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FMS Operations
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Analog Control Setup
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Trouble Shooting
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FMS Keyboard Shortcuts
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FMS Menus
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R/C Basic
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Analog Control Setup
About the most important issue for FMS operation
is the Analog Control setup, the connection to your transmitter.
If you have the Parallel Interface
(Windows 95/98/ME), see the immediate section below. If you have the
PIC
Serial Interface (Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP) or the
USB Interface, then skip down below.
Parallel Port Interface (Windows 95/98/ME only)
To find out your LPT port
setting, right-mouse click on [My Computer] and select Properties (or System
from the Control Panel); then
choose the Device Manager Tab. Make sure the view is set for [View devices
by type] as in the case below. Click on the [+] symbol on Ports (COM & LPT)
to expand, the select Printer Port (LPT1) or the LPT of your choice if there
are more than one. Then Click on Properties below to open the Printer Port
(LPT1) Properties dialog - select the Resources Tab; this should indicate
your I/O Range and Interrupt values.

Start FMS,
select Controls - Analog Control from the FMS menu:

There are two parallel "drivers" to choose
from, select the 32-bit version first, and then click on the Resources.
This
should be LPT1. For the rare case that you have more than one parallel port
on your PC, you may need to choose the corresponding port where you plugged
in the interface cable (LPT2, LPT3).
 
If you have problems with your setup, you
can try the 16-bit version. Please note that the selection for Resources
involves an I/O-range and Interrupt values. If you are not sure what your
port is set to see below for finding out your LPT port setting.
 
You can now skip to
Mapping & Calibration.
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PIC-Serial
Interface (Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP)
From your system Control Panel,
double click on System and you will see the System Properties dialog below,
select the Hardware tab and click on Device Manager

Expand the Ports(COM & LPT) by
clicking on the + sign which would expand to show your installed ports.
Right Mouse click on the port you've plugged in the interface - COM1 in this
case - and choose Properties. This would open the COM1 port Properties, make
sure you have the selection as below. [9600 - 8 - None - 1 - Xon/Xoff] for
the port settings.

Start FMS, Select Controls - Analog Control from the FMS
menu:

Please note that the Serial PIC
and USB interfaces are compatible to Windows 2000/XP support
from us. Select Serial-PIC-Interface from the Interface listing. Then click
on Resources and choose the port that you have connected the interface, this
should either be COM1 or COM2 depending on which com port is available on
your PC. Also make sure the 9600 Baud... Protocol is selected.
 
You can now skip to
Mapping & Calibration.
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USB
Interface - Windows 98/ME/2000/XP Only
From your system Control Panel,
double click on System and you will see the System Properties dialog below,
select the Hardware tab and click on Device Manager

Expand the Ports(COM & LPT) by
clicking on the + sign which would expand to show your installed ports.
Right Mouse click on the port you've plugged in the interface - USB Serial
Port COM3 in this
case - and choose Properties. This would open the USB Serial Port COM3 Properties, make
sure you have the selection as below. [9600 - 8 - None - 1 - Xon/Xoff] for
the port settings.

Start FMS,
select Controls - Analog Control from the FMS
menu:

The USB Driver Installation will
install additional COM ports to your system accessible by FMS's Serial PIC
interface. Select Serial-PIC-Interface from the Interface listing. Then click
on Resources and choose the port that you have connected the interface, this
should be COM3 (higher) depending on which com port was installed during the
USB Driver Installation. Also make sure the 9600 Baud... Protocol is selected.
 
You can now skip to
Mapping & Calibration
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Gameport
Interface (Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP)
Start FMS,
select Controls - Analog Control from the FMS
menu:

If the Gameport was installed
and calibrated (see here), just select [Joystick
interface] under Interface. Click on [Resources] to see the joystick meters.
You can check to see if FMS can receive signals from the interface by moving
the sticks on the transmitter.
 
You can now skip to
Mapping & Calibration
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Mapping & Calibration
You can now proceed with Mapping
and Calibration. This is where you can select the corresponding mapping of
the transmitter's channel to the appropriate action (Rudder, Elevator, etc).
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Channel meters responding to input |
The top four mappings: Rudder, Elevator, Aileron,
Throttle are for winged aircrafts.
See Stick Configuration below.
The bottom four: Tail, Nick, Roll, Pitch are for
helicopters. See Stick
Configuration for Helicopters below.
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Proceed with calibration by
clicking on Calibrate, follow the procedure on screen and move both sticks
to all four corners of motion (maximum travel) several times. If none of the
Channel meters are moving, please see Trouble
Shooting below.
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Then
click Next, position both
sticks at mid-travel. Some sticks may be spring loaded for the middle
position, some may not (such as the throttle stick).
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Click Finish
You will need to verify the channel
mapping by moving the appropriate stick action, such as elevator (typically
right stick up-down), and see which channels' meter is corresponding -
change the Channel number in the Mapping if necessary. See
Stick Configuration below for your choice. The
following is for the popular Mode 2:
You may have to repeat the Mapping and
Calibration procedure after some trail and error, especially the direction
of control (Invert-Inv may be necessary for swapping rudder left-right for
instance).
Note: Exp is for
exponential travel/response of the control:

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FMS Trouble Shooting
Parallel Port
Connection/Communication
When you cannot establish communication
with the parallel port, most often the issue will be the parallel port
setup. Here are some suggestions:
- Try the 16-bit version of the driver,
please note the [Resources] dialog now requires the I/O range and
Interrupt value. Below are the most common setting.
 
- Change the BIOS setting of the
Parallel Port (printer). You may need to refer to your PC hardware
manual on how to enter the BIOS setting. Typical access for the BIOS
setting is pressing the [DEL key] or [F1 key] during the PC power on
cycle. Locate the entry of "Integrated Peripherals" or "I/O Devices
Configuration", you will find the selection for changing the Parallel
Port. You can have up to 4 types:
- Output only
- SPP or Bi-Directional
- EPP
- ECP
Select a different type than the
present type, save the new settings and restart Windows. Windows will
usually report a new device is found and will reconfigure itself. Some
trials and errors may be required here to find the port setting that
would work. Try ECP first, then EPP, then SPP/Bi-directional.
Soundcard Conflict
There are reported issues with PCI soundcards
that you may need to disable "SB Emulation" (soundblaster emulation).
Another report of Creative SoundBlaster
conflict that can be resolved with "Allow LPT Interrupt Sharing"
deactivated. Please see this page
here. (It's in German,
but pretty much self explanatory).
Note: You will need to go into the "Device
Manager" in the Systems Properties similar to the above case of finding out
LPT port setting.
Serial Port
Connection/Communication
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Since the com ports may not be labeled,
try another com port value, such as COM2. Make sure your port setting is [9600
- 8 - None - 1 - Xon/Xoff].
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If you have a palm device, such as a
Palm-Pilot, you will need to turn off the "HotSynch" applet, as HotSynch
will block communications.
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At times, the default Windows installation
of the COM port driver may be faulty. Start the Device Manager, expand
Ports, and remove (uninstall) the Communications Port (COMx) device. After
rebooting, windows should automatically recognize the hardware and reinstall
the driver.
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On rare occasions, a conflict can only be
solved by changing the COM port value. This can usually be done by changing
the BIOS. Look for "integrated" devices in the BIOS listing and change the
Serial port assignment to a different COM value.
USB Port
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Check this section
for USB Driver Installation.
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Please note on the newer "C" chipset,
run HidComInst.exe program in the \USBc folder of the CD to install the
second stage of the driver (also download the "C" driver
here).
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On some (fast) computer, plug-n-play may
be too fast for the USB circuitry to "warmed up" in time to response; and
an "unknown device" will be reported. Simply unplug and replug after a
few seconds, preferable to a different USB port. Keep the plug squarely
position against the USB connector during insertion, and plug in slowly
(like plugging a device into an electrical outlet) not a fast jab.
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It's been reported that some older bios
may have sporadic timing issue with plug-n-play devices. Open the Device
Manager and plug in the USB cable, look at the [Ports] listing to see if a
[USB Serial Port (COM3)] item is added after you plugged in the cable. You
may have to re-insert the USB cable a few times until the [USB Serial
Port] is registered.
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If you are still getting an "unknown
device" when connecting the USB cable, check your bios settings for:
"Enable Legacy USB device" and enable it.
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For Windows XP, open the [Device
Manager] and expand the [Univesal Serial Bus Controllers] item. For EACH
[USB Root Hub] items, right-click and choose properties, select the [Power
Management] tab and UNCHECK [Allow the computer to turn off...]
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If you have a palm device, such as a
Palm-Pilot, you will need to turn off the "HotSynch" applet, as HotSynch
will block communications.
Common
Issues
- If your transmitter is capable of both
PCM and PPM (FM), switch to PPM mode. FMS requires PPM mode for operation.
- Unless you are using the power edition
cables, make sure your transmitter's batteries
are charged, and Turn On your transmitter for FMS operation. JR
transmitter will turn itself on when the trainer plug is inserted (you
still need the charged batteries!)
- The Parallel Port version will work
with Windows 95/98/ME only.
- You may need to turn off servo
reversing on your transmitter for proper operation.
- You may need to turn off mixing on your
transmitter for proper operation
- If you have the USB version, plug in the USB cable
first before starting FMS.
- If you have a programmable shift transmitter (such
as the Hitec Eclipse or the Airtronics RD8000), make sure the shift
selection is appropriate for your type of cable (-shift for Hitec, +shift
for Airtronics)
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FMS Keyboard
Shortcuts
Aircraft Controls
Flying with keyboard.
| Key |
Airplane (Heli)
Action |
| ← |
Rudder (Tail) Left |
| → |
Rudder (Tail) Right |
| ↑ |
Elevator (Nick) Push |
| ↓ |
Elevator (Nick) Pull |
| V |
Full Throttle (Pitch Up) |
| H |
Zero Throttle (Pitch Down) |
| G |
Increase (Pitch) Throttle |
| B |
Decrease (Pitch) Throttle |
| J |
Aileron (Roll) Left |
| K |
Aileron (Roll) Right |
Misc Program Controls
| Key |
Action |
| I |
Flight initialize
(start at runway) |
| F2 |
Load Model Dialogbox |
| W |
Winch launch |
| R |
Hand launch |
| A |
Display (speed, height
@ upper left corner) |
| C |
Chase Plane Mode |
| + |
Zoom in to the plane |
| - |
Zoom out |
| Z |
Automatic zoom mode |
| P |
Pause |
| U |
Model Uncrashable |
| F12 |
Hide/show menu (handy
in full screen mode) |
Pilot Position
The numbers are accessible from both the keyboard and
numeric keypad area (with num-lock on). If you would like to have a wider
angle of view, to include more of the runway and sky (for landing
approaches), use the number 2 and 8 keys to move away from the plane in
conjunction with the - and + keys (zoom in/out) to find the best
perspective.
| Key |
Action |
| 8 |
↑Move toward the plane |
| 2 |
↓Move away from the plane |
| 6 |
→Move to the right
of the plane |
| 4 |
←Move to the left
of the plane |
| 9 |
Move upwards (taller
pilot) |
| 3 |
Move downwards
(smaller pilot) |
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FMS Menus
It is recommended to go through all the menus while trying
to get familiar with various settings of FMS
File
- Graphics Card: Show
listing of installed graphics card. On most systems there's only one
graphics card: The primary.
- Exit: Quit program
Model
- Load [F2]
: Open the model selection dialogbox. Select the model of your choice
and click [Open]. If the model has preview bitmap available, the preview
will show in the preview box. Note, the Additional models are installed
under the [\Additional] folders

- Reload [Ctrl+M]: Reload
the the present model. Handy if you are tweaking parameters (such as using
ParDes).
Landscape
- Load [F3]: Open the
Landscape Selection dialogbox. Select the landscape of your choice and
click [Open]. If the landscape has a preview bitmap available, the preview
will show in the preview box.

- Reload [Ctrl+M]: Reload
the the present Landscape. Handy if you are changing sky bitmaps using
SkyPick.
View
- Zoom In [+]:
Perspective control, similar to a telephoto lens zoom in.
- Zoom Out [-]:
Perspective control, similar to a wide-angle lens zoom out. Note: zooming
out is handy for seeing more of the sky and runway at the same time during
landing approaches.
- AutoZoom [Z]: Toggle on/off the Autozoom feature.
With autozoom ON, the perspective is automatically adjusted to keep the
plane at a fixed (perspective) distance.
- AutoZoom Options:
Change the distance range for the autozoom feature, also the reaction
speed of autozoom.
- Chase Camera [C]:
Toggle on/off Chase Plane view feature; view from behind the model,
following the model through the flight.
- Speed, Altitude, and vario [A]:
Toggle the display of these parameters at the upper left corner of the
screen (vario is the change rate in altitude - climbing or diving)
- Frames per second:
Toggle the display the number of frames per sec at the upper right corner.
This will indicate the performance of your graphics card.
Effect of Zoom for perspective control (using + and
-)
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wide angle: see more sky and runway simultaneously |
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normal |
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telephoto |
Simulation
- Initialize [I]:
Restart the simulation session, with the plane at the initial position on
the runway.
- Pause [P]: Pause
(freeze) the session. Hit P again to continue.
- Winch Launch [W]:
Launch plane with winch. Usually used for gliders.
- Hand Launch [R]: Hand
launch plane.
- Thermal Options:
Environment controls for Updraft and Bubbles. Most applicable to gliders
- Model Uncrashable [U]:
When ON, the model will always make a successful landing.
- Auto Initialization:
Toggle the automatic restart the simulation session upon crashing.
Sound
Turn Sound ON-OFF and Volume control
Resolution
Selecting from a Window view and various Full Screen
resolution. Note: depending on your graphics card 3D performance, higher
resolution will reduce significantly your frame rate.
Graphics
Toggle the 3D Fog and Textures features, and
selecting between 16-bit and 32-bit color depth.
Control
- Keyboard:
display the keyboard shortcuts for plane/heli control
- Analog Control:
Mapping and Calibration, see section
above.
Language
Language selection, if you're reading this it should
be in English.
Help
About: Display
the credit screen. Please go through the list and visit the various
authors and contributors web-site to show them support.
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R/C Basic
Stick Configuration for Fixed
Wing Aircrafts
There are three stick configurations;
known as Mode 1, Mode 2, and Mode 3. By far the most popular is Mode 2:

Mode I
The rudder and elevator being controlled by the left stick while the right
stick controls the throttle and ailerons.
Mode 2 - Most Popular
The ailerons and elevator being controlled by the right stick while the
left stick controls the rudder and throttle.
Mode 3
The rudder and elevator being controlled by the right stick while the left
stick controls the ailerons and throttle.
Stick Configuration for Helicopters
The Helicopter
version of "Mode 2" is the recommended
stick configuration if you don't have a preference; using FMS terminologies:

The
tail
control will "rotate" the craft on the main rotor axis; simulating the
control of the tail rotor

The
pitch
control will raise the craft or lower the craft in the direction of the
main rotor axis; simulating the main rotor pitch angle. The pitch
angle could be "positive" to lift the craft "up" and "negative" to push the craft "down".
Note: when you are upside down, negative pitch will enable inverted
flight.

The
nick
control will tilt the craft nose up or down (similar to the effect of
elevator for fixed wing)

The
roll
control will tilt the craft cabin left or right (perpendicular direction
of nick)

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