Trim wheel position FSUIPC offset not working?

[Clamb]

Hi,
I'm trying to read offset 73A5, which is "Trim wheel position requested, if not in manual mode, in degrees *100(so varying between -400 and +1350).If in manual mode, this reads -9999." However, when displaying it using FSUIPCs logging function it always reads "0". (Type set to U16 or S16).
FSUIPC support was enabled during installation. I'm able to read offset 73C8, which shows CPT QNH setting for example. So Jeehell <-> FSUIPC seems to be working, but the trim offset stays 0.
Can somebody confirm this? Or any ideas how to solve this?

Best regards
Axel

[Clamb]

Anybody =/?

[OmniAtlas]

No idea but I will be planning to interface my throttle trim wheel soon. I would be interested to see how you progress.

Are you using fs2phidgets? What type of motor are you using?


Regards.

[Jan737]

Hi Axel,

Maybe you can ask Pete Dowson @FSUIPC forum

Regards

Jan

[Clamb]

Thank Jan, I may ask Pete over there. But I highly doubt it's a FSUIPC problem.

No idea but I will be planning to interface my throttle trim wheel soon. I would be interested to see how you progress.
Are you using fs2phidgets? What type of motor are you using?
Regards.

The throttle I'm trying to interface is, as far as I know, an older one from FDS. the Trim-wheel is connected to a stepper motor from Phidgets ( http://www.phidgets.com/products.php...duct_id=3330_0 ) via a reducing gear, resulting in a pretty small step-size.
The trim scale is directly connected to a 360° Potentiometer. My interface-plan is probably way too complicated, but it's working so far pretty well

The heart of the interface is an Arduino Mega2560 (I've quite some experience with Arduinos and love those little chips). The potentiometer is read out with a 16-bit ADC (https://www.adafruit.com/product/1085) for very very good position accuracy. It registers every so slight movement of the trimwheel . The ADC transmits the current trim-wheel position to the Arduino via a I2C bus.

A DRV8825 Stepper motor driver ( https://www.pololu.com/product/2133 ) is connected to the Arduino to drive the stepper motor without much coding on the Arduino. Even with 1/32 step size I'm reaching speeds way higher than needed. The stepper motor can actually be powered with up to 2.8A per coil, he DRV8825 reaches only about 2A per coil continuously with a cooling fan attached. However, 2A seems to be more than enough for the trim wheel. With the motor holding position, you need quite a lot of force to turn the trim wheel manually.

The Arduino compares the current trim wheel position received from the ADC (Potentiometer) with the target position which is supposed to be received via a Serial connection to the PC from FSUIPC with a .LUA script and moves the motor accordingly.

I've already successfully tested this setup using the default-FSUPC-trim Offset, but this way I'm not able to read out weather auto-trim is active or not, this is why I need the Jeehell Trim-Offsets.

I hope the setup is understandable

Best regards
Axel

[Clamb]

Accidental double-post

[jeddmc]

have you try using mobiflight
i try used and its read value from offset 73AE for trim wheel
trying to build from old FDS TQ

[OmniAtlas]

The throttle I'm trying to interface is, as far as I know, an older one from FDS. the Trim-wheel is connected to a stepper motor from Phidgets ( http://www.phidgets.com/products.php...duct_id=3330_0 ) via a reducing gear, resulting in a pretty small step-size.
The trim scale is directly connected to a 360° Potentiometer. My interface-plan is probably way too complicated, but it's working so far pretty well

The heart of the interface is an Arduino Mega2560 (I've quite some experience with Arduinos and love those little chips). The potentiometer is read out with a 16-bit ADC (https://www.adafruit.com/product/1085) for very very good position accuracy. It registers every so slight movement of the trimwheel . The ADC transmits the current trim-wheel position to the Arduino via a I2C bus.

A DRV8825 Stepper motor driver ( https://www.pololu.com/product/2133 ) is connected to the Arduino to drive the stepper motor easily. Even with 1/32 step size I'm reaching speeds way higher than needed. The stepper motor can actually be powered with up to 2.8A per coil, he DRV8825 reaches only about 2A per coil continuously with a cooling fan attached. However, 2A seems to be more than enough for the trim wheel. With the motor holding position, you need quite a lot of force to turn the trim wheel manually.

The Arduino compares the current trim wheel position received from the ADC (Potentiometer) with the target position which is supposed to be received via a Serial connection to the PC from FSUIPC with a .LUA script and moves the motor accordingly.

I've already successfully tested this setup using the default-FSUPC-trim Offset, but this way I'm not able to read out weather auto-trim is active or not, this is why I need the Jeehell Trim-Offsets.

I hope the setup is understandable

Best regards
Axel

Hi Axel, thanks for sharing and providing insight --- yes, sounds complicated for a novice like me!

Simon has got his trim working with opencockpit, but to tell you the truth SIOC seems even more confusing.

I was considering using FS2Phidgets based on this guide by F2Approach.

I am also considering using DAVATX (available in the misc file section) which allows you to interface phidget cards with FSX/P3D however the program only works with a stepper motor.

Apparently there is a newer version (beta) which works with DC motors and ardruinos but the author has been unresponsive, and is ?no longer releasing the software. http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/show...ighlight=DVATX

Would like experienced builders opinions what would be the best way to go about this.

Thanks,

Ben

[Clamb]

have you try using mobiflight
i try used and its read value from offset 73AE for trim wheel
trying to build from old FDS TQ

Thats interesting, I'll have a look at it. Would be very strange if mobiflight could read it but FSUIPC itself is not showing anything.

Hi Axel, thanks for sharing and providing insight --- yes, sounds complicated for a novice like me!
Simon has got his trim working with opencockpit, but to tell you the truth SIOC seems even more confusing.
I was considering using FS2Phidgets based on this guide by F2Approach.

I am also considering using DAVATX (available in the misc file section) which allows you to interface phidget cards with FSX/P3D however the program only works with a stepper motor.

Apparently there is a newer version (beta) which works with DC motors and ardruinos but the author has been unresponsive, and is ?no longer releasing the software. http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/show...ighlight=DVATX

Would like experienced builders opinions what would be the best way to go about this.

Thanks,

Ben

If I had to choose hardware to interface a throttle which has nothing in it (yet). I'd use a stepper motor like the one which is build in my throttle. High torque, 0.9° step size (or even smaller when directly attaced to the trim wheel). But instead of a 360° pot, I'd use a high resolution encoder with something like 400 steps/revolution to calculate the current trim wheel position. Starting position could either be detected by a end switch or or a hall-effect sensor.
I would not use a DC motor, because you have to deal with acceleration/deceleration and so on, which in my experience can be quite a pain in the ***. In my opinion stepper motors are a great solution for this.

I haven't really much experience with SIOC / opencockpits. I bought a servo card from them some time ago, but hated the SIOC interace.

The upside with SIOC is that it's widely used in the FS community and you'll probably find a solution to drive the trim wheel with a stepper motor via SIOC. Arduino might be slightly more complex

[sstusek]

Hi Axel,
Try using offset 73AE.
Regards,
Simon

... Don't use the 73A5 offset, it has been replaced by 73AE due to collision with an already assigned offset... MAN PITCH TRIM cannot be user triggered, it has to be because of failure/mis configuring the OVHD systems. If the trim is not taken over by my software, the offset 73AE will read -9999.Regards,JL