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PFD and MFD Crashes on Two PCs

(Original thread started on 07-11-14 by Chris Capkalu)

I have the following problem: I installed the Jet45 AAS Demo few days ago to begin tests of my MIP/DU's.

 

I installed PFD, MFD and EICAS on one PC. Prepar3D 1.4 is running on another PC. The Jet45 clients communicate to the P3D PC via WideFS, connection is established and stable. FSUIPC and WideFS is fully registered. Now when I start the PFD, everything is fine, running totally smooth and is looking superb. I continue to start up the MFD-client. Both clients running together and showing correct behavior for ca. 10 seconds. Then one of the clients (either PFD or MFD) crashes. The other one continues to work. Same happens when I start all 3 clients (PFD, MFD, EICAS). Two of them or all crashes after a few seconds.

 

.NET Framework 4.0 is installed. I tried to download 3.5, but the setup won't start. Is 3.5 included in 4.0?

 

PC is a Core 2 Duo, 4 GB, graphic Radeon HD5450, Win 7 64bit. Help please!

 

(Posted by Ron Rollo on 07-12-14)

Hi Chris, it sounds like WideClient is having a tough time running all the Jet45 stuff over the network that you have set up. I had the same issue and I still do unless I do a little fix that I will tell you about in a minute. But first, what you are experiencing has happened with a few of us and not with others. It could be that your hardware lacks or there is a setting here or there off. Not that I am looking forward to it but when the time comes to do a complete overhaul on my computers, I will be updating several components on my client including updating the processor to a i7. (I have a i3 now.) I don't know if this will make a difference but it can only help.

 

To hopefully fix your issue you will need to over ride the priority of your WideClient on your client computer and set it to HIGH. You may know how to do this but for the sake of anyone who does not here we go.

 

Ctrl+Alt+Delete will take you to your task manager screen. Click on Processes. From there scroll down until you see WideClient. Right click on that and you will see a drop down for Set Priority. Your default is Normal. You will want to set it to High. This should solve your problem. For me it solves 99% of my issues and I hope that my hardware updates in the future fixes things to 100%. Without this over ride my sim goes nuts!

 

Another thing that you may have to do is over ride Dave Ault's standby gauges if you have them. I over ride them to Above Normal.

 

The other thing that you need to know but would figure this out on your own is that you have to override these settings every time you start your computer.  Try this and report back!

 

(Posted by Alan Norris on 07-12-14)

Ron is right about the network traffic being the bottleneck. He is running all of his software and hardware on 2 PCs. I originally built 2 PCs with i7 processors but I could never get any of the JET45 software to run in a stable mode. I tried all the tricks -- updated my switch, set the priorities to HIGH but to no avail. I finally purchased a cheap DELL computer with an i5 processor and on-board graphics for about $400 and configured my system as follows.

 

PC #1 (home built with an i7 CPU which is my HOST computer) I run FSX, InterfaceIT, add on programs such as REX. I also run all of my hardware such as pedals, yoke, etc via USB hubs. This PC also runs the main display monitor. You can run the monitor that displays MFD and the FO PFD if you have that -- I don't) together with the JET45 software for those displays.

 

PC #2 (home built with an i7 CPU which is my CLIENT computer) it runs WIDEClient as well as the monitor that displays the pilot PFD and the EICAS as well as the JET45 software for those displays.

 

PC #3 (the Dell) runs WIDEClient and the monitor that displays the two RMUS, the MFD and the standby gauges.

 

After I made all these changes my system is as stable as a rock with no network issues as the load is spread over more than two PCs. Hope this helps.

 

(Posted by Mark Speechley on 07-14-14)

Will throw my twenty cents worth in as well and tell you that I've been there as well and can tell you that the solution Alan is giving you is the best solution. You can try all the other permutations you can think of but in the end...YOU WANT TO FLY...without the instruments going haywire. You then have to almost reboot everything to get the network 'talking' again. As Alan has stated, his setup is rock solid. that will be one less thing to worry about.

 

I want you also to consider that (as I am a dedicated P3Dv2.2 flyer) you will also want to start loading addons.

 

For example:

Flight Sim commander (for flight plans, approaches, etc)

RAAS PRO

Sim sounds

Weather/ Texture programs eg REX4

etc

 

Some of these programs may be installed on your client computer and hence will also require network bandwidth. Think of another computer as also an investment for the future allowing you to expand your umber of addons. ORBX, god bless them, have downloads on a weekly and sometimes daily basis. They will slowly hive off a little bit more of the CPU, GPU and RAM off your server which may/will be required for WideFS to communicate with the clients.. The pressure to have enough bandwidth will be squeezed from the server and the client and it will not improve in the near future.

 

So without harping any further, your decision really is not to get another computer, but how will you divide up the instruments once you do. ORBX is about to release FTX Global Open LC Europe. Apart from being very big ~18GB it is suggested that you would benefit even further if you installed Pilots FSGlobal2010 mesh as well. And on and on and on it goes. No point having a beaut sim, without the scenery to fly in! Wait till FTX Global North America comes out!

 

My point is the demands on the computers we have are going to drastically increase (assuming you choose to go that route of course) so spreading the load makes present and future sense. Anyone wanting to dispute this?

 

(Posted by Chris Capkalu on 07-18-14)

First of all thanks a lot for the replies. I love this forum! Ron, you are the man!

 

It was exactly the issue you advised me, WideFS has to be set to high. Now it runs perfect! Due to the fact that I only run 1xPFD, 1xMFD,1xEICAS and 1xEFIS on this computer, hardware should be sufficient (I am building a regional liner single-seat, not exactly a Lear). All beside add-on's and programs are running on my admin-computer and finally P3D itself running on it's own machine.

 

For the saving of priority check this: [url=http://www.prnwatch.com/prio/]Prio[/url] It's freeware and it sounds great to solve the issue with setting the priority every time after start-up of Windows. I will give it a try!

 

(Posted by Ron Rollo on 07-18-14)

Hey Chris, I am glad that trick worked for you. Credit goes to Dave Ault who told me about it. I will try Pri in the next few weeks because it is getting old over riding like this every time I set up.