I think I'm on to something here....

[Charlie251]

Jim / Halstead,

Remember that, for a long time, I have been having the issue where my computer would freeze when I had my printer on and then fired up the TrackIR software (or vice versa)?

My brother bought a TrackIR last week and got it in Thursday. That first night, he just installed software and plugged it in. Everything seemed to work fine except it would pan his view in FB straight up and freeze.

Then Friday night, he fires it up and the green light would come on for about 2 seconds and then go off with NO DATA being displayed. Everything was still fine, other than TIR not working, until he closed the TIR software. At that point, his system went to snail speed and he couldnt even use the mouse to shut down the system. He had to hit the reset button.

I did everything I could think of to get it to work from updating mobo chipset drivers to his sound blaster drivers. I was about to take my TIR over to his house to confirm he had a bad unit when we discussed what he had plugged into his USB ports.

Lo and behold, he unplugged his scanner from the computer and TIR worked perfectly. I got to looking around the forums and manual and kept seeing the statement, "TrackIR is a high powered device..."

Do you think that maybe the issue with my printer and TIR freezing the computer is because they are both high powered USB devices and the USB bus just can't handle them both being on at the same time? If this is true, then it would save you guys the hassel of trying to figure out what in the softwqare is causing the conflict for the next version. That was apparently the issue with his TIR and scanner.

Anyway you can test this in the lab with scanners & such in the office or have you already?

[BPO6_GoldenWing]

My puter has started freezing again!! (2.11 update temporarily solved this problem.)

If I turn on TrackIR before I turn on the IL2FB program launcher, my puter freezes! I can use TrackIR in the mouse emulation mode ONLY!! However, I must start IL2FB first. While in the game, if I press the key (for me, it's F-10) to change the enhanced mode, TrackIR STOPS WORKING!!

For a while, as long as I started TrackIR FIRST, I was able to have the TrackIR enhanced mode in the game...WHAT A DIFFERENCE!! TrackIR is much degraded for me in mouse emulation mode, BUT I AM UNABLE TO OPERATE IN ENHANCED MODE...AGAIN!! DANG!

I saw Charlie's post and unplugged my USB connection to my printer...NO JOY...still freezes if TrackIR started first. Unable to select enhanced mode while in game.

Here's the dichotomy: I was able to start TrackIR first and then IL2FB which allowed me to use the enhanced mode FOR THE LAST 2 WEEKS! Now my puter is freezing again.

I think this must be related to a USB issue, else why must you turn on TrackIR BEFORE IL2FB for the enhanced mode to work?

Hope this info helps.

~S! Gold

[13thDisciple]

I have seen alot of people in here say that they are having problems with the hardware/software.

I had an issue with a joystick and the trackir - could not calibrate the stick

I quickly resolved this by unplugging TRACKIR from the usb hub that I was using and plugging it straight into the PC.

It looks as though there may be some conflicts between it and other usb devices on the same hub.

It's a simple fix! Simply remove it from the 10 8port usb hubs you have daisy chained together.

[Charlie251]

There are a few things to look at.

First, as my original post was talking about, make sure you dont have other high powered USB devices running at the same time. Joysticks and Mice shouldn't matter as they are relativly low bandwidth devices (except maybe the fancy wireless mouse types).

Second, make sure you have the VIA chipset issue figured out. TIR has always had issues with certain VIA chipsets. Best way to fix this issue is a $20 PCI USB card. These are better than hubs are they are powered directly from the PCI slot and transfer data much father through the PCI bus than the USB bus.

If it is an intermittant problem, its got me. Have you noticed a trend of what programs you were running first? Maybe a TSR program is causing you issues. Try a fresh reboot prior to running it everytime.

As for having to start TIR first, I thought this was always the case on what you had to do. Enhanced mode will not work for me unless I have TIR running prior to launching FB and has always been that way for me. My understanding is that the drivers have to be loaded into memory and running when FB goes to initialize the device (TIR). I could be wrong here and hope Jim or Halstead correct me of so.... but I have always had to run TIR first to get enhanced mode to work.

Yeah, mouse mode sucks and I won't play a game where mouse mode is the only way. Shudder!

[BPO6_GoldenWing]

Thanx for the info, Charlie. My puter ALWAYS froze before 2.11 if I started TrackIR before IL2FB, so I always launched IL2FB THEN started TrackIR.

(I couldn't tell that I was in mouse emulation mode until I read where you call up the map in the game...if you can look around, you're in enhance mode...if view is frozen, you're in mouse emulation mode.) That's when I realized that I didn't have the full potential of TrackIR.

After installing 2.11 about 2 weeks ago...I was able to start TrackIR FIRST. That's when (for the first time!) I discovered enhanced mode. WOW!!!

Now, something is causing my puter to freeze again, if I start TrackIR first!!

Gold

[Charlie251]

That is strange. You got me on that one!

[BPO6_GoldenWing]

I think you might be right on track with the USB bus idea. Now my puter is not even intermittent...it locks up every time I start TrackIR first.

Although I can get TrackIR to work in mouse emulation mode when started second ... enhanced mode absolutely will not work for me anymore!

Gold