Microsoft Force feedback wheel

Is there anyway of knowing if built-in proccessor and fan are working? Is the fan audible? I get a rather heavy performance hit in some games using this controller with framerates dropping to almost unplayable levels. /CGA

> Is there anyway of knowing if built-in proccessor and fan are working? Is > the fan audible? I get a rather heavy performance hit in some games using > this controller with framerates dropping to almost unplayable levels. There are no fan in it, at least not audible one. I think the rotations of the wheel make an airstream into it or something. About frameratehits. The only game I really have trouble with is Sportcar GT. What kind of processor and 3D card are you using ? -- Olav K. Malmin remove spam when replying

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>> Is there anyway of knowing if built-in proccessor and fan are working? Is >> the fan audible? I get a rather heavy performance hit in some games using >> this controller with framerates dropping to almost unplayable levels. >There are no fan in it, at least not audible one. I think the rotations of the >wheel make an airstream into it or something. >About frameratehits. The only game I really have trouble with is Sportcar GT. >What kind of processor and 3D card are you using ?

PII 400, Voodo 2, 8 mb.

There is definitely no fan inside and no processor to my knowledge, only a small circuit board and an electric motor that provides the feedback. I don't think you need to worry about heat build-up being a problem. >Is there anyway of knowing if built-in proccessor and fan are working? Is >the fan audible? I get a rather heavy performance hit in some games using >this controller with framerates dropping to almost unplayable levels. >/CGA

> There is definitely no fan inside and no processor to my knowledge, only a > small circuit board and an electric motor that provides the feedback. I > don't think you need to worry about heat build-up being a problem. There is a prosessor, I don't remember how big, but there is one in every FF device. How else would it be able to know what to do based on some midi- signals ? -- Olav K. Malmin remove spam when replying

You're right but I think it's just a matter of terminology. Sure, there's some kind of IC that counts the light pulses and converts them to numbers or voltages or whatnot but there is nothing heavy duty in there generating lot's of heat. It's really a simple design inside. >There is a prosessor, I don't remember how big, but there is one in every >FF device. How else would it be able to know what to do based on some midi- >signals ?

I have a ms wheel and I get virtually no fps loss! I have a v2 sli

> You're right but I think it's just a matter of terminology. Sure, there's > some kind of IC that counts the light pulses and converts them to numbers or > voltages or whatnot but there is nothing heavy duty in there generating > lot's of heat. It's really a simple design inside. It's a CPU, but as you say very small and it doesn't generate any heat. I would guess that most heat has mechanical origin. > >There is a prosessor, I don't remember how big, but there is one in every > >FF device. How else would it be able to know what to do based on some midi- > >signals ? -- Olav K. Malmin remove spam when replying

There is the "general knowledge" that MSFF is very slow compared to Logitech FF (at least and especially in GPL). Isn't there anyone in the huge net of ours, who could re-write the driver program(s) of MSFF to make it equal or even better than Logitech's FF? Or does the difference at all depend on driver program(s)? Arto

Lame it is in SCGT , but no hints of high load have I seen... works very fluently in (just only) P350 and V2. Arto Perhaps SCGT is a curbs FF-simulation... :) Those are not at all lame...

What that could mean is "We cut slots in the case for air circulation". Hehe. After all isn't everything air-cooled? Jason.

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> I suppose people tend to get the impression that there's some kind of fan > because of the manufacturer's description: > "air-cooled force feedback motor" > --- > Antti Markus Peteri > 15 miles. your dim light shines from so far away > - Soul Asylum, Promises Broken

-------- Jason Monds "My other car is a Ferrari" http://members.home.net/gpl.mondsj/gpl - For my combined gas/brake setups (Please remove 'no extra spork' when replying)

I am sure anyone of us out here can write a new directX version so GPL will run better on a MSFF wheel...hehehhe...maybe we will get an improvement with DirectX7.0, but I wouldn't hold your breath on someone writing a new DirectX without MS. I have some friends testing MS fltsim2000 and it has DX7 on it. Shouldn't be too long before we see it. Let's just hope it optimizes the wheel a little.

I suppose people tend to get the impression that there's some kind of fan because of the manufacturer's description: "air-cooled force feedback motor" --- Antti Markus Peteri 15 miles. your dim light shines from so far away - Soul Asylum, Promises Broken

Well, in most games you'd have to be psychic to notice any difference, but as someone pointed out, SCGT's not one of them. IIRC there's a drop in framerate about the same magnitude as you'd get by enabling the dreaded framed rear view mirror. There's something inherently lame or should I say mysterious about SCGT's FF implementation: high load with little feedback. So at least in SCGT's case one would appear to be better off by picking at the game itself rather than the FF wheels. --- Antti Markus Peteri 15 miles. your dim light shines from so far away - Soul Asylum, Promises Broken

Yes, you're referring to the Zapr... Magruder file. I guess the "slowness" must be visible on some configurations, I really couldn't tell. Me & my friend next door get the constant 36 fps in GPL (start & other pile-ups excluded) on a Cel450 system regardless of whether it is the MSFF or the Logitech we're using, so it must be a ***! The Cubans did it! --- Antti Markus Peteri 15 miles. your dim light shines from so far away - Soul Asylum, Promises Broken

Whoops, sorry bout the mixup. This would of course be Cassidy as his measurements have been widely quoted in this ng. The government's obviously gotten into my head already... --- Antti Markus Peteri 15 miles. your dim light shines from so far away - Soul Asylum, Promises Broken

PII 400, voodoo2 8bm. /CGA > > Is there anyway of knowing if built-in proccessor and fan are working? Is > > the fan audible? I get a rather heavy performance hit in some games using > > this controller with framerates dropping to almost unplayable levels. > There are no fan in it, at least not audible one. I think the rotations of the > wheel make an airstream into it or something. > About frameratehits. The only game I really have trouble with is Sportcar GT. > What kind of processor and 3D card are you using ? > -- > Olav K. Malmin > remove spam when replying