Does PFC serial yoke and throttle quadrant with serial to USB converter require a special driver for x-plane?

Question

Correct COM port is selected, but won't open. Works OK for P3D and FSX. I have followed the X-plane manual connection procedure. Used to work in X-plane prior to recently updating to Version 10.45

Answer 1

Please upload a copy of your log.txt file from running 10.45 with the joystick connected. Has anything else changed in the meantime? We have heard about a lot of problems with hardware on OSX 10.11.

Comments

Many thanks for your quick response.

Requested file follows:

Download file

Bill

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Hi Bill,

Looking at the log, the 

REGISTER Joystick device: Saitek Pro Flight Rudder Pedals

indicates that X-Plane did find the hardware and should be using it. But I don't see a yoke or throttle device listed. 

Have you tried starting X-Plane both with and without plugging them in to see if when they're plugged in makes a difference? Can you confirm that the hardware is registering with the computer in general? I'm on a Mac so I'm not sure where that's found on Windows...maybe settings -> devices or something similar?

Can you explain your set up to me in more detail? What specific converter, etc.

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Hi JR,

Thanks for staying with this.

Any Saitek or other controls that I connect do register and work OK in X-plane; only the PFC controls don't register (they used to). The PFC controls do still work perfectly in FSX and P3D, although both these use special drivers developed for PFC for FSX/P3D simulators only, by Pete Dowson. I assume X-plane must incorporate something similar for PFC controls, as they did work in X-plane and PFC claim that their devices are compatible with X-plane. It seems possible that the X-Plane 'driver' has stopped working for me, despite re-installing from the original X-plane 10 disk and trying the controls unsuccessfully with this version.

The USB to Serial adapter is 'Brainboxes' US-101B for an RS232 connection. Windows 7 doesn't show PFC devices as such under 'Devices' or in 'Device Manager', which does however show the 'Brainboxes' device and to which COM port it is connected. I have tried this same port in X-plane without success as well as switching between all of the 20 port options listed in the X-plane PFC equipment section.

I have started X-plane with and without any controls connected and then re-connected, but without success for the PFC controls. The other controls are 'happy' either way.

I hope this information helps and please stick with this problem JR, since these PFC controls have worked well in the past in X-plane.

Thanks again,

Bill

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Hi Bill,

Can you upload a complete log.txt file? The one you attached was created while X-Plane was running. Please start X-Plane like usual (typical hardware set up, etc), then quit & immediately attach the log.

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Hi JR,

Log attached as requested.

Download file

Bill

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Hi Bill,

Looks like in this log you were using a different set of flight hardware. This is registering 

REGISTER Joystick device: Saitek X52 Pro Flight Control System - VID:1699PID:1890, this is a familiar device.

And X-Plane won't be able to use more than one joystick/throttle at a time. It looked like this hardware wasn't calibrated either so you'll need to go into Joystick & Equipment to do that. 

Please follow those same steps with ONLY the problematic PFC hardware plugged in so we can see what prints in the log.

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Hi JR,

Yes, I do use the Saitek hardware when flying helicopters or joystick controlled aircraft and I do calibrate it then. I don't try to use both together. Anyway I have attached the file you request and hope this will be of more use to you.

Download file

 

Bill

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Hi JR,

After searching the internet for advice on using USB to Serial converters, I find that apparently Windows will assign the USB converter a com port number, however, this may be a higher port number than your software can handle. Even though FSX and P3D didn't mind the port 18 (a fairly high number) that Windows had assigned, I wondered if perhaps X-plane might, so I changed it to port 2 and lo and behold! X-plane is now happy and so am I. All the PFC equipment is functioning perfectly.

Bill