

[Andydigital 93]

As long as you are happy with it that's all that matters, enjoy.

[Gregg_Seipp 565]

I was just trying it out on a flight and still getting the jumps on the FSX Default aircraft...not quite as bad I don't think. I tried disabling fast on Linda but was still getting them...if anything they were worse and more jerky. To me, it appears that Microsoft has an internal software version of 'fast' when you move the dial fast. On a lark I loaded up the config for the JS41 for the default aircraft and it seemed better. I'm wondering if the Microsoft implementation isn't so good.

 

Is it easy to copy the JS41 LUA to the Microsoft default module and use it?

[Andydigital 93]

Is it easy to copy the JS41 LUA to the Microsoft default module and use it?

 

I doubt they are compatible to be honest otherwise there wouldn't be a need for a specific profile for the aircraft in the first place.

 

Have you checked within FSUIPC itself to make sure you don't have aircraft or profile specific assignments setup to do the same functions too?

[Gregg_Seipp 565]

Have you checked within FSUIPC itself to make sure you don't have aircraft or profile specific assignments setup to do the same functions too?

 

I have. There is no assignment to that 'button'.

 

The Default FSX doesn't have a Linda function (unless I'm missing something). It looks like it is just passed through. When I loaded the JS41 profile and turned the knobs they performed differently...slower...the CRS knob was very slow but not the slightest jump. There are undoubtedly things about the JS41 that won't be compatible with a default aircraft...trying to use the J41 profile in its entirety is probably not wise. But, if I can copy the set of knob functions that do work and hook them up for default aircraft I could test it better.