Deadzone only set from in game?

ryuu · Post by **ryuu** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 11:40 pm

Originally posted by warsign
What are they talking about?
You guys so talented, seems Floyd rose bridge adjustment

they talking about nplugging stuf and plugging it back in the same place, not that coplicated lol :p

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 2:39 am

Originally posted by Eclipse
The two potentiometer wiring bundles are easy to locate, they are attached to the stick's gimbal brackets. The wiring set that gives the most trouble is the one that crosses the wires from the three toggles in the base, rerouting that wire set is usually enough to fix this issue. Also remember that the X52 requires a powered USB hub to function properly.

OK, I opened mine up and did not see any potential mechanical problem. Can you be more specific of about the color of the wires you rerouted and to which connector slot each individual wire was rerouted ?
Thanks again.

MMaggio · Post by **MMaggio** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 5:19 am

If your problem is uncontrollable spinning or uncontrolled drifting, I know the solution but you're not going to like the answer...
The X52 draws a considerable amount of power for all the "lights, bells & whistles". When power levels drop, the stick control drops.
You can be sure that every controller is tested at the factory before it is shipped. Besides that, if the correct response is observed during test mode, you can be sure there are no "crossed wires". It is highly unlikely that such a controller could pass inspection.
There are 2 possible solutions for your problem.
One, the best, buy a powered USB hub
Two, unplug all USB connections not needed for game play and /or try a different port.
I am confident that will solve your problem.
"Been there, done that"
Good Luck

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 1:17 pm

Thanks for your Wisdom Maggio. The only two non essential for game play is a Scanner and a Printer that are both in sleep mode when not in use. So they do not draw power and both have their own power supply. If there was power fluctuations then the lights would flicker but they never do flicker. But to make sure I have turned power off of both none essentials. So I will try this and see if I have any more problems.

Also when I dissassembled the base to look inside I noticed before unplugging the cable running to the throttle that the cable was not completely plugged in and I had to push it in a little firmer. It gave more resistance then ussually required to connect a cable of that type. So that might also have been the problem that I thought that the cable was plugged in securely while in fact it was not. After reassembling and making sure all the cables where connected securely I gave it a nother test run for 2 hrs and the stick seems to be working fine for now.
Some times it works fine for hours at a time and then suddenly starts acting up and drifting. And sometimes with in minutes in to the game it starts acting up. So it could be that over time the cable slowly dislodges causing the problem.

warsign · Post by **warsign** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 2:14 pm

Seems main powersupply issue as MM referred.

Post by **Marvin** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 5:38 pm

Originally posted by Eclipse

... and my tools are currently buried under 3 feet of snow.

Wow ... must be a really big joystick if you can fix it with garden tools.

-Darkhorse- · Post by **-Darkhorse-** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 5:50 pm

[Edited on 12-22-2009 by -Darkhorse-]

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 5:57 pm

OK, it happened again while docked at a station in Sierra I was hit by some reds and I was not even touching the Joystick and it started spinning and drifting out of control and would not stop until unplugging it. This time nothing unessential plugged in or on. It is like the game in certain situations put or knocks the centers of all movement axis outside of the set deadzones. And this happened after 2 hours of no problems with sensetivity set high and deadzone set to 0 in game and in control panel set to very narrow.

[Edited on 12-22-2009 by Maarschalk]

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 6:02 pm

Originally posted by Marvin
Originally posted by Eclipse

... and my tools are currently buried under 3 feet of snow.
Wow ... must be a really big joystick if you can fix it with garden tools.

ROFL.......Hahahahahahahahahaha.....

:P:P:P

MMaggio · Post by **MMaggio** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 8:35 pm

Poor or low power will NOT cause the lights to flicker.
Gentlemen, I do not propose this solution without some experience.
Using a powered USB hub WILL solve your problem.
They are cheap enough and should be readily available.
Buy one, prove me wrong, then return it!
But if it does solve your problem, I would expect you to admit I am right.

Btw, forgive me for blowing an old horn, but this is another problem unique to the X52 and never happens with the X45!!
Good Luck

Post by **Marvin** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 9:54 pm

Originally posted by MMaggio

Using a powered USB hub WILL solve your problem.
They are cheap enough and should be readily available.

Unless you get a really cool one like Robby the Robot or the TARDIS. They cost a little more.

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 10:45 pm

I do not doubt you MM, but I have a 650 watt power supply in my computer case which has more then the required power to run the essentials. So there might be something else going on in my case. But your suggestion to try a powered hub and return if it does not solve the problem is a good one that I will try. Nothing lost only maybe something gained.

Accountant · Post by **Accountant** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 1:02 am

@Vice
Thanks for the suggestions. I will try them when I am back home (non-college home, that is). I had to make an unexpected trip back to Wisconsin for an interview, but will be back tomorrow and will try your suggestions then.

-Accountant

MMaggio · Post by **MMaggio** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 3:11 am

Let me make it clrear that I am not referring to "drifting". I am suggesting the powered USB hub for uncontrollable spinning/rolling or sluggish/late response. "Drifting" is another matter.
Fortunately, I haven't run into that problem.
Good Luck

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 4:49 am

OK, another thing I noticed is the Leds of the E and D buttons on the throtlle dim after the stick has been sitting idle for a while suggesting that my mother board is power saving the USB port.
I knew that my board has controllable power save settings for almost everything but I did not think I had set any power savings. So Eclipse told me in MP that they are set by default to power save the USB port. So I went to Control Panel/Device Manager/ and to the USB hub port power settings and sure enough it was set to power save. So I unchecked the power save box of the USB hub port for my X52. Now let see if this will solve the problem with my X52. So if this works then I might not need a powered USB hub. I'll keep you all posted.

Post by **Marvin** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 5:09 am

Another really good tip ... especially if it works.

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 8:24 pm

Just finished playing 2.5 hours and I got this time only twice occasional very minor drift along the pitch ladder Axis. The ship moved both times very slowly down the pitch ladder. So with the USB port power save setting off seems to be a very big improvement. And this was with sensitivity high and deadzone in game 0. Next time I'll test it with sensitivity set to 1. I do not like to change the deadzone in game to 1, It gives me less precision.

Post by **Marvin** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 8:42 pm

Originally posted by Maarschalk

I do not like to change the deadzone in game to 1, It gives me less precision.

Me either ... for the same reason. But I need it to keep my old joystick from drifting. At 1, it doesn't drift at all once I do a "control check" by moving the stick around the three axes.

Accountant · Post by **Accountant** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 4:45 am

@Vice
For some reason when I loaded EL up today the joystick was working much better, but was still not perfectly centered (especially the rudder). Oddly enough, it was nowhere near centered in Control Panel and wouldn't center even after doing a calibration.

I tried doing what you suggested in #1 and #2, but saw no change at all in game. I don't know what it is with my laptop, but it seems to have something against joysticks.

I also tried to roll back the drivers, but saw no option anywhere to do that. I think there are gremlins in my computer.

-Accountant

[Edited on 12-28-2009 by Accountant]

Accountant · Post by **Accountant** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 2:44 am

Well, nukeusb did not solve the problem. I am back at school now and will experiment around with the Cyborg X I have here. I don't have the X45 as that is still at home, so unfortunately I cannot experiment anymore with that particular joystick. It shouldn't matter, though, because it seems like both joysticks are having the same problem and if I solve the Cyborg's problem I will solve the X45's problem.

-Accountant

[Edited on 1-3-2010 by Accountant]

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 4:21 am

Looks like if both sticks are having the same problem in Legends and not having problems in other games then there must be something in Legends that is causing the problem......

Accountant · Post by **Accountant** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 4:24 am

I haven't tested the joysticks in other games yet. When I get home from work tonight I will try one or two other games and see what happens.

-Accountant

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 7:47 am

OK, now I played on Main SW Server for 3 hours with out drifting or spinning problems with in game deadzone set to 1 and sensitivity to high using powered USB hub on my X52. And before that I was on Babylon 5 Server for 2.5 hours with no problems same settings. But Yesterday when going on Babylon 5 in the begginning and doing some contracts with Eclipse with same settings I had some bad spinning. So it looks like it is intermittend.
I was discussing this with MMagio, and we came to the conclusion that it might be overheating of the stick that is causing the problem or something specific in the game. Now I'm curious to find out the results of your testing in other games Accountant to rule out if it is game specific.

[Edited on 1-3-2010 by Maarschalk]

Accountant · Post by **Accountant** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 6:21 am

Ok, I have some weird findings to report.

The first game I tried was an old FPS called Operation Flashpoint. The joystick was dead center and worked perfectly.

I then loaded up Legends. The joystick was drifting and not working perfectly.

Then, for the heck of it, I loaded up Renegades. Interestingly, the joystick was dead center and worked perfectly.

So, why is it working great in Renegades but not in Legends?

-Accountant

Post by **Vice** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 8:03 am

So, why is it working great in Renegades but not in Legends?

In terms of input, Renegades uses an older control system, which is far more vague with its input sensitivity. Legends is much more sensitive, so devices that are less precise with their central position will express the lack of tolerance by causing roll or other non-centered related input. However, the level of input inaccuracy you've indicated in your screenshot far exceeds the typical limits a player may find (if their device is a little sloppy with its central tolerances, they can usually just set the deadzone to 1 and fix the problem completely), so perhaps it's some kind of specific incompatibility with that setup.

It's tough to determine what is happening since it hasn't really come up before and I probably can't duplicate the problem. If possible, I'd like to review screenshots or video of the game running in the background with the Saitek calibration screen on top of it, off to the side (so the red bar graphs can be seen in addition to the blue in-game bar graphs in the background). An example showing the central position, then 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% range of motion for each axis channel that is experiencing the problem. If I can get a better understanding of what kind of imprecision and limited range of input is going on, I may be able to come up with a solution, or at least a work around.