A320 FMGS beta 26

[jeehell]

Okay, I'll see what I can do in a future release. For the time being, the beta 9 is out, see the new topic.

JeeHell

[jeehell]

Hello all,

The beta 9 is out, check it out here: http://www.jeehell.org/A320FMGS_B9.zip

What's new:
-New font for all DUs, a big thank to Christoph Paulus (aka Kikigey89)!!!! (you have to manually install the airbusfmgs.ttf font in your c:\windows\font folder). You have to set the font for each DU separately (see in the options of each DU).
-PFD layout reworked
-N1 swing corrected
-Seatbelt and No Smoking signs for FS9
-FPLN point sequencing when several pseudo waypoints between ACFT and Active Point
-APPR phase activated when overflying DECEL pseudo waypoint
-PERF pages change when flight phase changes
-FO EFIS NAV1 and NAV2 bug corrected
-Joystick input is directly sent to FS when FBW is deactivated and AP is disengaged. An offset is available to know when joystick is "free"
-FDS FCU glare 3 integration (check FDS_Glare folder)


Again thank you Christoph for the font!

Have fun,
JeeHell

[PanosDrak]

ok nice to see that finally you changed the font and made many other changes!!! keep up the good work mate

[kikigey89]

Looks really cool I'm proud of myself But nevertheless the font isn't finished. If I get new pictures of the MCDU I will improve my font.
Just one issue: If I want to select the font in both PFDs, a message appears which says that no font is installed. So I cannot change the font.
But if I restart the PFD, my Airbus font is active, don't know why. But it's good that it has changed itself :P

Currently I am not able to test in my cockpit because I disassembled my MCDU to make a board which will carry all the buttons.
I think this will take up to a month. But tomorrow I want to test your FMGS with FSX and FSX's A321 to get an idea of how it should work
After that I will perform the same flight in FS9 to tell you, where the problems are.

[kikigey89]

Hi to all who are reading this

Today I had just time for testing the FMGS in FSX with default FSX's A321. I spend around 5-6 hours on disigning my new pedestal. Picture here: http://picasaweb.google.com/kikigey8...85195423395362.
Now to my bug and improvement report:

• Background color should be the same on all DUs. Especially PFD background is complete black, the others have a light black. Check that all have the same background color (light black looks good!).
• An option for realtime alignment of the IRS would be nice.
• INIT page is accessible every time. I think in reality it's only accessible on ground.
• No distance values to destination in MCDU.
• VS does not fit in FMA space (see screenshot).
• ILS APP was activated in cruise, don't know why.
• As far as I know the name is transition level instead of transition altitude (APP page, MCDU; only for descent, on climb it's transition altitude).
• If all bugs are corrected, an ALT button instead of the EXPED button would be nice for A330 (for the future).
• Wrong ILS frequency displayed on PFD. I had to set it manually in the MCDU but on PFD the wrong frequency was shown.
• ILS CRS cannot be changed in MCDU.
• Airports are not visible on MCDU. As far as I know the departure an destination airport are always visible.
• Discovered a lot of circles on ND (see screenshot).

And know the biggest bug: I had some problems with OP CLB, OP DES and Alt hold. The aircraft was luffing a lot, sometimes up to +/- 10°. I made a video, available on http://www.christophpaulus.com/files/fmgs.avi.
Another problem was when I selected 30000 ft (was on 28000 ft) the pitch extremly increased and I got a VS of around 14000 ft/min... After a few seconds the pitch decreased and the aircraft descended because I have been shot up to 31000 ft. But the VS mode works good, there are just a few problems if I change the VS. Then the aircraft starts to luffing again but stabilizes after a few seconds.

Maybe you could use the built-in AP of FS? I think this would solve a lot of vertical mode problems. You could use it for altitude hold and for VS operations. Maybe you can also realize OP CLB and OP DES via FS VS mode. I think vasFMC uses this, too, and this works almost perfect and smooth.
I saw that the values on the FCU in FSX are changed if I change them in your FMGS. But no AP was active yet, just A/THR. I guess you have realized the SPD hold function via FS?

Chris

[dcutugno]

I also can't change the font in PFDs, another small glicth is i had to delete all the config in the subfolders 'cause the screens was out of view and mcdu was not visible, i think you have saved your screen configuration then distribuited the fmgs.
Just to let you know a first user can go crazy...

[jeehell]

Hello Christoph,

Nice design for your pedestal!

Background color should be the same on all DUs. Especially PFD background is complete black, the others have a light black. Check that all have the same background color (light black looks good!).

Yep I noticed that, I'll put the light black (sounds weird ) back.

An option for realtime alignment of the IRS would be nice.

Are you reading my mind? I've started programming the ADIRS yesterday!!

INIT page is accessible every time. I think in reality it's only accessible on ground.

I let this "bug" intentionally, as a way to supervisor a few thing for debug, but I don't need it anymore, I'll try not to forget this one.

No distance values to destination in MCDU.

I'll correct that

VS does not fit in FMA space (see screenshot).

Damn font larger than Arial

ILS APP was activated in cruise, don't know why.

The approach type appears when you enter the APPR (and STAR) in the MCDU. I need to check exactly how it works on the real unit.

As far as I know the name is transition level instead of transition altitude (APP page, MCDU; only for descent, on climb it's transition altitude).

I've just checked on my MCDU documentation, and it remains labeled as transition altitude...
I guess the FMGS computes the transition FL from the transition altitude and the selected QNH, I'll check that.

If all bugs are corrected, an ALT button instead of the EXPED button would be nice for A330 (for the future).

The exped button is inop for the time being.
What is the purpose of the ALT button on the A330? (it does not exist on the A320)

Wrong ILS frequency displayed on PFD. I had to set it manually in the MCDU but on PFD the wrong frequency was shown.

Yes autotune is not implemented yet. As for the PFD frequency, I'll check and correct.

ILS CRS cannot be changed in MCDU.

As in the real A320 I think. I'll check.

Airports are not visible on MCDU. As far as I know the departure an destination airport are always visible.

Well the DEP and DEST runways are not yet implemented, not such an easy one. I'll see what I can do.

Discovered a lot of circles on ND (see screenshot).

Yes, an old bug, but had not bothered to correct it yet.
I'll see if I can correct this one and the wrong circles on some turns as well.

And know the biggest bug: I had some problems with OP CLB, OP DES and Alt hold. The aircraft was luffing a lot, sometimes up to +/- 10°. I made a video, available on http://www.christophpaulus.com/files/fmgs.avi.
Another problem was when I selected 30000 ft (was on 28000 ft) the pitch extremly increased and I got a VS of around 14000 ft/min... After a few seconds the pitch decreased and the aircraft descended because I have been shot up to 31000 ft. But the VS mode works good, there are just a few problems if I change the VS. Then the aircraft starts to luffing again but stabilizes after a few seconds.

I might be faulty on this one, I haven't changed the AP/FBW coefficients for a long time concerning the default A321, I probably need to tune them again.
If you want to try again, use the iFDG coeffs.

Maybe you could use the built-in AP of FS? I think this would solve a lot of vertical mode problems. You could use it for altitude hold and for VS operations. Maybe you can also realize OP CLB and OP DES via FS VS mode. I think vasFMC uses this, too, and this works almost perfect and smooth.
I saw that the values on the FCU in FSX are changed if I change them in your FMGS. But no AP was active yet, just A/THR. I guess you have realized the SPD hold function via FS?

In the early design I used the FS AP but it is really not a realistic way to do it in my opinion: I couldn't maintain a selected speed with the A/THR maintaining a constant N1 (A/THR in thrust mode), and so the A/THR would increase/decrease N1 and the VS/FPA was not exactly right (either to big or too small...).
I nonetheless use the FS ATHR as you said, but only when in SPD mode (in ALT, V/S or ILS mode), not when in THR mode (i.e. in CLB or OP CLB mode). But I wish I could not use FS at all, their ATHR is quite slow to react sometimes I think.

Anyway, try with the ifdg coefficients, and tell me if it's still bad. I'll try to make better coeff for the default A321 in next version.

By the way, why don't you use the anitaliasing? the DUs would look better I think?

[jeehell]

Hello Davide,

I've been told for the PFD font. If you try to change it, close the PFD and start again it should work. I'll correct that in next version.
For the windows not appearing, maybe you tried to use your old configuration file. I changed the format of this one to add the font function, that's probably why.

Do you have better results with the FDS module now? If you still have bugs, advise me

[kikigey89]

Hi,

as far as I know the ALT button is just for the altitude hold function. The EXPED function is missing in the A330/A340.

You are the master of your software and you know, what's intentionally and what's not. And you know more about the MCDU. I just noticed some things where I thought they might be wrong. So just forget these things where you know, that you are right I write everything down that I discover and post it here.
Same with FS AP: I was just wondering why you are not using this function. But your N1 hold is great, I hope someday everything will work properly and N1 will not go up and down the entire time in cruise (SPD mode) like in vasFMC. That was very funny at our winter event. We were working in shifts and if you were in bed in the upper floor, you could hear the engines spooling up and down
I hope your FMGS will work with my aircraft and with FS9 until my planned summer event in mid of august. At least 120 hours non-stop on VATSIM - Great

I will try it again with iFDG coefficients. Maybe not tomorrow because I planned to go gliding. I haven't been in air for 3 weeks and I need to go flying But it should rain tomorrow...

It's a good question why I am not using antialiasing... I think I just forgot it. I have some problems with AA on my cockpit computers and I need some time to solve that issue to get AA in the cockpit. So the view of the display here on my home computer was as normal as in the cockpit :P

[kikigey89]

Back from the airfield I tested the entire config with iFDG coeff. and it worked almost perfect!
In OP CLB the aircraft was luffing just a litte bit (+/- 2°) and in cruise it was completely stable
Tomorrow a test in FS9 with iFDG is coming up.