ACM Game Card

Hello, I have installed Thrustmaser's ACM game card. My problem is now I cannot calibrate in ProPanel. It just comes up error for my Nascar Pro Wheel and my Sidewinder Joystick. Is it necessary to use ProPanel with the game card? I have disabled the game port on my sound card in device manager. I had no problem using ProPanel before installing the new ACM card. Emailed Thrustmaster twice and have not got a response from them. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank You Harry

Have you tried calibrating by using the joystick applet in the Control Panel instead? Is the device you are attempting to calibrate controller ID #1? ProPanel is not always needed. I have an ACM gamecard, T2 F22-Pro/TQS/RCS with no problems. I am just using the DirectX5.0 joystick applet. The only thing is I have to make sure the proper device is configured as controller ID #1. -- Header address intentionally scrambled to ward off the spamming hordes. >Hello, >I have installed Thrustmaser's ACM game card. My problem is now I >cannot calibrate in ProPanel. It just comes up error for my Nascar >Pro Wheel and my Sidewinder Joystick. Is it necessary to use ProPanel >with the game card? I have disabled the game port on my sound card in >device manager. I had no problem using ProPanel before installing the >new ACM card. Emailed Thrustmaster twice and have not got a response >from them. Any help would be greatly appreciated. >Thank You >Harry

Thanks for the response, that is another problem I have encountered. I had the joystick applet in control panel until I installed Andretti Racing with directx 5.0, It replaced the joystick applet with a new one. Then I uninstalled Andretti Racing and now I don't have either one in Control Panel, just the ProPanel. I set the device to controller 1 but it still just reads error. Is there anyway to get the joystick applet back. Nascar 2 and Indycar 2 run fine calibrating them within the game, but I am running both of them in Dos. On Sat, 7 Feb 1998 08:40:28 -0600, "Greg Cisko"

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>Have you tried calibrating by using the joystick applet in the >Control Panel instead? >Is the device you are attempting to calibrate controller ID #1? >ProPanel is not always needed. I have an ACM gamecard, T2 >F22-Pro/TQS/RCS with no problems. I am just using the DirectX5.0 >joystick applet. The only thing is I have to make sure the proper >device is configured as controller ID #1. >-- >Header address intentionally scrambled to ward off the spamming hordes. >>Hello, >>I have installed Thrustmaser's ACM game card. My problem is now I >>cannot calibrate in ProPanel. It just comes up error for my Nascar >>Pro Wheel and my Sidewinder Joystick. Is it necessary to use ProPanel >>with the game card? I have disabled the game port on my sound card in >>device manager. I had no problem using ProPanel before installing the >>new ACM card. Emailed Thrustmaster twice and have not got a response >>from them. Any help would be greatly appreciated. >>Thank You >>Harry

Ya might want to try Propanel without your game card. I found that with the Propanel utility, I no longer needed the game card, and was able to run through my standard joystick port. Works beautifully, and freed up an isa slot for that verbal commander i had always been wanting <g> -- Don Burnette I-65 Racing Dburn on Ten

>Thanks for the response, that is another problem I have encountered. I >had the joystick applet in control panel until I installed Andretti >Racing with directx 5.0, It replaced the joystick applet with a new >one. Then I uninstalled Andretti Racing and now I don't have either Yes the DirectX 5.0 joystick applet is very much like the ProPanel. That is why I removed ProPanel from my machine, I saw no advantage. However simply removing Andretti Racing really should not have removed the Joystick applet from the Control Panel. I guess I would suggest removing the ProPanel (you can always reinstall it if you want), then reinstall DirectX5.0 (this should give you your joystick applet back) and follow the instructions on the Thrustmaster web site to setup your Nascar Pro wheel. Make sure that the steering axis and gas/brake axis are configured to be on Joystick #1. Use combined instead of seperate for the switch setting. Also, you did a ADD NEW HARDWARE in the control panel to add the ACM game card right? If not you need to do that first or nothing will work. -- Header address intentionally scrambled to ward off the spamming hordes.

Ive got a different problem with my ACM game card and thought I'd tack it onto this thread. I try to use that setup program, TMS, and i cant get any setting on the dial to bring the arrow to the middle, its always all the way to the right. As far as i can tell, my game port performance isnt affected, but i bought this card b/c i thought i'd at least be able to reduce the "jitter" i get from my joysticks, and maybe this card would help. I finally chucked the ProPanel because i could never get the damned thing to work with my TM-GP1 and CH-Pro-Pedals setup. I had to set up a custom 4 axis, 4 button joystick. Like i said, i cant see any performance degridation, but then again, ive never had a "perfect" setup so i dont know what the REAL thing should be. :) One final thing, does anyone know if you can program the TM-GP1 buttons to do keystrokes? Thanks in advance. --Scott

Well what you have to do to deal with this is kind of a pain in the rear. When you want to run racing games in W95, you must install the device you have configured for your wheel into the Joystick applet. When you want to use your normal joystick you *MUST* remove your wheel device from the joystick applet and install the Joystick device for your joystick. I have a T2 for driving games and a TM F22-Pro/TQS/RCS for flight games. I have both of these devices connected to a JOYSWITCH box. Switch setting 1 is for my F22-Pro and switch 2 is connected to my T2. So I must move the switch on the Joyswitch to the proper setting and go into the joystick applet and add/remove devices as necessary. Where people go wrong is that DirectX 5.0 has provisions for several devices to be configured at the same time. W95 will *ONLY* use whatever device is on ID#1. So while the capability is there to install several devices in the joystick applet, it is not "supported". Typical MS programming actually. They are perpetually 80% complete :-) -- Header address intentionally scrambled to ward off the spamming hordes. >Well, I am making a little progress. I reinstalled Directx 5.0 and >got the joystick applet back. I can now calibrate the Nascar wheel, >but it is telling me that my Sidewinder pro joystick is not plugged >in. I tried plugging it direct to the game card and plugging it into >the cable for the wheel, each way it says that it is not plugged. >Thanks for your input, I didn't mean to drag this issue out. I'm sure >there is an answer for all this somewhere. >On Sat, 7 Feb 1998 10:44:16 -0600, "Greg Cisko" >>>Thanks for the response, that is another problem I have encountered. I >>>had the joystick applet in control panel until I installed Andretti >>>Racing with directx 5.0, It replaced the joystick applet with a new >>>one. Then I uninstalled Andretti Racing and now I don't have either >>Yes the DirectX 5.0 joystick applet is very much like the ProPanel. >>That is why I removed ProPanel from my machine, I saw no advantage. >>However simply removing Andretti Racing really should not have >>removed the Joystick applet from the Control Panel. I guess I >>would suggest removing the ProPanel (you can always reinstall it >>if you want), then reinstall DirectX5.0 (this should give you your joystick >>applet back) and follow the instructions on the Thrustmaster web site >>to setup your Nascar Pro wheel. Make sure that the steering axis and >>gas/brake axis are configured to be on Joystick #1. Use combined >>instead of seperate for the switch setting. >>Also, you did a ADD NEW HARDWARE in the control panel to add >>the ACM game card right? If not you need to do that first or nothing will >>work. >>-- >>Header address intentionally scrambled to ward off the spamming hordes.

Well, I am making a little progress. I reinstalled Directx 5.0 and got the joystick applet back. I can now calibrate the Nascar wheel, but it is telling me that my Sidewinder pro joystick is not plugged in. I tried plugging it direct to the game card and plugging it into the cable for the wheel, each way it says that it is not plugged. Thanks for your input, I didn't mean to drag this issue out. I'm sure there is an answer for all this somewhere. On Sat, 7 Feb 1998 10:44:16 -0600, "Greg Cisko"

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>>Thanks for the response, that is another problem I have encountered. I >>had the joystick applet in control panel until I installed Andretti >>Racing with directx 5.0, It replaced the joystick applet with a new >>one. Then I uninstalled Andretti Racing and now I don't have either >Yes the DirectX 5.0 joystick applet is very much like the ProPanel. >That is why I removed ProPanel from my machine, I saw no advantage. >However simply removing Andretti Racing really should not have >removed the Joystick applet from the Control Panel. I guess I >would suggest removing the ProPanel (you can always reinstall it >if you want), then reinstall DirectX5.0 (this should give you your joystick >applet back) and follow the instructions on the Thrustmaster web site >to setup your Nascar Pro wheel. Make sure that the steering axis and >gas/brake axis are configured to be on Joystick #1. Use combined >instead of seperate for the switch setting. >Also, you did a ADD NEW HARDWARE in the control panel to add >the ACM game card right? If not you need to do that first or nothing will >work. >-- >Header address intentionally scrambled to ward off the spamming hordes.

snip snip Hi Scott I can`t help you with your problem, sorry, but you may have solved mine :-) How did you accomplish the above, I mean with regards to connecting it to the "puter", with or withouth adapter, where did you put the adapter etc... I`ve been working on this for quite some time now, but have almost given up, thanks to all of those who have tried to help out btw. Bers and cheers (uncle) Goy

% Ive got a different problem with my ACM game card and thought I'd tack % it onto this thread. % I try to use that setup program, TMS, and i cant get any setting on the % dial to bring the arrow to the middle, its always all the way to the % right. As far as i can tell, my game port performance isnt affected, % but i bought this card b/c i thought i'd at least be able to reduce the % "jitter" i get from my joysticks, and maybe this card would help. It sounds like one of two things are at play here. Are you positive that you have the gameport of your soundcard totally disabled? If it is a plug 'n pray soundcard, you will need a DOS utility to disable it for pure DOS and you will also need to disable it in Win95. If there is a conflict and both your ACM card and gameport on the soundcar are fighting for I/O 201-201, the soundcard maybe winning (especially if it was installed prior to your ACM card). You maybe able to remove the soundcard from the Win95 setup (via control panel), install the ACM card software and then re-install your soundcard. This may give priority to the ACM card. The other strong possibility is that the cable from the dial for the ACM card or the t*** pot itself are bad. Does this happen in both pure DOS and Win95? % I finally chucked the ProPanel because i could never get the damned % thing to work with my TM-GP1 and CH-Pro-Pedals setup. I had to set up a % custom 4 axis, 4 button joystick. Like i said, i cant see any % performance degridation, but then again, ive never had a "perfect" setup % so i dont know what the REAL thing should be. :) Here are some old posts on how some people have dealt with this issue. Date: 24 Sep 1997 22:13:18 GMT I'm using this combo for over a year now and it's great. I use the pedals on the GP1 for shifting gears. There is no conflict (CH Pedals are on the x-axis and the GP1 pedals are on the y-axis) unless you use the adapter of the T2 (needed for some (stupid) games supporting only 1 joystick). Then the GP1 pedals are inactive. l8er ronny Subject: ThrustMaster GP1 w/T2 Pedals Info. Date: 1996/08/22 Newsgroups: rec.autos.simulators Hi All, There's been a few people asking me if the GP1 would work in conjuction with the Formula T2 Pedal Unit. Originally, I thought that this would work fine, and my answer indicated the same. However, yesterday, I tried and tried, but I couldn't get them to work togather fully. I could get the GP1 steering, and the Formula T2 pedals to work togather, but I couldn't get the Paddles on the GP1 wheel to work at the same time. For some reason, the Formula T2 pedals didn't want to pass the Y1 Axis through...at least I think this is the case. I'm going to check with our engineers, and see if I can find out what the deal is. So, the jist of it is, when using the GP1 and the Formula T2 pedals togather, the Wheel will work for Steering, and the Pedals will work for Acceleration and Braking, and the shifter buttons on the wheel will work, but the analog paddles on the back of the wheel will not. This is how I am plugging the units togather: GP1 > Axis Adapter(Converter) > Formula T2 Pedals > Game Port There is one way that I have found, however, to make this all work. If you have a Joyswitch, you can plug the GP1 with the Axis Adapter(Converter) into one of the 4 'Main Joystick' Ports. Then plug the Formula T2 Pedals into one of the 2 'Foot Controller' Ports. Then, just set the joyswitch for the GP1 on the 'Main', and for the FT2 Pedals on the 'Foot Controller'. This will allow you to use everything togather. Steering, Pedals, Shifter buttons on the wheel, and Analog Paddles on the back of the wheel. If you're interested, you can get the Joyswitch from any Egghead Software store, or via mail order from Flight Sim Central. Here's where you can reach FSC: Phone: (800)477-7467 WEB: http://www.fscentral.com Matt ThrustMaster, Inc. Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 03:50:53 GMT Update on the GP1: I finally got around to trying this wheel with GP2. It works fine, but unfortunately, unlike ICR2, GP2 does not allow you to select joystick axes as shift triggers. So, you must use the buttons on the front of the wheel for shifting, as Thrustmaster intended. If you're using CH pedals, then the paddles on the back of the wheel go unused when running GP2. A pity. Alison [stuff snipped] [snip] Alison Remove the spam blocker NOSPAM to email me. http://www.simracing.com/~alison [address restored] Date: 1 Aug 1997 19:40:06 GMT If your talking about the CH pedals,yes I am using them and the TM GP1 wheel with excellant results.I just plugged my GP1 into the CH pedals And the pedals into my joy switch. % One final thing, does anyone know if you can program the TM-GP1 buttons % to do keystrokes? You can find a program GP2BUTTON that should allow you do this in GP2 and some other racing sims. Here is a URL where you should be able to find it: [link lost in import] -- **************************** Michael E. Carver ************************* Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./. [- < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Thanks for all the info Michael. A few things I forgot to mention tho. Im using a 486dx100 (dunno the bus speed is). I know the cable and pot on the adjuster is working cause when i do the setup, i can see the numbers change as i turn the dial. I just cant get the arrow to move. I get the following readings tho: Axis Min Max ---- --- --- X1 208 408 Y1 466 928 X2 188 373 Y2 189 460 Does this sound right? Do the numbers really mean anything? Im sure ive got the soundcard port disabled now. --Scott

% Thanks for all the info Michael. % A few things I forgot to mention tho. Im using a 486dx100 (dunno the % bus speed is). I know the cable and pot on the adjuster is working % cause when i do the setup, i can see the numbers change as i turn the % dial. I just cant get the arrow to move. I get the following readings % tho: % Axis Min Max % ---- --- --- % X1 208 408 % Y1 466 928 % X2 188 373 % Y2 189 460 % Does this sound right? Do the numbers really mean anything? % Im sure ive got the soundcard port disabled now. I don't know why the Min numbers are so high, but I feel they should be in the 10's - 20's. Try contacting Thrustmaster and see what they say. THRUSTMASTER CONTACT INFORMATION CUSTOMER SUPPORT SERVICE&REPAIR (503)615-3201 phone (503)615-3202 phone (503)615-3300 fax (503)615-3300 fax GENERAL CONTACT INFO ThrustMaster, Inc. 7175 NW Evergreen Pkwy. #400 Hillsboro, OR 97124 (503)615-3200 phone (503)615-3300 fax For complete European support contact refer to: http://www.thrustmaster.com/support/europe.htm -- **************************** Michael E. Carver ************************* Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./. [- < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=