Saitek Panels and King Air C90 Auto Pilot

[Wrench]

Hello all,

 

I need your help...with autopilot.  Among other Saitek hardware I'm using the Saitek Multipanel for my auto pilot functions.  The XP10 user manual says that when you change your altitude sttings and engage the vs function the aircraft 's auto pilot will take you to the altitude and then the vs disengages and you the fly at the desired altitude as selected. Well it's not happening for me

 

Trouble I'm having is that for whatever reason the vs won't disengage and the aircraft flys above or below the altiude I've set and just keeps climbing or descending....so what am I doing wrong? 

 

I'm using XP10 64 bit and I've got William R Good's Xsaitekpanels software installed and operating.

 

I'm new to XP and have been using FSX for ages but getting the knack of the autopilot in XP escapes me.

 

Any suggestions will be most gratefully appreciated.

 

Cheers

Wrench

[Mario Donick]

Please try to use the autopilot without the Saitek panels and check if it works correctly. This is to make sure if the Saitek plugins are the reason or something else.

If it also happens without the Saitek panels, you may have misunderstood something about the AP in general.

If it happens only with the Saitek panels, check their configuration and if the VS button is working (hardware wise, I mean).

Also test it with another plane.

Edited March 23, 2013 by mariodonick

[Wrench]

Hello and thanks for your reply. 

 

No luck I'm afraid.

 

I've done all as you've suggested and I can confirm that both the aircraft and saitek panel AP are working correctly. 

 

I have also tried on the default Baron 58 with the same results.

 

In the X-plane manual page 80 paragraph 6 it says that the plane should level off when it reaches its desired height...so maybe I'm doing something wrong or as you say I'm misunderstanding the AP in general....I just don't know. Perhaps a step by step dot point text explanation on how to engage the ap and achieve the desired result would help but I thing the manual covers this as I've describe above.....the issue is still why won't the plane level off?

 

I know this isn't FSX but in FSX I simply preset my desired altitude set my vs and pressed the ap and alt buttons and presto away we go....

 

Appreciate your help

 

Cheers

Wrench

[steven winslow]

Check your airspeed.  If you are going too fast, the plane will continue to climb.  You should maintain a speed of at least 10 KIAS below max speed for the AP to lock onto altitude.  This may not be your problem, but give it a try.

[Wrench]

Nope...that's not it either, but thanks for the suggestion.

[chris k]

Hrm... testing now in sim.. see if I can figure out the missing link..

Edited March 24, 2013 by chris k

[Wrench]

Thanks Chris...I do all of that; but maybe I'm not setting the AP to auto correctly.....how do I do that?  With or without the Saitek multipanel?

 

Cheers

Wrench

[tomcat357]

If youre using the new plug 2.11 back up to 2.10 ,   i'm going over the new ini now but the 2.10 worked like it suppose to

[tomcat357]

It's definitely the new plug, I got mine working kinda but I would rather let BGood take care of this, He's been popping these things out so fast he's probably getting dizzy

[Mario Donick]

I can't see any problem. I started to use the plugins three days ago with 2.10, and updated to 2.11 yesterday, and AP works fine...?

[sparker256]

I have tested the following default aircraft and here is a list of the ones that seemed to work fine to me.

 

Cessna 172SP

Cirrus TheJet

Columbia-400

P180 Avanti Ferrari Team

B747-400 United

 

The ones that did not

 

KingAir C90B

Baron B58

 

If you look at the beta change logs coming up to 10.20 final you will see both of these plane were touched. I think there is a pattern and don't think it is Xsaitekpanels unless you have more convincing evidence. On both of these plane you cannot have the alt hold and vs hold on at the same time like you can on the other five planes I tested. Please test and see your results are the same and if so then it is a bug with those two plane and not with my plugin.

 

Ps. Found a issue and will have it resolved after some testing either tonight or tomorrow.

 

Bill

Edited March 25, 2013 by sparker256

[tomcat357]

Same exact results Bill. I mapped an altitude arm command to the VS button with my controllermate software and it works fine. I knew I had not had this prob in the past but all is well in the the happy skys now. Been bouncy over eastern carolina today, those little guys don't ride like the 777. Thanks for all you do for the folks.

tommy

[sparker256]

Same exact results Bill. I mapped an altitude arm command to the VS button with my controllermate software and it works fine. I knew I had not had this prob in the past but all is well in the the happy skys now. Been bouncy over eastern carolina today, those little guys don't ride like the 777. Thanks for all you do for the folks.

tommy

I had altitude hold instead of altitude arm for the ALT button. Changed now with the release of version 2.12. This code has been like this for a very long time which is why I was so confused but the sudden change. Should be all better but let me know if it is fixed for you.

 

Bill

[Wrench]

That's great news Bill....can you please send me a link on where to download ver 2.12 and I'll report back....

 

BTW

 

All you guys are great and I appreciate all the support and interest you've shown to this X-Plane 'newbie'

 

Beset regards

Bernie

[tomcat357]

I told ya ol Bill would fix her up. He's da man:)

[Wrench]

Hi all,

 

Found, downloaded and installed 2.12 and it worked perfectly.....thanks to you all, but especially to Bill; it could'nt have happened without him.

 

Thanks again and best regards

 

Bernie

[Mario Donick]

Thanks Bill for the good work!