Warthog throttle bricked after running firmware updater

Hi Seb71

I had limited time, I did manage to instal the drivers on the old pc and as per thrustmasters instructions let them instal without connecting the controller. Then followed instructions no probs.

Got a new error which was because the female pot they asked me to inspect was not seated back properly, sorted that quick sticks.

Ran firmware update, got 3 green ticks, i.e everything 100%

Then I shut it down and left.

Got home, plugged in the controller, registers in device manager, if you access the firmware update is shows 0 firmware (contrary to what was shown on the win 7 machine a hour earlier where i got 3 greens)

So my joystick now regiters in Win7 in device manager and usb game controller settings, but on my home win10/64 pc, no cormprende. wtf

http://ts.thrustmaster.com/download/pub/webupdate/hotaswt/2014_tmhw_1.exe

http://ts.thrustmaster.com/faqs/eng/thr_eng_00136.pdf

http://ts.thrustmaster.com/faqs/eng/thr_eng_00140.pdf

So device registered on Win7 old machine and firmware update, ran with 3 green ticks.

Plugged it into my rig at home and no comunicado, no talky talky. Showed in device manager under HID as expected but nothing in game controller.

Throttle still works fine. Again, I had a perfectly functional stick, all I did was run the firmware updater from TM.

But have you tested the joystick in joy.cpl on the old PC to see if it actually works correctly?

Nope (not sure what that is,) help I'm the student :smartass: Would appreciate any direction or advice man, thx.

When i got the firmware thing to complete (on the old machine) I was 'over the moon' with joy, and never checked the actual functioning of the controller in the usb game devices thingy. It was listed though and the controller was never faulty

The controller/stick was always working fine on my home machine.

All I did was check it listed as it should in the usb game controller menu, ( I will dig deeper next week when i can access that machine),,,,, would it be wrong if I loaded a few dodgy files on it when I am done? :shocking::music_whistling:

moving along then

Sorry for being pedantic but,

this is a software/firmware issue, my stick was working fine, has done for years. I was flying DCS F18 literally about 30 minutes prior no issues.

All I did was run the firmware updater on the stick.(thank god not the throttle) and boom, nothing, thank you for your purchase your stick is now a paper weight.

The joy.cpl is the Game Controllers panel from Windows. With it you can check if the axes and buttons are working, without having to install anything on that PC.

One way to launch it is Win + R and then type joy.cpl.

Or search for joy.cpl in the Windows Start menu.

Is this the one you call "usb game devices thingy"?

The purpose of this test is to see if the joystick is actually working on that old PC.

Yup same thing buddy

if you type usb game controller in the start/search menu of windowns 10 it brings it up. then you can check all the buttons, and axis etc, even calibrate should you feel the need to do so.

I will give this another go on Monday when back in the office and I can hijack that old pc again.

Hi

I do have a positive progress report.

1. I used an old computer at work last week and managed to get the firmware to update to the first 2 stages (2 green ticks only 3rd failed)

After doing some research I then stripped the din-mini female connector out of the base and held it firmly with my fingers onto the stick and ran the updater again.

This worked, 3 green ticks and device recognized correctly in the device manager as HID device and in the usb game controllers.

2. I came home last week with it and it defaulted back to BOOT mode when i connected it to my main pc. This left me confused. :huh:

I left it then until today and re-did step 1 above after work today and firmware updated properly. (i had to hold the din-mini again in place after stripping it out)

I then, in the 'USB game controller properties' tested the stick and it can be clearly seen that there is a bad connection on the Din-mini connector.

Without some pressure all the button lights are RED in the properties screen.

If I apply pressure they all go off as they should be.

I tested all buttons/hat switches on the handle and they work fine. (with pressure applied to the connection)

So in short my problem is in fact 2 things.

Prob 1: My new pc at home which does not have EHCI usb (only has XHCI usb controller on the motherboard) does not speak to the controller when running the firmware updater software. It just shows 1 green tick, no matter what I do. My motherboard is an Asus Hero VIII.

Reading on various flight sim forums ( and from helpful advice received here, thx) this seems to be an increasingly more frequent problem with newer machines for users without dedicated USB2.0 (EHCI controlled) ports on their motherboards.

Prob 2: As my stick was working fine before I ran the firmware updater I can also only suspect/assume that I have now damaged the female Din-mini connector while trying to fix the initial problem, with all the taking apart and putting back together of the device and the disconnect/reconnect of the handle to base itself.

I did send through some pictures of both the male and female Din connectors to Thrustmaster at their request right in the beginning and they all looked ok at the beginning of the troubleshooting exercise.

One of the metal contacts though in the 5 pin female connector did look a few mm deeper set than the other 4 though, but at the time, considering the length of the pins on the male handle component, it was assumed (by me and them) they would make good contact.

What some testing today has proved is that without positive pressure of the 2 connectors, the device does not function. (the black plastic of the female connector is also seated properly as far as possible into the silver metal supporting mount that screws into the base)

On the old Win 7 usb2.0 machine the device also will change from HID compliant to Thrustmaster Warthog Joystick or something similar when the bad connection is in play.

----

I will look around here locally for an MD-50 type connector replacement but in my experience

its probably less heart ache to spend the cash and wait and get the bespoke part.

have in the interim asked Thrustmaster to quote so they can send me one or 2.

Some light at the end of the tunnel, and not a train I hope.

Thanks again for the assistance.

If anyone has come across sources for identical rfu parts, link would help me and others I am sure.

All I have mustered so far is this. (MD-50 config in data sheet as closet match)

Male

https://www.cui.com/product/resource/digikeypdf/md.pdf

Female

https://www.cui.com/product/resource/digikeypdf/md-sv-series.pdf

In the interim, while I wait for new bits, I will try a few hacks, thinking of seeing if I can put a thin layer of solder onto the pins, or somehow improving the connection points on the female connector, got nothing to lose. Maybe some shims lifting up the female connector, dunno, WIP.

All that is needed is a fraction of positive pressure and it works.

salute

Thrustmster informs me they have no stock of the Din-mini connector and don't know when they will have stock

I also asked for a throttle pinky switch as mine is a bit worn and same story.

:dunno:

Now what? Pinky switch not a trauma but the stick din connection is.

Any ideas, do the guys that make stick extensions use the same similar parts?

:(

Can i hotwire the stick connection somehow?

MD-50SN 3d cad model

https://www.cui.com/product/resource/digikey3dmodel/md-50sn

TDS

https://www.cui.com/product/resource/digikeypdf/md-sn-series.pdf

You seem to have a lot more patience than me. At this point, I think I might have thrown in the towel and gone with the (upcoming) Virpil ministick throttle. You sure you don't want to join the dark side?

You seem to have a lot more patience than me. At this point, I think I might have thrown in the towel and gone with the (upcoming) VKB ministick throttle. You sure you don't want to join the dark side?

 

He may need a throttle long before VKB has one to offer...

My original Warthog throttle that I had for several years bricked a couple of years ago, I just grabbed another one at that time and it is still going strong.

I was attracted to the new Virpil throttle they are now taking pre-orders for, but just could not justify the price at this time with my Warthog throttle doing everything I need. Plus the Virpil does not have a slew axis.

MD-50SN 3d cad model

https://www.cui.com/product/resource/digikey3dmodel/md-50sn

 

TDS

https://www.cui.com/product/resource/digikeypdf/md-sn-series.pdf

I think that the flange is too big (30mm between hole centers and 38.5mm total). You might have to drill other mounting holes and grind that flange to fit in the Warthog base.

He may need a throttle long before VKB has one to offer.... ... Plus the Virpil does not have a slew axis.

Oops, I meant Virpil. And the key word is yet.

You seem to have a lot more patience than me. At this point, I think I might have thrown in the towel and gone with the (upcoming) Virpil ministick throttle. You sure you don't want to join the dark side?

The patience of Job escapes me completely, but i tend to be a persistent bastard at times :megalol:

I have fixed it myself.

I tinned the one male connector, and inseted a very fine strand of wire into the female connector I thought was dodgy.

Everything working 100%

If that failed I was readily prepared to forgo the actual din connectors and hotwire the wires directly by joining the base and stick wires with something else. I would have drilled the dins out if necessary.

Still need Thrustmaster to offer a spare though but who knows how long that will take.

Also need that pinky switch for the throttle but that looks reasonably common. Not a train smash.

I had a new hog stick in my check out cart for almost 2 weeks and avoided pushing the button, that was the real miracle.

My one is so worn it has to much character to just kick to the side hehe.

Anyway, happy camper for now.

:thumbup:

Congrats Vlerkies, been following this as I had similar issues once with my 3rd Warthog's throttle. I know that feeling when all of a sudden you see green checks instead of red xs, and everything works again.

Yep congrats, great persistence that paid off!

Yeah, very happy.

Tell you one thing though, while looking for help and reaching out for anyone to offer a suitable troubleshooting direction I hit blanks.

This includes TM of course, their call center tried but nojoy.

Had around 20+ mails with TM, they tried,, but a corporate line as you expect.

Heres the surprise!

Other hardware suppliers tried to help after I made contact. MFG (Milan) was stellar in his guidance, help and advice on parts and how to move forward.

Being a proud owner of MFG pedals as well, and this just re-enforces MFG commitment to the community.

Salute

Yeah, very happy.

Tell you one thing though, while looking for help and reaching out for anyone to offer a suitable troubleshooting direction I hit blanks.

This includes TM of course, their call center tried but nojoy.

Had around 20+ mails with TM, they tried,, but a corporate line as you expect.

 

Heres the surprise!

Other hardware suppliers tried to help after I made contact. MFG (Milan) was stellar in his guidance, help and advice on parts and how to move forward.

Being a proud owner of MFG pedals as well, and this just re-enforces MFG commitment to the community.

:thumbup:

Yep Milan is a class act for sure!

Very glad I supported him in buying the Crosswind Pedals.

I hate to necro, but I just had this issue myself. My Female DIN separated from the metal mounting bracket. I'll eventually look for a replacement, but I ended up pulling it further out and carefully and firmly fitting directly to the male connector. Seems pretty stable and easy enough to fix if it comes loose again. Granted, I have like 8 inches of extra wire coming from my DIN after a mishap a few years ago. I was pulling what was left of my hair out until I came across this thread and read through it all. Thank you!