MobiFlight Community Support

This is a 737ngx/ngxu issue, not Mobiflight. But maybe someone can help.
A friend of mine tries to use the FDS MCP with the NGXU under P3Dv5.3.
According to info, it only works with the NGX, which can not be installed in the v5.xx without greater effort.
After some settings , all buttons and switches now run and are also recognized in the PMDG. In test mode, all LEDs and displays are also light up.
In normal mode the displays are dark and the driver program shows "DC Power: Off".
Otherwise there is no error message. Simconect is running, the MCP is recognized and the PMDG too and everything is shown as connected. So far everything is ok.
The MCP itself has power (and works in test mode) so probably the PMDG Main Power is meant.
The old trick of loading a standard aircraft first and pressing the masterswitch there and then switching to PMDG doesn't work either.
My guess is that there is an offset, LVAR or EVENT ID that sends the Cold&Dark status to the hardware so the displays are off. Since the NGX and NGXU seem to use different variables, I suspect that the MCP is waiting for the signal that the C&D status is finished, but it doesn't come.
I hope that I can intercept the signal in a small program and send it in the correct format to the MCP to turn it on.
Or has someone the same problem and found a solution?

Hi

As i know there is no "Cold and Dark" Status or message when System is power up.

Pretty sure your Software ( Not Mobiflight) use the same we as we would do in the PMDG. We define a "condition" when Display must light or not.
For example most easy way is "Master Battery Switch" ON or OFF.
But in case there can be a Situation with a Master Switch On and a low power battery where Displays are OFF, too.
So Pro Users mostly use Electrical BUS Power Value below xxx volts.

At the End.... Your right. PMDG change some of the Data Variables.
I remember also Pete Dowson get struggle on that point. Cause as i know the new area is somewhere in the middle.
So all known Adresses from that point no longer are correct. (Out of Sync by xx bytes)
For FSUIPC he solve it and re-sort then data.... So the new Elements are at the End finally.

**************
Solution:
I think you should contact the manifactur of your hardware ( and your used driver and software for that panel)
They create the Programm that read the data from NGX ..... So its there job to rework this script for the new data adresses from the NGX"u"

Ok, thank you very much. That helps me a lot.
We have already talked to the manufacturer, but without any result. The MCP is designed for the NGX, not for the NGXU.
But your hint with the Electrical BUS Power Value is good. Maybe this leads further. In the first step I will check the switches in the overhead and see if the NGXU uses the same offsets for ELEC_DCMeterSelector. DC Power was the error message. Is there a way to read the voltage value directly? Have found nothing in the SDK

Hi again Skino.

About Value. Yes there is. I not tested it myself but its listed ! It comes for the NGX"u" only !
Means for the "old" PMDG you maybe need to work a little tricky by use the ELEC Meter Display data.

For NGX "u" we have....

6C71 16 BYTE x 16 ELEC_BusPowered[16] True if the corresponding
bus is powered:
DC HOT BATT: 0
DC HOT BATT SWITCHED:1
DC BATT BUS: 2
DC STANDBY BUS: 3
DC BUS 1: 4
DC BUS 2: 5
DC GROUND SVC: 6
AC TRANSFER 1: 7
AC TRANSFER 2: 8
AC GROUND SVC 1: 9
AC GROUND SVC 2: 10
AC MAIN 1: 11
AC MAIN 2: 12
AC GALLEY 1: 13
AC GALLEY 2: 14
AC STANDBY: 15

NOTE:
NGX"u" have also additional Stuff like :

Overhead LandAlt and CruiseAlt

6C82 6 STR[6] AIR_DisplayFltAlt[6]
Pressurization system FLTALT window, zero terminated, can be blank or show dashes or show test pattern

Thats NOW a String.... Means it show Spaces if Display in Sim is Blank. It show "8888" or Dashes if needed.

We also have :

6C81 1 BYTE MCP_indication_powered true when the MCP is
powered and the MCP
windows are indicating

So a indication for ALL MCP Displays directly. Its "0" also if Aircraft is Cold and Dark !

Finally check the LED each single.
As i know lots of the Status LED in the NGX"u" include the Battery Logic and Internal Lighttest.
Instead to the past most of them now should show the real Status of the Virtual LED at all time ( include Lighttest and Bat Off)

Ok, thank you very much. Let's see what is possible.