PMDG Offsets

[Daveanne]

Mr R, have tried out the programme you sent me and its realy difficult to see if the smoothing works successfully or not, because the results numbers are changing all the time its difficult to observe if they are "dampening" down the movement.

If possible could you download the FS2Phidgets programme from the "download" section of this site and also install the Phidgets software from their site.

Once installed the FS2Phidgets interface has an emulation section which immitates and graphically shows a servo, assign it to the throttle and then you will be able to see if the smoothing has a marked effect or not?

If you don't feel like doing that, then please let me know how I interface the "smoothing" results into the FS2Phidgets interface and I will trial the emulated servo myself?

Hope you can help?

Daveanne

[MrRoper]

Hi,

I will have a play with the software and see if i can get something working, it is likely that, because the throttle output is moving constantly, we will need to add some dampening code, that will not move the servo until a large enough change occurs,

dont worry we will sort it, I dont let software beat me

[MrRoper]

well thats a fun little app, didnt realise there was a servo emulator

ok so here is the new code

-- "Display Vals" example LUA plug-in, by Pete Dowson, September 2008

thr1Array = {0,0,0,0,0}
thr2Array = {0,0,0,0,0}
thr1Smooth = 1
thr2Smooth = 1
thr1LastPos = 1
thr2LastPos = 1
loop = 1
-- Loop forever: to stop this you'll have to use the LuaKill control on it.
while 1 do

	thr1 = ipc.readSW(0x088C)
	thr2 = ipc.readSW(0x0924)

   if loop<5 then
 
        thr1Array[loop] = thr1
        thr2Array[loop] = thr2
        loop = loop + 1
 
        thr1Smooth = thr1Array[1]
        thr2Smooth = thr1Array[1]            
 
    else
        thr1Smooth = (thr1Array[1] + thr1Array[2] + thr1Array[3] +thr1Array[4] +thr1Array[5]) / 5
        thr2Smooth = (thr2Array[1] + thr2Array[2] + thr2Array[3] +thr2Array[4] +thr2Array[5]) / 5
 
        --shift the array
 
        thr1Array[1] = thr1Array[2]
        thr1Array[2] = thr1Array[3]
        thr1Array[3] = thr1Array[4]
        thr1Array[4] = thr1Array[5]
        thr1Array[5] = thr1
 
        thr2Array[1] = thr2Array[2]
        thr2Array[2] = thr2Array[3]
        thr2Array[3] = thr2Array[4]
        thr2Array[4] = thr2Array[5]
        thr2Array[5] = thr2
 
    end

	
--write to the offset
	if thr1Smooth > thr1LastPos + 600 or thr1Smooth < thr1LastPos - 600 then
		ipc.writeSW(0x66C0, thr1Smooth)
		thr1LastPos = thr1Smooth 
	end

	if thr2Smooth > thr2LastPos + 600 or thr2Smooth < thr2LastPos - 600 then
		ipc.writeSW(0x66C2, thr2Smooth)
		thr2LastPos = thr2Smooth 
	end
	

ipc.display("thr1="..thr1.."\nthr1Smooth="..thr1Smooth.."\nthr2="..thr2.."\nthr2Smooth="..thr2Smooth.."\nthr1LastPos

="..thr1LastPos)

ipc.sleep(300)

end

this is the clever bit

	if thr1Smooth > thr1LastPos + 600 or thr1Smooth < thr1LastPos - 600 then
		ipc.writeSW(0x66C0, thr1Smooth)
		thr1LastPos = thr1Smooth 
	end

	if thr2Smooth > thr2LastPos + 600 or thr2Smooth < thr2LastPos - 600 then
		ipc.writeSW(0x66C2, thr2Smooth)
		thr2LastPos = thr2Smooth 
	end

what we are saying here... If the throttle hasnt moved by at least 600 units then dont update, we then write the value to two FSUIPC offsets

66c0 and 66c2

you will need to create a variable in fs2phidgets that points to these offsets and then map the servo to this variable to see the change

if this works you can then just tweak the range we ignore to increase the 'null' zone

hope this makes sense!

[Daveanne]

OK, have done all that as directed, have assigned the emulated servo to 66C0 and gave it a name of ENGINE_T1_LEVER.

However when mapping the servo in FS2P the servo now doesn't move at all, even the FS numbers in the table do not increase/decrease.

?

Daveanne

[Daveanne]

P.S. Also the display has gone away and is no loger visible.

Daveanne

[MrRoper]

i think its a formatting error when you have pasted it into notepad, the display should still appear

the line that reads ipc.display should all be one line and include the ="..thr1LastPos) part.. will paste it in without the code tags

-- "Display Vals" example LUA plug-in, by Pete Dowson, September 2008

thr1Array = {0,0,0,0,0}
thr2Array = {0,0,0,0,0}
thr1Smooth = 1
thr2Smooth = 1
thr1LastPos = 1
thr2LastPos = 1
loop = 1
-- Loop forever: to stop this you'll have to use the LuaKill control on it.
while 1 do

thr1 = ipc.readSW(0x088C)
thr2 = ipc.readSW(0x0924)

if loop<5 then

thr1Array[loop] = thr1
thr2Array[loop] = thr2
loop = loop + 1

thr1Smooth = thr1Array[1]
thr2Smooth = thr1Array[1]

else
thr1Smooth = (thr1Array[1] + thr1Array[2] + thr1Array[3] +thr1Array[4] +thr1Array[5]) / 5
thr2Smooth = (thr2Array[1] + thr2Array[2] + thr2Array[3] +thr2Array[4] +thr2Array[5]) / 5

--shift the array

thr1Array[1] = thr1Array[2]
thr1Array[2] = thr1Array[3]
thr1Array[3] = thr1Array[4]
thr1Array[4] = thr1Array[5]
thr1Array[5] = thr1

thr2Array[1] = thr2Array[2]
thr2Array[2] = thr2Array[3]
thr2Array[3] = thr2Array[4]
thr2Array[4] = thr2Array[5]
thr2Array[5] = thr2

end


--write to the offset
if thr1Smooth > thr1LastPos + 600 or thr1Smooth < thr1LastPos - 600 then
ipc.writeSW(0x66C0, thr1Smooth)
thr1LastPos = thr1Smooth
end

if thr2Smooth > thr2LastPos + 600 or thr2Smooth < thr2LastPos - 600 then
ipc.writeSW(0x66C2, thr2Smooth)
thr2LastPos = thr2Smooth
end
ipc.display("thr1="..thr1.."\nthr1Smooth="..thr1Smooth.."\nthr2="..thr2.."\nthr2Smooth="..thr2Smooth.."\nthr1LastPos="..thr1LastPos)

ipc.sleep(300)

end

[Peter Dowson]

i think its a formatting error when you have pasted it into notepad, the display should still appear

Why not just make the file and attach it? I've done it ... see attached.

Regards

Pete

[Daveanne]

Well done sir, running very nicely indeed, graphic shows what the "smoother" is doing and the emulated servo shows the, "lack of" jerky movement too..!!

Just need to try it on the real ones now, mind you I don't think I will have any problems with it.

I have tried a few tweeks with the time intervals and I am sure that I can get it down to a fine level that will give smooth lever movements and a realistic setting for the engine N1's ect.

I have set the programme (LUA throttlesmoothing) to start with a key stroke, how do I start that automatically each time I start FS?

Presumeably if I do not want the graphic to pop up I delete that last part of the script?

Once again, many thanks for very excellent help, its nice to know that there someone that is willing to help someone like me, who can build a sim pit, very handy with woodwork, modelling etc, but rather (not now) dumb with programming.

Yet again, many thanks for your very welcome help.

Daveanne

P.S. hope you don't mind if I call on you again if I get more problems with this?

[Peter Dowson]

I have set the programme (LUA throttlesmoothing) to start with a key stroke, how do I start that automatically each time I start FS?

Rename it to "IPCready.lua", as described in the FSUIPC Lua plug-in documentation. You can add anything in that file you want to run all the time. It starts when FS is ready to fly. There's an "IPCinit" facility too, starting earlier, but that doesn't suit anything involving aircraft control as it starts before the aircraft is loaded!

Pete

[Daveanne]

Peter, thanks for that, I had read in your interim manual about having the programme starting automatically when FS is ready to fly, but didn't quite understand that was achieved just by re-naming the file, so thanks for clearing that up.

Now I can see a programme working and where to place it, the whole subject is much clearer to see and indeed its prctical uses also.

The original "fog" in my mind was how to put a programme together, but firstly once I had put one together where to put it within the programme (FS).

Well just need to install all this into my pit now and report back as to how its gone.

Many thanks for both of your help's

Daveanne