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  1. #1
    luker
    Guest

    Dimming Project Magenta displays ...help!

    Hi Guys,

    I would like to try to dim my project magenta ND display and PFD displays via way of a potentiometer.

    Can someone provide help on how to do this ??? :confused:

    I can't assign it by selecting from the drop downlist within the FS2Phidget software so I assume I will need to set it up in the pm variables ini file....

    I know I have to use offset 0x55F0 but how do I set it up ?
    If anyone has tried this I would appreciate some help.

    I assume this would require analogue input from my 8/8/8 phidgets board ??

    Here is what the project magenta offset guide has in it in relation to the offset.


    Offset: 55F0
    Size: 6
    Dimmer Implemented for Airbus and Boeing
    Glass Cockpit display brightness, Bytes
    0 - Captain PFD
    1 - Captain ND
    2 - Upper ECAM
    3 - Lower ECAM
    4 - F/O ND
    5 - F/O PFD

    0 - INOP, 1 Dark -100 Bright


    Sorry for the long post

    Thanks in advance

    Cheers,
    Luke

  2. #2
    imported_MattO
    Guest
    I'll be interested in this too...

    But, wondering, wouldn't it be easier to use a rotary Encoder?

    Matt O.

  3. #3
    alandyer
    Guest
    Hi Luke,

    Few issues raised.

    With regard to using encoders.
    Would take 101 clicks of encoder to go from 0 to 100 in steps of one.
    Figure out how many rotations of encoder this would take.
    Then you have to ask if this will work for you ?

    Potentiometer would most probably be closest to real operation.

    You can add your own items to the drop down list.
    That is what the EDIT FS VARIABLES button next to the drop down list is for.

    Your FS Variable does not have to be in pmAnything.ini.
    You could create a blank myFSvariables.ini file in your FSVariable folder.
    This is covered in the Fs2Phidgets manual.

    You already have the required offset and length so you are ahead of the game.

    Offset 55F0 with length 6 covers 6 different functions.

    You should add 6 drop down items:
    Offset 55F0 length of 1 would be LUKES_CAPT_PFD
    Offset 55F1 length of 1 would be LUKES_CAPT_ND
    Offset 55F2 length of 1 would be LUKES_UPPER_ECAM
    ....you get the idea.

    Each will have high value of 100 and low value of 0

    Hint: Read the FS2Phidget manual (RTFM) - Chapter 11.

    You will need to calibrate the potentiometer.
    Also covered in manual.

    This also long post, so I guess we're even.

    Regards,
    Alan.

  4. #4
    alandyer
    Guest
    Luke,

    Here is high level summary of what you need to do:

    Step 1: Set up drop-down list items.

    Step 2: Assign drop down item to analog (potentiometer).

    Step 3: Calibrate analog with potentiometer attached.

    Step 4: Try it out.

    Step 5: Let me know how it went (so that I can stop lying awake at nights worrying about you).

    Regards,
    Alan.

  5. #5
    luker
    Guest
    Hi Alan,

    Thanks for your quick reply with the tips. I have tried it as suggested but not much luck I'm afraid BUT hopefully you can sleep well

    I did everything carefully and as suggested by you and I even read the manual including chapter 11 !!!

    Here is a summary.

    In "MyVariables.ini" file I added the following lines

    [luke_capt_pfd]
    Offset=55F0
    Length=1
    FSType=Bitmap
    Bit=0
    LoValue=0
    HiValue=100
    Partner=None
    Format=########
    Multiplier=1.0
    Divisor=1.0
    Integer=False
    WriteOnly=False

    [luke_capt_nd]
    Offset=55F1
    Length=1
    FSType=Bitmap
    Bit=1
    LoValue=0
    HiValue=100
    Partner=None
    Format=########
    Multiplier=1.0
    Divisor=1.0
    Integer=False
    WriteOnly=False

    [luke_upper_ecam]
    Offset=55F2
    Length=1
    FSType=Bitmap
    Bit=2
    LoValue=0
    HiValue=100
    Partner=None
    Format=########
    Multiplier=1.0
    Divisor=1.0
    Integer=False
    WriteOnly=False

    etc etc etc

    First I connected the hardware up and assigned the potentiometer to the throttle variable already defined in FS2Phidgets to check the pot was working. I connected to flight Sim and sucess throttle control via the pot works !

    So I disconnect and unassigned the variable.

    I started the Project Magenta PFD/EICAS and disabled bitmap frames (as per project magenta doco)

    I assigned the pot to the variables I created, firstly I tried [luke_capt_pfd] and while varying the range of the potentiometer I could see in the phidgets hardware display that the values were increasing and decreasing as per calibration and my expectations BUT the PFD display did not dim.

    I then unassigned and re-assigned to [luke_upper_ecam] . I ensured the project magenta software was showing the upper ecam instruments. I checked that the phidgets hardware was working by watching it register values as I varied the pot for that new assignment BUT again no luck the ecam was not dimming....


    Any further suggestions ??? I may have missed a tiny detail that is stopping it from working....

  6. #6
    alandyer
    Guest
    Luke,

    How did you set up those ini files ?
    Hope you didn't type them in with notepad.

    You have those variables set up as bit maps.
    Bits are not the same things as bytes.
    If variable were a single bit in a bit map the low value would only be "0" and high value would only be "1".

    Those variables must be set up as "Range of Values"
    Use the editor - press the EDIT FS VARIABLES button on FS2Phidgets main screen.

    Regards,
    Alan.

  7. #7
    luker
    Guest
    Hi Alan,

    Thanks for picking me up on the mistake of setting them to bitmapped variables. I had done it through the FS2Phidgets editor originally and I had to edit the entry with notepad to put in a minvalue and a maxvalue.....

    This time I deleted all the entries out of the ini file and through the FS2Phidgets editor I created new entries this time making sure RANGE OF VALUES was selected. The output in the ini file looks like this:

    [luke_upper_ecam]
    Offset=55F2
    Length=1
    FSType=Proportional
    LoValue=0
    HiValue=100
    Format=########
    Multiplier=1.0
    Divisor=1.0
    Integer=False
    WriteOnly=False


    Now when testing I can see the raw values (thorough the editor) coming back from Flight Sim as I move the pontentiometer. That is good and indicates that it should be working. But when I start Project Magenta Glass Cockpit software and select upper ecam (by using F3 key), sliding the potentimeter does not affect the brightness Is Flight sim passing the values of the offset back to the glass cockpit screen correctly I wonder ???

    Maybe the problem is with how I've got PM set up? I'm pretty sure PM works as other builders using IOCards have got their displays dimming correctly...or MAYBE its just ME ...

    I am running both the Glass cockpit software, flight sim 2004 and phidgets (ver 3.0.8 of software) on the same computer so there shouldn't be any network issues.....

    Again thank you for your patience and time

    Cheers,
    Luke

  8. #8
    alandyer
    Guest
    Are you running 3.0.8 of FS2Phidgets ?

  9. #9
    luker
    Guest
    Hi Alan,

    Yes I'm running 3.0.8 of FS2Phidgets software, Flight Sim 2004, XP professional with Service Pack 2 and build 424 of the Project Magenta boeing Glass cockpit Software. I'm also using version 3.48 of FSUIPC...

    Just another quick question. I'm just not sure how the offset thing hangs together. If offset 55F0 is a project magenta specific offset...then how does flight sim know about it or FSUIPC know about it??? i.e how do they interact...this is a gap in my knowledge I'm afraid

    Cheers,
    Luke

  10. #10
    alandyer
    Guest
    I do not support old versions of FS2Phidgets
    3.1.2 is the latest version.

    I strongly suggest you read FSUIPC, Wideclient and Wideserver documentation.

    Best place to address FSUIPC questions is the FSUIPC forum.

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