TrackIR Performance and Frame Rates

[HarryM]

I seem to remember that some people had problems with the internal USB especially on VIA chipset boards. I have an ASUS A7V333 and it works fine, but I am using an X-45 not a Cougar. Isn't the Cougar a bit on the "power-hungry" side in terms of USB? You could try unplugging the Cougar and playing a track with manual views selected and see if you could look around with the TrackIR (no need to control the plane).

Make sure you have the latest Hyperion (4-in-1) Via drivers installed.

It may require a USB hub/card if the Cougar is draining away your precious USB "juice"...

[sweeper]

HarryM -

Thanks for the response. I don't think it is a VIA chipset problem, this motherboard is not one of those with the "bad" VIA chip. (The southbridge chip in the VIA chipset is the bad one ... this has an AMD 761 southbridge chip and a VIA northbridge chip). 4-in-1 drivers are not used by these boards.

I also don't think playing back a track will be a good test, since the CPU load for playing a track is different since the AI code is probably not involved.

Regarding the Cougar and USB ... never had a problem before and I don't think juice is the problem here. In any case this might explain the downloading problems but *not* the CPU usage by the TrackIR software, which is my biggest problem.

Thanks again for the suggestions!

[HarryM]

Then try via quickmission and just hit "a" to let the AI fly and fight your plane. That should put MORE of a CPU load as the computer is thinking for you...

[Halstead York]

Sweeper-
We recommend that the trackIR software be minimized before going into a game- it can make a huge impact on performance. While on the Tracking screen, the trackIR software can take up 20% of system resources, but with it minimized, this can drop down below 1%.

[Revvin]

I had a real bad time in IL-2 when I first set up my TrackIR and plugged it into a Belkin powered hub alongside my USB Mouse and TM Cougar. In IL-2 it would go to freeze frame when using the TIR but I solved the problem by plugging it directly into the back of my PC instead of the hub. Now the TIR works like a dream in every sim I currently play.

[Jim]

Hello:

This sounds like a classic USB problem to me. It can be your SBLive sound card as well, they have known issues with conflicting with the USB driver. Our program should take about 3% of your resources with the program minimized on your system specs. If it is more than that something is wrong. Try changing the port that the trackIR is plugged into, add a PCI USB card, remove the SBLive card, remove other USB devices. One of these should fix the problem.

[DoubleUgly]

sweeper,

Based on my understanding, USB troubles with TrackIR has to do with the data transfer rate for different chipsets. Perhaps your cougar is overloading the USB with data (not power) and causing your trackIR problems. As stated, you might want to try a PCI USB card.

[Charlie251]

The ASUS baord uses the VIA chipset. It may not be the one that has caused other issues, but it is still bad for TrackIR. I have the same mobo as the gent listed above, A7V333, and have no problems at all with it. But Ive heard that no one with this mobo has issues, even though we have the VIA chipset and running the hyperon 4n1 drivers.

I would try the USB card first. $20 at your local store. Make sure your SBLive is up to date. As Jim said, many issues regarding that board as a conflicter.

[sweeper]

Thanks all for the recommendations.

Halstead, the CPU numbers I quoted were with the TrackIR software minimized (running in system tray).

Some of these will be easy to verify:

1. Plug TrackIR into main port
2. Pull other USB devices (well, Cougar since
   that's the only other USB device I have).
3. Verifiy SBLive drivers are current (I believe
   they are) and try pulling SBLive. Not
   attractive but I agree this card has been
   problematic with VIA chipsets and has
   other issues. Didn't know it also was a
   cause of USB problems.
4. PCI USB card. If I have to as a last resort.

I'll do some more testing and follow up, good and bad, on this thread.

Thanks again for the support.

[Dexmeister]

I too have an A7V333 board and 4.45 Via drivers and in troubleshooting NP 1.4 issues (which turned out to be something else entirely), I added a new USB PCI card. I'm using my trackIR with this extra USB card and have not noticed any major issues with framerates with 2.0 and IL2 or SFP1.

At the same time, am I the only one that thinks 20% CPU usage for a utility left maximized is a little ridiculous?

NaturalPoint software, IMO should be (and hopefully will, eventually) optimized similar to joystick profiling software so as to require little CPU to run. Anything that sucks CPU cycles from our games (esp. sims) is "veddy veddy bad"

[ February 20, 2003, 06:10 PM: Message edited by: Dexmeister ]