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2018.2.1 large dead spot with all controls!

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2018.2.1 large dead spot with all controls!

Postby captain_ltx » Sun Jun 03, 2018 10:40 am

Hi Guys,
After spending two days doing the Saitek Yoke mod and adding a Leo Bodnar board I had a very usable flight control system, very responsive and no dead spots in the central regions..
However last night I upgraded FG to 2018.2.1, which took over two hours with my very poor Internet connection, and this morning when I tried it out I found massive dead spots, not only with pitch and roll but with throttle, mixture and prop pitch. When I say massive I mean about 3/4 inch or more!!
Any ideas anyone before I wipe it and re-install the older version?

captain_ltx

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Re: 2018.2.1 large dead spot with all controls!

Postby AndersG » Sun Jun 03, 2018 12:44 pm

First check the calibration using an OS utility (jscal?).
Then with js_demo which I hope got built with FG for you.

I don't think the joystick parts have changed dramatically since the previous version. You could also look at the change history of the configuration files for your devices in the FGData git repository (if you use the files that come with FG).
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Re: 2018.2.1 large dead spot with all controls!

Postby J Maverick 16 » Sun Jun 03, 2018 1:54 pm

AndersG wrote in Sun Jun 03, 2018 12:44 pm:I don't think the joystick parts have changed dramatically since the previous version.

Actually, it did. I found myself surprised too: viewtopic.php?f=24&t=34277 Richard did some changes to the code and after some talk with him I suppose he's gonna do some further work for creating specific config files for each aircraft, or something similar to that like FGUK did with the Stickhack code.
I still need to properly reconfigure my setup properly and I'm waiting to have a whole day free to do it.
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Re: 2018.2.1 large dead spot with all controls!

Postby captain_ltx » Sun Jun 03, 2018 3:02 pm

Thanks AndersG, your advice sent me on a longish learning curve and I now know how to re-calibrate joysticks :D
Now have very precise control back again.

Many thanks

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Re: 2018.2.1 large dead spot with all controls!

Postby captain_ltx » Mon Jun 04, 2018 10:15 am

Disappointingly the new calibrations are not saved and on boot up this morning the controls have returned to large dead spot mode :cry:

This was not a problem with the previous version of FG the default calibrations were fine. The phrase "If it ain't broke don't fix it" comes to mind. :D

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Re: 2018.2.1 large dead spot with all controls!

Postby bugman » Mon Jun 04, 2018 10:27 am

captain_ltx wrote in Mon Jun 04, 2018 10:15 am:This was not a problem with the previous version of FG the default calibrations were fine. The phrase "If it ain't broke don't fix it" comes to mind. :D


He he, then I suggest you stick with FlightGear version 0.07, as that was not broken ;)


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Re: 2018.2.1 large dead spot with all controls!

Postby AndersG » Mon Jun 04, 2018 4:47 pm

captain_ltx wrote in Mon Jun 04, 2018 10:15 am:Disappointingly the new calibrations are not saved and on boot up this morning the controls have returned to large dead spot mode :cry:

This was not a problem with the previous version of FG the default calibrations were fine. The phrase "If it ain't broke don't fix it" comes to mind. :D

Captain_ltx


If jscal fixed them, I think the problem is out of FG's scope and rather some change in your OS. There are ways to save and reapply your jscal calibration, btw.
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Re: 2018.2.1 large dead spot with all controls!

Postby Alant » Mon Jun 04, 2018 5:51 pm

Are you using the Saitek drivers and the Saitek software?
The drivers are required, but the software is best avoided. AFAIK its main purpose a calibration and this could conflict what you do within Flightgear. Uninstall the Saitek software.

The drivers are needed to read all the axes and buttons.

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Re: 2018.2.1 large dead spot with all controls!

Postby AndersG » Mon Jun 04, 2018 9:47 pm

I think the OS being Linux Mint 18.2 makes it somewhat unlikely that there'd be any Saitek software involved, but it is probably about 8 years since I last bought a Saitek controller so things might have changed since.

If nothing better comes along you can write a small script to reload your calibration. Here is mine very primitive one as an example:
Code: Select all
# Pedals
jscal -s 3,1,0,66,66,8134160,8800894,1,0,63,64,8521500,8521500,1,0,255,255,2105312,2097088 /dev/input/js2
# Quadrant
jscal -s 3,1,0,118,118,4549615,3918646,1,0,118,118,4549615,3918646,1,0,118,118,4549615,3918646 /dev/input/by-id/usb-Saitek_Saitek_Pro_Flight_Quadrant-joystick
# Aviator
jscal -s 7,1,5,537,537,999729,1111500,1,0,512,512,1048544,1054724,1,0,143,143,3754227,4836527,1,0,128,128,4194176,4227201,1,0,145,145,3702445,4880496,1,0,0,0,536854528,536854528,1,0,0,0,536854528,536854528 /dev/input/by-id/usb-06a3_Saitek_AV8R_Joystick-joystick

My pedals doesn't get a named entry for some reason.
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Re: 2018.2.1 large dead spot with all controls!

Postby captain_ltx » Wed Jun 06, 2018 8:16 am

Thanks AnderG, you may have found a way around the problem with your script.

Jscal does create a file relative to each jsX number but these change at next boot up, so the problem is not with FG but Linux and the desire to be "plug and play".

I will have a go at creating a script as you suggest and see if that sorts the problem.

Things take a little time here because at 81 years old I ain't as quick as I used to be :-)

Regards

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Re: 2018.2.1 large dead spot with all controls!

Postby wkitty42 » Wed Jun 06, 2018 5:27 pm

captain_ltx wrote in Wed Jun 06, 2018 8:16 am:Jscal does create a file relative to each jsX number but these change at next boot up, so the problem is not with FG but Linux and the desire to be "plug and play".

how are they changing? i mean in their naming format... if it is udev doing this, you can write udev rules to set the names as you want... that's outside the scope of this forum, though... i don't know how to do it but i know it can be done because another project i work with does this very thing to keep multiple network interface cards aligned with the same names so the rest of the system works properly...
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Re: 2018.2.1 large dead spot with all controls!

Postby captain_ltx » Thu Jun 07, 2018 8:53 am

Success! I have created a bash script which I run after I have persuaded Linux to find all three of the 'joystick' usb inputs, seems better to plug them in after boot-up.
So now have very precise control and should be able to do aerobatics rather than aero-erratics :D
Many thanks AndersG for your advice.

wkitty42 thanks for your suggestion, I did create a udev rules file initially but Linux failed to act upon it, but I will now go back down that route and find out why.
Using js0,1 or 2 for ID is a lot easier than having to identify each input by the full descriptive name of the device. Beside it keeps my little grey cells active :)

Regards
Bob
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