Unable to activate autopilot
I'm using the latest Pro version of the Dash 8 Q400 in P3D4.5 HF3 which I've just installed on a new PC.
I had been using the Dash on my old PC in P3D4.5 HF2 without any problems but having installed it on my new machine I now can't engage the autopilot. I'm using Thrustmaster warthog joystick and throttle and FSUIPC but have not assigned any button to the autopilot. I'm sure I have configured something incorrectly but can't see what I have done wrong. Can anyone help please. My .ini file looks like this:
[INTERFACE]
; GENERAL SUPPORT OF THE INTERFACES
JOYSTICK_INTERFACE =1
ASN_INTERFACE=1
WXAR_INTERFACE=0
; UDP 0 CONNECTOR FOR THE SHARED COCKPIT
[UDP_CONNECTOR_0]
UDP_ENABLED=0
SEND_RATE_DIVIDER=0; // 128 times per second
UDP_BROADCAST_ALLOWED=0
UDP_BROADCAST_MASK=0.0.0.0:49200
UDP_RECEIVE_ALLOWED=0
UDP_RECEIVE_MASK=0.0.0.0:49210
ICP_TX_FILTER=6152
ICP_RX_FILTER=6152
; UDP 1 CONNECTOR FOR THE SHARED COCKPIT OBSERVER LINK
[UDP_CONNECTOR_1]
UDP_ENABLED=0
SEND_RATE_DIVIDER=0; // 128 times per second
UDP_BROADCAST_ALLOWED=0
UDP_BROADCAST_MASK=0.0.0.0:0
UDP_RECEIVE_ALLOWED=0
UDP_RECEIVE_MASK=0.0.0.0:49200
ICP_TX_FILTER=6152
ICP_RX_FILTER=6152
; UDP 2 CONNECTOR FOR THE INSTRUCTOR STATION
[UDP_CONNECTOR_2]
UDP_ENABLED=1
SEND_RATE_DIVIDER=4; // 32 times per second
UDP_BROADCAST_ALLOWED=1
UDP_BROADCAST_MASK=127.0.0.1:49230
UDP_RECEIVE_ALLOWED=1
UDP_RECEIVE_MASK=0.0.0.0:49240
; UDP 3 CONNECTOR FOR THE 3RD PARTY
[UDP_CONNECTOR_3]
UDP_ENABLED=1
SEND_RATE_DIVIDER=8; // 16 times per second
UDP_BROADCAST_ALLOWED=1
UDP_BROADCAST_MASK=127.0.0.1:49250
UDP_RECEIVE_ALLOWED=1
UDP_RECEIVE_MASK=0.0.0.0:49260
[EFIS]
; 1 for KG, 0 for LBS
FUEL_KG_UNITS=1
; 1 for hPa, 0 for Inches
PRESSURE_HPA_UNITS=1
; 1 to syncronize pilot and copilot side altimeter settings
PFD_QNH_SYNC=1
AFCS_FSX_SYNC=1
[GRAPHICS]
Enable =1
SmoothingQuality=0
;VECTOR_RATE 0=1x, 1=1/2x, 2=1/4x, 3=1/8x
VECTOR_RATE=1
; Q400 will make sure the screen drawing thread always consumes power.
; If this option is enabled, recommend to set VECTOR_RATE to 0
LoadEqualization=0
CompositingQuality=0
[SYSTEM]
; timing source 0=Queue Timer, 1=Multimedia Timer
TimingSource=1
; disabling the FDE to FSX syncronization might be necessary if unlimited fps setting is used
disableFDEtoFSXSync=1
; by default Dash-8 will not load it's tasks onto the CPU core where the FSX process runs
disableFSXCPUBypass=0
; Here one can specify which CPU cores the certain function threads will prefer to run
; 1 bit per core. For example, 2=CPUid2, 4=CPUid3, 6=CPUid2+3 Only takes effect if disableFSXCPUBypass is not 0
systemThreadsCPUMask=0
graphicsThreadCPUMask=0
; All parameters generally from -1.0 to 1.0
;
[FLIGHTCONTROLS]
; this means, no real force feedback available
ElevatorInFSXmode = 1
; TillerInput = 0: tiller control is with mouse only
; TillerInput = 1: turning ailerons below 40kts will steer the plane
; TillerInput = 2: tiller is mapped to the spoiler axis
TillerInput =1
; Tiller dead zone in percent/100
TillerDeadZone=0.1
; Flight Controls positions from FSX
ElevatorsByFSX=1
AileronsByFSX=1
RuddersByFSX=1
; CENTER AND DEFLECTION ARE IN THE 0x0000-0xFFFF range
ELEVATOR0_CENTER =32768
ELEVATOR0_DEFLECTION =32768
AILERON0_CENTER =32768
AILERON0_DEFLECTION =32768
RUDDER0_CENTER =32768
RUDDER0_DEFLECTION =32768
BRAKEL0_OFF =1
BRAKEL0_ON =65535
BRAKER0_OFF =1
BRAKER0_ON =65535
ELEVATOR1_CENTER =32768
ELEVATOR1_DEFLECTION =32768
AILERON1_CENTER =32768
AILERON1_DEFLECTION =32768
RUDDER1_CENTER =32768
RUDDER1_DEFLECTION =32768
BRAKEL1_OFF =1
BRAKEL1_ON =65535
BRAKER1_OFF =1
BRAKER1_ON =65535
TILLER_CENTER =32768
TILLER_DEFLECTION =32768
FORCEFEEDBACK_TWIST =0.00
YAW_DUE_TO_PROPWASH =1.0
TURBULENCE_FACTOR =0.75
ELEVATOR_EFFECTIVENESS =0.4
AILERONS_EFFECTIVENESS =1.0
RUDDERS_EFFECTIVENESS =0.5
PEDALS_STEERING_EFFECTIVENESS = 0.5
AUTO_RUDDER_FACTOR =1.0
[ENGINECONTROLS]
; PARAMETERS ARE WITHIN THE 0x0000-0xFFFF range
; now tuned to the noisy sim
PL1_REVERSE =-4096
PL1_DISC =0
PL1_FLTIDLE =18000
PL1_RATING =65535
PL1_MAX =65535
PL2_REVERSE =-4096
PL2_DISC =0
PL2_FLTIDLE =18000
PL2_RATING =65535
PL2_MAX =65535
CL1_FUELOFF =5000
CL1_START =23370
CL1_850 =38158
CL1_900 =53264
CL1_1020 =65152
CL2_FUELOFF =5000
CL2_START =23092
CL2_850 =39032
CL2_900 =53080
CL2_1020 =65280
AUTO_DIFFERENTIAL_THRUST_ON_TAXI =1
[VISION]
; This section is for the Flght Training Device Vision
LeftViewAngle = 0.04
LeftViewOffset = 0
RightViewAngle = -0.03
RightViewOffset = 0
[SOUND]
;Set the following to 1 if experiencing sound problems under Windows 7
Win7CompatibilityMode = 0
; Device on which all sounds in this section will be played. 0 Sound Mapper,
; 1..n is a device number as it appears in the "Default Device" list at the audio page of the windows sound settings.
MainPlaybackDeviceId = 0
; Device on which the headphone sounds will be played, can be the same as the MainPlaybackDeviceId
HPNPlaybackDeviceId = 0
; the next entries define to which speakers the respective sounds will be routed to. The map is created by adding the flags, corresponding to the particular sound channels in a SB 9.1 standard, as follows:
; SOUND 3D -1
; SOUND INACTIVE 0
; SPEAKER_FRONT_LEFT 1
; SPEAKER_FRONT_RIGHT 2
; SPEAKER_FRONT_CENTER 4
; SPEAKER_LOW_FREQUENCY 8
; SPEAKER_REAR_LEFT 16 ( if you dont hear any sound from it, try SPEAKER_SIDE_LEFT instead)
; SPEAKER_REAR_RIGHT 32 ( if you dont hear any sound from it, try SPEAKER_SIDE_RIGHT instead)
; SPEAKER_SIDE_LEFT 64 ( microsoft would usually play it at REAR LEFT)
; SPEAKER_SIDE_RIGHT 128 ( microsoft would usually play it at REAR RIGHT)
; the XXXX_sound_level has 3 values in % (from 0..100), for cockpit, cabin and external views
; The map for left engine sounds. Engine sounds will also be played by subwoofer in anycase
left_engine_sounds_map = -1
left_engine_sound_level = 50,80,75
; The map for right engine sounds. Engine sounds will also be played by subwoofer in anycase
right_engine_sounds_map =-1
right_engine_sound_level = 50,80,75
; MAP for left side headphones navigation sounds.
leftpilot_hpn_sounds_map = 1
leftpilot_hpn_sound_level = 75,0,0
; MAP for left side speaker navigation sounds.
leftpilot_spkr_sounds_map = -1
leftpilot_spkr_sound_level = 75,0,0
; MAP for right side headphones navigation sounds.
rightpilot_hpn_sounds_map = 2
rightpilot_hpn_sound_level = 75,0,0
; MAP for right side speaker navigation sounds.
rightpilot_spkr_sounds_map = -1
rightpilot_spkr_sound_level = 75,0,0
; MAP for observer navigation sounds.
observer_sounds_map = -1
observer_sound_level =75,0,0
; MAP for synthetic warnings (same for left/right side). was 48
synthetic_warnings_map = -1
synthetic_warnings_sound_level = 75,0,0
; avionics fan
avionics_fan_map = -1
avionics_fan_sound_level = 75,0,0
; sounds, coming from the cabin
cabin_sounds_map = -1
cabin_sounds_level = 110,100,0
; clicks from the switches and knobs (is it possible to do this dynamically)
switch_clicks_map = -1
switch_clicks_sound_level = 100
; Nose Gear sound
NoseGear_sound_map = -1
NoseGear_sound_level = 100,100,100
; Sound for left langing gear
LeftLandingGear_sound_map = -1
LeftLandingGear_sound_level = 75,75,100
; Sound for right langing gear
RightLandingGear_sound_map = -1
RightLandingGear_sound_level = 75,75,100
; Ambient wind sound, left side of windshield
LeftAmbientWindSound_map = -1
LeftAmbientWindSound_level = 50,50,50
; Ambient wind sound, right side of windshield
RightAmbientWindSound_map = -1
RightAmbientWindSound_level = 50,50,50
; Sound when aircraft rolls
GroundRollSound_map = -1
GroundRollSound_level = 75,75,75
; APU/GPU sound
APUSound_level = 0,0,100
GPUSound_level = 35,0,100
; passenger entertainment settings
; flag to enable/disable all announcements of flight attendant
entertainment_FA_announcements_enabled = 1
; flag to enable/disable all announcements from flight deck
entertainment_FC_announcements_enabled = 1
; flag to enable/disable music
entertainment_music_enabled = 1
; if set to 1, announcements will be played according to the announcements script.
; if set to 0, the announcements still can be played manually using FMS
entertainment_auto_announcements = 1
[JOYSTICK_INTERFACE_ASSIGNMENTS]
; See SpecialFeatures.pdf Joystick Connector section for description
; Ailerons
;J0_X=FlightControls_->sensors.Aileron0_ADC
; Elevators
;J0_Y=-FlightControls_->sensors.Elevator0_ADC
; Rudder
;J0_Z=FlightControls_->sensors.Rudder0_ADC
; AP DISC
J0_b1=AFCS_->inputs.AP_disengage
J0_b2=AFCS_->inputs.TCS_button
[CONFIGURATION]
cockpitConfigScript=
; Maintenance Deprecation Factor specifies how much faster the aircraft is weared off compare to the real life
WearOffFactor=1.0
; Pause the sim when FMS1 Top Of Descend is reached
PAUSE_ON_TOD=0
Comments
I must apologise to all who have read through this as the autopilot is now working as it should. I really don't know what I had done wrong though. Today I went back in to P3D controls and made sure I did not have a button assigned to the autopilot on/off, and it was set to the default letter 'z' on the keyboard. Also checked in FSUIPC that no button was assigned to autopilot on, but I did set a joystick button to autopilot off. Set up a flight, made sure to press the TOGA button on the throttles, pressed HDG and YD on, took off, retracted gear and flaps and this time pressed AP and it came on. All I can think is that yesterday was operator error of some sort.