CH CM will not recognise Fighterstick

[Bahger]

I'm still running 3.0 and I upgraded to Win XP SP2 since last using my CH devices.

When I select and download any map (ie my LOMAC maps) button presses on the throttle are recognised by the Control Manager interface but no such luck with the Fighterstick. It's strange: All programming inputs are still there, the stick is plugged in and is functional in sims like MS FS 04 (without a CH map activated). Its mode switch cycles successfully between the different colored lights on the base. What gives?

All assistance appreciated.

[Bob Church]

Try running the Control Manager GUI and clicking the Calibrate button. It may have moved around in the enumeration order and just need to be redetected. If that's what's wrong, the Calibration button in the GUI will cause the CM to rescan and you'll get a New Hardware Wizard, etc. Note that it has to be done from the GUI, going in through the Windows calibration applet won't trigger the rescan.

- Bob

The StickWorks
http://www.stickworks.com

[Bahger]

Originally posted by Bob Church@Nov 8 2004, 12:01 AM
Try running the Control Manager GUI and clicking the Calibrate button. It may have moved around in the enumeration order and just need to be redetected. If that's what's wrong, the Calibration button in the GUI will cause the CM to rescan and you'll get a New Hardware Wizard, etc. Note that it has to be done from the GUI, going in through the Windows calibration applet won't trigger the rescan.

Thanks Bob. Test/Calibrate in the CM GUI -- with or without a map loaded -- lists only "Control Manager Device 1" which recognises the throttle axis input but no button input. Button presses are recognised in the throttle schematic when a map is loaded, but the stick is being ignored completely. It is functional in Windows (as tested in Settings/Game Devices). Finally, there would appear to be no problem with SP2 and USB devices on my PC.

[Bob Church]

>> Thanks Bob. Test/Calibrate in the CM GUI -- with or without a map loaded -- lists only "Control Manager Device 1" which recognises the throttle axis input but no button input. <<

If you're seeing "Control Manager Device 1" then there is a map loaded and running. If there wasn't you'd be seeing the Pro Throttle at least, the FighterStick if it's being recognized, but not a "Control Manager Device". If the map that's running doesn't include the FighterStick (probably not, I'm guessing) then that may be your only problem. Click the "Direct Mode" button (13th from the left, the center one of the three buttons with the blue boxes and yellow dots) to switch it out of Mapped Mode. Then pop the Calibration button again and see if it shows you both the throttle and the stick. Probably what you need to do is create a new map that includes them both. If you create a map and it doesn't include a particular controller, that controller is effectively disconnected when the map is active, you have to include it whether you're going to program it to do something or not.

Anyway, give it a check and see if the stick is there or not.

- Bob

The StickWorks
http://www.stickworks.com

[Bahger]

No go Bob. Switching in and out of direct mode simply toggles the item in the Test/Calibrate window from "Control Manager Device 1" to "Pro Throttle USB Device". Only in the former instance does the calibration screen recognise button input on the throttle (although to add to the mystery, these inputs are always recognised in the GUI). In the latter case, the calibration screen only recognises throttle axis inputs. In neither case is the joystick recognised yet this map has extensive joystick programming, there is a Fighterstick tab visible and the input fields have retained the syntaxes for stick functions I programmed. The GUI will not acknowledge stick axis or button input (for example a stick button press will not switch the diagram from the throttle to the stick).

It's been a trouble-free HOTAS until now. Maybe I should d/l 3.5, disconnect my devices, install 3.5, reconnect and try again?

[Bob Church]

Well, if it wasn't for the update to SP2, I'd say "not yet" and try to figure it out under 3.0. 3.5 didn't change anything that should be affecting it. Even if we got it working in 3.0, though, the SP2 bug was in 3.0 and so it's going to start giving you BSODs. Doing the update is probably the best thing. Even if it doesn't fix it, we'll be past that hurdle, and it may actually be the SP2 problem that's messing things up. It only affected things that weren't already running when SP2 was installed as far as I can tell, it may be keeping the FighterStick from being seen, yet still see the throttle since it was there before SP2. Even with the SP2 thing, the devices still all worked as Windows controllers, it just wouldn't switch them to the CM drivers.

Anyway, unplug everything, run the uninstall, and restart Windows. Plug the devices in one at a time and let them get completely finished before you plug the next one in. When they're all plugged, you should have them running okay in the standard Windows test panel. At that point, I usually restart before actually doing the install, it lets Windows sort out the enumeration order and saves some confusion if it decides to change things at restart. That way the rearrangement happens with just the Windows drivers running and the CM out of the picture. Anyway, once that's done, go ahead and try the install and see how it goes.

If you run into the thing with SP2, there's a thread pinned at the top of the Hardware section that talks about how to sort it out. The SP2 bug with the USB controllers only seemed to happen when SP2 was installed after the Control Manager, and then it didn't actually cause problems until another CM install was run, pretty much exactly the situation you're in, so you might run into it. Anyway, give it a shot. Probably it will all come off just fine, the SP2 installation thing was pretty rare and since SP2 is already installed if you're going to have that problem, you've already got it.

- Bob

The StickWorks
http://www.stickworks.com

[Bahger]

Thanks a lot, I really appreciate such high-grade counsel. It may take a day or two but I will follow your advice to the letter and report back.

[Bob Church]

Okay. Let us know how it works out. In reading things over, it looks like it very well might be the SP2 problem affecting an existing installation but a new device, you've added a FighterStick to CM3 but haven't uninstalled/reinstalled. I think that's the first time we've seen that. Normally all the devices were present and everything failed at the uninstall/reinstall. In your case, the device is a no-go even though you haven't uninstalled/reinstalled yet, you've only installed SP2 and that's apparentely killed the redetection capability. Anyway, it will be interesting to see how it all shakes out.

- Bob

The StickWorks
http://www.stickworks.com

[Bahger]

Right but let me clarify one thing FWIW: The Fighterstick is not a recent addition. It was part ogf my Stick/Throttle/No pedals set up from the very beginning and all my maps were made for both devices. I have updated the CH software twice (I think) with no problem.