Century IV autopilot, altitude capture questions
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The Century IV is a fairly basic autopilot. Selecting Alt mode should level the aircraft at whatever altitude you are currently at regardless what is pre selected (so long as you are not within 500ft of the preselected altitude or it will capture that). It is an "Altitude Hold" mode that can be activated manually by the pilot or by an optionally installed preselector. Note that when using the Altitude Preselector, the A/P will not capture the altitude in any mode other than ATT mode. I believe there are currently instances where Alt mode can be engaged and not holding an altitude when using certain key-bind setups. A simple work around is to manually engage ATT mode whenever you are not holding an altitude and use the pitch scroll wheel to adjust pitch to capture the preselected altitude (or manually re-engage ALT mode to hold your present altitude at any time).
- There is also a somewhat functioning CWS mode (on the pitch axis) that you can set up explained in the black square manual if you don't wish to use the pitch scroll thingy. *There is an extra key-bind I set up to make it work a bit more realistically with the default key-binds and avoid instances where ALT mode is engaged an not actively holding an altitude. Nick pointed me to it the other day and I have it working perfectly. Let me know if you wish to set that up and I'll explain more.
Regarding the aircraft pitch hunting, that is expected and normal behavior in turbulence exceeding 300fpm vertical displacement. I can assure you the autopilot will tend to pitch and roll hunt even more in a real plane... Here is a link to the Century IV manual if you want to give it a read: https://www.scribd.com/document/517407279/Century-IV-OM-68S82
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The Century IV is a fairly basic autopilot. Selecting Alt mode should level the aircraft at whatever altitude you are currently at regardless what is pre selected (so long as you are not within 500ft of the preselected altitude or it will capture that). It is an "Altitude Hold" mode that can be activated manually by the pilot or by an optionally installed preselector. Note that when using the Altitude Preselector, the A/P will not capture the altitude in any mode other than ATT mode. I believe there are currently instances where Alt mode can be engaged and not holding an altitude when using certain key-bind setups. A simple work around is to manually engage ATT mode whenever you are not holding an altitude and use the pitch scroll wheel to adjust pitch to capture the preselected altitude (or manually re-engage ALT mode to hold your present altitude at any time).
- There is also a somewhat functioning CWS mode (on the pitch axis) that you can set up explained in the black square manual if you don't wish to use the pitch scroll thingy. *There is an extra key-bind I set up to make it work a bit more realistically with the default key-binds and avoid instances where ALT mode is engaged an not actively holding an altitude. Nick pointed me to it the other day and I have it working perfectly. Let me know if you wish to set that up and I'll explain more.
Regarding the aircraft pitch hunting, that is expected and normal behavior in turbulence exceeding 300fpm vertical displacement. I can assure you the autopilot will tend to pitch and roll hunt even more in a real plane... Here is a link to the Century IV manual if you want to give it a read: https://www.scribd.com/document/517407279/Century-IV-OM-68S82
I decided to send how to set up the CWS mode now in case I am busy and you ask. Simply Bind the same input, preferably a button you can hold with your flying hand on your yoke or flight stick to both of the inputs in the first screenshot below. Under the cogwheel for AUTOPILOT PITCH LEVELER HOLD, deselect "Input Repetition" as seen in the second screenshot. You will also need to select Control AP Pitch with Hardware events in the Black Square tablet.
So long as you are not within 500ft of your preselected altitude, holding CWS mode will now engage ATT mode and command the Flight Director (FD) to sync your desired pitch using your yoke or flight stick and when releasing the button the FD will hold your last pitch angle.
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Thanks for the advice, clear instructions and the reference document.
Your trick works, although "Control AP Pitch with Hardware events" enabled seems to disable script commands for the pitch reference knob. I ended up setting up a script CWS in manner of your screenshots.
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Just want to add: the "Control AP Pitch with Hardware events" option is not described in the manual and I had the same experience. If it is enabled, I can't adjust the pitch angle for ATT mode using external software and hardware such as spad.next and my Honeycomb Alpha. If it is disabled, I was able to (and it took several hours of debugging to figure this out!) It seems the behaviour of this option is reversed to what one would expect. Hope this helps someone...
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Just want to add: the "Control AP Pitch with Hardware events" option is not described in the manual and I had the same experience. If it is enabled, I can't adjust the pitch angle for ATT mode using external software and hardware such as spad.next and my Honeycomb Alpha. If it is disabled, I was able to (and it took several hours of debugging to figure this out!) It seems the behaviour of this option is reversed to what one would expect. Hope this helps someone...
@PAStime For my reference more than anyone else's, here is what it currently says in the manual:
An option has been added to control the autopilot pitch knob with hardware controls. When “Control AP Pitch with Hardware Events” is selected on the options page of the tablet interface, “AP_PITCH_REF_INC_DN”, “AP_PITCH_REF_INC_UP”, and “AP_PITCH_REF_SET” can be used to adjust the autopilot’s pitch holding reference.
If you would like to suggest a way to clarify this statement, or change the name of the option for better clarity, I would really appreciate it. This wouldn't be the first time I have accepted a much better description from a user on this forum.
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@PAStime For my reference more than anyone else's, here is what it currently says in the manual:
An option has been added to control the autopilot pitch knob with hardware controls. When “Control AP Pitch with Hardware Events” is selected on the options page of the tablet interface, “AP_PITCH_REF_INC_DN”, “AP_PITCH_REF_INC_UP”, and “AP_PITCH_REF_SET” can be used to adjust the autopilot’s pitch holding reference.
If you would like to suggest a way to clarify this statement, or change the name of the option for better clarity, I would really appreciate it. This wouldn't be the first time I have accepted a much better description from a user on this forum.
@Black-Square said in Century IV autopilot, altitude capture questions:
AP_PITCH_REF_INC_UP
Aha, I misssed it, thanks. That text is in the Change Log, which I did not assume was something I needed to read.
The behaviour which I found non-intuitive regarding the tablet's "Control AP Pitch with Hardware events" setting, is as follows:
- With this option enabled, I am unable to make changes to L:var_AP_PitchKnob (page 143 of the Duke Turbine manual)
- With this option disabled, I am able to make changes to the this variable and see it change in the cockpit
Well, at least after a few hours of trying stuff, this seemed to be the fix to make my spad.next configuration able to set the desired pitch for ATT mode. Should I instead use these: AP_PITCH_REF_INC_DN”, “AP_PITCH_REF_INC_UP”, and “AP_PITCH_REF_SET”?
Thanks and have a great weekend.
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Another altitude related question.
At 1:27 of this video https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2699364673 , AP switches to GS mode despite APP mode isn't armed. It is a LOC/DME approach. I'm unable to see glideslope indications on the panel.
What may be noteworthy is that the GS capture could coincide with a 3 degree glideslope if it was there.
I'm using the CWS script for ATT mode here.
You can probably ignore that start of the vid as I'm trying to intercept the localizer in APPR mode.
I've tried to find out from the real manual if I misconfigured the plane in this scenario. Did I?
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Another altitude related question.
At 1:27 of this video https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2699364673 , AP switches to GS mode despite APP mode isn't armed. It is a LOC/DME approach. I'm unable to see glideslope indications on the panel.
What may be noteworthy is that the GS capture could coincide with a 3 degree glideslope if it was there.
I'm using the CWS script for ATT mode here.
You can probably ignore that start of the vid as I'm trying to intercept the localizer in APPR mode.
I've tried to find out from the real manual if I misconfigured the plane in this scenario. Did I?
-
@Black-Square said in Century IV autopilot, altitude capture questions:
AP_PITCH_REF_INC_UP
Aha, I misssed it, thanks. That text is in the Change Log, which I did not assume was something I needed to read.
The behaviour which I found non-intuitive regarding the tablet's "Control AP Pitch with Hardware events" setting, is as follows:
- With this option enabled, I am unable to make changes to L:var_AP_PitchKnob (page 143 of the Duke Turbine manual)
- With this option disabled, I am able to make changes to the this variable and see it change in the cockpit
Well, at least after a few hours of trying stuff, this seemed to be the fix to make my spad.next configuration able to set the desired pitch for ATT mode. Should I instead use these: AP_PITCH_REF_INC_DN”, “AP_PITCH_REF_INC_UP”, and “AP_PITCH_REF_SET”?
Thanks and have a great weekend.
Also, but likely unrelated, I am finding the state of my Turbine Duke is not being saved from session to session, despite completed flights and orderly shutdown of the sim. This "Control AP Pitch with Hardware events" tablet setting always needs to be changed, and the fuel levels of my previous flight are not what I left the plane at.
Still a great plane to fly!
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Also, but likely unrelated, I am finding the state of my Turbine Duke is not being saved from session to session, despite completed flights and orderly shutdown of the sim. This "Control AP Pitch with Hardware events" tablet setting always needs to be changed, and the fuel levels of my previous flight are not what I left the plane at.
Still a great plane to fly!
@PAStime Unfortunately, it's almost daily now that I have to refer a user to one of the many threads here or on the MSFS Official Forums about how Asobo completely bugged state saving with SU4. Thankfully we have been told that it will be fixed for SU5.
