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Electrical System seems a little bit strange


Alexander Wurz

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Hi there. Just completed my first complete flight with the iberia 320.

It just seems to me, that the electrical Systems are a bit strange. The Airbus Philosophy is, that if every button is dark, all is fine. But how it comes, that if the APU GEN or GPU or AC BUS TIE Switch are on, the Batteries keeps discharging? When I switch one of the Buttons off, the Batteries are charging again. Kept me a while to figure that one out, because after 5 Minuites or so, the Flightdeck was complete Dark with every ELEC Button in the ON mode.

Is anyone experiencing the same or is it just me?

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Hi. Other users have found this too, but it's basically an FSX issue that occurs in other aircraft too.

It can be sorted by using FSUIPC (I think it needs to be a registered copy). I have found, perhaps similar to yourself, that if you press the APU Gen button on and off this will kick start the batteries recharging.

Chris

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yes but only if I leave this one off. And to be honest, I don't like this behavior.

I do have a few Aircraft Add-Ons, and never seen that issue before in any payware aircraft, so I guess it can be done right somehow. And of course hope it will be done.

This is a fine aircraft, really like it (since the update this morning), so it would be a shame to have this one unsolved.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • Aerosoft

Wait, lets get sorted out.

If I just start the APU, I can keep my battery voltage on as long as I got petrol.

on.jpg

If I touch the click the APU GEN it goes off and battery voltage drops far too quickly (that's the nasty FSX button).

off.jpg

If this is not what you are seeing let me know here

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I'm another user with the same problem. When I click off the APU generator, the battery voltage increases, the exact opposite of what should happen. If I leave the generator on, the battery will decrease until it's exhausted.

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Maybe you guys need to get the aircraft loaded right first by following the step by step guide flight preparation to the letter. You should also try deleting your default start up situation too.

Also don't use the default Cold and dark panel state file it seems to be bugged for me, close down the plane manually just after the sim has loaded with engines running etc, then save your own custom state and use that in future.

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Ran some tests watching the battery discharge although APU was connected. The guys are right, logic looks inverse. Having external power also does nothing for charging the batteries only selecting off APU generator - could be the battery dis-/charge logic.

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  • Aerosoft

Ran some tests watching the battery discharge although APU was connected. The guys are right, logic looks inverse. Having external power also does nothing for charging the batteries only selecting off APU generator - could be the battery dis-/charge logic.

External power does not function in FSX, there are variables but they simply do not work.

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  • Aerosoft

Okay, I finally understand the issue (thanks Finn).

In short, it's not something we can solve without ignoring the complete electrical system of FSX, something we do not do for many reasons. The main reason is we wanted to stay as much as possible with default systems is that it makes it all a lot faster.

In detail. The real issue is that external power has priority over APU power but that APU power is bugged in FSX. It simply does nothing (but it still has priority). These are the power generation systems in the Airbus and I give them in the priority FSX uses them:

  1. Engine driven generator 1 / Engine driven generator 2
  2. External power (but it is fake)
  3. APU power
That simply means APU power is ignored when EXT power is on and batteries will drain because it EXT power has priority. This explains why the logic seems inverted. It also means there is nothing we can do. The workaround is simple. Do not use the external power.
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Mr. Mathijs, we all really appreciate you and your team's help. Aerosoft's involvement with customers is very respectable. Please know I intend to stick with Aerosoft's Airbus X no matter it's bugs!

Did you watch the video I posted in post #5? As you saw, I disconnected external power via the MCDU before turning on the APU as you suggested, and it does not solve the issue.

I could possibly try turning off the engine driven generators 1 and 2, since they have top priority, and see if that allows the APU gen. to work. ;)

[uPDATE]

Still cannot use APU. Note that the following is done:

  • External Power is OFF, and button is not pressed on overhead panel.
  • Engine generator pushbuttons are NOT pressed.
  • APU is running, APU generator is ON.

Batteries still drain.

3-3.jpg

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It isn't the end of the world. It can still fly. I won't be too heartbroken if some time goes by before it can be fixed. But it's something that will confuse many when they run out of battery power in the preflight suddenly. :blink:

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  • Aerosoft

It isn't the end of the world. It can still fly. I won't be too heartbroken if some time goes by before it can be fixed. But it's something that will confuse many when they run out of battery power in the preflight suddenly. :blink:

Here is what I do.

  • Load the bus
  • Select cold and dark
  • Deactivate the GPSU in the MCDU doors menu (the aircraft now goes really cold and dark)
  • Click on the two battery buttons (and silence the alarms)
  • The batteries now start to discharge (it's 28.3 and 28.5 in charged state)
    aa.jpg

    • Now I click on the APU master and APU start buttons.
    • After a few seconds the APU AVAIL will be lit
    • And the battery voltage goes back to up. I can stay in this position as long as there is fuel (although FSX APU actually seems to run on air)
    • ab.jpg

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Okay, I finally understand the issue (thanks Finn).

In short, it's not something we can solve without ignoring the complete electrical system of FSX, something we do not do for many reasons. The main reason is we wanted to stay as much as possible with default systems is that it makes it all a lot faster.

In detail. The real issue is that external power has priority over APU power but that APU power is bugged in FSX. It simply does nothing (but it still has priority). These are the power generation systems in the Airbus and I give them in the priority FSX uses them:

  1. Engine driven generator 1 / Engine driven generator 2
  2. External power (but it is fake)
  3. APU power
That simply means APU power is ignored when EXT power is on and batteries will drain because it EXT power has priority. This explains why the logic seems inverted. It also means there is nothing we can do. The workaround is simple. Do not use the external power.

dear aerosoft, why do other addons work like they should? ext. power means external power.means no battery drain. the funny thing is in your bus the batterys drain even if they are switched to off. and your workaround solution is as funny as your whole statement regarding this problem.why do you implement external power if you recommend to not use it????? another sign that you simply don´t want to give more work to the system then to the good look of bus. this and your behaviour towards this problem is simply poor and sad.

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  • Deputy Sheriffs

dear aerosoft, why do other addons work like they should? ext. power means external power.means no battery drain. the funny thing is in your bus the batterys drain even if they are switched to off. and your workaround solution is as funny as your whole statement regarding this problem.why do you implement external power if you recommend to not use it????? another sign that you simply don´t want to give more work to the system then to the good look of bus. this and your behaviour towards this problem is simply poor and sad.

Take a look at Mathijs' second paragraph: "In short, it's not something we can solve without ignoring the complete electrical system of FSX, something we do not do for many reasons." The other add-ons "work" because they elected to re-write FSX logic. Aerosoft left it alone, not because it's "another sign that you simply don't want to give more work to the system" but because it conflicted with their very publically stated goals for this project. Had you followed this project from the start, as many did, you'd know they invested enormous work and thought into this. You have opinions, but you have no apparent insight into what areas they chose to leave as "stock" FSX. Maybe you'll change their thinking (as may happen with another favorite "whipping boy," SIDS, STARS and selecting runways in the MCDU), but calling them "poor and sad" certainly won't do it.

Critisizing their Airbus by calling their decisions "poor and sad" is very different than saying, "I disagree, but that's my opinion." Nobody knows what really sells except big players like Aerosoft and a very few others. Aerosoft does know their market, based on what stuff sells and what stuff sits on the virtual or real warehouse shelf. Remember, they don't just sell what they produce. Do you know the market better than them? Unless you're a big wholesaler or distributor (I'm not and I'll bet you aren't either), you simply have no basis for honestly commenting on their behavior. Consider labeling your opinions as that and not fact.

That said, all the above is simply my opinion, except the part about Aerosoft knowing the market and Mathijs' quote.

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Take a look at Mathijs' second paragraph: "In short, it's not something we can solve without ignoring the complete electrical system of FSX, something we do not do for many reasons." The other add-ons "work" because they elected to re-write FSX logic. Aerosoft left it alone, not because it's "another sign that you simply don't want to give more work to the system" but because it conflicted with their very publically stated goals for this project. Had you followed this project from the start, as many did, you'd know they invested enormous work and thought into this. You have opinions, but you have no apparent insight into what areas they chose to leave as "stock" FSX. Maybe you'll change their thinking (as may happen with another favorite "whipping boy," SIDS, STARS and selecting runways in the MCDU), but calling them "poor and sad" certainly won't do it.

Critisizing their Airbus by calling their decisions "poor and sad" is very different than saying, "I disagree, but that's my opinion." Nobody knows what really sells except big players like Aerosoft and a very few others. Aerosoft does know their market, based on what stuff sells and what stuff sits on the virtual or real warehouse shelf. Remember, they don't just sell what they produce. Do you know the market better than them? Unless you're a big wholesaler or distributor (I'm not and I'll bet you aren't either), you simply have no basis for honestly commenting on their behavior. Consider labeling your opinions as that and not fact.

That said, all the above is simply my opinion, except the part about Aerosoft knowing the market and Mathijs' quote.

talking about facts:

instead of taking a look on what mathijs wrote i took a look in THEIR manual. it says: "The BAT pbs (BAT 1 & BAT 2) are off when in AUTO mode. The batteries will automatically connect when the APU is started without EXT PWR, when voltage drops below 26.5 (to charge) or when the aircraft is on ground and no other electrical sources are available. They will show FAULT when the batteries are disconnected because of a fault. When the pb is clicked OFF will show and the battery will be disconnected."

further it says: "The EXT PWR pb will be off when no external power is available. It will show AVAIL when power is available. When pushed ON will show and the external power will be connected to the aircraft buses"

this is not happening in the bus because even with external power set to on the batteries discharge and it gets dark in the cockpit no matter if external power is on or not + the external power is not availble if the batterys are empty.so it´s a clear bug. i don´t care what they have to reprogram or to do to solve it.as i said other companys did solve this problem (if there really is one) too.this is not my job but theirs. i and several other people paid money to them for doing their job. the manual offers something they don´t offer. and their "workaround" is simply another easy way of turning things they made wrong or buggy into their advantage of not caring about it and don´t spent time and money for it. and this still remains my personal feeling which nobody needs to share makes me sad, in my eyes, them poor and if they don´t change their opnion on this also angry.

i don´t need to have insight in their company philosophy or "their very publically stated goals for this project" but i have eyes to see that they programmed something that is not working the way they state in their own manual.

i have another nice workaround for all remaining bugs ala aerosoft: buy the bus, and don´t use it like the external power.so you will never have any trouble with it. oh funny while i write this it reminds me:they already told us to leave it in the hangar ...funny hm?

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  • Deputy Sheriffs

talking about facts:

instead of taking a look on what mathijs wrote i took a look in THEIR manual. it says: "The BAT pbs (BAT 1 & BAT 2) are off when in AUTO mode. The batteries will automatically connect when the APU is started without EXT PWR, when voltage drops below 26.5 (to charge) or when the aircraft is on ground and no other electrical sources are available. They will show FAULT when the batteries are disconnected because of a fault. When the pb is clicked OFF will show and the battery will be disconnected."

further it says: "The EXT PWR pb will be off when no external power is available. It will show AVAIL when power is available. When pushed ON will show and the external power will be connected to the aircraft buses"

this is not happening in the bus because even with external power set to on the batteries discharge and it gets dark in the cockpit no matter if external power is on or not + the external power is not availble if the batterys are empty.so it´s a clear bug. i don´t care what they have to reprogram or to do to solve it.as i said other companys did solve this problem (if there really is one) too.this is not my job but theirs. i and several other people paid money to them for doing their job. the manual offers something they don´t offer. and their "workaround" is simply another easy way of turning things they made wrong or buggy into their advantage of not caring about it and don´t spent time and money for it. and this still remains my personal feeling which nobody needs to share makes me sad, in my eyes, them poor and if they don´t change their opnion on this also angry.

i don´t need to have insight in their company philosophy or "their very publically stated goals for this project" but i have eyes to see that they programmed something that is not working the way they state in their own manual.

i have another nice workaround for all remaining bugs ala aerosoft: buy the bus, and don´t use it like the external power.so you will never have any trouble with it. oh funny while i write this it reminds me:they already told us to leave it in the hangar ...funny hm?

Ertan, again in my opinion, this post is so different than the earlier one I commented on that I rated it "up" because it's a the kind of post that should be a helpful statement of the difference between what's supposed to be and what is on Airbus X.

This post is specific and states facts. What the manual "says" and specifically where their Airbus doesn't do what the manual says it should. it's now Aerosoft's choice to fix the apparent issue you clearly described by either changing the manual to align with the behavior of the product or changing the product to align with the description in the manual.

On the other hand, implying in my opinion they're lazy and foolish by writing, "another sign that you simply don´t want to give more work to the system then to the good look of bus. this and your behaviour towards this problem is simply poor and sad.", when Mathijs stated clearly why Aerosoft's response is what it is, is not helpful. That post failed to state the problem and instead assumed you somehow knew what the developers should do or were doing, and why.

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I have to agree with Ertan here,

Simply not using Ext. Power although I can connect it is not a Solution. When we should not use it, then please remove it in a Patch, but leave it there and say do not use it is not a way which satisfy me and maybe others.

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Maybe a second APU can be added and named GPU.

It looks like PMDG did something similar. I know this because i use the JS41 as a AI aircraft. This morning it was standing beside me (in the airbus). The moment i switched on the APU, the JS41's GPU did appear. When i turned the APU off, the JS41 powercart would also dissapear :D There seems to be a connection between APU and GPU here.

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Why use FSX default system if it's buggy and not working? I'd use the default if it's working... yet again a problem with "FSX limitations"... yet again other addons don't have this problem. Ok, ok, I'll stop ranting, I just had to say it. :ph34r:

Besides that I like Airbus X a lot!

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Why use FSX default system if it's buggy and not working?

Because it adds greatly to the development time and hence cost of the product if they were to code their own systems.

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Sorry Andy, that is a bad excuse. I paid 40 € for the Bus, other Products with more System depth costs the same from other developer. So in my Opinion this is not a satisfying statement.

I do like the Airbus and the idea of being a simpler Airliner to fly, that is why I bought it.

But this "Bug" with the Electrical System is a Bug, not more not less. And I would really appreciate to get a working solution with it.

Mathijs, your workaround may come as noble as your intetions are, and I appreciate it, but this is, at least for me, not a solution to the problem. So please consider it to fix :)

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It may be pertinent to add that, when using coding outside of the box (FSX in this case), it may add to development time and cost, but if it works as it should, then the reviews are more positive, and your sales increase...

Unit price is not the only factor... Your final profit is linked to the number of the product you actually sell, you may sell a lot more for a slightly lower price and easily cover development costs than making it more 10% expensive and selling maybe 25% fewer units...

Simple economics...

Not being able to use a system as described in the manual is bad press...

Andrew

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