DCS-BIOS Console Lights Address

[maciekish]

Hi, I'm in the midst of building a pit, and this is the second time this happens. Every time i upgrade DCS-BIOS or DCS World, not sure which, some DCS-BIOS addresses seem to change. For example, console lights of the A-10C were 0x12ee, 0xffff. I just upgraded my PC and reinstalled DCS World and DCS-BIOS (Flightpanels fork) and my backlight doesn't work AGAIN. Upon checking in BORT, the address is now 0x1370, 0xffff. So i need to take all my panels out and reflash with the new address. This is infuriating.

Where does this change come from? Is it DCS World that changes it, or DCS-BIOS? Can i do something about it?

I tried searching the DCS-BIOS repo for 1370 and found nothing. The only reference is INT_CONSOLE_L_BRIGHT which doesnt seem to have any address.

 Not working anymore:

// Backlight
void onInternalConsoleLightsChange(unsigned int newValue) {
    analogWrite(5, newValue / (256 * 6));
}
DcsBios::IntegerBuffer internalConsoleLightsBuffer(0x12ee, 0xffff, 0, onInternalConsoleLightsChange);

Needs to be updated to this for every single panel:

// Backlight
void onInternalConsoleLightsChange(unsigned int newValue) {
    analogWrite(5, newValue / (256 * 6));
}
DcsBios::IntegerBuffer internalConsoleLightsBuffer(0x1370, 0xffff, 0, onInternalConsoleLightsChange);

 

[No1sonuk]

IIRC, the addresses are auto-generated based on the DCS code. I don't know exactly how.
If something is added or removed from the data stream (e.g. when the ARC-210 was added to the A-10C II), the addresses change.

The Fork devs are looking at options to solve the problem, or at least make updating easier, but it's not going to be a quick process.

In the mean-time, have you considered a hardware solution? e.g. running a control line from one decoder to all the required panels.

[outbaxx]

If someone adds or delete a define line before the line where the lights are defined in the A10.lua it will get a new address, but so would anything after the new added line so it’s weird that it’s only the lights, but perhaps it’s defined at the end of the file?

[maciekish]

1 hour ago, outbaxx said:

If someone adds or delete a define line before the line where the lights are defined in the A10.lua it will get a new address, but so would anything after the new added line so it’s weird that it’s only the lights, but perhaps it’s defined at the end of the file?

Switches etc dont use addresses, they just send a message so it only impacts things like ligths and maybe servos etc. Only have 5 panels done, i'm sure i will run into more issues if it continues like this. Why don't they just add the stuff att the end instead of in the middle of the damn file  Or just manually assign the addresses, looks like 10 min work per module which only has to be done once, if it was made like that from the beginning.

[No1sonuk]

2 hours ago, maciekish said:

Switches etc dont use addresses, they just send a message so it only impacts things like ligths and maybe servos etc. Only have 5 panels done, i'm sure i will run into more issues if it continues like this. Why don't they just add the stuff att the end instead of in the middle of the damn file  Or just manually assign the addresses, looks like 10 min work per module which only has to be done once, if it was made like that from the beginning.

The problem is it WASN'T made like that from the beginning.
What you also need to bear in mind is that the original intention of the Flightpanels Fork was to interface the Saitek Flight Panels.  A couple of the devs there don't have Arduino experience - one only just bought a starter kit today.

The address issue IS being discussed in the staff discord channel, but the radical change required to eliminate the address change problem will take time to develop.
A potential "workaround" was discussed in public before it switched to the staff channel:
 https://discord.com/channels/533342958712258572/577071592870248448/1131602412411551795

[maciekish]

Ofc i understand that, sorry if i wasnt clear enough. That link doesnt work for me unfortunately, says it opened my Discord client but nothing happens, tried 2 browsers, no messages about it being blocked or whatever -.- Any chance you can share a screenshot of the workaround please? Nvm i just logged in through the browser, forgot thats an option. Thanks anyway

Edited August 12, 2023 by maciekish

[maciekish]

I added a pull request as a stop-gap solution until static addressing can be implemented https://github.com/DCSFlightpanels/dcs-bios/pull/177