FSX sensitivity settings

[stubby2]

I was on the A2A forum a while ago and came across a post by one of the developers and he said that fsx sensitivity settings should all be set at max because they were really only delays and therefore caused problems with manual flying. I went to an external view and that appeared to be correct. So now I set sensitivity at max and maybe add a small null zone. Some of the responses seemed to suggest that this was widely known. Well, it got by me. Do people agree with this assessment ?

[llivaudais]

Agree.

I found out the hard way about less-than-max on the throttle - frustrated for months being unable to keep up with ai aircraft. Found all the sensitivities at around 80%. Full sensitivity and 1 click on the null zone since FS2000.

 

Loyd

[jethrom]

Yes I would also agree with the A2A topic describing setting controller sensitivities and null settings, as noted in the topic will give your controller movements a more direct correlation to the aircraft control surfaces. (ie: no lag between control movement and physical/visual surface movements.)

[tgon]

Interesting. It this set in the sim or FSUIPC?

[Mark Hurst]

Do people agree with this assessment ?

 

Yes.

for a demonstration (skip to 3:30).

[mallcott]

Yes.

for a demonstration (skip to 3:30).

 

Yes. Null zone setting should be at the point where no `flickering` of the virtual controls occurs, when viewed from within the VC. Sensitivity should always be at, or near, maximum - 126-128. The reasons for this are many, but one is the limited range of motion of the actual desktop controller.

 

The only variation might be with rudder pedals which needs a little more finesse to calm the over-stated left/right response due to poor representation of skid/slip in the sim.

[il88pp]

I lowered sensitivities a few weeks back. To try. The steering did not really get 'gentler'. It became sort of erratic instead.

Plane rolling sometimes a little, then suddenly a lot.

 

'Delay' would explain that. Thanks.

[stubby2]

Interesting. It this set in the sim or FSUIPC?

 

I was setting in the sim.

[stubby2]

Yes.

for a demonstration (skip to 3:30).

 

Very interesting. It's no wonder a lot of people don't like to fly manually. The non linear mapping of sensitivity in fsx has been a problem for me for long time. Another reason to use FSUIPC.

[mallcott]

Very interesting. It's no wonder a lot of people don't like to fly manually. The non linear mapping of sensitivity in fsx has been a problem for me for long time. Another reason to use FSUIPC.

 

Since the early days you could have linear control response by adding the line

[CONTROLS]

stick_sensitivity_mode=0

[jethrom]

Hi Mallcott,

 

Just a slight correction for the above entry in FSX.cfg [CONTROLS]

 

should be - stick_sensitivity_mode_enabled=0

[PhantomTweak]

I hate to sound argumentative, Jethro, but everywhere I've ever seen that .cfg entry, it's just stick_sensitivity_mode= , not with the enabled added. I've never found it listed by anyone I can find with the enabled included.

 

Is this something new I hadn't heard of? It's always worked for me the old way. Without the "enabled".

 

Just making sure I've not been missing something...

Wouldn't be the first time I was wrong, won't be the last :rolleyes: ;)

Pat☺

[jethrom]

I concede Pat, I was wrong!!! don't know now why I believed the _enabled portion was correct, after a lot more research I was indeed wrong according to all bing and google searches.

My humble apologies Mallcott.

Now if I can ask if a mod might delete my #11 post above, that would be less embarrassing.

 

Cheers Jethro

[the_pc_pilot]

I'm wanting to make this correction myself, but am unable to find the FSX.cfg file. Where is it located?

[flytv1]

Hi.

For win 7 you can look here:

...AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX

[the_pc_pilot]

Thanks, @flytv1! It's been a long time since I messed with this stuff.

 

I added the lines. The movement still seems to be non-linear, especially in the last 1/3 of stick movement. although I did improve the sensitivity settings and that has already made a big difference.

 

here is what the Controls section in my FSX.cfg looks like:

 

 

Does anyone know if this is done correctly? I assume it is possible this is as good as it gets. It is shorter than most examples of this section of cfg I have seen.

Edited September 20, 2018 by the_pc_pilot

[Mark Hurst]

The movement still seems to be non-linear, especially in the last 1/3 of stick movement

 

It will always be non-linear.

.

[PhantomTweak]

A little note on this, if I may: Do you have your control's Sensitivity sliders full, or very nearly so, to the right, and the Null Zone settings full left? The main exception is to have the rudder null zone a little bit right of full left. Being humans, it's very easy to be giving a slight rudder input when moving the stick in the other axes. A slight Null Zone will help prevent that. You still want the sensitivity slider full right, even for the rudder, though.

 

This is important, especially for the newer controllers that use tunnel diodes rather than potentiometers to sense the movement. They don't HAVE a "null zone" the way pots do. The instant you move off center (the "null point") with the stick, they start working.

When the game was first designed, there were no controllers using the tunnel diodes as sensors. They all used pots, which, by their construction, have a dead spot around "0" in their movement of differing sizes for each potentiometer. Hence, the settings in the sims to compensate.

Tunnel diodes sensitivity is always linear, too, hence, no need for the sensitivity sliders to be off full right. Pots are very frequently NOT linear in their sensitivity through their range of motion, thus, the sensitivity sliders.

 

And to answer your question, yes, that section of your FSX.cfg looks correct.

 

Good luck!

Pat☺

Edited September 21, 2018 by PhantomTweak

[Mark Hurst]

pots, which, by their construction, have a dead spot around "0" in their movement of differing sizes for each potentiometer. Hence, the settings in the sims to compensate.

 

I can't see what relevance this would have even if it were so. Both the CH and Saitek yokes use linear potentiometers that are sitting in the middle of their range when the controls are centred.

 

Pots are very frequently NOT linear in their sensitivity through their range of motion, thus, the sensitivity sliders.

 

Also dubious. If the yoke is designed with a linear potentiometer it will behave in a linear fashion. The non-linearity designed into FSX is more likely intended to compensate for the very short throw of traditional desktop joysticks.

[CRJ_simpilot]

I have the CH Products yoke and pedals. Would I have to add that line to my fsx.cfg? I do think my sensitivity settings are all the way up.

 

 

I'm pretty good at manually flying my aircraft which I do most of the time unless I'm in IMC conditions, but the yoke feels like there's some degree of play before input is detected my the Sim. Albeit, I mostly fly the F-22 and that aircraft by its self is pretty damn sensitive so this may be why I can manually land without issue.

 

The other aircraft I like to fly is my customized Lear 45, and if I can remember right it was a little awkward flying. I can't remember now. It's been months since I took it out of the hanger. I should take it on a circuit and see how it goes again.

Edited September 21, 2018 by CRJ_simpilot

[mallcott]

I have the CH Products yoke and pedals. Would I have to add that line to my fsx.cfg? I do think my sensitivity settings are all the way up.

 

 

I'm pretty good at manually flying my aircraft which I do most of the time unless I'm in IMC conditions, but the yoke feels like there's some degree of play before input is detected my the Sim. Albeit, I mostly fly the F-22 and that aircraft by its self is pretty damn sensitive so this may be why I can manually land without issue.

 

The other aircraft I like to fly is my customized Lear 45, and if I can remember right it was a little awkward flying. I can't remember now. It's been months since I took it out of the hanger. I should take it on a circuit and see how it goes again.

 

No it will offer you no benefit.

But seeing as it's easily added or removed by simple modification of the FSX .cfg file, don't let us stop you from finding that out for yourself!

[slimw]

This is important, especially for the newer controllers that use tunnel diodes rather than potentiometers to sense the movement. They don't HAVE a "null zone" the way pots do. The instant you move off center (the "null point") with the stick, they start working.

When the game was first designed, there were no controllers using the tunnel diodes as sensors. They all used pots, which, by their construction, have a dead spot around "0" in their movement of differing sizes for each potentiometer. Hence, the settings in the sims to compensate.

Tunnel diodes sensitivity is always linear, too, hence, no need for the sensitivity sliders to be off full right. Pots are very frequently NOT linear in their sensitivity through their range of motion, thus, the sensitivity sliders.

 

Pat☺

 

I would be interested in where you learned that controllers use tunnel diodes. I am somewhat familiar with the device and they are definitely not linear. And, I can't imagine how they would be used to convert mechanical motion into a varying current or voltage.

 

Don

[PhantomTweak]

Well, aside from it being a big selling point for joystick manufacturers, the Wiki for the Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS controller says this

The HOTAS Cougar was replaced by the HOTAS Warthog in 2010, which replicates the flight controls used in the A-10 Thunderbolt II, using Hall effect sensors for the joystick and throttle axes instead of potentiometers.

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrustmaster

This is just an example, but it's a decent one. A lot of joysticks, yokes, etc are going to this method, mainly due to it's resistance to environmental factors, like dust moisture in the air, and so on. Improves the lifespan dramatically.

IMHO, a Hall Effect sensor controller is the only way to fly :D

 

I've been working high-power radar systems, both fire-control airborne, and airborne search-and track only, for a looooong time. I'm vaguely familiar with electronics, you might say.

 

Having said that, the correct name IS "Hall Effect diodes", but all my life I've called them tunnel diodes. A mistake on my part, but there it is. It's a similar device, but you're right, they're not the same thing.

My mistake, and I do apologize to all for it. Hence-forth, I will change.

 

In any event, if you look at the output curve of a Hall Effect sensor, what I've always called a tunnel diode, for a given input of the controller motion, whether voltage or current, it is linear throughout the entire throw. The trick is biasing it so that it's non-linear point occurs beyond the controllers maximum throw. The curve does flatten out as it comes to the point of it's maximum sensing capability. It just needs to be biased so the flattening point occurs beyond the controllers throw. Keeps the output to the computer pretty linear over-all.

If you want the math and other details, there's a good Wiki article HERE.

 

I apologize for my error in nomenclature. The rest, though, is accurate. Apparently even old dogs can learn new tricks, if they're not really careful :D

And finally, Hall Effect joysticks are pretty immune to dirt, and other environmental factors that are the bane of potentiometers. As long as the moving parts are kept sealed up relatively well, the sensors will never change their values. Unlike potentiometers, which change their value across their throw as even microscopic dust, or humidity, affects them. Even just the act of the slider moving across the pot causes wear, and it's never even. It changes the values of the entire range of the pot, in completely unpredictable fashions, making it have different values from what it was originally at every point in it's range.

Finally, because of the physical manufacturing of a pot, the null zone of it is different for every pot. There's no way, realistically, of making the null point of any two pots identical in width.

 

Ok, I shut up now. I ramble on sometimes.

Have fun all!

Pat☺

Edited September 21, 2018 by PhantomTweak

[slimw]

Thanks for the clarification. I'm not up on the newest joysticks. Since Hall effect devices are sensitive to magnetic fields, I assume there is a magnet involved. A tunnel diode is a whole different animal. Its negative resistance zone makes it useful as an amplifier or oscillator. I don't mean to be pedantic, I just couldn't figure out how it could work in a joystick.

 

Don

[CRJ_simpilot]

Does the CH Products line have hall effect diodes?