Axis control for Cowl Flaps

[SkipperMacz]

@fredgarven said in Axis control for Cowl Flaps:

In case you are interested...

I'm VERY Interested! Many thanks @fredgarven for this further insight into MobiFlight use for the Commander 114. Your cowl flaps control has already enhanced the experience and I look forward to exploring what else you have magically included in this project finale

[cconesa]

@jmarkows Would it be too much trouble if you could give us the actual FSUIPC (edits) commands that need to be added so that the commander cowl flap works with the Honeycomb Bravo control and the second mixture lever, please?.

I have seen the commands in your post but I am unable to replicted in the INI and PRESET files so that it works.

Thank you. Christian C./

[fredgarven]

@cconesa
COMMANDER114_COWL_FLAPS#@ 16384 + 32767 / 0 max 1 min (>B:ENGINE_CowlFlaps_Set)

In case I got it backwards:

COMMANDER114_COWL_FLAPS_REVERSED#1 @ 16384 + 32767 / 0 max 1 min - (>B:ENGINE_CowlFlaps_Set)

[jmarkows]

Hah, that probably would have been the way to do it if I had been a thinking man that night. On finding that it was apparently reversed compared to the Bonanza, I spent a good bit of time figuring out how to subtract negative numbers and ended up with this:

AC11_Cowl_Flap#@ 16384 - -32767 / 100 * 0 max 100 min (>A:RECIP ENG COWL FLAP POSITION:1, percent)

@fredgarven I understand that the # signifies the end of the preset name and the @ is the incoming axis or passed value, but what's the significance of putting the #1 @? What does that do, invert the input?

[fredgarven]

@jmarkows The #1 isn't anything special. The # just separates the preset name from the calculator code.

So this:

COMMANDER114_COWL_FLAPS_REVERSED#1 @ 16384 + 32767 / 0 max 1 min - (>B:ENGINE_CowlFlaps_Set)

is just using 1 - value at the end to reverse the axis.

I used 0 to 1 because B:ENGINE_CowlFlaps_Set expects a normalized value. Your 0 to 100 version is doing the same basic thing, just writing directly to the A:Var.

I probably should have spaced it out better the first time because #1 does look like some kind of special FSUIPC syntax.

[jmarkows]

I completely missed the - all the way at the end of the line, but it makes sense now.

[cconesa]

@jmarkows @fredgarven , thank you both for the reply and now I am going to be as thick as two planks...

This line goes into the events file in FSUIPC?. If so, how to activate it in FSUIPC so that the second mixture throttle detects it as a cowl flap setting?.

Thank you.

[jmarkows]

@cconesa Go ahead and add this line to your myevents.txt file. If it doesn't exist, create it; you could just put it in events.txt if you wanted, but as that's the Mobiflight event library, the next time you install or update FSUIPC you run the risk of overwriting it and losing all your custom events.

//Black Square/Commander114/Engine
AC11_Cowl_Flap#@ 16384 - -32767 / 100 * 0 max 100 min (>A:RECIP ENG COWL FLAP POSITION:1, percent)

Once you have that in there, either start FSUIPC or, if it was already running, go to File -> Reload Presets. From there, in the Axis menu, you should be able to move the axis you want bound to the cowl flaps and select Assign to Preset on the right, then either dig the AC11_Cowl_Flap preset out of the large list or click the Find Preset button to navigate around to it.

My sim is not running and my stuff isn't set up right now, otherwise I could provide some UI images of FSUIPC.

[cconesa]

And this is how it finally worked in FSUIPC:
added the following to the events.txt file:
//Black Square/Commander 114/General
AC11_Cowl_Flap#@ 16384 - -32767 / 100 * 0 max 100 min (>A:RECIP ENG COWL FLAP POSITION:1, percent)

And assigned the second mixture axis to the cowl flap that now reads in FSUIPC.ini:
0=1Z,256,F,PAC11_Cowl_Flap,0,0,0 -{ TO SIM: Preset Control }-

Done.

Any suggestions for the assignment of the "pitot heater" to the events.txt file?

[jmarkows]

@cconesa

Here are all the events I've done for the Commander so far. Very happy with the flaps one, actually. The button I have set to Flaps Up will set the switch to Up if it isn't, or neutral if it is, and Flaps Down will send 3 on press and 2 on release, so until I release the button I'll do flaps down, just like the real thing

//Black Square/Commander114/Engine
AC11_Cowl_Flap#@ 16384 - -32767 / 100 * 0 max 100 min (>A:RECIP ENG COWL FLAP POSITION:1, percent)
AC11_Cabin_Heat#@ 16384 + 32767 / 100 * 0 max 100 min (>L:var_CabinHeatHandle, number)
AC11_Cabin_Vent#@ 16384 + 32767 / 100 * 0 max 100 min (>L:var_CabinVentHandle, number)
AC11_Defrost#@ 16384 + 32767 / 100 * 0 max 100 min (>L:var_DefrosterHandle, number)
AC11_Magneto_Increase#(L:BKSQ_IgnitionPosition_1, number) ++ 4 == if{ 5 (>L:BKSQ_IgnitionPosition_1, number) } els{ (L:BKSQ_IgnitionPosition_1, number) ++ 5 min (>L:BKSQ_IgnitionPosition_1, number) }
AC11_Magneto_Decrease#(L:BKSQ_IgnitionPosition_1, number) -- 0 max (>L:BKSQ_IgnitionPosition_1, number)
//Black Square/Commander114/AntiIce
AC11_Pitot_Heat#@ (>L:var_PitotHeatSwitch, bool)
//Black Square/Commander114/Primary Control
AC11_FlapsDown#@ (>L:var_FlapSwitchOverride,number)
AC11_FlapsUp#(L:var_FlapSwitchOverride,number) 1 == if{ 2 (>L:var_FlapSwitchOverride, number) } els{ 1 (>L:var_FlapSwitchOverride, number) }

[SkipperMacz]

At the risk of turning this thread into a programming tutorial, I love how this 'FlapsUp' simulates the latching switch in the Commander. Is it possible to achieve this with MobiFlight and not just FSUIPC? Further up this thread I got introduced to Mobi and like how it looks and operates, but as yet I have NO IDEA how to change anything.

[Myslr95]

Yes, you can achieve these results with mobi, spad, hangar control, fsuipc and I'm sure there are others too. Once you get over the learning curve, you will never fly without it.

[cconesa]

@jmarkows thank you very much, will get on to it this afternoon!.

[fredgarven]

@SkipperMacz I went ahead and changed my flap setup based on the idea you and @jmarkows were discussing. I tested it with power on and off and it is working really well.

UP now behaves like the real Commander switch. One tap latches it UP and the flaps continue retracting. Tap UP again and it returns to CENTER.

Flaps UP - On Press:

(L:var_FlapSwitchOverride, number) 1 == if{
    2 (>L:var_FlapSwitchOverride, number)
}
els{
    1 (>L:var_FlapSwitchOverride, number)
}

On Hold: blank

On Release: blank

DOWN is still momentary. I added a repeated continuous-flap command because using only the override caused the flap motor to pulse badly during the first part of extension.

Flaps DOWN - On Press:

3 (>L:var_FlapSwitchOverride, number)

(A:ELECTRICAL MAIN BUS VOLTAGE:5, volts) 6 >
(L:var_Breaker_FlapMotor_ReadOnly, bool)
and
if{
    190 (>K:FLAPS_CONTINUOUS_INCR)
}

Flaps DOWN - On Hold:

(A:ELECTRICAL MAIN BUS VOLTAGE:5, volts) 6 >
(L:var_Breaker_FlapMotor_ReadOnly, bool)
and
if{
    190 (>K:FLAPS_CONTINUOUS_INCR)
}

For the DOWN On Hold settings I am using:

Hold Delay: 100 ms
Repeat Delay: 100 ms

Flaps DOWN - On Release:

2 (>L:var_FlapSwitchOverride, number)

That got rid of the pulsing completely for me. DOWN now sounds and moves smoothly while held, then returns to CENTER when released. UP stays latched until I tap it again.

I have updated my Commander MobiFlight project with this setup as well. This should be the final update. I have moved all of the sections into their own tabs, so it might look a little different. You can find it here:

FredGarven's Mobiflight Projects

[jmarkows]

Interesting, with FSUIPC I am not seeing the pulsing using only the single LVar override On Press and again On Release. It could be a difference in hardware, though; maybe my Turtle Beach V1 quadrant is not pulsing the input.

Glad you were able to adapt it to suit your needs, though!

[SkipperMacz]

@fredgarven This is tremendous work! I love how you have used the tabs to arrange the project and, although I haven't tested yet, I'm pleased to see you have gotten your skills around the voodoo task of replicating the Commander's flaps switch functions. The Project Guide document is a real work of dedication and I can highly recommend it and the project itself to anyone flying the excellent Commander.

[fizzboy]

@jmarkows I know you implemented the VS properly with 200 fpm increments but I kinda love that you can make it increment by 100 fpm and the dial animates to a spot between the digits.

"No... I really want to descend at 500 fpm, thank you."