Logitech_Mark

Hi All, I was just notified that the latest software version has been uploaded to the Logitech site. Here is the URL to the location. Windows XP, Vista and 7, 32 and 64 bit versions. Logitech G940 - Software update What's new? quite a bit. Here's the summary. Please read everything. There is a firmware update as well. It is added as a file in the Logitech folders after installation. New features of Logitech Gaming Software 5.09 I. Adjusting force feedback settings for your game. Games with force feedback control the forces transmitted to the G940 stick. However, you can adjust the overall level of the forces, and add a centering spring to any game. You can adjust the levels of forces for a game by changing the settings for each game profile. This lets you customize how the controls feel for each game. When the game loads, the profile adjusts the forces automatically. To adjust the forces, follow these steps. 1. Open Logitech Profiler 2. Select a Game profile 3. Click Menu item "Edit" 4. Click "Specific Game Settings". A window will open. This window allows you to adjust Overall force, Spring effect and damper effect force levels. Hover the mouse over each force adjustment for a description. Checking the "Enable Centering Spring Strength" box will turn on a centering spring, whether the game has one or not. The force of the spring can be adjusted. Note that turning the spring all the way up will mask most other forces in a game. II. Adjusting axis response With Logitech Gaming Software 5.09, you can now adjust the responsiveness of the 12 non-force feedback axes. This adjustment changes how sensitive the axis is to movement. To change settings: 1. Open Logitech Profiler 2. Click Menu item “Device” 3. Click “Game Controllers”. A list of installed controllers will appear 4. Click the controller you want to adjust – example: Logitech G940 Joystick 5. Click “Properties”. The Test window will appear. 6. Click “Settings”. The settings window will appear. 7. Click the button marked “Hysteresis”. (If the button is grayed-out, the G940 needs a firmware update. Click the button to go to instructions and the new firmware updater.) 8. A new window will appear. It contains sliding adjustments for each axis. They are set at default settings, but can be adjusted. A lower number indicated more responsiveness. In some games setting the number too low will cause the axis to become jittery and unstable. If this happens, adjust the number higher until the axis is stable. You can reset all the axes by clicking “Default” 9. Click OK to close the window, and close the other windows. III. Updating the Logitech G940 Firmware We’ve updated the firmware of the G940 to improve force feedback response, and allow for adjustability of axis response. To update your firmware to the new version, follow these instructions: 1. Close all running applications 2. Connect Flight System G940, with throttle and rudder pedals attached, to PC USB connection. Do not connect through an external USB hub. 3. Go to c:\Program Files\Logitech\FW\G940_Updater.exe 4. Double click G940_Updater.exe to start the updater. Windows 7 users should right click and choose Run as administrator. 5. The updater will erase the firmware, then wait while Windows redetects the stick, then write the new firmware. Once it it is finished, you will be prompted to press enter to close the application. 6. In some PCs the updater may freeze. If the updater freezes for more than 30 seconds. DO NOT WORRY. Close the program (click X in the upper right corner) and then restart the updater. It will complete the process. The firmware update improves the centering response, and reduces the looseness in the center. it was also adjusted to hold the stick straighter when you take off your hand and the dead-man switch engages. IV. Printing profiles: we improved the profile printer. The colors were changed to improve black and white printing, and command name lengths have been lengthened. Thank you for your patience in waiting for this update.

Unfortunately, We can't comment on possible future products or software. I will include the request those additions to the centering spring function (independent of the game's imputs). As mentioned before, the "slop" can be completely eliminated by sim developers. We are working with developers to enhance force feedback now. The capabilities of the force feedback have yet to be fully explored by any sim.

The Mini-stick should be cycled through its full X and Y range any time your system has been powered down. The internal firmware captures the ranges as part of a basic auto calibration routine. With version 5.08 software, we added manual calibration to improve the accuracy. Once the mini stick calibration is done in the game controller setup, you do not need to recalibrate. That data is stored on the PC.

Alec, Thank you for taking the time and effort to discover the tweaks and settings in G940 and Black Shark to optimize the controls and experience. When I created the profile, my goal was to get all the key commands into it, so users could assign them as they like. Every sim is different, and adding force feedback adds to the complexity. I'll be tuning my personal settings to these.

The download is now available. http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/441/5855&cl=us,en?WT.ac=sc|downloads||dd

Update: We are releasing version 5.08 this week. It corrects a number of things, including: Shift mode: Assigning a shift on on one device now works across to the other. i.e.assigning shift on the stick will cause a shift of the buttons on the throttle as well. Manual Mini-stick calibration: the mini-joystick on the Stick is now calibrated manually during installation, so it gives a more precise center. Updated Profiles: added many profiles to the game updater. Profiles are included for IL-2 series, Falcon:AF, Flight Simulator X, Lock On series, DCS: Black Shark, and others. OS Support: Includes Windows 7, 32 and 64 bit. I expect it to be available Wednesday.

The next release of LGS software - 5.08, includes a profile for Black Shark with all the commands included. It will probably be available Wednesday. It also includes improved shift functionality and mini-stick calibration.

Neoqb does have a unit, as well as communication with our software team.

I'm looking into the Support issues. The product is set up in the system with information and FAQs. We are compiling a single zip file with all the current profiles. When its up, I'll post the link.

Hi All, First, Although it will probably work, we are not yet claiming comp[atibility with Windows 7. Our software will be compatible before the October 22 launch. The G940 has a "deadman" switch, which shuts off force feedback and centers the stick whenever you remove your hand. So, if you trim the stick to a non-centered position, and remove your hand, it will return to the basic centered position. This is a safety device to keep the stick from jumping off your desk in a crash, or during other violent force inputs. It cannot be turned off in software. However, the sensor is just above the screw on the right side of the stick. If it were covered by a dark object, such as some tape, it would not return to center automatically. We don't recommend this, but ot would act more realistically. There is a more recent software build out, published after the G940 went into production. The production version was 5.06. 5.07 is available for download, but not yet linked to G940. You can get the proper download by following the support links from the G27 racing wheel. We are making further improvements, and I'll post the notice when the next update comes out.

Hi, I'm glad to see some feedback here and am happy to comment. First, it is important to clarify some terminology. There is ZERO deadzone in the stick X and Y axes, unless you add it in the profile. That means the stick registers movement throught its range. What users are encountering is the force feedback spring centering. Our base driver has some play in the center, to keep the motor from fighting itself on center. Once the simulation starts, all stick centering and force feedback comes from the game settings. G940 is doing exactly what it is told. Now that G940 is available to software developers, we expect to work with them to tune the sims to the G940 capabilities. There is no physical or mechanical limitation to eliminating the play from the center. You can force centering in all games by checking the checkbox in the force feedback settings to enable center spring all the time. There is no check box to reverse forces. We haven't encountered any games with them reversed. FSX forces are sometimes a bit laggy, which can give the impression of being reversed. Unfortunately, there is no one at ACES studio to work with, as there was when we started the project. There is a more recent software build out, published after the G940 went into production. The production version was 5.06. 5.07 is available for download, but not yet linked to G940. You can get the proper download by following the support links from the G27 racing wheel. We are making further improvements, and I'll post the notice when the next update comes out.

The issue described is from the slight force dead zone, which allows the stick to lean forward against the force feedback "spring". The stick centers perfectly, but when you let go, the optical dead man switch turns off game force and substitutes the default centering. There is some looseness, to avoid high power usage of the motors at rest. We are looking at tweaking the driver to have the stick rest at center. Its not a difficult fix. We are also working with sim developers to improve the in-game looseness of forces. There hasn't been a good reason to put in extra effort on force feedback until G940. We find that the developers are eager to incorporate better feedback now that the work will be rewarded.

It isn't out of the question, but it would have a BIG impact on cost. In addition, I'm not aware of any sims with a rudder force feedback signal at this time.

North America release is late August - a few short weeks before Europe.

I'm not sure of the UK price, but suggested retail price in euro is $299.99. Availability is early September. G940 is made from a number of materials; plastics, glass-filled polycarbonates, aluminum, stainless steel and rubber. None of it looks or feels cheap in person; Its a very heavy, solid product :)

Sensitivity,dead zone, range and polarity of all axes can be adjusted in the driver software. Strength of force feedback components can be adjusted for the X and Y axis. Logic scripts are not supported. However, there is a lot of the functionality of your example using the zone assignment. the range of an axis can be divided into multiple zones, so that a command is triggered when the axis is within that range. So for example, a rotary could be divided into 5 zones, 0-20%, 21-40%, 41-60%, 61-80%, 81-100%. system mode commands can then be assigned to the range. NAV, BVR, CAC, HMS, A2G, for example. In this case, scrolling through the range would switch the system to the mode corresponding to its zone. I use this feature in LOMAC. Note that the commands assigned in a zone are like any other command so they can be complex key macros. The software also has cycling commands. a list of commands can be assembled and assigned to a button. each time it is pressed, it will do the next command on the list, looping back the the first command after the end is reached. This can be used for a number of things, including a ramp start sequence, or selection of views. Finally, the throttle mode switch has three positions. each button can have three separate commands based on mode switch position. In addition, any button can be turned into a shift, doubling commands for a total of 6 per button on stick and throttle. I can't comment about any possible future products or product features. We are planning to do more detailed product descriptions in blog posts on the Logitech site in coming months.

Can you program rotaries as directional axes (one direction = some response while the other direction = a different response)? Axis movement can be divided into “zones”. These zones can each be assigned a command. So you could assign “Volume increase” to a zone on one side of center, and “Volume decrease” to a zone on the other side. The software cannot send a command based on axis directional movement like a rotary encoder. Is there any capability for setting bit flags so that, for example, if some condition is false a button press does one thing while if it is true, another action is realized (pretty powerful and very useful)? The software does not have that feature What are the macro capabilities of the software (how many commands, are all keyboard buttons recognized, can multiple macros run in parallel, etc.)? All keys are recognized, including left & right versions of Windows, Shift, Ctrl and Alt keys. Multiple macros should run in parallel, but they may confuse the simulation, since they are just sending key commands, which may combine in an unintended way, which would not be the fault of the Logitech software. what is the size of the keystroke buffer(s) ... how many keystrokes can be input before you start stepping on previous keystrokes before they are implemented (important for complex macros). Not sure – I’ll look into it. Has the software been tested for compatibility with other controller software (yes, even your competitors' software ) to enable using multiple input devices in parallel. I seem to remember some difficult problems with setpoint software concerning other applications where I had to disable setpoint before being able to continue ... granted that is mouse SW but they are not that dissimilar, methinks. The software has been formally tested with all current and near release Windows versions. It has also been tested with most flight simulation titles and other Logitech software. There have been some informal tests with competitive products, and there haven’t been issues. How will button and axis assignments be made viewable outside the software? That is, what utility is present for printing out control assignments. Assignments for a game profile can be printed. Is it possible to change profiles from within a simulation? Profiles can be loaded only from the profiler, or load automatically when an assigned game is loaded.

I am the Product Manager for G940, as well as a long time flight simmer. If anyone has specific questions about the Flight System G940, I will do my best to answer them.