Caravan autopilot broken?
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AUTOPILOT FIXED
Hello, all. I'm sorry to keep you all waiting for this solution. As this looked entirely like a problem with the WT GNS after SU14, I was waiting for a solution from Asobo/WT. I looked into the problem myself yesterday and discovered that it was actually caused by a complex interaction between the WT GNS and the TDS GTNxi 750. The TDS developer has provided a new version of his software (1.0.3.3), which can be downloaded from the TDS GPS Manager immediately.
Thank you for your patience. Please share this solution with anyone on the MSFS Official Forums or Discord who has been having this problem since SU14.
Thank you!
Nick C. -
I just wanted to revise this post to make sure anyone reading was directed to our discussion of a bug in the SU14 version of the Working Title GNS 530, here. The TDS issue was likely a symptom of the WT issue, but at least we've reduced one more possible source of error in the future.
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My autopilot issue is a little less predictable.
Sometimes the AP will overshoot my altitude by about 500 ft before it begins to correct back down if at all. I had to shut it off and take over manually on VATSIM today because it just refused to hold 5000 ft.I know the KAP unit has its own internal barometer, is there perhaps an issue that arises when you set the main altimeter hitting "b"? Does it also update the KAP baro?
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I haven't seen too many complain about this, but it's possible that this additional bug I noticed that was introduced with a breaking changes in SU14 is the cause. If that does work for you, we can look for more solutions.
To answer your question, there are several events for setting the barometers to standard, so it depends exactly which one you are using. You can check the current barometer setting on the KAP140 by pressing the BARO button. Let me know if you can figure anything out from there, and I'm here to help.
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Wow, didn't expect to hear back so soon, and from the man himself!
I'll leaf through that thread and try the solutions, but as I was doing some troubleshooting flights right now, I've stumbled into another issue where the KI 525 and 206 are both not getting any navigation source...
This happened after I flipped the switch from the free version of the PMS 750 to the WT 530/430 stack (as I wanted to play around with VNAV), and now I can't get a navigation source even if I start from a Cold & Dark state with the 530/430 preloaded at the start.I feel like I'm doing something wrong.
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Here is the panel configuration:
https://imgur.com/PCqMv0LI checked for any active failures, none showing.
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It looks like you don't have an active flight plan. I usually hesitate before giving such an obvious answer, but unless there's a magenta line hiding far away on your GPS screen, I wouldn't expect it to be providing any lateral navigation with nowhere to navigate to. Thanks for the screenshot, by the way. It always make this so much easier.
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Correct you are sir!
I'm going to study the KAP 140 a little more to ensure it's not doofus operator error. -
Did a short flight to Ottawa today and could not replicate the issue.
Altitude held, heading commands were followed and even did a nice LPV approach down to minimums.Previously, the AP started going rogue when I received a direct-to instruction from ATC that bypassed most of my flightplan. Could these changes in the GPS routing have caused the autopilot to lose guidance data?
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Still can't seem to get the AP under control.
Today I did a pretty standard departure out of KIAD. Climbed above 1000 ft AGL and hit HDG to turn on the AP with exactly no response. Could not engage any mode at all, HDG, ALT, NAV.Panel:
https://imgur.com/3PFW6gt -
Thanks for the screenshot again. I have two suggestions:
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Did you see my recommendation in the other thread to make sure that "flight_director_available" is set to 1 in the aircraft's systems.cfg? Like I said, this was related to a breaking change introduced in SU14.
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No being able to select autopilot modes is most often a GPS addon problem. Are you sure you don't have any GNS 530 modifications in your Community Folder that are overriding the current version that ships with the simulator?
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I got the aircraft following the flight director prompts after a restart and changing the .cfg file value from "0" to "1", but I can't be sure what helped, the restart or the tweak...
However the AP is still overshooting the altitude both up and down. Here is screenshot from the test flight, I was heading down to a final approach altitude of 4,400 ft, hit "ALT" and then adjusted the vertical speed to about 1,200 fpm. It went down well below 4,000 ft and started levelling off around 3,400 ft. I verified to check the internal KAP baro is reading the same as the primary altimeter.
I've read and re-read the instructions on the KAP and don't understand what's happening. Botched an approach on VATSIM too.
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And no other GPS addons besides the WT upgrades and freeware PMS 750.
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I'm sorry that this has become a stubborn problem for you. We've fielded quite a number of GPS and autopilot issues in my aircraft over the years due to their complexity, but luckily, we haven't met one that wasn't solvable yet.
Pardon me if I'm repeating some of this, but since you didn't find a solution quickly, I want to make sure that we're on the same page.
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Make this edit to WT530B.js? This is only required if you are on SU14 and not SU15 Beta.
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The Caravan needs the edit to systems.cfg, which you have already made.
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Have you tried with a completely empty Community Folder just to rule out any possible interference?
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Do you have the same problems with all avionics configurations, or just the GNS 530? In these light aircraft for MSFS, the autopilot is often inherited from the GPS, as is the case with the GNS 530 and GTN 750.
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Exactly which "WT upgrades" do you have installed? No additional packages should be required, with the exception of the one in the in-game marketplace that links older aircraft (of which the Caravan is one) to the new WT GNS 530. I will eliminate this requirement in my next version of the Caravan for even greater simplicity.
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Some other observations:
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When initiating the aircraft in the "ready to fly" configuration on a runway, with the WT 530/430 stack, there appears to be no conflict and the aircraft does everything I instruct it to with the KAP unit. Flies heading bug and holds ALT.
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HOWEVER, when loading from a "cold & dark" state, running through the checklists as per manual, the AP fails to engage at all (as shown in my previous screen grabs, does not even level wings as per ROL function). One odd behaviour I noticed in this state is that my inputs have an inverse effect on the yoke movement in the plane.
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When switching over to the GTN 750 (freeware) in the same flight that had started per above, the flight director starts getting control from the KAP and I'm back in business. So it appears to be related to the Working Title GPS units. I'll go ahead and make the edit as per your recommendation.
Thanks for taking the time to answer these, hope I'm not keeping you away from your other projects, we need those Dukes, and the Freighter Caravan standalone pretty soon!
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Thanks for the update. Your description there sounds almost certainly to be the WT GNS 530 bug. If you haven't made the edit that I call out in point number one, then that is almost certainly your only problem. The WT GNS 530 is almost completely unusable with my aircraft in SU14 without that edit.
I'm sorry that you had to encounter this. WT made the change that caused this at the last minute, and I was told that making any correction to this would not be possible until SU15, so the bug has stood since December of 2023. I was very polite about this at the beginning, but as the months have dragged on with people like you just trying to enjoy their aircraft, I've grown increasingly disappointed. Such is the world of modern software where everything is changing and always being updated. It's clearly a double-edged sword, I would say.
I hope that solves your problem! Good luck! Thanks for your kind message. I'm quite delighted to help my users here. I know that many of them wish for me to get involved in the MSFS forums, or Discord, but I fear I wouldn't have any time left for new development if I did, haha.
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The bug is solved with the code swap. I'm back to enjoying the aircraft with the excellent 530/430.
Now I'm fighting with the same thing in my ATR, which does not even use any WT avionics. Zero AP/flight director response. Ah well.
P.S.
Piston or turbine Duke? -
So glad it worked for you. I should have made it more clear from the beginning of our conversation that this was the likely problem, and very necessary. Sorry you wasted as much time as you did.
Are you asking me Piston or Turbine Duke? Haha, I'm sure you could predict that I would suggest getting both, but if I were forced to choose... I think the complexity of operating the piston engine version with the preheater and starting simulation would have my vote. Both are quite different machines, and provide notably different experiences.
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I go for the piston. Love the complexity. What would happen if the turbos fail? Would it still run like a normally aspirated engine?
Edit: Ah, found it on page 72 - „Should the turbocharger fail in-flight, the engine may continue to be operated as a normally aspirated engine, but it is recommended that a landing be made at the nearest suitable airport.“
