Forums Articles Events Community Daily News
Forums » Technology » Flight Sim Controllers » Simped Gameport pedals via USB converter problem Active Topics You are not logged in. [Log In] [Register User]
Topic Options
Rate This Topic
Hop to:
#3085201 - 09/02/10 04:08 AM Simped Gameport pedals via USB converter problem
Seafit Offline
Junior Member

Registered: 09/01/10
Posts: 4
Loc: UK
Hi all,

I was hoping someone could give me some ideas with a problem I'm having.

I have an old set of Simped gameport pedals and as I recently moved to Win7 64 bit I bought a USB converter. I bought a 'SuperJoyBox7' converter as Gunter at dhs-electronic said some customers reported they had success with it (although he hadn't tried it himself).

I can't find the manual for the pedals so with a little experimentation I found that I could get the pedals to be recognised with the following dip switch settings
1010
0011
0010
0011

The problem I'm having is that I cannot get the pedals to centre. When I test in the windows device setting and look at the raw data it looks like the pedals should send out a value of 127 to report the centre position but I can't get them to do that.

I have an adjustment knob on the pedals themselves and I can set the value from 0-34 or between 144-255 but I can't get it to the the centre position. Even when I set it to 144 when I push right the value climbs to 255 and then 'wraps' back to 0 resulting in full right rudder suddenly becoming full left rudder.

I should also add that these pedals have worked fine for years under XP and I have never had to try and adjust them before.

If anyone has any ideas I'd be grateful to hear them.

Thanks
Seafit

Top
#3087571 - 09/05/10 12:22 PM Re: Simped Gameport pedals via USB converter problem [Re: Seafit]
Bob Church Offline
Member

Registered: 08/03/00
Posts: 301
Loc: USA
Hi Seafit,

Windows has never tried to calibrate rudder center, so you're kind of stuck with what you get. There is a workaround. You mention the raw numbers. What you need to see is the center value exactly halfway between the max and min values. Turn on the Raw Data display in the control panel, see what you get at full left, center, and full right. One side will swing further than the other, e.g. a min of 20, a center of 100, and a max of 200. The min to center distance is 80, the center to max difference is 100, you're 20 counts off center. When you go to calibrate (assuming those numbers, watch the Raw Data display as you move the pedals. Go all the way to minimum since it's the short side, but when you go toward max only take it out to 180. That way, you've got 80 counts either way, Windows just assumes the halfway point is center, and by shaving the 20 counts off max that will be the case. As an FYI, the ONLY axes that Windows centers are X and Y.

Hope this helps!

Best regards,

- Bob

The StickWorks
http://www.stickworks.com

Top
#3087646 - 09/05/10 02:40 PM Re: Simped Gameport pedals via USB converter problem [Re: Bob Church]
Seafit Offline
Junior Member

Registered: 09/01/10
Posts: 4
Loc: UK
Hi Bob,

Thanks for the reply. I tried what you suggested and have had some limited success. The pedals will now at least report close to the center position, I have to be careful however as if I push too much right rudder I still get the problem of going from reported 255 to 0 the then climbing. Having said that if I am careful about how much rudder I apply then I can use them to a degree. Realistically I'm coming to the conclusion that I will have to replace the ageing gameport device with a USB version.

I suspect the problem lies with the USB converter and how it is interacting with the pedals along with (the information you have given me) what Windows does not center the rudder, that information is certainly confirmed by what I am seeing.

Thank you very much for your help, now I am not grounded until I can replace the pedals.

Cheers
Seafit

Top
#3328231 - 06/25/11 11:03 PM Re: Simped Gameport pedals via USB converter problem [Re: Seafit]
Cage Offline
Junior Member

Registered: 06/24/11
Posts: 1
Just thought I'd mention that I found a solution. The "Manhattan" USB adapter seems to work with the old gameport version of the Simped rudder pedals.

The settings that worked for me was Mode 2 (there is a selector for 4 "modes" on the Manhattan).

On the Simped gameport connector there is also a series of four DIP switches. I have them set as 1=ON, 2=OFF, 3=ON, 4=OFF.

I am using Windows 7 64 bit Ultimate.

At least in Rise of Flight I was able to select the Simped rudder pedals and they worked great. I have a CH Flightstick (USB version) that is also connected and that worked fine as well at the same time.

The Manhattan USB adapter that I found was on Amazon. Here's a link for those that are interested -
Manhattan USB Adapter on Amazon

Best of luck!

Top
#3328959 - 06/26/11 06:31 PM Re: Simped Gameport pedals via USB converter problem [Re: Seafit]
Sokol1 Online content
Member

Registered: 11/17/01
Posts: 921
Loc: Internet
Try calibrate - as Bob Church say - using DView:

http://leobodnar.com/products/BU0836/DIView.zip

Quote:

Connect your pedals to your pc and open the DIView program. Go to EDIT in the pull down menu. Click on settings. You will now see all of the USB inputs connected to your pc (keyboard, wheel, joystick, CST Performance Pedals etc.). Uncheck all of the boxes except for the CST Performance Pedals and click OK. You should then see three windows for a 2 pedal set and four windows for a three pedal set. Close the Buffered window. The Slider [Slider] is for the brake pedal. We will calibrate it last. Move the throttle pedal and see which scale shows movement. Maximize this window. Go to AXIS in the pull down menu. Click on “View Raw Data”. You will then see a set of red numbers at the bottom of the window on top of a set of black numbers. Push the pedal to the stop. NOTE: Do not slam the pedal to the stop. Hold it firmly while reading the red numbers to the left of the parentheses. Record this number. Release the pedal and record the number at that point. Take the number that you recorded when the pedal is released and add 20. This is your Min calibration number. Take the number that you recorded while the pedal was fully compressed and subtract 20. This is your Max calibration number. Subtract the Min number from the Max number. Divide the answer by 2. Then, add the Min number. This is your Center calibration number. Go to the AXIS pull down menu and click on Calibration. Enter the Min, Center and Max numbers into the calibration window and click OK. NOTE: Do not use the up and down arrows. They will not work for this application. You must enter the numbers directly from the keyboard. You should then see the black percentage numbers go from 0% to 100% while pressing the pedal to the stop. Minimize the throttle pedal calibration window. Press the clutch pedal and see which scale shows movement. Maximize this window. Repeat the above steps to calibrate the clutch pedal.

EXAMPLE: The red number is 150 when the pedal is not pressed. The red number is 2975 when fully pressed. Add 150 + 20 = 170. The Min = 170. Then, 2975 – 20 = 2955. The Max is 2955. Subtract the Min from the Max. 2955 – 170 = 2785. This is the number of steps of resolution of your pedal. Divide this number by 2. 2785 / 2 = 1392.5. Round this number up to 1393. Add the Min. 1393 + 170 = 1563. This is the Center.

This instruction is for 3 axis car pedal (with L.Bodnar BU0836 controller) from www.cannonsimulationtechnologies.com

Other option is DXTweak2.

Sokol1



Edited by Sokol1 (06/26/11 06:45 PM)
Top
Topic Options
Rate This Topic
Hop to:

Moderator:  531 Ghost, RacerGT 
 

Forum Use Agreement | Privacy Statement
Copyright 1997-2013, SimHQ Inc. All Rights Reserved.