Futaba and XP - controls won't work

[saturn]

Help! I can't get any controls to work. I have windows XP. I cant calibrate my Futaba, and have no controls with keyboard either. What am I doing wrong. I chose serial pic, resources, com port1, protocol 9600 baud. I go to calibrate under analog, move sticks in circles for a couple of minutes, nothing. I switch to keyboard, nothing. The plane just takes off down the runway and dives into the water! Happens everytime. This isn't what I had in mind for flight simulation! :p Thanks from a newbie.
P.S. am new to this obviously, so simple instructions or suggestions most appriciated. Saturn

[johnhlong]

Lets start with the basics.

Which interface are you using?

When using the keyboard, have you mapped the channels to 0 so the keyboard has priority over the transmitter inputs?

Have you checked to see whick keys do what in keyboard mode?

John
Seattle, WA
USA

[saturn]

Hi John, thanks for the help. I'm using the serial pic interface,( for use with the 9 pin cable hooked to the futaba radio I have, buddy box style). As far as the keyboard, Huh? I've never done this stuff before. I will set all of the chanels to 0 and see what happens. So far V revs the engine, and 8 & 2 zoom the camara in. So do some of the letters, but can't remember which ones. Let me do some checking. I will let you know what I find. P.S. I'm in Aberdeen WA, on the coast, Hi neighbor! saturn360@earthlink.net

[saturn]

Hi John, V speeds up throttle, b lowers, all the numbers make the camara angle shift, either left, right, zoom or back. they don't seem to control rudder, alirons, or elevator. So far none of the other letters seem to control much. "I" seems to reset plane back on runway. R seems to raise the airplane off the runway, but it floats it doesn't fly. As soon as I let off of R, it falls back to earth. x changes camara zoom. I can't seem to get and rudder or altitude control. saturn

[saturn]

Hey John, just to let you know I have a Futaba FP-T6NFK FM.
I have made sure the settings are 9600 baud, 8 ,1,none no flow flow controls. Still nothing. This is very frustrating. Thanks. saturn

[Steve Lewin]

When you select Keyboard under Controls you get a screen showing which keys do what. I suggest you use those keys. Also which model are you trying ?

As for the interface, did you build it yourself or where did you get it from ? Do you have any other way of testing it than just plugging it in e.g. access to an oscilloscope ?

Steve

[johnhlong]

Which interface are you using?

The Futaba FP-T6NLK I have puts out an inverted pulse stream. It works with the original serial interface using the 2n2222 transistor on Win95. (The first simple serial interface, before the PIC interface).

I had trouble making it work with my newer joystick interface. But since it was my second radio and my primary radio worked I haven't bothered much more with it. I suspect the output signal needs to be inverted with another transistor stage to get everything in synck.

On the keyboard thing. If you don't assign the input channels to 0 the simulator will try to use the transmitter input (weather it's connected or not) as soon as you release the key and give you all kinds of fustration


Select:
controlls
Any interface (Joystick will work)
Mapping/Calibration
"Set all channels to 0"

This should make the keys work as you would expect. Otherwise the keys are not the primary input and only work as you depress them (kind of like an override to the transmitter input) and the selected input takes back over again when you release the key.

John
Seattle, WA
USA