Evil stick spike :(

[mauser]

I just upgraded my entire system to an Athlon 500 on an Epox Kx7a board, and decided to stick with the onboard audio for now. However, playing AH is nearly impossible for me to enjoy now. What happens is that I can fly for a little while and everything's fine. But after a while, I get massive stick spiking that locks my controls out successively. I've tried re-calibrating in the Windoze game controlers menu, and in the AH setup to no avail. Exiting AH and re-calibrating doesn't work either. What's very unusual to me is that it happens online only. Offline, the joystick graph has only tiny spikes that occur infrequently. Online, the graph looks like the Richter scale during a big quake. My current stick is a CH Flightstick Pro only 1-1/2 yrs. old. I'm not sure whether it's the onboard gameport (but spikes don't happen when i'm offline), or something else. This is really frustrating me.. I've augered too many times and lost kills enuf  .

mauser

[bloom25]

Have you tried new drivers?  I also don't see Dx 7a on your post, try that too.  After that, I'd check for interupt duplication.  Also try unchecking "poll with interupts" under game port properties.

You may have also answered the question yourself.  If you have an ISA modem interupts are set manually via jumpers on most modems.  If for some reason they conflicted with another device you could see problems when online, but not offline.

Let us know if you still aren't able to solve the problem.

bloom25
THUNDERBIRDS

[tshred]

I had a similar problem with a Intel BX board when I used an external USB modem. Soon as I started the modem, boom big spikes and had to recalibrate after starting modem, even then it was practically unplayable. Fortunately my modem is also capable if serial port connection and no problems now.

ts

[This message has been edited by tshred (edited 04-12-2000).]

[Minotaur]

I had this problem exactly.  I would start out playing with the stick rock solid.  Then the stick would get unplayably spikey the longer I played.

I never did solve the problem, but I am sure that it has to do with a heat problem.  The game card never got hot so it had to be the Motherboard in some way.  I was running full HOTAS (Stick/Rudder/Throttle) and I think that the load was just to much for it to handle.

I eliminated this problem by converting my TM FLCS to a digital stick.  The stick goes into one port on my game card and the Rudder and Throttle into another.

Keep in mind that for AcesHigh (AH), you can run mixed components.  AH allows you to select which device provides each input axis.  This means you can run a USB stick with analog rudders and/or throttle.

For related threads look HERE and HERE.

Good Luck!  

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Mino
The Wrecking Crew

[mauser]

Hiya guys, thanks for your replies. I do have DX7.0a installed, so that shouldn't be it. I'm starting to think it's the ISA modem based on what I see and from your suggestions. This weekend I'll try and borrow an external modem and see what happens. I'd sure hate to spend a lot of money on an external and then find out that wasn't the problem. I'll let you guys know here if it works or not. Thanks again  

mauser

[Citabria]

if you can stand the twist stick get a precision pro USB stick.


no spikes
no soundcard quirks

[mauser]

Hi guys, I'm back to report... I bought a Turtle Beach Montego A3D Xstream soundcard, which among other things, touted a digital joystick port. After finally getting it installed, I checked out the joystick setup in AH while online... and the graphs were perfectly still! Beautiful! So then I got on the runway, itching to fly once again after several days off. I engage the engine, and then suddenly after a few seconds of the engine sound, my system locks up completely! I'm forced to restart. Since yesterday I have been trying different things, and am now trying to down load the latest Aureal reference drivers with the hope that it cures the problem. I tried playing an mp3 and the machine didn't lockup, so it's only game related I think (i also tried to run the "Homeworld" demo, and didn't even get past the splash screen). Does anyone have any experience with this problem? I've been checking Deja.com and the usenets posts there, and have tried disabling all the pipelining stuff in my BIOS, disabling the A3D hardware acceleration to no avail. I was so close to finally flying again, with what seemed to be a spike-free control setup!! Murphy's Law holds once again   If I can't get this to work, I'll have to return it and pick up a.. <gasp> Soundblaster card...

mauser

[bloom25]

I'm using a vortex 2 based card as well.  Reference drivers for me too.  No problems with lockups, although this version does have some new sound problems for me.  The sound intermittently cuts out when shooting, taking hits, dropping gear or troops, etc.

I don't know what to tell you here.  Try uninstalling and then reinstalling your drivers.

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bloom25
THUNDERBIRDS

[This message has been edited by bloom25 (edited 04-19-2000).]

[ibreh]

i bought a K7V board some days ago and a sb live player. i cannot play sounds in AH at all, you can call the outcome noise, not more not less. i tried all but could not solve it. in the description of the soundboard is written that you need a intel chipset. on the AMD boards is a VIA chipset. i am no hardware guru but maybe this is the reason?
another thing :  i wanna thank Mino for his hint on the different sticks we can choose for AH  ) this solves my problem of spiking CH F16 stick. because of that i bought a MS precision Pro. its a great stick, rockstable, but i missed my pedals and throttle. thx to mino´s hint i now use ms pre pro AND CH pedals and throttle. it is a nice combo  ))


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ibreh
II./JG2 Richthofen
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[elvis]

Just a thought but do you have your speaker cables running along side your joystick cables ?? Could be analog interference from the speaker wires that is picked up as spikes in the Joystick..... might seperate all and c if that helps....

Regards
ELVIS

[blur]

Mauser, I've been setting up a new system and I experienced exactly what you posted. I did what bloom25 suggested: uncheck "poll with interrupts" and it did the trick.