[BillC]

Ed Greenberg, on 17 January 2014 - 07:07 PM, said:

I ran the Dawn Tank Train activity as you requested. Using X.1931 as before.

I started the sim without the rail driver, and was able to run the train from Run-1 through Run-8. Not a problem.

I started the sim WITH the RD and was only able to achieve Run-7, with the controller all the way to the end of the range.

I manually edited the ModernCalibration file in the MSTS directory, and immediately was able to see a change in the behavior of the controller. I am pretty certain that this is a calibration problem.

Just for fun, here's an OpenRailsLog file.

Ed, you are correct it is a calibration problem, but not particular to your RailDriver.

Playing around with some numbers here is what I came up with.

My RD: Diff. 72
Position "Full Throttle"
{
Min 226
Max 226
}
Position "Throttle Idle"
{
Min 176
Max 176
}

Default embedded in the handler: Diff: 53
Position "Full Throttle"
{
Min 229
Max 229
}
Position "Throttle Idle"
{
Min 176
Max 176
}

Given the large difference between the default, and my RD which can get to notch 8. First impression would be that is the problem. However, using the default idle as a base, and changing Full Throttle to 226 was able to have notch 8. The value at 227 was marginal sometimes working, sometimes not. Given that this is an analogue device not surprising.
Position "Full Throttle"
{
Min 226
Max 226
}
Position "Throttle Idle"
{
Min 176
Max 176
}

What I believe is happening is the large dwell value around idle. Folks at Trainz have seen similar problems discussed in this post: http://forums.auran....le-and-reverser .OR leaves a large tolerance around the center point for the reverser hence not as many problems. Although an alert should be implemented, like with the keyboard.

Just using the raw calibration given by MSTS will need to be adjusted for the throttle, to account for the large variance when the lever is in the idle position. Not sure at this time how or where to adjust the tolerance. Would be interesting to see the values from your RD.

I will enter this as a bug in the next day or so.

Bill

[BillC]

Ed Greenberg, on 21 January 2014 - 05:10 AM, said:

Bill,

Thanks for the note. I have just a bit of testing since I wrote before, but I've observed that it seems to do better without the calibration file in the MSTS directory than with whatever personal calibration comes up with.

I'll run calibration and post it, but probably not till later in the week, as I have a meeting tonight.

Ed

Ed, you may went to try this calibration method. I had been using a ModernCalibration.rdm which was generated back when I was still running XP. When attempting to generate a new file, continued having "Calibration out of bounds errors", with the lever in "Throttle Idle" position. While this can overridden see http://raildriver.co.../raildriver.php ; which is most likely the result of the MSTS procedure results in not being able to handle correctly installing it's driver in windows 7 which hangs.
.
Not wanting to do a manual override, and a hung driver. I used the following procedure.

1. Go to PI engineering site for RailWorks at http://www.raildrive...php#combinedfix
2. Download and install as administrator: http://www.raildrive...ksInstaller.exe
3. This should result in MacroWorks 3.1 being installed, and after restarts with RD plugged in should ask if you want to recalibrate the RailDriver. Follow the standard procedure.
4. At completion C:\Program Files\PI Engineering\MacroWorks 3.1\Devices\RailDriver\RD Calibration should contain the ModernCalibration.rdm , ModernController.rdm files. Move to the MSTS directory
5. To re-run the calibration procedure the .exe is in: C:\Program Files\PI Engineering\MacroWorks 3.1\Devices\RailDriver\RD Calibration\RDcalibration.exe

I have tried this calibration file on version X1954 and X1929 and works with my RD

Bill