Annunciator blue lights

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Skycowboy
Posts: 54
Joined: Wed Jul 20, 2022 3:20 pm

Annunciator blue lights

Post by Skycowboy »

Which script lines control the bright and dark blue light of the annunciators in particular e.g. the VALVE OPEN cross feed annunciator light of
the fuel FW-OVHD section?

Regards Rolf
NobbyC_B738
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:38 pm

Re: Annunciator blue lights

Post by NobbyC_B738 »

Hi Rolf
in the script you can search for:

Var 1073 (= xFGeed)
Var 1067 ... Var 1070 (= Eng Valsves / Spar Valves)
Var 1152 ... Var 1155 (= Anti Ice Valves)

Problem of the script is that valves annunciators are dimmed during valve movement and bright in end position. This is because PMDG uses "2 for movement and "1" for end position. OpenCockpit IO card Outs want this the other way round: 1 is bright and 2 is dimmed

If PMDG could change 1 to 2 and 2 to1 than the scipt will work fine. In the meantime I have used a subroutine to change the numbers and it works also fine

When you are interested I can post the script modification for valve annunciator brightness here

Best Regards Norbert
Best Regards
Norbert
(EDDH)
NobbyC_B738
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:38 pm

Re: Annunciator blue lights

Post by NobbyC_B738 »

correction:
should read:
Var 1073 (= xFeed)
Var 1067 ... Var 1070 (= Eng Valves / Spar Valves)
Var 1152 ... Var 1155 (= Anti Ice Valves)

Sorry
Norbert
Best Regards
Norbert
(EDDH)
Skycowboy
Posts: 54
Joined: Wed Jul 20, 2022 3:20 pm

Re: Annunciator blue lights

Post by Skycowboy »

Hi Norbert,

thank you very much - it's very kind and very very helpull!
That's exactly what I noticed and the reason for my question, that the bright and dimmed blue of the annunciators are illuminated
vice versa.
It would be phantastic and I would most of appreciate it if you could share your script modification.

Best regrads
Rolf
NobbyC_B738
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:38 pm

Re: Annunciator blue lights

Post by NobbyC_B738 »

Hi Rolf, you're welcome.

for the xFeed valve as well as for the Eng Valves / Spar Valves you can see in the IOCP Console figures 0 - 2 - 1 for the corresponding variables, where we need 1 and 2 vice versa. I don't know if PMDG 737 sends these figures directly or if they are generated in Roar's driver software

For the a.m. valves I could change the script so that illumination is correct now on my OC hardware OVH.

For the Anti Ice valves it is more complicated because we can only see "0" and "1" in the IOCP Console. "2" is missing completely although illumination is correct on the software OVH. Again I don't know if PMDG 737 doesn't send out a "2" or if something is missing in Roars driver software.

When I have time I will try script modification with a delay function soon so that Anti Ice valves have bright light for appr. 2 or 3 seconds before getting dimmed or getting off - so that I have bright light during movement and 0 for closed and dimmed in open position

Best Regards
Norbert
Best Regards
Norbert
(EDDH)
sloppy1918
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:11 pm

Re: Annunciator blue lights

Post by sloppy1918 »

The driver code sends what it receives from the airplane directly to the SIOC server, so IOCPConsole should see whatever data that is.
if ((int)sPmdgData.ICE_annunVALVE_OPEN[0] != ICE_annunVALVE_OPEN0)
{
ICE_annunVALVE_OPEN0 = sPmdgData.ICE_annunVALVE_OPEN[0];
IOCP.sendVarData(1152, ICE_annunVALVE_OPEN0);
}
if ((int)sPmdgData.ICE_annunVALVE_OPEN[1] != ICE_annunVALVE_OPEN1)
{
ICE_annunVALVE_OPEN1 = sPmdgData.ICE_annunVALVE_OPEN[1];
IOCP.sendVarData(1153, ICE_annunVALVE_OPEN1);
}
NobbyC_B738
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:38 pm

Re: Annunciator blue lights

Post by NobbyC_B738 »

Thank you very much for explanation. That is very helpful for me to understand what PMDG sends out and what the driver software does. This also helps to understand why the software is as it is:

I think it is the best compromise for users with different hardware.
Any change that will make blue annunciator illumination for valves look more realistic for Cockpit builders who use IOCard Outs with 3 states of light intensity will be counterproductive for Cockpit builders who have connected the blue annunciators for valves directly to the (LED-) Output ports of the mastercard without using IOCard Outs. This group will not have an indication when state is „2“ (dimmed) in end position.

Consequently there is no need to change Roar’s driver software or PMDG’s output.

Flight simmers who use OC hardware with 3 states of light intensity can do individual script modification when they want more realistic behaviour.
I will do some tests with modified script for wing anti ice valve annunciator and will share my script modification here, when results are satisfactory

Best Regards
Norbert
Best Regards
Norbert
(EDDH)
NobbyC_B738
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:38 pm

Re: Annunciator blue lights

Post by NobbyC_B738 »

Short update:

I managed to make a scipt modification so that 5 blue FUEL valve annunciators (XFEED-, ENG- and SPAR-valves) as well as 4 ANTI ICE valve annunciators
(2x WING and 2x ENG) work correctly now for Cockpit builders who use IOCard Outs with 3 states of light intensity (off- bright - dimmed) during cold and dark start up, during normal flight and during shut down.

*** B U T *** after modification these blue annunciators came into conflict with light test: blue annunciators are dimmed when they should be bright during light test and the anti ice valve annunciators remain dimmed on after ending light test until I operate the correspondig valve switches.

That's the reason why I actually don't share my script modification here until I have found solution.
I actually can live with that behaviour because I rarely use light test.

For the final modification I have 3 demands:
1) these blue annunciators shall be "bright" during light test, independent of valve switch position.
2) Additionally during light test annunciator brightness shall not change when valve switches are operated.
3) After ending light test blue annunciators should be "dimmed" or "off" depending on valve switch position

This additional mod is a real challenge for me and up to now I failed with SIOC script. (It was much more easy with LUA script for x-plane) But I will try again and learn more SIOC because I really like MS FS 2020 + PMDG 737 + Roar's software

Best Regards
Norbert
NobbyC_B738
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:38 pm

Re: Annunciator blue lights

Post by NobbyC_B738 »

I have finished script modification for 5 fuel valve annunciators now. All tests were successful during normal operation and during lights test as well.

Regarding my previous post I have noticed that my demands 1) and 2) may not be correct. I took over these demands from the X-Plane Zibo 738 where the blue annunciator behavior during lights test is different to the FS 2020 PMDG 737 annunciator behavior.

I decided to follow the PMDG specifications for these annunciators now, as our superior topic is „PMDG 737 in FS 2020“.

After script modification blue annunciator behavior on Opencockpits hardware OVH is identical to PMDG software OVH.

The attached script mods can be used by all pilots who have connected the corresponding blue annunciators to an Opencockpits IOCard Outs, what is connected to the J1 port of a Master Card.
Please note: I have set J4 jumper of the IOCard Outs to „POT“ (= intensity control by Hardware / 10 kOhm Potentiometer).
If you want intensity control by software, J4 jumper must be set to „SFT“ and script must be modified accordingly to include the intensity commands.


1) (Cross Feed) VALVE OPEN:
Replace the line
Var 1073, name aXFEED_VA_O, static, Link IOCARD_DISPLAY, Device 30, Digit 36, Numbers 1
by lines as follows:
Var 1073_xFeed_Valve.jpg
Var 1073_xFeed_Valve.jpg (54.57 KiB) Viewed 3671 times

2) ENG VALVE(s) CLOSED:
Replace the lines
Var 1067, name aENG_VA_CL_L, static, Link IOCARD_DISPLAY, Device 30, Digit 32, Numbers 1
Var 1068, name aENG_VA_CL_R, static, Link IOCARD_DISPLAY, Device 30, Digit 34, Numbers 1
by lines as follows:
Var 1067_1068_Eng_Valves.jpg
Var 1067_1068_Eng_Valves.jpg (103.97 KiB) Viewed 3671 times

3) SPARE VALVE(s) CLOSED:
Replace the lines
Var 1069, name aSPAR_VA_CL_1, static, Link IOCARD_DISPLAY, Device 30, Digit 33, Numbers 1
Var 1070, name aSPAR_VA_CL_2, static, Link IOCARD_DISPLAY, Device 30, Digit 35, Numbers 1
by lines as follows:
Var 1069_1070_Spare_Valves.jpg
Var 1069_1070_Spare_Valves.jpg (108.96 KiB) Viewed 3671 times

Don’t forget to change the numbers after „Digit“ acc. to your OVH configuration (e.g. Digit 80, ). Then compile and have fun.

Script modifications for 4 blue ANTI ICE VALVE annunciators will follow later.

Best Regards
Norbert
Best Regards
Norbert
(EDDH)
NobbyC_B738
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:38 pm

Re: Annunciator blue lights

Post by NobbyC_B738 »

Hi,
I would like to take up the topic again.

I have finished and successfully tested script modifications for wing anti ice and engine anti ice valves blue annunciators. If someone is interested, please let me know and I can post script mods here.

By the way, I have got some more SIOC understanding in the meantime and found, that my previously posted fuel valve annunciator script mods could be simplified as listed below:

1) You can take out the wording “static” from (my) variables 4010, 4011, 4012, 4013 and 4014. As far as I understood, “static” is only necessary for Roar’s variables that are directly linked to PMDG events
2) You can take out the wording “Link SUBRUTINE” from variables 1073, 1067, 1068, 1069 and 1070,
The IF – ELSE condition relates directly to the variable, a subroutine is not necessary

Example old script mod
fuel_old.jpg
fuel_old.jpg (36.45 KiB) Viewed 3323 times
Example revised script mod
fuel_new.jpg
fuel_new.jpg (39.81 KiB) Viewed 3323 times
Best Regards
Norbert
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