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Thrustmaster TCA Quadrant Airbus Edition Release Date


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Finally, I managed to setup the quadrant for use on Aerosoft Airbus P3D v4.5 (with help from the forum, thank you guys 👍), and it definitely enhances the sim flying experience, although the device it is not perfect. Detents are way too soft and the IDLE to CL range is too narrow compared to CL to MCT/FLEX and MCT/FLEX to TOGA range. The real Airbus has 25 degrees thrust lever angle between IDLE and CL, and only 10 degrees between CL and MCT/FLEX, as simulated very well by Aerosoft 😉. I would prefer more manual authority in IDLE to CL range on the controller (and less authority in CL to MCT/FLEX and MCT/FLEX to TOGA range).

But overall, it is great value for money and the controller is very useful in takeoff, climb and landing phases, and I am looking forward to the add-on modules (speed brake/landing gear module and flap/parking brake module).

Have Aerosoft received any indications on release dates and price range for the add on modules?

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How easy is it to set up the TCA Quadrant with the non-pro FSX A318-A321 series?  I assume there will be no in built TCA option as shown in the Thrustmaster TCA Controls document linked to on the first page of this thread?

 

Andy L 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have the same question. Your set up document refers to P3D and I am still using FSX. 
Have you had any discussions with the manufacturer regarding availability? I ordered from Amazon as it saved me the postage costs and I hoped that it would be a quick delivery but if you can get it quicker then I will order through Aerosoft.

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vor 7 Stunden , Mathijs Kok sagte:

The FSX Airbusses are not adapted (and will not be) to the TCA specific functions. So it will behave as any other controller.

In this case, it should be mentioned under system requirements, that the TCA doesn't work with the FSX/ Airbusses.

 

Greetings

Lou

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vor 14 Stunden , mopperle sagte:

It does, just as a normal controller.

Yes, you're right. As Mathijs stated before, the TCA will behave as any other controlers.

But what is about the FSX Airbus users who want to use e.g. the thrust levers/reverse mode at least? As pointed out,

there never will be an adaption for these busses. This fact should be mentioned !

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  • Deputy Sheriffs
30 minutes ago, Purser said:

Yes, you're right. As Mathijs stated before, the TCA will behave as any other controlers.

But what is about the FSX Airbus users who want to use e.g. the thrust levers/reverse mode at least? As pointed out,

there never will be an adaption for these busses. This fact should be mentioned !

The FSX version is out of development  since long time.

Only solution for them is to take a look into fsuipc, if it can be mapped somehow.

It’s also possible to create a more realistic plastic part that contains the notches. Maybe some 3rd party will do something like that with a 3D printer. Default plastic has the notches at the wrong positions.

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18 hours ago, mopperle said:

It does, just as a normal controller.

Which functions on the Thrust quadrant will work? Just the thrust levers without reverse? What about the engine start switches? I infer from the answers above that the other items that Thrustmaster plan to release in this series,such as the Flap handle etc also will not work with the FSX Airbus?

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  • Aerosoft
On 11/7/2020 at 10:37 AM, Purser said:

Yes, you're right. As Mathijs stated before, the TCA will behave as any other controlers.

But what is about the FSX Airbus users who want to use e.g. the thrust levers/reverse mode at least? As pointed out,

there never will be an adaption for these busses. This fact should be mentioned !

 

I do not agree, we normally mention what something is fully compatible with, not with what it is not fully compatible with. Mainly because the second option would include massive lists of products. But to be clear it is also not 100% compatible with the two version of the airbusses released before the last 32 bit version. 

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On 11/7/2020 at 11:11 AM, masterhawk said:

The FSX version is out of development  since long time.

Only solution for them is to take a look into fsuipc, if it can be mapped somehow.

It’s also possible to create a more realistic plastic part that contains the notches. Maybe some 3rd party will do something like that with a 3D printer. Default plastic has the notches at the wrong positions.

A bit strange that TM misplaced the detents for a Airbus licensed product. Doesn't make sense, as the detents can be disabled if used on a non Airbus products.

Any rumors of 3rd party modification work in progress? And any impact on Aerosoft Airbus P3D calibration/thrust lever position if detents are relocated?

 

Please login to display this image.

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  • Aerosoft

Later this week we will have a tweak online that allows you to tweak the settings in our Airbus Pro products. 
If you disassemble the hardware you see why they have little room to get the settings accurate. It is the difference between a 102 Euro and a 8000 Euro component.

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3 hours ago, Mathijs Kok said:

Later this week we will have a tweak online that allows you to tweak the settings in our Airbus Pro products. 
If you disassemble the hardware you see why they have little room to get the settings accurate. It is the difference between a 102 Euro and a 8000 Euro component.

Would it be possible to replicate it with software an an aural click? The real aircraft works like this-

The Thrust Control Unit contains two resolvers, each of which sends the thrust lever position to the Electronic Engine Control .The extraction current for the resolvers is provided by the EEC.

ARTIFICIAL FEEL UNIT ( MECANICAL BOX )

The Throttle control artificial feel unit is located below the cockpit center pedes-tal. this artificial feel unit is connected to engine 1(2) throttle control lever and to the engine 1(2) throttle control unit by means of rods. The artificial feel unit is a friction system wich provides a load feedback to the throttle control lever. This artificial feel unit comprises two symetrical casings, one left and one right. Each casing contains an identical and independent mechanism. Each mechanism is composed of: - a friction brake assembly - a gear assembly - a lever assembly - a bellcrank assembly Throttle lever travel is transmitted to the to the artificial feel unit and to the throttle control unit. The linear movement of the throttle levers is transformed into a rotary move-ment at the belcrank wich turns about the friction brake assembly shaft. This movement rotates a toothed quadrant integral with the shaft. This toothed quadrant causes inverse rotation of a gear equipped with a disk which has four detent notches. Each notch corresponds to a throttle lever setting and is felt as a friction point at the throttle levers.

The majority of people who will use this will have never flown a real Airbus so as long as it looks and feels about right they are not going to know any different.

I remember one A321 I flew and the detent at Flex/MCT for one engine was very weak so invariably every take off in it was at Toga.

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  • Aerosoft

To tweak the hardware detents to the software detents we have created a new section in the ini files:

 

[THROTTLE]
useCustomThrottleParameter=1
Eng1_TOGA_MIN=14000
Eng1_FLXMCT_MIN=3000
Eng1_CL_MIN=-1000
Eng1_IDLE_MAX=-7000
Eng1_IDLE_MIN=-11000
Eng1_IDLEREV_MIN=-14000
Eng1_FULLREV_MAX=-16000
Eng2_TOGA_MIN=14000
Eng2_FLXMCT_MIN=3000
Eng2_CL_MIN=-1000
Eng2_IDLE_MAX=-7000
Eng2_IDLE_MIN=-11000
Eng2_IDLEREV_MIN=-14000
Eng2_FULLREV_MAX=-16000

 

So even if the two throttles do not match up perfectly you will be able to tweak it. Should be out this week.

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On 10/19/2020 at 11:05 AM, Mathijs Kok said:

It is not yet the 22nd is it now?

 

Here is how to make it work with our Busses.

 

 

THRUSTMASTER TCA CONTROLS.pdf 197.77 kB · 106 downloads

I have purchased AS_A320-A321-PROFESSIONAL_P3DV5_V1401 Family bundle but in the Airbus Configurator I don't have any "Thrustmaster TCA option". Although made settings in P3d5 options TCA Quadrant buttons and switches don't work. Thanks for help.

Gennaro Delcuratolo

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  • Deputy Sheriffs
10 minutes ago, delc said:

I have purchased AS_A320-A321-PROFESSIONAL_P3DV5_V1401 Family bundle but in the Airbus Configurator I don't have any "Thrustmaster TCA option". Although made settings in P3d5 options TCA Quadrant buttons and switches don't work. Thanks for help.

Gennaro Delcuratolo

Have you run the AS updater tool?

You need to follow the instructions in the vol1 manual how to assign the buttons to the hotas functions in the sim.

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I have assigned the buttons to the hotas functions but the main problem, I guess, is that I don't have TCA options in the configurator.

Where is the AS updater tool?

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Hi All,

I just received my TCA throttle quadrant and I am trying to set it up in P3D with the Aerosoft Airbus Professional series. I enabled the TCA paquadrant support in the Configurator. I then mapped the Engine ON/OFF switches and Engine Mode Selector switch as per page 39 of VOL1.

Now the throttle axes as per page 40 of VOL1:

1st) is the described procedure done in P3D>Options>Controls>Calibration?

2nd) what is the INPUT Method at P3D>Options>Controls>Other; either Raw Input or Direct Input?

If I click on CALIBRATE DEVICE (TCA Q-ENG 1&2) it opens Windows Game Controllers selection sheet and NOT the P3D calibration page (I am using Direct Input)

If I change the Input Method to "RAW INPUT" the Calibration dialog is available and I can move the throttle over the full range. I leave the throttles in CLB detend, but there is no "CONTINUE" option at the Axis Calibration window. The only options I have is "Reset" / "Cancel" / "Save"

 Description from page 40 of Vol1:                   

                     2. When asked to set the controller axis to middle position set both thrust levers into the middle position which is the CL detent. This will give the best linear the result over the whole thrust lever range.

                     3. Now use the mouse to click on "continue" on the calibration dialog.

Where is the "CONTINUE" button???????????

Thanks for help

Brgds

Juergen Mader

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  • Deputy Sheriffs

@Juergen2

The manual is not fully correct. It was written with old drivers in mind.

With latest firmware and drivers by TM for the Quadrant and stick don’t offer the windows calibration window the manual is referring to.
In windows you will only have the Control Panel, where you should disable the virtual buttons.

And please use in P3D direct input and not raw Input.

As long as you have the correct settings in the Airbus configurator, made correct button assignments, rule out any double assignments to the axis (use the throttle 1 and 2 and not the single throttle axis) and the quadrant react as expected in the controller panel of windows all should be fine.

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Hi Bob,

OK, I understand the P3D / WIN10 calibration now.

I changed to DIRECT INPUT, I selected the TCA QUADRANT (I have both, quadrant & sidestick) in the Airbus configurator, the button assignment must be correct (mode selector & engine start switches), there are NO double axis assignments and I have the following problem:

After I touch down and reverse thrust, when I bring the throttles back to IDLE the left reverser handle re-engages the reverse thrust. I have to get the throttles off idle and return them back to idle for the reverser to disengage. Sometimes I have to do this 2 or 3 times.

Again, thanks for help

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Hi Aerosoft,

Is it posibble to select single axis for input to both engines?

And it is possible to see throttle axis position (eg. -6662) in direct input mode?

A318/319/320/321 installed version: 1.4.1.2

A330 Installed version: 1.0.3.2

Brgds

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