Zoom axis flickering

[yipster]

Hi,

 

I've been using the 'friction adjustment' on the Warthog throttle to control zoom in DCS 1.5. I have a slider curve setup for it so when it is in the middle, it is zoomed to my preferred default zoom.

 

recently I've noticed that it flickers really bad when I zoom in half way. It is almost as it is detecting spikes in the axis input.

 

I've checked the 'raw' input from the joystick and it seems to be steady and not spiking. Is this an known issue with recent DCS update? I didn't have this issue before, in the early 1.5 releases.

 

edit:

 

I just tested again with the zoom wheel in that 'flicker' spot, it does indeed report a spiky raw input into windows. Is there anything I could do to rectify this?

Edited January 27, 2017 by yipster

[NeilWillis]

You need to switch off the LED lights on the throttle - that can be done in the target software. After that, you won't need target again.

 

It will, unfortunately reset them back to on if you unplug the USB lead, or turn the mains power off to your PC.

[yipster]

You need to switch off the LED lights on the throttle - that can be done in the target software. After that, you won't need target again.

 

It will, unfortunately reset them back to on if you unplug the USB lead, or turn the mains power off to your PC.

 

What is causing this to happen? I don't recall having this problem before.

[yipster]

Turning off LED still not good to fix this spike/jitter issue: :(

 

[NeilWillis]

I'd suggest downloading and installing the latest firmware for the throttle unit, but beyond that, and a re-calibration, it would probably be down to a noisy pot/hall sensor.

 

The LED thing is just known to make the zoom axis jittery, so it was a good place to start.

[yipster]

I'd suggest downloading and installing the latest firmware for the throttle unit, but beyond that, and a re-calibration, it would probably be down to a noisy pot/hall sensor.

 

The LED thing is just known to make the zoom axis jittery, so it was a good place to start.

 

How do you update the firmware?

[Mascant]

I had the same problem coming up recently and luckily turning off the LED on the throttle fixed it

[Ala12Rv-watermanpc]

Me too...brand new WH and I noticed this also...turning lights off solved the problem but :ermm::bored: ...really bad for the price of this device :mad:...also, its a pain to have to disable the lights every single time you disconnect the throttle which I do every single time after playing with it...why cant it remember the setting like the stick does with the hardware dead zone???:huh:

[Deezle]

Pots are generally noisy. Ideally ED should address this by allowing some filtering on the axes, like plenty of other games can do.

[Ala12Rv-watermanpc]

Yes, it would be nice if they do something like that...

[PiedDroit]

Flickering is so bad on mine that I had to use some hysteresis code in my TARGET profile to remove it :D

With LEDs off

[Ala12Rv-watermanpc]

Flickering is so bad on mine that I had to use some hysteresis code in my TARGET profile to remove it :D

With LEDs off

 

:eek:...so I guess with the time it will get worse :cry:

[PiedDroit]

:eek:...so I guess with the time it will get worse :cry:

It's not *that* bad - I might have exaggerated a bit :music_whistling:

Annoying enough to make we write a code snippet for it. Which in retrospect, is not an event that has a huge threshold to trigger - I'm a bit "trigger happy" on that.

 

I retested it, the jitter, spans on something like 0.4% of the range (i.e. it would oscillate between x and x+250 at worse, on the -32767,32767 range), only at certain positions.

Still distracting for me as this is sufficent to make the zoom flicker.

 

p.s.: the slider is the only axis with the potentiometer, throttle levers should not suffer this kind of issues as they use HAL sensors.

Edited February 4, 2017 by PiedDroit

[Ala12Rv-watermanpc]

haha, ok :), I see...mine is exactly the same as you mentioned, only a bit at some points and only when lights are on (which again, I hate cant be saved after disconnecting the device :mad:) but it should be the only axis doing that as all others (including the slew control) are Hall :thumbup:

[Warmbrak]

This issue is not unique to the WH Throttle; I have tried it with a Saitek Pro Throttle, and those slider issues cause the same jitters; not more, not less.

 

This is something that ED will need to resolve, as the axis is way too sensitive at the moment. Unless there is someone clever that can script out the issue to use 1% increments of the axis to avoid the 0.4% jitters that PiedDroit referred to.

[animaal]

I've recently posted a thread describing issues I've had (and fixed) with my X52Pro. One issue us the same as the one you describe here; an issue with jitter when using the slider for zooming.

 

Would you object to starting an extra application while using your throttle?

 

If you install vJoy and Freepie, you may be able to create a new virtual device that filters the output of your slider. In effect you're smoothing the output.

 

It works for the X52Pro, I think it should for the Warthog too.

 

[Ragtop]

Has anyone ever considered putting a small capacitor on the pot to see if it smooths the output - or is the jitter introduced after the digital conversion?

[Warmbrak]

I've recently posted a thread describing issues I've had (and fixed) with my X52Pro. One issue us the same as the one you describe here; an issue with jitter when using the slider for zooming.

 

Would you object to starting an extra application while using your throttle?

 

If you install vJoy and Freepie, you may be able to create a new virtual device that filters the output of your slider. In effect you're smoothing the output.

 

It works for the X52Pro, I think it should for the Warthog too.

 

 

Thanks for the suggestion. You are right, there are ways to smooth this out using a virtual device, but I have switched to using DX directly with my Thrustmaster Warthog after spending too many hours over the years tweaking profiles for each of my sims, and I am reluctant to go that way again :smilewink:

 

I will have a look, thanks.

 

In my view, this is a common issue with many controllers, and ED should consider fixing this to improve the user experience. By fixing the sensitivity on their side, it will improve the experience for hundreds (if not thousands) of users.

[Sokol1_br]

Potentiometer used in joysticks's are cheap made, and pot wear with use.

Ask the manufacturer for a replacement.

 

This slider in Wart' throttle is the only axis with potentiometer.

[Mars Exulte]

Yeah, it always seems whatever I want to assign zoom to has jitter in it. Drives me nuts with TrackIR, too, even on my triple monitor setup, I can tell it's moving irregularly here and there. Not much, but enough for somebody that's borderline obsessive compulsive :P That dead pixel in the corner drives me nuts, too, but that's another topic....