Simgears DED and DCS Bios

[Jimbo]

Hi All,

Hoping I can get some help.

I'm building an f16 pit and have a Simgears DED but using DCS BIOS for all other inputs / outputs. However, I cant get the 2 working together.

If I start DCS BIOS (single com port) first, Simgears hub cannot find the device. In the reverse, DCS BIOS gives a permission denied error when I run the serial connect command. Ive tried a bunch of combinations but no luck

I'm sure I cant be the only one with this combo so wondered if others have the same issue and if they've been able to work around it.

Any help is much appreciated.

Jim

[Dos]

Jim,

Although I do not have a solution I was wondering if any of this sound familiar to your problem, see link: 

For me it happens when I use Elgato Streamdeck and anything connected through BIOS. I will lose a board like the caution panel or AOA indicators and get Socat permission denied on the com port window. I am guessing you are using flightpanel as the original one is no longer supported and  used multi com port? I hope it gets figured out I miss using the streamdeck.

J 

[Jimbo]

Hi Dos,

Thanks for your reply. This does look like the issue i'm having. 

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I'll give the elevated command window a go and see if this helps, thank you. However I'm thinking the best solution might be to use and serial connected DCS Bios stuff on a slave PC, though that'll take a but of R&D as I dont know id DCS Bios is network aware.

Hopefully a solution is in the works as its a shame having partially working kit!

[No1sonuk]

@Dos And @Jimbo Did either of you file an issue case on the DCS-BIOS (Skunkworks/Flightpanels Fork) Github?
This thread is the first time I was aware of the problem as I'd only used either Streamdeck OR Arduino, not both together.
BTW, I can confirm that a Socat-connected Arduino blocks the Streamdeck.

OH, and You should check the port numbers.  My Arduino connected to the IDE via Port 4, but needed to use port 5 for the Socat connection.

Edited October 21, 2024 by No1sonuk

[Dos]

Hello,

After trying many combos with single or multi comm ports and the streamdeck I finally ejected : ) - I unplugged the streamdeck and considered selling it. It was very functional so stay with it but not hooked up. I did not file a report but can and will. Thanks for the reply.

Kindly
J 

[Jimbo]

Hi,

I haven't put anything on Github - Thats a really good shout and I will do so now, thank you!

I'm still plugging away with some testing of networked DCS BIOS traffic - fingers crossed

Jim

 

[Snakedoc]

Hi @Jimbo

I'm having the same issue with the DED + DCS bios. Have you found a way to make both of them work together? 

Thanks

[Dos]

Fingers crossed!

[Jimbo]

On 11/21/2024 at 2:52 PM, Snakedoc said:

Hi @Jimbo

I'm having the same issue with the DED + DCS bios. Have you found a way to make both of them work together? 

Thanks

Hi,

Not yet i'm afraid. Work has eaten my time so i havent been looking at it for a bit.

Hoping to have some time over xmas break so will update as soon as I have anything

[Snakedoc]

Happy to say that I've managed to have both programs working thanks to an amazing workaround found by @Ares63 (all credits go to him)

In order to have both SOCAT & DEDHUB working you'll have to do the following:

 

1. open the "connect-serial-port.cmd" file found in your /SCRIPTS/PROGRAMS folder with notepad++ or similar

2. change the following line from "set PROTOCOL=UDP" to "set PROTOCOL=TCP" & save

3. as you've now changed the protocol to TCP, you must first launch DCS and be in an un-paused mission before you launch SOCAT! Otherwise you'll get an error

4. Enjoy your arduino panels & Simgears DED 

 

Edited November 27, 2024 by Snakedoc

[Ares63]

Let me explain what it happens, the listening port could be open in exlusive mode or shared mode, in exlusive mode other programs cannot (normally) connect and use the same port, refused connection is the error you can expect; in shared mode the port could be used by multiple programs at the same time.
SOCAT it open the UDP port in SHARED mode, as you can check in SOCAT batch comand line with the parameter "reuseaddr", but if another program like DEDHub tries to open it in EXCLUSIVE mode is refused, because is already used and also if it is used in SHARED for logical conseguence can not be left in EXLUSIVE ...  Of course if it is DEDHub or another application tha opens the comunication port FIRST Any other attempts from other programs will be rejected (wit the same erro connectio refused) 
Dato che DCS-BIOS routes all messages in both UDP and TCP channels and DEDHub it works in UDP a WORKAROUND is to enforce SOCAT to work in TCP ...and it work TCP is the protocol that it is used also from the old deprecated help/online debug/template/Doc  web based app or from BORT  

SIMGEARS knows this problem and is working on it

Same refused error same cause if the error is related to the serial COM but i have no workaround for it and there is no reason for a COM to be used by multiple programs in DCS  if you get a refused error an all COMs could be tha a progrma is allocating all the COMs port ...why? i don't know it make no sense 

 

@Jimbo i guess (but i never checked it in DCS-BIOS) that you can get DCS-BIOS  flow on a slave PC, is enough tha you change the IP address in SOCAT batch file connect-serial-port.cmd from 0.0.0.0 and/or 127.0.0.1 and/or "localhost" that of course is a local pc address with the remote DCS/DCS-BIOS IP address 
you can try if you need 

Edited November 27, 2024 by Ares63

[Jimbo]

@Ares63 Absolute legend!! Thank you, i'll rig up the sim later this week and give it a go.

Ref the DCS Bios, yes, I was hoping to broadcast UDP out to 0.0.0.0 and have slaves pick it up. The rationale for this was my sim rig is also my work / daily use PC. On refection, its easier (and likely less problematic) to dedicate  this PC to the sim so i'm not constantly plugging / unplugging devices.

I spent a good 10 mins the other day looking for my email client, eventually found it on my RWR screen

[Dos]

Hello @Ares63 thank you for cracking this, actually all of you for not giving up. I was wondering if the change of TCP works when using multiple-com-ports?

[Snakedoc]

18 minutes ago, Dos said:

Hello @Ares63 thank you for cracking this, actually all of you for not giving up. I was wondering if the change of TCP works when using multiple-com-ports?

@Dos The multiple-com-port calls for the same batch cmd file (connect-serial-port) so yes, it works  I’ve tested it on my setup with no issues 

Edited December 2, 2024 by Snakedoc

[Dos]

I appriecate the reply

[Ares63]

Il 01/12/2024 at 19:57, Jimbo ha scritto:

The rationale for this was my sim rig is also my work / daily use PC. On refection, its easier (and likely less problematic) to dedicate  this PC to the sim so i'm not constantly plugging / unplugging devices.

same for me, my PC is my working station, my devenlop PC for my business and for the SIMs because i need a experimental machine and a clean machine i setup a double WINDOWS partition.