Caravan Autopilot - won't disarm?
-
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!
-
The update should fix everything discussed here. I expected the update to be live by now, but I was away from my desk over the weekend and the Just Flight team had some questions for me. I think things should be sorted out within a day or two, and then you can expect that update.
-
@Black-Square does the update natively call the WT avionics now, or do we still need the extra mod from the Content Manager to point to it?
-
Everything will be linked to the native WT avionics now. Just be aware that some liveries might have included their own panel.cfg files, which might have to be replaced or updated to reflect this change.
