Caravan Autopilot - won't disarm?
-
@Black-Square Always appreciate your quick response on these forums, by the way I also had the "AP will not shut off" issue (in WTT mode) and your suggested fix (change Flight Director =1) resolved the problem, though I had to map a key to toggle FD on/off since there is no such clickable button in the actual Analog Caravan visual cockpit model.
-
@nomadrc said in Caravan Autopilot - won't disarm?:
@Black-Square Always appreciate your quick response on these forums, by the way I also had the "AP will not shut off" issue (in WTT mode) and your suggested fix (change Flight Director =1) resolved the problem, though I had to map a key to toggle FD on/off since there is no such clickable button in the actual Analog Caravan visual cockpit model.
You shouldn't need to do this, the normal Autopilot Off/Disconnect has been working fine, both bound and clicking the yoke button.
-
@Black-Square said in Caravan Autopilot - won't disarm?:
I just confirmed that this doesn't work with the default C172 with Asobo's implementation of a KAP140 either. When I looked in the code, it's using the SimVar "INDICATED ALTITUDE" directly, which will only look at the main altimeter, not a secondary barometer. It's deeper in the code than I usually like to make modifications to, but I will look at the documentation and see if there is an easy addition I can make and suggest to Working Title.
Now I feel really bad for the bum steer!
-
@Black-Square said in Caravan Autopilot - won't disarm?:
I suspect that's because the Working Title autopilot is missing some features of the native one. For example, it has no bank angle limiter. I added this in my modifications I sent them, so hopefully it will be added in SU15. The KAP140 is my only autopilot with a separate barometer, so I'm not surprised I haven't noticed, given that the Caravan was released well before the WT GNS. I'll take a look next time I have the sim running and see if I can spot a mistake or improve their code.
Nick, do you know if any of this made it into the SU15 build? I know the "hot swap" fix did, wondering if any of these other items did, as well.
I will almost assuredly be asking questions in the relevant parts of the forums in the coming days, but just playing around in the Dukes to get my controls squared away, you've outdone yourself this time. Just starting the engines and watching the diagram on the tablet has me giggling like a kid.
If half of these features make it back to the TBM, I might never buy another plane from anyone else ever again. Bravo, and congrats on the release!
And now back to the Caravan.
-
So glad you're enjoying my aircraft! I know that when I chuckle in delight at what I've created, I figure at least a handful of other people will feel the same way :)
Yes, the tablet will be coming to the TBM! I've already made the tablet for the Starship, as well. I'm glad you're looking forward to it.
Unfortunately, none of the other improvements I sent them have been added to the WT GNS. Very sorry! You know that I usually like to send code for instant improvements to my users, but this one is a little out of my control.
-
@Black-Square said in Caravan Autopilot - won't disarm?:
I've already made the tablet for the Starship, as well. I'm glad you're looking forward to it.
You are building the Starship? 😱🤯
-
@Black-Square Hi Nick, I'm a huge fan of your Velocity XL (possibly THE biggest fan), and I'm anxiously waiting on hearing whether you plan on updating the Velocity with the new G3X in SU15? Pretty please? As far as I'm concerned it's still the most fun GA aircraft to fly and I looked at a bunch of others but nothing can top it for me as far as performance, looks, speed, things to do in flight and ability to land on absolutely any airstrip. The G3X has always been its only weakness (including the slightly cut off MFD screen), I will spend many more quality hours in that aircraft if you update it.
-
@Lemny said in Caravan Autopilot - won't disarm?:
You are building the Starship? 😱🤯
Indeed, I have now almost completed the unenviable task of programming all the avionics in the Starship. It's been a painful process (and around 20,000 lines of code) of learning just how far ahead of its time the Starship truly was. You can expect to see some screenshots in a development update soon.
I will definitely return to the Velocity soon to make these improvements, so I want to make sure that those who appreciate that airframe as much as I do are still able to enjoy it to its fullest!
-
Hi @Black-Square
i read these postings with grate joy. I appreciate your fast response and help.
For me these corrections in the files helped me also the kepp the AP running. So far a realy grate model you have created.
But i need to proof @ultradianguy right:
Perhaps there should be a pinned posting with a summery of all changes in the configs until the update has been released.
It took me several Hours to find all the postings to fix my AP issues.
Hope I could make my point with my poor english ;-)
Kind regards -
@Black-Square OMG, you have no idea how happy that makes me.
I was toying with the idea of upscaling the interior textures or something, but when I really look at it, even by today's standards playing at 4K it's still a great interior and there's really nothing that doesn't look good. The aircraft is such a joy to fly and the combination of GTN 750 with its many modern features, with leaning the mixture, working climate controls etc. really makes it fun even during long flights without a huge learning curve. With an updated G3X it'll be a whole new level. As my kids would say, this aircraft is "OP" and I sometimes wonder if it's even possible to make one that fast that in real life, with a weather radar to boot, but I'm willing to suspend my disbelief. ;)
The only other aircraft that can top it for me is the Starship, IMO the most beautiful aircraft ever made. I'm first in line to buy it and it'll be nice to be able to use twin throttles, but the Velocity is still needed for the smallest airfields. Super happy you're going to update it, and I hope it continues to sell for you to justify the effort.
-
R Rolias referenced this topic on
-
R Rolias referenced this topic on
-
@Black-Square Howdy! After getting SU15, are any of the changes need to be reversed? Also should I keep the WT430/530 pointer from marketplace or I can remove it now?
-
No action should be required after the sim update. The modifications to the GNS 530/430 are now included in the base simulator, and all other modifications are still needed until I update the Caravan. Likewise, you will still need the marketplace pointer until I update the aircraft. Let me know if you have any more questions!
-
Apologies for nagging again at this topic. This is about the Analog Caravan and AP. I noticed today in the SU15 content manager there are now two Working Title GNS430/530 packages, an older one and a newer one. The newer one is a larger package (in MB.) which requires a newer game version than the older one, so I choose it and removed the older one, I assume this is correct. Do I need both?
I've applied the KAP140.js code changes recommended, but using the PMS50 GTN750, the KAP140 display is not cleared when AP is powered off. When hot-swapping to the GNS530, the KAP140 display IS cleared correctly when the AP is powered off. Also, sometimes 'Alt' and/or 'Arm' remain displayed on the AP annunciator panel after the AP is verified as off. I posted at the PMS50 Discord server about this and they said its a Black Square issue and I know you've mentioned WT as being the culprit as well as fixes forthcoming in the next Analog Caravan update.
As far AP operationality, with 'Flight_Director_On=1', the SU15 WT GNS530 fixes, and the KAP140.js code changes, the AP mostly functions as it should, except occasionally it will still overshoot the ALT selected altitude, and once in a great while it will jump suddenly to a wild VS of +4300ft/min when the AP is engaged in ALT/VS and I then hit the ALT key. I can avoid this rare but wild behavior by not unnecessarily hitting the ALT key, rather just using the up.down buttons to alter current VS like I'm suppose to.
Probably all this bores you to tears, I absolutely love this plane its my favorite of any I've flown in 12 years of flight-simming, but the KAP140 AP issues have as you well know been a real bugaboo. I'm never clear where to post on any of this, here, with PMS50, or with Working Title.
-
@nomadrc said in Caravan Autopilot - won't disarm?:
Probably all this bores you to tears
I wouldn't be in this business, if I didn't want to read every word of your report :)
I know this has been a real pain with the Working Title GNS debacle. Luckily, that should have come to an end with SU15. The Caravan is the only of my aircraft that require any special treatment now. I should have published an update long ago for the KAP140 issue, but unfortunately, I always have to add more new and interesting features with my updates, rather than just quick fixes. I'm hoping to publish updates for both Dukes, a major one for the TBM, and the Baron and Bonanza, all before Flight Sim Expo in two weeks. I will see if I can also publish a quick fix for the Caravan, just to deal with these issues, and do something more substantial at a future date.
Thanks for writing, because it means there are still people out there thoroughly enjoying my Caravan! I think it's a lovely aircraft that doesn't get as much love as it deserves, being one of my earliest offerings. Thank you for all the details too. That helps me figure out exactly what I need to be looking at before I publish the update.
-
I think the Caravan may still be more popular than you know, especially among those flying with FSEconomy as it has the largest single-engine cargo/passenger capacity combined with excellent short-field capability, next to the PC-6 and the Kodiak. I'm sure many will be thrilled for any fixes or later full updates! Thank you so much for your continued efforts!! I'd be glad to assist in any AP testing if needed.
-
Interesting, I did one flight with the Caravan since SU15 and did not have any AP issues as described. I should still have the flight director fix in place since nothing should have changed, and I didn't have the AP fighting me to disconnect as I did before the FD fix. I would imagine my 530 and 430.js files were overwritten with the update. I did have to change my avionics stack when I first loaded into it.
I have not looked specifically for new/more WT avionics, but last I checked there were two available in the Marketplace/content manager. The one without the colorful thumbnail was the WT avionics themselves, and the one with the colorful thumbnail is a pointer for aircraft still calling the Asobo GNS units to redirect them to the WT ones.
I only use the 530/430 combo, none of the add-on GNS units, but which AP they use under the hood varies, and the 750 might use the stock Asobo AP compared to the updated WT AP that the WT GNS units use. Maybe that's related?
-
jmarkows: I noticed you and I have identical setups as far as 'fixes' applied on the BKSQ Caravan (FD on, jscript edits, etc.) except I am using the PMS50 GTN750 with its own WTT-package and that may be the crux of it, though I've posted at the PMS50 Discord server and they claim its not. I've actually not ever used or tested the 530/430 combo on its own for a flight, and my AP issues are very intermittent, it mostly works well all the time but for rare moments, so its difficult to verify, can't really complain too much.
-
@jmarkows said in Caravan Autopilot - won't disarm?:
@ultradianguy said in Caravan Autopilot - won't disarm?:
Hello - I am now utterly confused about what changes are needed to make the BS Caravan AP work correctly with the GNS avionics. I had given up on flying it altogether after trying suggested changes to the GNS code. @jmarkows pointed me here which I much appreciate. But I'm unclear which of the many suggested above were confirmed as a solution.
I've seen the original changes to the 530 and 430 files, possible changes to the KAP140 js, and also a change in systems.cfg. As well as keeping or not keeping the WT content manager mods.
@Black-Square can you please provide a single, comprehensive set of instructions in one place for the needed changes to fix the issues? My experience seems to be quite similar to that of @jmarkows .
- You DO need the marketplace mod installed. Without it, the plane calls the original Asobo GNS units and autopilot and things like NAV won't capture and follow
- You DO need to set "flight_director_available" to 1 in the systems.cfg in the Analog Caravan folder
- You do NOT need to make the change to the KAP140.js file; the AP shouldn't display any modes when disconnected, and that code change fixes that, but it's not critical to the fix so you can wait if you don't want to make that change yourself.
- You do NOT need to make changes to the WT530.js and WT430.js to fix the hot swapping issue with the latest WT avionics, but an official fix is likely not coming until SU15 and you run the risk of the AP not working if the state saving doesn't load you into something with the 530/430 already set. I DO recommend you make this fix.
They're not complicated fixes and all that's required is some copy and pasting. You should make a copy of the original file before making the changes, that way you can easily go back if you don't do it right.
@Black-Square I apologize for the ping, Nick, but I have just recently had to redo my entire OS, and I'm considering waiting for the Caravan update before reinstalling it. I believe what I have quoted here is the full list of avionics SNAFUs we worked through in this topic, thought some (notably the WT .js mods for hot swapping) are obsolete at this point.
Will the upcoming Caravan update have fixes for the flight director and KAP140.js files, to deal with the AP disconnect and mode display issues, built in? Thanks!
