Flap Lever continuous rapid Clicking sound

[Fakum]

I have a Virpil CM3 throttle, and I assigned its "Flaps" lever to the P-51 "Flaps" binding under Axis Commands. It works nicely from full open to full closed, but if I place the lever in any position just before full open or closed, I get a continuous, very rapid cycling sound of the increment clicking. When I go full open or closed, the rapid clicking stops? Again, it functions fine otherwise. I have tried making making it a "Slider" as well within the Axis controls options. I have NO MODS enabled, and I even tried a FULL repair today without resolve, and there are no conflicting keybinding settings to my knowledge.  Any help would be appreciated. Im on the latest Open Beta Version.

[Doughguy]

I´m not sure itll work with a axis command since the flaps are set in incremets of 5.
so dcs simply cant read the middle steps, only 1 (full up) and 5 (full down).

[Fakum]

Before I posted this, I searched through the forums, and somewhere I read a response to that question, and it was stated that you can use an axis? Of course, i dont know how valid that is?

[Tanuki44]

Just tested, without any mod,

flaps assigned to an axis,

it works normally, the steps do not exist anymore,

the flaps follow the position of the axis.

 

[Fakum]

Ok,,, did you happen to hear any unusual, consistent noises when in any position other than full open or closed?

[Tanuki44]

No sound, neither open nor closed, nor during.

I will try again tomorrow on my other PC

[Fakum]

hmmm,,, interesting!

 

[Tanuki44]

Retested on my dedicated DCS PC,

the axis works normally without any clicking sound.

What are your audio settings for comparison?

[LeCuvier]

I tried the Flaps axis too, bound it to the grey slider on my TM WH throttle. It works just fine, and no clicking noise, no matter what position I set the flaps to..

[Munkwolf]

@Fakum I'll do some testing tonight, I'm curious about this issue. You mentioned it's with your Virpil throttle - in the Virpil config do you happen to have a dynamic deadzone set for the axis controls? I have one of the Virpil control panels, and noticed the same rapid clicking thing when testing different axis options with some modules. I think it was better if I played around with smoothing and dynamic deadzone? Need to do more testing around it though because I can't really remember at this point. But it may be something you can fix up or tune via the Virpil software.

Edited December 6, 2021 by Munkwolf

[Fakum]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

@Munkwolf Good point on the potential Virpil setting. I will have to look into that. I am not as familiar with the Virpil software as I would like to be. I made some changes when I got it a tear ago, and never had to go back in. i will fiddle tomorrow. Thanks for the tip!

[Fakum]

So I opened up the software and loaded my Throttle, and this is what I see. For the life of me, I dont remember how I would proceed with any changes to the "RZ" axis, I will have to review some of the tutorials to refresh my memory, but what would I be looking to fiddle with on the RZ axis?

[Tanuki44]

I don't have a Virpil, but they are similar (seems to be the commercial version of MMJOY for DIY),

Have you tried another axis to compare yet?

In the positive case, keep the values and modify those of the RZ.

I see that RZ has an offset, is it voluntary?

 

Edited December 7, 2021 by Tanuki44

[Fakum]

I have tried another axis on the throttle, results were the same. The values that you see are default. I dont even know what that "offset" value means or what its impact means right now. I will need to get some recommendations on what it is I should experiment with for changes/values, then educate myself as to how to alter them within the Virpil software. Thank you.

[Fakum]

well,,, I refreshed myself on how to save/load profiles, I went in and changed the RZ offset to FALSE, and now the values are either 0 OR 100, nothing in between? Trying to figure out how to correct that? I tried changing the RZ axis from "VPC_sens" to "Axis" in the AXIS SOURCE box, but that had no impact?

[Tanuki44]

Hard to say without seeing the full parameters.

Is your RZ source really a VPC-Sense?

You can also the axis reset axes setup

[Fakum]

I have no idea what it is? Like I said though, I tried both, and with the offset set to False, neither setting is proportional, just either 0 or 100? Which is odd to me because the Throttles AXIS are both set with offset = false, and they are indeed proportional? I probably have to take this to another forum to figure out as it is now clear to me that it is NOT a P-51 configuration issue. It kinda led me to believe it might have been because I use the same "Flaps" lever for the P-47, and that works just fine (although I realize the P-47 is not a STEP position control). I dont even know if I am on the right trail trying to make the offset "False" to begin with?

Edited December 7, 2021 by Fakum

[Tanuki44]

I'll do a test tomorrow with my MMJOY version to get the settings and also check that it works properly.

My tests were done with a classic joystick.

 

[Fakum]

UPDATE: I resolved the matter that when I change the "offset" from True to False, and it then only goes from 0 OR 100, as opposed to from 0 to 100 proportionally, that was a simple matter of having to RECALIBRATE after the change was made. Unfortunately, changing this offset to false still produces the rapid clicking noise when the Flap lever is moved, and still stays clicking until the flap lever is either set to 0 OR 100. Im going to also post up in the Virpil section here to see if I can get a clue.

[Tanuki44]

Well, that's something

Just for information, on my MMJOY version, all my axes are :

• Analogue - A standard potentiometer or hall sensor input. 

But as it's DIY, it's impossible to say if it's related...

 

[Fakum]

Yeah, thanks for the effort though,, I posted up in the Virpil section, if I get a resolve, I will post it up here incase anyone else runs into this? Many thanks!

[Toastfrenzy]

On 12/8/2021 at 4:09 PM, Fakum said:

Yeah, thanks for the effort though,, I posted up in the Virpil section, if I get a resolve, I will post it up here incase anyone else runs into this? Many thanks!

@Fakum did you get a resolution for this? As getting the same constant clicking noise when using the CM3 flap lever as an axis. Tried most things, even set as a axis to multiple buttons but only works in one direction then.

[Fakum]

No, unfortunately I did not Im sorry to say. I wound up using a switch instead to increment the flap positions

[Toastfrenzy]

17 hours ago, Fakum said:

No, unfortunately I did not Im sorry to say. I wound up using a switch instead to increment the flap positions

@Fakum

I've got it to a satisfactory point where I'm ok with it now. As I want to use my new flap lever for flaps lol.

Tried lots, many things one of which was mapping to other axis on the CM3 throttle. I  mapped to the vertical finger slider with a centre position. The one that sits to the left front of the right hand throttle lever ( I think may have already been noted in the couple of threads I found).

Mapped to this axis the P-51 flaps operated incrementally as expected - with the rapid clicking noise in between each flap increment. The noise stopped once the slider vertical axis motion was stopped and also the "normal" click noise could be heard as each increment was met. Both up and down, worked for all 5 flap positions. This is my Zoom axis so haven't left the flaps assigned here.

With the "centre" being the only axis difference to the flap lever axis I played around with adding a centre and or detents to the axis in the VPC configuration tool. Worked as the finger slider vertical axis did but getting the detents and or centre numerically positioned, to be of any use with the set flap increments, in the software was a challenge I gave up on - not to say with more work it couldn't be done.

I then looked at the DCS Axis tune and the variables on offer there. Been messing with dead zones for my new controllers so just added a 10% dead zone to see what would happen.

For some strange reason it puts a detent ( or stop) in the axis. Moving the flap lever down the rapid clicking is heard but the flaps stopped at the 20 -30 degree down position. The normal click is heard and the rapid clicking stops. Moving the flap lever down to 5 fully deployed you hear the rapid clicking as you already know the clicking stops at 0% and 100%. The same on the way back up too.

For me this is enough as I only use the flaps to 20 -30 degrees on the downwind leg and only when on finals and I know I can make the threshold do I deploy full flaps. I can put up with the short rapid clicking in between flap positions.

If ever I need combat position 1 flaps then I probably have got myself in too deep and they probably wouldn't save me anyway.

Better to rate than deploy flaps an old sage once told me.

I tried a 20% dead zone and that totally messed with the axis so returned to the 10% dead zone.

 

Edited January 2 by Toastfrenzy