How to contact ATC using keyboard only

[wmburns]

I'm working on some X-Plane test cases/configurations under Linux. So far one of the PC's I set up is running perfectly. This PC has a full Saitek setup with a yoke and rudder pedals. I have a button on the yoke maped to the "Contact ATC" operation. This works perfectly.

The 2nd PC is set up in much the same way as the 1st except no yoke/joystick (keyboard only). Offline X-Plane works as it should. I can connect to PilotEdge and hear ATC. However, I can not get a radio check when pressing the enter key (Contact ATC).

Sometimes Pilotedge will disconnect. I understand that PiliotEdge will disconnect if the PPT key is activated 5 times quickly. I am holding the key down while requesting a radio check.

I trying mapping an unused key to the Contact ATC operation. However, it seems to work the same way as the enter key.

I do have the "number of planes" set to 1 as recommended in the guide.

I have used the Linux utilities to test my mic. They indicate that the volume is high. Using the PilotEdge receiver on a different PC, I can hear white noise when the talk key is used. If I'm speaking as the key is depressed I can hear myself for a very brief period before it disconnects. To me, this proves the mic and set up is working and is able to send.

FIrst. I'm I missing something obvious about how X-Plane & PilotEdge works in a keyboard only setup?

[Pieces]

Sounds like your keyboard key is setup to repeat when held down, instead of just maintaining the down state.

[wmburns]

Sounds like your keyboard key is setup to repeat when held down, instead of just maintaining the down state.

Yes it does. I thought of that. But the multiple key press configuration is normally associated with FSX. I'm not aware of how under X-Plane the key press behavior would be changed.

I also seem to recall doing a keyboard only set up under Windows and all I had to do was to press the enter key to contact ATC. But that was a long time ago and I have slept since then. I'm also sure this was under a different version of X-Plane and PilotEdge. But if true would point to a OS difference.

[Keith Smith]

The 5 click of the ptt feature to connect or disconnect is in xplane, too.

Is this happening every time?

[wmburns]

Is this happening every time?

I tried a ton of times last night with pretty much the same result. No one responded to requests for a "radio check". The PE client would disconnect or re-connect with little fan fair. It is acting just like the PPT key is cycling as I'm holding it down. But I can't say honestly that it disconnects every time (just seems like almost all of the times).

On my previous attempt to "test" PE under X-Plane/Linux, I could connect and hear ATC. However each time I touched the PPT key, the Sim would "hang" and CPU utilization would go to 100%. After a few seconds, the CPU would settle down and the Sim started processing frames.

Again through the PE Receiver I can hear "white noise" each time PPT is keyed. The white noise occurs for a few seconds until PE disconnects. If I start speaking before keying PPT, then about 1 syllable is heard in the PE receiver before PE disconnects.

[wmburns]

I have done some more testing and have found there's a slight difference in behavior depending upon the setting of Settings, Sound menu, ATC check boxes.

Case 1:
no-check Verbal ATC
no-check Text ATC
enter key results-short burst white noise until CPU goes to 100% Possible to get short transmission before sim hangs.

Case 2:
check Verbal ATC
no-check Text ATC
enter key results-CPU 100%, no transmit at all.

Case 3:
check verbal ATC
check Text ATC
enter key results-holding the enter key down results in a short white noise transmission followed by PE disconnect. Continued holding the enter key causes PE to re-connect.

case 4:
no-check Verbal ATC
check Text ATC
enter key results-holding the enter key down causes a short burst of white noise followed by PE disconnect. Continued holding of the enter key results in X-Plane crashing to desktop.

In all cases contact ATC works fine when a physical button is mapped to "contact ATC". In this case, I can carry on a real conversation with the controller. So to me this proves the Linux is working correctly with regards to the headset/mic/volume set up.

In hind sight this mirrors the result of my 1st attempt to test Linux/PE as my 1st test used keyboard only. Just I did not understand there was a difference if a physical button is used instead of the enter key.

I am not aware of any recommendations regarding the setting of the Verbal-ATC/Text-ATC check boxes for use with PE.

It seems to me there's a different code path when using a physical button vs the keyboard only.