Help with Phidgets64 card

[jongas]

Hi,

I am having problems with my phidgets64 card and fs2phidgets.

I am wiring these to my 737's 6 packs however interfacing is causing me problems.

Each plug in the board has two inputs, for example one plug has 2 sets of wires, one to control LED 2 & one to control LED 3.

LED 2 is then wired to the FLT CONT
LED 3 is then wired to the ELEC

I have created the offset for phidgets to monitor in the variable monitor and allocated it to to the led's.

However......

Even when I test the individual LED's via phidgets, they operated in the plugged pairs - thus both illuminating rather than one at a time.

I have tried everything to sort this but no luck, can anyone help?

Thanks

Jon

[KenK]

Hi Jongas:

Here are some possible causes:

1. Is it possible you are using the same offset for both ? I have done this accidently !!!!

2. Can you light them individually just by connecting one only ?

3. Did you create your own phidgets variables using a new FSUIPC offset ?
Perhaps these are 2or 4 byte variables not simple 1 byte on/off functions.

4. If you are using 1 common wire from the 6 pack for all leds it must be the ANODE common to work with LED-64. Also remember the even numbered outputs will drive one group of common anodes. And odd numbered outputs will drive the second group.

Regards Ken K

[jongas]

Thanks for your reply.

All offsets are programmed correctly - I have the problem even when using the "light LED" function in the FS2phidgets main console, so I am certain it is not my programming.

As you may know each plug has 4 wires, for example a red and black for LED 0 and a red and black for LED 1 - I have wired them up like this, so effectively I have two seperate LEDS in two seperate circuits.

On one of the plugs I have just one led (and the other set of wires spare for future use) this led DOES still illuminate without the adjoining socket being used.

I hope this can help someone, to help me !!!!

Thanks :D

[KenK]

Hi Jongas:

Can you just wire output 2 and output 3 to a couple loose leds instead of the six pack. Then try programming the leds to lite with 2 DIFFERENT functions that you know work correctly. At least that would show if the outputs do work separately with known offsets.

Regards Ken K

[jongas]

Hi, I have tried this now - when you illuminate output 2, output 3 still illuminates but all be it slightly dimmer than number 2.

It's vice-versa with 3 illuminated

confused yet?!!!

Jon

[KenK]

Hi Jongas

Heres a couple more things to try:

1. DO NOT use a USB port expander for the LED64 card. Plug it directly into the computer USB connector. This has been a problem for some poeple.

2. Power supply. Are you using the Phidgets power supply (output 6v @ 1.5A) measure the voltage right at the card connector . Verify it remains stable when the LEDS are lighted. Underpowering the board might make it do strange things.

3. I would also try Phidgets Tech support. They may have some ideas.

Regards Ken K

[gokhotit]

I run a LED64 in my annunciator panel. I have a probem with the ports "ghosting" each other...I can turn the same light on from 4 or 5 different light positions in FS2Phidgets. What you need to do is take one of those LEDs and find a different port in FS2Phidgts.

For example...The lights are plugged into number 2 and 3, just for example. you turn on port 2 and they both illuminate. you turn on port 20 and only one light illuminates. Program that light to port 20 instead of 2...same with the other light..understand? it is confusing.

[KenK]

Is it possible that one of the LEDs is shorted or backwards ? If you look at the LED64 output MUX circuit in the manual it looks like a shorted or backward led could create a path to 3 leds.

For example: If led0 is energized via k0 and led3 is installed backwards a path exists via: negative power --- k0 ----led1----led3(backward)----led2---anode0 (positive)

I would expect led0 to light normally but the others to be dim. How dim would depend on the individual voltage drops.

My reference is page 11 of the product manual. It shows the output multiplexer circuit.

I am using the the LED64 to operate 16 leds in my TBP sim. So far I havent had any problems. I plan to add about 20 more led functions so I am VERY interested in how this all turns out. I am using the leds supplied in the starter kit and the cables as well.

Sounds like a good lab project.

Regards Ken K

[gokhotit]

If they are backwards the light will not work at all..I have done that numerous times

[KenK]

Hi all:

Your correct it wont light if shorted. But the other 2 would be on dimly. If you have all 64 wired up it might be possible for an obscure led to be shorted some place. I know I am grasping at straws on this. But I'm really hoping this is some simple wiring problem and not a design flaw in the LED64. This is a very strange bug and it sounds like other poeple are having it too.

Some weird problems are caused by poor digital power regulation causing logic thresholds to switch incorrectly. Also using some usb port expanders can cause logic pulses to have round corners instead of nice square fast rising pulses.

I hope I am not due for problems down the road. I am going to hook up more Leds soon. Dont want to junk my LED64. So far it works great and I like the logic functions Alan D made available.

Regards Ken K

[Rodney]

I run a LED64 in my annunciator panel. I have a probem with the ports "ghosting" each other...I can turn the same light on from 4 or 5 different light positions in FS2Phidgets. What you need to do is take one of those LEDs and find a different port in FS2Phidgts.

For example...The lights are plugged into number 2 and 3, just for example. you turn on port 2 and they both illuminate. you turn on port 20 and only one light illuminates. Program that light to port 20 instead of 2...same with the other light..understand? it is confusing.

If you are sure that it's not a duplicate in programming then it might be;

From Spec sheet:
Two LEDs can be attached to each four-pin connector. The four pins are in two pairs, the cathode (short lead) of each LED being connected to the left-hand pin of each pair.

Does #3 burn bright as the rest when you turn on all led's?

[KenK]

I would like to try and duplicate this problem when I get home. What offsets are you using for led 2 and 3 ?

I use fs9 with Phidgets 438 FSUIPC Vers?(will ck) Win xp sp2

Added a couple more leds yesterday (Stall and Overspeed) still no problems.

Regards Ken K

[Bob Reed]

I used 2 led64 boards in a 737 overhead I built and I never had an issue and both boards where full. I did not however use the FS2 Phidgets software.

[KenK]

Thanks Bob I am glad to hear you have no problems. Since two people seem to be having identical bugs I was getting worried. I use fs3 Phidgets and really like the abilty to add offsets and logic. So far I have had no difficulty with fs9/fsuipc/FS2Phidgets.

What software do you use to control the LED64 ? I thought FS2 phidgets was the only one .

I dont have the card "fully loaded" yet but my overhead still has plenty of leds to light. At this time I use DPDT switches to change the leds from white to green and the other switch pole to activate the function via FSUIPC. This is really not the right way to see if the function is activated so I am slowly converting them to activate with the actual function via FSUIPC/Phidgets.

I will still play with this to see whats going on. Its an interesting bug.
(As long as Im not affilicted with it yet !!!!! :-()

Regards Ken K