Beginner Help With FMS?

[garye]

Well, I’m not sure where to post this....I’m a total Newbie to RC, but my question is about FMS. Newbies who want to learn, read posts here, and those who would help Newbies read them also. Perhaps starting here is worth a try.

Yep, I’m a Newbie to RC and nearly computer illiterate - but I really wanna do this...

Previously had an older version of FMS that I ran using the computer keyboard for flight control. It worked great, but I would like to take the next step and use my brand new Futaba 6EXA that I just purchased along with an interface cable that I purchased with the new radio.

I’m not having any luck getting any controls to work, even the keyboard controls won’t work. And I’m sure that my lack of computer expertise is contributing to the problem.

Here’s where I think(hope) I am with this:
The computer runs windows 98, and the FMS is Version 2.0; Beta 7, downloaded from a CD.

I successfully uninstalled the older version of FMS, and even figured out how to run RegEdit to delete the entire FMS from the registry.

Then I successfully installed FMS and the Driver to USBc, COM3 - just like the instructions say to do. I was even successful in doing the mapping(?) so the radio channels match the channels on the computer screen.

When I open FMS, everything looks good, it’s all there, and I can choose whatever plane I want. The sound even works.

If I do nothing, the plane eventually begins to roll, and roll, and roll, until it disappears over the hill. It makes no difference which control mapping set-up I use, there is no flight control effect at all.

At first I thought the radio or cable was at fault, so I set up the keyboard controls, but none of the keys have any effect either.

I’ve re-installed FMS too many times to count and each time everything appears to be correct. The only problem is that there is no control, regardless of which control set-up I use.

To make it even more frustrating, I’ve tried just about every ‘fix’ that I can find online - including these pages.

OK, I’m a desperate Newbie. Please, does anyone have any ideas on how to get some flight control here?

[Rat]

If you look toward the bottom of the forums you will find a section about simulators. There was some talk about using an AxisPad game controller from Walmart and that is what I did and it works great except you can not trim the planes up with the AxisPad. The AxisPad has two sticks like a TX and you set the game up under control options analog control. Do a search for the thread using the Search option. Type in AxisPad and it shoudl come up for you.

[Rat]

Oh my AxisPad was 17 dollars at walmart

[Mark Wood]

To Simulators.

Good idea, Rat. ;)

mw

[kickflipkid687]

Dont use FMS, use Rc Plane Master Demo. Theres only 1 plane, and 1 scene in the demo, but its only 39.99 to buy a download of it, and then you can download like 15 planes off there site. The sim is very good, and it seems pretty realistic to me! It looks alot like aerofly pro. The plane falls apart when u crash, and you can have engine, servo, structure failures while flying that effect your turns and whatnot. I just orderd the full version, and should get my username and key soon today to download it. Im not sure if you can hover or not with the planes in rc plane master or not since im only using 1 plane thats like a j-3 cub or that kinda of plane, lol. But, you can do nice inverted rolls, regular rolls, water falls with practice, and touch and goes and all that. In the full version you can do dog fighting and shoot guns at each other, and do all sorts of stuff. Check it out at http://www.realitycraft.com/RCPlaneMaster/rc_plane_master.htm

[Seadog]

I am not an FMS expert, but I do know that in my case I have to plug my connection cable into the computer (not the transmitter), then start FMS, then plug into the transmitter. Some transmitters then automatcally turn on (my 9C does), or you may have to power up your transmitter at that point. If I don't do things in this order, I get the behaviour you describe. Just a thought...try it.

Dave Smith

[60+Retiree]

I have windows 98 as well - running FMS via USB port - When you click on "controls" and then select "Analog" a configuration box comes up.
Did you highlite "Serial PIC Interface" then do the mapping? Might be the problem.

Good Luck - Larry

[garye]

"Did you highlite "Serial PIC Interface" then do the mapping? Might be the problem."

Yes, I did that. Are you implying that this is not the thing to do?
Everything I can find tells me that I have done all of it correctly, but there is no controll at all.

I sure do need some help with this.

[slipstick]

If you can't get control even with the keyboard it's not just a transmitter/interface problem (though it might be useful if you said what type of interface you have as there are many different ones with completely different setup methods).

I don't think I've ever heard of anyone having no control at all, not even through the keyboard. Have you tried asking on the FMS forum where the developers hang out ? http://cgi.ethz.ch/~mmoeller/cgi-bin/ikonboard3/ikonboard.cgi?

Steve

[ggunners]

Garye,

What bit rate did you set up with the Pic-Serial interface? If 9600, try 19,200 instead. Try the other to see if that helps. Also, did the COM port show up that's mapped to the USB serial port? Make sure you've selected the right one.

-- ggunners

[garye]

"Have you tried asking on the FMS forum where the developers hang out ? http://cgi.ethz.ch/~mmoeller/cgi-bi.../ikonboard.cgi?"

I've read just about every post I can find there, but haven't tried posting there - I will give it a try. Thanks

"What bit rate did you set up with the Pic-Serial interface? If 9600, try 19,200 instead. Try the other to see if that helps."

Yep, tried that, it didn't help.

"Also, did the COM port show up that's mapped to the USB serial port?"

Yes, it did.

"Make sure you've selected the right one."

Based on the directions that came with it, and what I've been able to find online, everything is correct.

The interface cable is from TTi, but since there is no keyboard control, it seems like that shouldn't be the problem.

If I was not so new with computers, I might be able to figure this out....Anyone else got any good ideas?

[MThead]

Have you tried loading the backup file of FMS on the disc, maybe the first one is corrupt...
try setting the keyboard rate in the control panel, i know mine was running real slow and it made it hard to control had to push the key like 20 times just to get a plane to lift off.... also make sure that if your using a USB keyboard that the drivers for the sim are not overriding it.....
I was able to get keyboard controls but no TX yet, got the same set up but with 7CHP from TTI.....

kinda gave up on old slow computer, building a new one now.....

[flyboy2610]

Try downloading FMS directly from the FMS site http://n.ethz.ch/student/mmoeller/fms/index_e.html

If the file on your disc is corrupt, this should still work.

[Looooeeee!]

In "calibration" did you assign the channels of the radio to the functions of the sim?

At the start of calibration you should have 8 blue colored columns, in my radio's case, they are all wildly jumping around, in the beggining of calibration.

Move your sticks in a circle after centering them, follow through with the next two calibration steps, and check to see which # column moves to the which stick function and assign them to the channels on the right of the dialog box. Do them correctly to the rudder, elevator, throttle and so on. You said your calibration is working properly, correct?

Looee

[garye]

"In "calibration" did you assign the channels of the radio to the functions of the sim?"

Yep, I tried that too, with no effect at all.....