CH HOTAS/Control Manager and Track IR

[smilinjack]

I have the full CH setup running the latest CM and a Track IR Pro. Using this setup in IL2/FB/AEP/Pacific Fighters. The USB devices are the CH "trio", the TrackIR and a USB keyboard/mouse.
I'm having a problem wherein the cockpit view is momentarily shifted to look straight down while my head is looking elsewhere, indicating that the TrackIR is somehow losing track of the infrared reflector it's tracking (in me case, on the brim of a baseball I'm wearing). The view "recovers" as soon as I move my head and therefore the tracking reflector.
I'm fishing for a cause and possible solution.
TrackIR tech support asked that I move the CH Stick to another USB port in an attempt to isolate the problem, assuming I guess that the stick is the busiest of the CH devices and the problem may be caused/related to a momentary interruption in the USB communication caused by I assume a variety of potential sources (including TrackIR's driver).
My questions are:
1) what is the procedure for moving the fighterstick to another USB port as far as the CM software is concerned?
2) do you gentlemen have any indication of a potential conflict between the drivers generated by CM and the TRACKIR drivers?
3) any thought as to how to isolate/solve the problem?
Thanks,
SmilinJack

[Bob Church]

Hi Jack,

>> I'm having a problem wherein the cockpit view is momentarily shifted to look straight down while my head is looking elsewhere, indicating that the TrackIR is somehow losing track of the infrared reflector it's tracking (in me case, on the brim of a baseball I'm wearing). The view "recovers" as soon as I move my head and therefore the tracking reflector. <<

You're sure it's not just losing sight of the reflector?

>> TrackIR tech support asked that I move the CH Stick to another USB port in an attempt to isolate the problem, assuming I guess that the stick is the busiest of the CH devices and the problem may be caused/related to a momentary interruption in the USB communication caused by I assume a variety of potential sources (including TrackIR's driver). <<

I'd guess they're worried about total bandwidth. That's hub-related, e.g. each hub can handle just so much data. You'll usually have multiple ports, 2 or 4 on one hub. I don't know what bandwidth the TrackIR takes, pictured data can take quite a bit, but probably if you could get the TrackIR onto one hub and the CH stuff onto another it would take care of it if it is a bandwidth thing.

>> 1) what is the procedure for moving the fighterstick to another USB port as far as the CM software is concerned? <<

Just move it. If it's the first time that the controller has been plugged into the port (I'm assuming you're using XP) you'll get the Found New Hardware thing. Let it run and you'll end up with a standard Windows driver kind of stick in the Control Panel applet. Once it tells you that your hardware is ready to use, run the Control Manager GUI and click the Calibrate button. You'll get New Hardware dialogs again as the device is switched out of the standard Windows drivers and onto the CM drivers. Let those run to completion (watch out - sometimes they hide behind the GUI screen). Once those are done, go ahead and calibrate things. You may need to redownload your map, but it won't need to be modified or anything.

>> 2) do you gentlemen have any indication of a potential conflict between the drivers generated by CM and the TRACKIR drivers? <<

No. Aside from the hub bandwidth thing they really shouldn't run into each other at all.

>> 3) any thought as to how to isolate/solve the problem? <<

Well, if that doesn't fix it, you might look at getting a PCI card with some more hubs on it. Michael is away for the week, he'd probably have some suggestions as to make and model. You might check over at the USB Man's page:

http://www.usbman.com

and see what he's recommending. There are some of the PCI cards that have 4 hubs on them and one port per hub, as opposed to one hub with 4 ports on it. Needless to say, the 4-hub cards are going to work better than the other. Anyway, the USBMan is pretty reliable and has some reviews up on the things. Look and see what he has to say.

Hope this helps!

- Bob

The StickWorks
http://www.stickworks.com

[smilinjack]

Originally posted by Bob Church@Nov 3 2004, 01:59 AM
Hi Jack,

>> I'm having a problem wherein the cockpit view is momentarily shifted to look straight down while my head is looking elsewhere, indicating that the TrackIR is somehow losing track of the infrared reflector it's tracking (in me case, on the brim of a baseball I'm wearing). The view "recovers" as soon as I move my head and therefore the tracking reflector. <<

You're sure it's not just losing sight of the reflector?

>> TrackIR tech support asked that I move the CH Stick to another USB port in an attempt to isolate the problem, assuming I guess that the stick is the busiest of the CH devices and the problem may be caused/related to a momentary interruption in the USB communication caused by I assume a variety of potential sources (including TrackIR's driver). <<

I'd guess they're worried about total bandwidth. That's hub-related, e.g. each hub can handle just so much data. You'll usually have multiple ports, 2 or 4 on one hub. I don't know what bandwidth the TrackIR takes, pictured data can take quite a bit, but probably if you could get the TrackIR onto one hub and the CH stuff onto another it would take care of it if it is a bandwidth thing.

>> 1) what is the procedure for moving the fighterstick to another USB port as far as the CM software is concerned? <<

Just move it. If it's the first time that the controller has been plugged into the port (I'm assuming you're using XP) you'll get the Found New Hardware thing. Let it run and you'll end up with a standard Windows driver kind of stick in the Control Panel applet. Once it tells you that your hardware is ready to use, run the Control Manager GUI and click the Calibrate button. You'll get New Hardware dialogs again as the device is switched out of the standard Windows drivers and onto the CM drivers. Let those run to completion (watch out - sometimes they hide behind the GUI screen). Once those are done, go ahead and calibrate things. You may need to redownload your map, but it won't need to be modified or anything.

>> 2) do you gentlemen have any indication of a potential conflict between the drivers generated by CM and the TRACKIR drivers? <<

No. Aside from the hub bandwidth thing they really shouldn't run into each other at all.

>> 3) any thought as to how to isolate/solve the problem? <<

Well, if that doesn't fix it, you might look at getting a PCI card with some more hubs on it. Michael is away for the week, he'd probably have some suggestions as to make and model. You might check over at the USB Man's page:

http://www.usbman.com

and see what he's recommending. There are some of the PCI cards that have 4 hubs on them and one port per hub, as opposed to one hub with 4 ports on it. Needless to say, the 4-hub cards are going to work better than the other. Anyway, the USBMan is pretty reliable and has some reviews up on the things. Look and see what he has to say.

Hope this helps!

- Bob

The StickWorks
http://www.stickworks.com
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[/quote]
Bob,
Thanks for the reply and the suggestions/guidance.
I check "USBMan".
SmilinJack