PM eicas display with aerosoft eicas hardware

[npbosch]

Hi guys

I would like to know whether there is somebody that is able to use his aerosoft australia eicas hardware to show the various eicas displays on the monitor.

I have 2 clients.

client 1 shows the capt PFD/ND and has the aerosoft hardware running
(i use the aerosoft driver that is build into the pm software)

client 2 runs the eicas screen and the cdu (2 videocards on this client)

I read in the pfd.ini about eicasbutton1=..
Every eicas button has a specific pm offset as written on the pm site:

Secondary EICAS pages and functions 777
301 ENG
302 STAT
303 ELEC
304 HYD
305 FUEL
306 AIR
307 DOORS
308 GEAR
309 FCTL
318 CANC
319 RCL

eicasbutton1=301 should do the trick, but it doesn't.

Every function of my aerosoft mcp/efis is working now, except the eicas buttons. Did anyone succeed?

[michelmvd]

Hi Norbert,
Can't you use the buildin PM driver for Aerosoft.
I do that for the B744 and all displays and button functions are working.
The only down site is that a second push to the button doesn't do blanking the screen.
B. rgds
Michel

[npbosch]

Hi Michel,

I do not use the aerosoft software. I have in the pfd.ini - aerosoftcom=1 , and everything is working fine.

If I understand you right, you can use the aerosoft eicasbuttons without a problem?

Did some experimenting. FSinterrogate was running. It showed changes in offset 04F4. It showed 301-310 when pressing on the eicas buttons (I did not change anything in the mcp.ini).
But nothing changed on my display.

Then I changed the mcp.ini with:
eicasbutton1=48
eicasbutton2=49 (increase and decrease range in ND)

Well that worked OK.

Then I changes them to 20-21 (eng inc /decr pages)

That did NOT gave any changes on the eicas client, but when I changed the view of my pfd client to show the eicas screen , it worked. But why is this offset not transferred via the network? Other offsets are transmitted (standbyinstruments and so on, gear,flaps)
My aerosofthardware is connected to the pfd client.

Then I attached the aerosoft hardware to the eicasclient. All data from the mcp hardware were send to the pfd client (as expexted) but with a tiny delay. I added the eicasbuttons 1 and 2 to 20 and 21, but now (to my surprise I saw nothing change on my engine page in the eicas, although It did when connected to the pfd.

When I try the cdu hardware I can scroll through the engine pages (CDU hardware and software is on the eicas client), but when i press on the several synoptics knobs I see nothing.

Michel, when I look at your site I see the synoptics on the lowereicas screen. Is that PM or another program?

Could you send me that part of your pdf.ini file? Do you think it is a problem that the eicas software is on another client than the client that has the aerosoft hardware connected? I connected the mcp hardware to the pfd/mcp client because 95% of the function are related, only the eicas functions had to be transferred vua the network to the eicas client.

A long story but I hope someone with the same hardware and PM can give some ideas.

Thanks for your help.

[michelmvd]

Hi Norbert,
I do indeed use the PM driver as you do and I don't have to do anything to see all the different lower EICAS displays of the B744.
Only for the buttons CNCL and Recall I used on Enrico advise the offsets.

They are not in the PFD.ini, but in the MCP.ini, which is included here below

B. Rgds
Michel

[Project Magenta MCP]
Build#422

[Display]
Title=On
Menu=Off
WindowName=MCP/Enhanced Autopilot by Enrico Schiratti - Build 422
Topmost=On
FSWindow=On
Minimized=Off
/ Starts up minimized
NoMinimize=Off
/ Doesn't minimize MCP on double-click

[User]
Log=Off
SerialLog=Off
/ To log the serial communication
CycleMilliSeconds= 65
/ Speed of the MCP cycle, ideally
/ set to 50-70 ms
Top= 0
Left= 0
/ Top/Left coordinates of the MCP
/ program
Width737= 14790
Height737= 2505
Width747= 2400
Height747= 510
Width777= 11925
Height777= 2460
/ Heigth and width of MCP for the
/ various types
MCPType=747
Intervent737=Off
/ Enables SPD intervention buttons
/ for the 737
ClassicEFISSel=Off
/ When set to On, ND modes are selected
/ with the old method, when set to
/ Off, 8 modes are selectable...
/ APP/VOR/MAP/PLN ARC and CTR
DelayMouseClick=On
/ if mouse reaction is too fast,
/ you can delay it setting this flag
/ to On
Font=mcpfont
FontFactor= 1

[VNAV]
DescentSpeedControl=Off
/ when set to off, pilot controls
/ speed with the throttle

[Aircraft]
MinIAS= 30
/ Minimum selectable airspeed
DefaultIAS= 200
DefaultAltitude= 10000
/ Default Speed and Altitude select
/ on startup
AutoHDG=Off
AutoVS=Off
/ Will automatically select the current
/ HDG and V/S when mode is engaged
MachAltitude= 29000
/ Will automatically switch to MACH/IAS
/ when this altitude is crossed (e.g.
/ 23450), 0 disables
AutoCRS=Off
/ When set to ON, VOR/LOC will *not*
/ go into intercept ARM mode first
AllowStabTrimOverride=Off
StabTrimDeflect= 6000
/ Disconnects A/P when Elevator or
/ Aileron is moved more than the
/ deflection value (default 6000)
/ This option needs to be enabled
/ via bit13 offset 0x50A - monitor
/ bit13 0x5518 for current setting
Rollout=On
/ MCP will steer the aircraft during
/ the rollout phase after an autoland
DisableAdd20Kts=Off
/ Will not add 20 Kts to speed during
/ TOGA if set to On
NoModeAfterTOGA=On
/ Doesn't automatically enable FLCH
/ after TOGA mode
UsePanel=On
/ Set to On if the FS panel or remote
/ programs are used for MCP interaction
PushButton=On
/ Enables the use of the pushbutton
/ for SPD, ALT and HDG
SpeedProtect=Off
/ Enables speed protection for A/P
/ modes
SELCurrentSpeed=Off
/ MCP will take the current speed
/ when any speed mode is engaged
/ for the first time
Flare= 45
/ Altitude above ground at which
/ the flare is initiated during autoland
N1ref= 104,8
N1TOref= 104,8
N1GAref= 90
N1CLBref= 97
N1CRZref= 102
ThrRedAlt= 0
/ Defaults used for reference thrust
/ and thrust reduction altitudes,
/ only if no CDU detected
MaxROC= 6000
MaxROD= 6000
/ Maximum rate of climb/descent
ClimbThrustLimiter=Off
/ Limits the climb thrust increase
/ if the speed increases too much
/ during FLCH/LVLCHNG climbs
DisableAutobrakes=Off
/ Switches Off autobrakes below 30
/ Knots
DisableBrakes=On
/ Will disable the brake mode of
/ the MCP (for Rollout) - this is
/ *not* Aurobrakes
SwapCRS=Off
/ Swaps CRS 1 and CRS 2

[Input]
MouseWheel=On
MouseWheelInvert=On
/ Allows you to 'turn the knobs'
/ of the MCP using the mouse wheel,
/ you can also invert the direction
FSBusWriteBack=Off
/ Will write back Speed and V/S values
/ to offsets 0x5406 and 0x540C respectively

[Autopilot]
AP_BetaTest=Off
/ Beta of the A/P Pitch and Bank
/ modes

[SerialConnection]
/ Enter Comm port the device is connected
/ to, please do not use this if you
/ do not have any hardware connected
/ e.g. enter = 2 for COM2:

/ Precision Flight Controls MCP hardware
/ www.flypfc.com
PFCComm= 0
PFC9600=Off
/ Important, the PFC9600 flag should
/ be set to OFF for normal use, currently
/ it is just for testing purposes
CautionThroughPass=Off
/ PFC Caution Button pressed are
/ not handled, but passed through
/ to 0x5534

/ For CPFlight 737 MCP hardware www.cpflight.com
ForceHardwareLight=Off
IgnoreBattery=Off
CPFlightComm= 0
CPFlightIO=Off
/ Set CPFlightIO=Off to *disable*
/ digital and analog input/output

/ For FDS G1 Hardware Communication
FDS_G1_Comm= 0

/ For Daken IFS Hardware
DakenSkys_IFS_Comm= 0

/ ELAN MCP hardware
ElanComm= 0
ElanBaudRate=
/ Please leave ElanBaudrate empty
/ unless you know what you are doing(!)

/ Aerosoft 747 MCP hardware www.mcp747.com
AerosoftComm= 1
AerosoftFPV= 14
AerosoftDHRST= 6
/ Defines the action (offset 0x4F4)
/ of the Aerosoft FPV button or DH
/ Reset button, e.g. 14=FPV, 6=CTR
EicasButton9= 318
EicasButton10= 319
/EicasButton1=???
/ You can define the action (offset
/ 0x4F4) of each of the 10 EICAS
/ buttons by setting the corresponding
/ value here (e.g. EicasButton1=71,
/ EicasButton10=87)

[EPIC]
DisableRemoteMCP=Off
/ Set to on to disable input from
/ other programs using these offsets
/ via FSUIPC
/ Syntax: input type = joystick,
/ axis

[npbosch]

Michel,

Thanks for your answer.

I added:

EicasButton9= 318
EicasButton10= 319

in the mcp.ini. (9 and 10 give standard a 309 and 310 to ofsset 04f4 -door/wheel).

Now I see recall appearing on the upper eicas when pressing the rcl button.

But al the other buttons stat/elc/fuel/hyd/drs do nothing. I am also not able to get the synoptics to show when selecting them via the cdu menu.

Edit/
I found why: In the pdf.ini is a LowerEngine= , put an on behind it and it works. But it is not possible to see the synoptics at the upper eicas AFAIK. I have created enough space next to my CDU, so that will be a next project.

End edit/

[michelmvd]

Hi Norbert,

The stat/elc/fuel/hyd/drs pages are LOWER EICAS pages, and they are never visual in the UPPER EICAS, except certain items when the UPPER EICAS is in compressed mode.
This is for the B744, but I suppose it's simular for the T7, as its Boeing layout.
UPPER EICAS normally gives N1 / EGT for GE engines and N1 / N2 / EGT for PW-engines. - plus items as TO and CLB modes, cabin presssure (under certain modes) and fuel quantity/ temp and TAT.

B. rgds
Michel

[npbosch]

Michel,

Again thanks for your help. Its fully clear now. I know how it is been presented in real life but hoped to see the synoptics shown on the upper eicas in the sim world. (not everybody will be able uo build a upper and lower eicas).

I have now seen these beautifully created synoptics of PM lowereicas. Perhaps a stupid question, but do the valves/bus ties etc etc also respond to the offsets, or is it just eyecandy? So suppose I connect my cross feed valve via FSBUS to the respective offset, does it change in the synoptics? If yes, thus building hobby can go on for another few years.

[michelmvd]

Hi Norbert,
Of course. EICAS pages are interacting with the overhead panel situation.
Not all is simulated at this moment, but if you can program in PMSystem you even can do a lot yourself.
B. Rgds
Michel