CWS not working with PMS50 GTN750

Randolf

Looks like CWS button (using LVar var_PilotCws_IsDown to hold the button) doesn't work properly with PMS50 GTN750. When I hold the button to change altitude, AP keeps fighting my pitch adjustment and doesn't switch from ALT to ATT so it returns to previously held altitude.
It works fine with KLN90B however.

Randolf

Is anyone else having problems with using the CWS button in combination with PMS50 GTN750?
For me it doesn't switch from ALT to ATT mode in v1.1 (before v1.1 it didn't work with any avionics combination).
But when I use a script to switch from ALT to ATT in addition to setting var_PilotCws_IsDown to 1 when pressing my CWS button, it works fine.
@Black-Square are you seeing the same? Is it maybe a bug in v1.1?
On the other hand, with the KLN GPS for example it works perfect since v1.1.

Randolf

Thinking about it more, is it maybe realistic that you need to manually click the ATT mode before using CWS to change flight level? If that is realistic, it's fine with me :)
But then still it behaves inconsistently between various avionics combinations.

mysticfm

For what it’s worth, I’m having the same problem with the (piston) Duke and the PMS50 GTN 750. I’ve gone back to using the @Randolf pre-1.1 FSUIPC macros for the time being.

Randolf

@mysticfm thank you for the confirmation.
Then if you still have my pre-v1.1 version, you can try to replace contents of the CWS script in group Duke with the following, to get the new behaviour, with a workaround that also clicks the ATT mode. This works for me with PMS50 GTN, need to test it with other avionics combinations and I'll add it to my templates repository.

(L:Duke-CWS) if{
 1 (>L:var_PilotCws_IsDown, Number)
 (A:AUTOPILOT MASTER, Bool) if{
  (CALL:Duke-APModeATT)
 }
} els{
 0 (>L:var_PilotCws_IsDown, Number)
}

mysticfm

@Randolf - that’s not a version for FSUIPC, is it? The reference to a “group” isn’t familiar.

Randolf

@mysticfm oh, sorry, thought you're using AAO. If you show me the macros you have in FSUIPC, I can suggest a correction.

DrZGard

I am using this line in the myevent.txt folder of FSUIPC and it does work when flying with the KLN90B in both the Piston and Turbine Duke:

BS_Duke_CWS#(L:var_PilotCws, bool) ! (>L:var_PilotCws, bool)

mysticfm

@Randolf - I'm using the updated events you'd suggested in this forum for use after v1.1 came out:

DukeCwsPr#1 (>L:var_PilotCws_IsDown, Bool)
DukeCwsRel#0 (>L:var_PilotCws_IsDown, Bool)

(Link to your post: https://community.justflight.com/post/30052)

DrZGard

@mysticfm Thank you. I have been flying the Analog King Air since doing that mod on the Duke and didn't realize the coding had changed after the update.

DrZGard

OK... I guess the CWS and GA modes only work with the RNAV and KLN90B versions and due to conflicts with the GNS530 and or GTN750 those modes aren't active. I have the CWS and GA programmed into my hardware which work without problems using the KLN90B but even the mouse button presses in the VC won't get them to work if you have the GNS530 or GTN750 selected for the panel.

mysticfm

I’ll ask again: has anyone figured out how to make CWS button work reliably with the 1.1 bindings? I’ve gotten so frustrated with it that I’ve all but stopped flying the Duke. Most of the time ATT mode can’t be enabled at all (it makes a clicking noise but just remains in the previous autopilot mode) and the CWS button does nothing. Occasionally CWS works to hold attitude even though the ATT mode never lights up (this is usually on first use of the autopilot only) … and then once in a blue moon it works as expected with the ATT mode lighted. This is with the latest, licensed version of the PMS50 GTN 750.

Black Square

From your description, this sounds like not a CWS issue, but similar to every other autopilot/GPS package issue that we've seen with all my airplanes. Most likely, you have something that it conflicting in your community folder with one or more of the GPS units installed in the Duke. We have had no issues reported with attitude holding mode when everything is installed and working properly. I recommend starting with a clean community folder, and seeing that attitude holding mode and CWS works correctly with no possible conflicts. Afterwards, it shouldn't bee too difficult to figure out what is causing the conflict. I'm happy to help you troubleshoot here, and the Just Flight support team has also gotten very good at spotting these package issues with my aircraft over the years if you want to hear from someone who does this kind of troubleshooting every day. Please keep me in the loop and let me know how it goes.

Randolf

@Black-Square which problem are you referring to? Looks like there have been few different things reported in my original thread.
My problem is not with the ATT mode, that works as advertised, just the simple problem that the CWS button does not switch to ATT mode when using PMS GTN. Works fine with other panel configs.

mysticfm

FWIW, my set of files in the Community folder hasn’t changed at all since I thought I had everything running fine prior to v1.1., other than the PMS GTN 750 update.

I’ve done some more testing today, and now I wonder if there might merely be something I don’t understand about the Century IV autopilot. Specifically, it seems that anytime I manually disengage ATT mode by clicking ATT, the autopilot lights up the GA button (which I don’t understand the purpose of) and thereafter I cannot reactivate ATT mode again while GA is lit (the latter just stays lit). But if I instead enable ALT mode while GA is “stuck”, then the GA light goes out, and after that I can reselect ATT mode and have it actually kick in again. Is this the intended behavior, and if so, is there an explanation for it?