PFC (Precision Flight Controls)

[Peter Dowson]

Just quick note and update.... Got e-mail form PFC Tech Support. I can get a firmware upgrade by replacing the chip for $100 plus shipping.

Let's see..... $100 or flashing landing lights..... hhhhmmmm... well, have to think about this a minute or two. LOL Most likely get the chip

Seems a lot. If you don't mind waiting a while I'll see if I can get them to tell me what actions I need to make optional to stop the flashing. Of course they probably can't tell. They farm out the firmware programming, so it depends on whether the chap who does it keeps up with the stuff I've been doing.

Regards

Pete

[Matt Olieman]

If you don't mind waiting a while I'll see if I can get them to tell me what actions I need to make optional to stop the flashing.
Pete

On that note Waiting doesn't cost a cent I'll wait.

Thanks Pete, VERY much appreciated

Matt Olieman

[Matt Olieman]

Hi Pete, anymore thoughts on this, a possible solution rather then buying the chip?

Matt Olieman

[Peter Dowson]

Hi Pete, anymore thoughts on this, a possible solution rather then buying the chip?

Matt Olieman

Sorry, as yet I've got no information on what is causing the problem, so I can't really make any changes to fix it. Eric at PFC said he would go through the schematics and firmware coding to try to work it out, but he is very busy and I don't hold out much hope -- after all they (PFC) solved the problems by fixing the firmware. I can understand their view on this -- in a way it's a bit like me being asked to fix some bug in version 1 of FSUIPC. I'd say something rude and tell the requester to go buy version 3!

I'll remind Eric anyway, in case he finds time and is still willing.

Regards

Pete

[Matt Olieman]

Being rude is OK, occasionally At least you know where you stand

Thanks Pete, much appreciated

Matt Olieman

[Padraig]

Just quick note and update.... Got e-mail form PFC Tech Support. I can get a firmware upgrade by replacing the chip for $100 plus shipping.

Let's see..... $100 or flashing landing lights..... hhhhmmmm... well, have to think about this a minute or two. LOL Most likely get the chip

Matt Olieman

$100 for a chip with new firmware seems seriously overcharged especially when its a bug. What type of microchip is it ? most chips I use are from Microchip and they cost about 7 sterling or less or a little more. If you could find out what the chip is and then ask them for the hex file I could obtain the chip and flash it for you if my programmer supports the chip.

[Matt Olieman]

Thanks, I'll just wait to see what Pete comes up with. If he doesn't, then I'll just have to continue to enjoy watching those annoying red and green lights

Matt Olieman

[Peter Dowson]

$100 for a chip with new firmware seems seriously overcharged especially when its a bug.

It does seem expensive, and in fact it sounds like a "nominal price" to scare folks off, but I don't think you could call the problem a "bug". The version of the firmware with the problem pre-dates anything I know -- I think it comes from well before I got involved, so that's sort of FS98 / FS2000 days. And it works fine with the software it was intended to work with.

What has happened is that FS has developed, new facilities have been added, and the firmware enhanced to utilise these. The commands to drive the new facilities weren't even dreamt of when the many-years old firmware was written, so it is understandable that it gets upset when it receives them.

If I knew which commands were doing it I could add an option to stop sending them (presumably losing something which doesn't apply to this hardware configuration in any case), but I can't do that because i have no way of telling what it is I shouldn't send.

If you could find out what the chip is and then ask them for the hex file I could obtain the chip and flash it for you if my programmer supports the chip.

That's what i used to do for the fax machines I used to support in my office software, but I don't have any EPROM programmers now.

Regards

Pete

[Padraig]

It does seem expensive, and in fact it sounds like a "nominal price" to scare folks off, but I don't think you could call the problem a "bug". The version of the firmware with the problem pre-dates anything I know -- I think it comes from well before I got involved, so that's sort of FS98 / FS2000 days. And it works fine with the software it was intended to work with.

What has happened is that FS has developed, new facilities have been added, and the firmware enhanced to utilise these. The commands to drive the new facilities weren't even dreamt of when the many-years old firmware was written, so it is understandable that it gets upset when it receives them.

If I knew which commands were doing it I could add an option to stop sending them (presumably losing something which doesn't apply to this hardware configuration in any case), but I can't do that because i have no way of telling what it is I shouldn't send.



That's what i used to do for the fax machines I used to support in my office software, but I don't have any EPROM programmers now.

Regards

Pete

Oh I see, I didn't think that it was such early versions of flight simulator I thought it was for FS2004 / FSX. I did not read the thread fully, I just had a glimpse on what Matt was saying here on this page.

Either way, the offer is still there Matt if you make up your mind.

[Peter Dowson]

Thanks, I'll just wait to see what Pete comes up with. If he doesn't, then I'll just have to continue to enjoy watching those annoying red and green lights

Hi Matt,

Eric at PFC got back to me this morning with some information. I've made some changes to the PFC driver accordingly. Given what he's told me, if you definitely have the "motors" option off, you shouldn't get any Gear LED flashing if you use the latest PFC drivers -- the ones I've just uploaded to my Support Forum - 2.306 for FS9 and before or 4.316 for FSX and ESP.

Let me know, please.

Regards

Pete