PhidgetLED 64 and HELIOS setup

Have done some looking around and maybe I just can't find the answer

But I have set up HELIOS along with my new phidgets led board to run my caution panel and for the life of me can not get helios or DCS to turn LEDs on.....

I have insured that I do not run TRACKIR while testing, have gone and assigned everything inside HELIOS profile (pictures of settings attached), but for some reason cannot get a response form helios into the real world...I can get the lights to run from the PH software and have insured that dialog is closed prior to starting helios....

Any help on this would be so greatly appreciated....

So thought perhaps dcs may be issue so setup clean profile with a switch to try and turn on an led and still nothing...am starting to think must be some setting not letting Helios talk to the phidget board

Hi Jander,

You have installed the Phidgets software, correct? Are you able to turn on a single LED by;

A. Starting Phidgets Control panel

B. dobble clicking on "Phigdets LED 64 Advance" from Phidgets control panel

C. Selecting an LED and turning up LED brightness for that particular LED

Does this give you a reaction on the LED?

Secondly please try and add Brightness to the Helios profile as seen on attached. Seem to recall that I had to fiddle a bit with this when I set it up first time.

Cheers

Hans

Get the phidgets software and libraries file as HMA stated.

Just make sure Helios is loaded before TRackIR is turned on.

There is no need to use a Brightness binding unless you want to reduce the brightness. Telling it to set brightness to 100 is redundant as that is the default.

If you do want your LED to turn on with reduced brightness, do the brightness binding first, save the profile, then use the set command to turn on the LED. It won't work if you do the Set Power binding first.

You first post describes what it looks like if you need to click the setup button for DCS in HElios. Your export may not be working. The choosen LED should light up as soon as you click on a number for it in Helios, before you even try a binding.

thanks guys for the assistance, and I did try all the above.

Like I said, have phidget software running, no trackir running, not even DCS, just helios.

Made new profile set up just one toggle switch, made it work with my GPWIZ controller for a real switch and works fine. Made switch turn on one of the LED groups and nothing, removed GPWIZ as part of switch making me have to click switch on helios to try and still nothing.

I can control the lights via the ph software, but still getting nothing through HELIOS for some reason

OK.

Have you tried looking or asking here? I remember seeing some posts about it there.

http://www.gadrocsworkshop.com/forum

How about running as Admin? Perhaps a 32/64 bit version thing?

I know I had trouble right at first but it sorted itself out. If Helios is talking with the card, the LED should light up as soon as you click on the LED number when creating the LED name. Forget about any switches or bindings, this is your first goal to see a LED light up when number is clicked.

I know from experience it is easy for mis-communication when troubleshooting and something usually basic has been missed.

Good luck.

The software 'locks' the card. So you cant have the Phidget control panel and Helios running at the same time.

Use the phidget software to make sure the LEDs are plugged in and working, then make sure you close the app. Then run Helios and configure as needed.

Before you run the game, exit Phidget panel, run Helios... Should work.

Good point Jimbo, You cannot run Profile editor and Control Center at the same time either.

OK.

 

Have you tried looking or asking here? I remember seeing some posts about it there.

 

http://www.gadrocsworkshop.com/forum

 

How about running as Admin? Perhaps a 32/64 bit version thing?

 

I know I had trouble right at first but it sorted itself out. If Helios is talking with the card, the LED should light up as soon as you click on the LED number when creating the LED name. Forget about any switches or bindings, this is your first goal to see a LED light up when number is clicked.

 

I know from experience it is easy for mis-communication when troubleshooting and something usually basic has been missed.

 

Good luck.

definitely have the 64bit version, 64 bit os so 32 wouldn't let me install. Didn't know about just clicking the led would light them up, definitely not seeing that. I have now tried as others said and closed the PH software; I have also tried just running it in tray with no config open and still either way get no LED. I have now tried also setting helios to run as admin and tried different steps of compatibility from xp forward. I then tried having ph in tray and setting that as well with some compatability setting. If I had another windows machine would indeed try and test it but both machines I have currently run win8...will continue to try different stuff and see if I can't get it to work, thanks again all for all the advice and assistance.

Ok. will try a step by step to see if we are missing something.

Phidgets program always starts with WIndows for me. It sits in the tray, but I do nothing with it.

I created a new profile in Helios.

I added the phidgets as an Interface.

I saved the profile.

I added a LED GROUP 0 and clicked the number for the LED and it lit up.

that's it.

You have verified that your DCS setup tab in Helios says "Your (mine says Blackshark here ) configuration is up to date"

I note I have UAC disabled.

Maybe Win 8 is the culprit?

Ok. will try a step by step to see if we are missing something.

 

Phidgets program always starts with WIndows for me. It sits in the tray, but I do nothing with it.

 

I created a new profile in Helios.

I added the phidgets as an Interface.

I saved the profile.

I added a LED GROUP 0 and clicked the number for the LED and it lit up.

 

that's it.

 

You have verified that your DCS setup tab in Helios says "Your (mine says Blackshark here ) configuration is up to date"

 

I note I have UAC disabled.

 

Maybe Win 8 is the culprit?

Just to ensure it wasn't my brain, did exactly as you, step by step (all new kid on the block style too lol), and still nothing am really starting to think win8 hates my face....ah also tried disabling UAC all the way and ensured in my main profile DCS configuration is up to date. also checked just to make sure I wasn't really loosing it and made sure ph software after all that could still light up leds and it does with no issue.... Anyone else seen issues with win8?

Is there any kind of compatability mode you can try in the properties for Helios?

I found a post about Win8 and Helios at Gadroc's site.

http://www.gadrocsworkshop.com/node/230

Thought the same thing so starting thinking about how Helios all together talks to phiget....and desided to snoop around the files within both programs. replaced Helios phidget.dll files with the ones that comes with ph download and bam! works like a champ. Good to know for anyone who comes across this issue as well. Thanks again for all the help!!

Great to hear!

I wonder if something like this could help me fix my trouble with Helios and the Phidgets 8 motor Servo controller... I will look into it when I get time. If so, my APU temperature gauge will work :)

Jander, If I could give you more rep I surely would.

You have fixed my Helios/Phidgets Servo controller problem. My working APU temp gauge will be named after you. :)

Jander, If I could give you more rep I surely would.

 

You have fixed my Helios/Phidgets Servo controller problem. My working APU temp gauge will be named after you. :)

very nice, glad it helped out. Have seen others posting about same issue with servo wonder if that is major solution(?)

I sent him a PM. I hope it helps him too. There should be a post made about this at Gadroc's workshop site. I've lost my PW there (again!) so I can't get on for now. Everyone should probably update their phidgets DLL files.

Good find guys. Thanks a lot. :thumbup:

Cheers

Hans

Thought the same thing so starting thinking about how Helios all together talks to phiget....and desided to snoop around the files within both programs. replaced Helios phidget.dll files with the ones that comes with ph download and bam! works like a champ. Good to know for anyone who comes across this issue as well. Thanks again for all the help!!

I just wanted to let you know that it wasn't a Win 8 issue with your Phidgets problem. I'm running Win 7 and had exactly the same problem until I replaced the Helios/Phidgets.dll files with the same but newer files from the Phidgets directory. That made it all work perfectly.

After reading your thead I assumed that your fix was necessary only because you were running it in Win 8 so I spent several hours trying to figure out why mine didn't work when everyone else had theirs functioning just fine in Win 7. As a last resort I copied those same files as you did and now it runs just fine. So whatever version of Windows, its seems to be just good practice to do this file swap regardless of what you are running.

And BTW, I'm like a kid with a new toy.:D I am so excited to have my U-HID board and my Phidgets board working. My cockpit is getting closer each day.:pilotfly:

I just wanted to let you know that it wasn't a Win 8 issue with your Phidgets problem. I'm running Win 7 and had exactly the same problem until I replaced the Helios/Phidgets.dll files with the same but newer files from the Phidgets directory. That made it all work perfectly.

 

After reading your thead I assumed that your fix was necessary only because you were running it in Win 8 so I spent several hours trying to figure out why mine didn't work when everyone else had theirs functioning just fine in Win 7. As a last resort I copied those same files as you did and now it runs just fine. So whatever version of Windows, its seems to be just good practice to do this file swap regardless of what you are running.

 

And BTW, I'm like a kid with a new toy.:D I am so excited to have my U-HID board and my Phidgets board working. My cockpit is getting closer each day.:pilotfly:

Yeah is the .dll's being 64bit, definitly a nice have, wish it could do 12v as well, but no love lose just for that, love the board. Glad this post fixed your issue though, know it was driving me nuts having it but it not working lol.:pilotfly: