TextLCD not getting detected

[JBaymore]

I just hooked up the new TextLCD 8/8/8 that arrived today.

It installed into the usb port on Win XP fine and said the usual Windows "ready to use" message. The unit has a very dull glow "light" on the two rows of LCD's like they have power but no display information yet. I checked in the XP Device listing and it showed the usb device as "working properly" and identified as the TextLCD 8/8/8/.

I started FS2004 and then started FS2Phidget. I hit "Detect Phidgets".....and it does not find the unit, it just stays with the red window. The Phidget list pop-up does not show it either. I cannot get it to detect the Phidget from there either.

(BTW... FS2Phidget detects fs2004 just fine.)

The Phidgets msi and FS2Phidget software is the most recent downloads from the site... done within the last week or so. Msi was installed appropriately on the machine. In the upper left window on FS2Phidget it shows that the DLL is version 1.0.6 and the COM is ver. 2.0.8. To the right window, FSUIPC is 3.500 and it's on fs2004. Running Win XP SPII with auto-updates on...so whatever Uncle Bill sends out is installed.

This version worked with the LED64 unit that I was testing just a couple of days ago.

What's up? What am I missing here? Suggestions? Also see my other recent thread about issues with the TextLCDEmulator for maybe more "clues".


best,

....................john

[JBaymore]

OK... a little more documentation on my efforts here:

Tried over and over uninstalling and reinstalling, disconnectin hardware, and rebooting. No luck.

I finally uninstalled the msi and then reinstalled the Phidgets.msi I had downoladed from this site. Still no go. Then I went to the main Phidgets.com site and downloaded the msi BETA file from there (did not try the "offical" one from there ....it has the same release numbers as the one from here). I uninstalled the older one and then put in the new BETA one.

Well...... it sort of worked with the TextLCD but still seems like all is not right.

The detection on the main screen still does not find the card when I hit the button; screen stays red. But when I went down to the bottom of the card manager screen and used the pulldown list to select the TextLCD option....even though I did not have the serial number of the card to enter also.... when I hit detect... it found the card. I added it to the active ones, and then exited that screen. THEN when I hit the "detect" button on the main fs2phidgets window... it turned the window green.

However...... it still seems that the assignment of controls is erratic. They seem to "stick" and stop responding.

I also tried the example VB program that is supposed to put the words "This is a test" onto the two lines of the screen. It always says disconnected. But Wim XP STILL says the unit is fine. And now that I have installed the BETA version of the msi file....... the VB program istelf crashes after a second or two with an error message window that disappears too quickly to get a screen shot of is to post.

I'm at a bit of a loss.

best,

......................john

[JBaymore]

OK... I haven't a clue WHY.... but it now seems to be working OK. It detected the second half (8/8/8) of the TextLCD unit easily, and all of the stuff seems to activate now.

I now have a LCD display of fuel percent levels for the left, center, and right main tanks set up as a test and it tracks nicely. Pretty slick solution. Now to figure out how to add the left aux, the right aux, and the rear center tank,........ if I can.

Any tips appreciated in how one sets up a variable that is in the FSUIPC list.... but is not included in the stock files. I have read the docs....... but looking for those little "ease of use" ideas that are not listed.

best,

.......john

[JBaymore]

AND...... continuing on........

After a bit of a "false start"... things now work "spiffily".

I just took a few minutes and installed the Phidgets MSI and FS2Phuidget on the #3 machine in the pit that will drive the Phidgets (along with the FreeFD ND , backup instruments, and Teamspeak). Works like a charm so far!!!! And the FreeFD ND display still is clocking 65 FPS :D


best,

..................john

[JBaymore]

And the work continues........

I cut out the fuel metering panel for the overhead that mounts at the top of the fuel controls. Popped the TextLCD in.... and now there is a nice digital display of fuel levels sitting on my overhead.

Not to mention the potential of the 8/8/8 interface not yet hooked up to anything. :D

Great stuff Alan and Phidgets.

best,

..........john