VKB-SIM

Hello ,
I got this flight system today and installed I attend to use it in DCS Simulator for the upcoming F-14 and existing F-15 however I have problems configuring the stick .
The software called WIZZO doesn't detect my Gladiator MKII at all , there is something like a frimware upgrade but when I want to download it says FILE NOT FOUND > http://ftp.vkb-sim.pro/Programms/ZBootl ... 0v1_11.zip

When in DCS flying the F-15 the throttle is reversed and I cant change it within the game like axis swap , the front trigger and the button on top of the stick do the same fire GUN although I remapped it from the game ..so ..how do I proceed with this thing and what and where should I download application/firmware if needed and configurations ?

From VKB NA's FAQ page:

How to Flash/Reset/Calibrate your Gladiator w/ MCG grip
To get started, follow these initial steps:
Download the latest (by date) VKBdevCfg-C app – (http://ftp.vkb-sim.pro/Programms/) and extract it to any folder you like.
Download the latest (by date) ZBootloader-C app – (http://ftp.vkb-sim.pro/Programms/) and extract it into the same folder as above.
Download the latest (by date) firmware for Gladiator (http://ftp.vkb-sim.pro/Firmware/Gladiator) and extract the firmware (*.vkb) for your MCG or MCG PRO respectively, and put it into the same folder where your VKBdevCfg app already is.
If you have created a custom profile (i.e., different, or custom button assignment) be sure to save it first via VKBdevCfg > Action > Save; after flashing/resetting/calibrating, you can load your custom profile again via VKBdevCfg > Action > Load.
Ensure that your new MCG grip is installed on the Gunfighter base, and that it’s seated correctly.
From here on out, there are three basic steps involved in the overall process:
Flash your Gladiator with the new firmware.
Reset your Gladiator to default.
Calibrate your Gladiator.
I. Flash your Gladiator with the new firmware:
Launch VKBdevCfg-C (Note: It is highly recommended to right-click on the VKBdevCfg app and select ‘Run as Administrator’).
In the top panel, click on the “VKBsim Gladiator…” name to select it.
From the Tools tab, click on the “Bootloader” icon; this should close VKBdevCfg and automatically start ZBootloader-C (if you have it in the same folder).
Point ZBootloader-C to the extracted *.vkb file and update the firmware of your Gladiator by clicking “Flash It”.
The device will restart with the new firmware installed.
Q: Why do I have to flash?
A: You will have to flash your your joystick base to make your new MCG work with it. Simply removing your current grip and installing your new MCG will not magically make the base understand what just happened; you need to tell the base (via firmware update) that there’s a new grip in town!
II. After Flashing, you need to Reset your Gladiator to default:
Launch VKBdevCfg-C (Remember: It is highly recommended to right-click on the VKBdevCfg app and select ‘Run as Administrator’).
In the top panel, click on the “VKBsim Gladiator…” name to select it.
From the Tools tab, click on the “Default” button in the top-left corner.
The device will restart with factory default settings.
III. After resetting, you need to Calibrate your Gladiator:
The goal is to be able to capture all available axes in the calibration procedure: the Gladiator’s throttle, pitch and roll axes, as well as the ministicks, trigger and brake axes in the MCG/MCG PRO.
Don’t use the MS Windows calibration utility! Use VKBdevCfg instead.

Flip the foldable trigger to the “up” position, and then squeeze the trigger fully, and then let go of it to determine its middle position (MCG PRO only).
Launch VKBdevCfg-C (Rember: It is highly recommended to right-click on the VKBdevCfg app and select ‘Run as Administrator’).
In the top panel, click on the “VKBsim Gladiator…” name to select it.
From the Tools tab, click the ‘Start Calibr’ button (Hint: switch to the Test > Axes1 tab to observe your calibration action).
Move the grip through its full range (pitch and roll axes), move the throttle fully back and forth.
On the grip, move the MASTER MODE (РЕЖИМ КБО) ministick through its full range (Hint: you might have to do a long-press on the ministick push button in order to enable relative axis mode first; otherwise, the ministick defaults to button mode and thus won’t calibrate).
Move the GATE CONT (УПРАВ СТРОБ) ministick through its full range.
Squeeze the MCG BRAKE lever fully and let go of it.
Move the foldable trigger to the “up” position, squeeze it, and then let go of it – this moves it through its full range (MCG PRO only).
If you have VKB T-Rudders connected to the Gladiator’s base: move the T-Rudder axis through its full range as well.
Click the ‘End Calibr’ button; the Gladiator will restart.
Done; calibration information is stored within the Gladiator’s MCU.
Reminder: Don’t forget to load your custom profile again via VKBdevCfg > Action > Load.

Thank you for this IN-Depth guide I definitely will do what is suggested , I did got some control over the stick as I wanted and was able to have a proper ACM in DCS F-15 , that stick is amazing , the feel and handling the F-15 is just fantastic that motivates me to master the stick completely .
I was Saitek /Logitech user for long years and didn't expect this sort of "Huston-NASA we have problem" configuration/manipulation of the stick but like I said what I felt during my short ACM session in DCS, really put a smile on my face , it feels like you actually flying that thing and not kinda "catching" struggling to control like I had with my old Logitech .
Thank you !

OK , I did as advised exactly step by step for Gladiator MK2:
firmware 1.94_B (latest) doesn't work for me , after flashing/reseting, calibration ,the red led blinks constantly and stick buttons are not recognized , rreseting again , DEFAULT ,loading previous saved profile doesn't do anything.

flashing back to 1.85_B brings the stick back in normal operation however that WIZZO program dosent work in any conditions ...any suggestions ?

Windows 10 64bit1809 OS build 17763.316

try latest Wizzo (v0.93)

on the server I see only :
WIZZO_v0_88.zip 21-Jun-2017 04:39 2142442

&

wizzo_gf_0_98.zip 21-Dec-2017 12:17 2098194

I dont know what this "GF" means but I assume it is for GunFighter not Gladiator , I did try this version but like the older 088 it didn't work , where can I download Wizzo (v0.93)???
I'm always pushed to 088 form the product page or from provided links within previous answer .

Alex Oz wrote:try latest Wizzo (v0.93)

um ,OK I found it on your page from your description Ill try it when I come home from the work ..Thanks! ..will see if that works ..and what about the strange behavior of 1.94_B firmware ?
Ill do the same as with 1.85_B but for some strange reason after I flash to 1.94 and the bootloader restart the device only red led blinks , I try to calibrate but it doesn't do anything , the green led is not operational ..what do I miss here ?
When I revert back with th same flashing procedure to 1.85 everything is fine except ofc WIZZO that I didn't get to work at all so far .

Wizzo (v0.93) is working , strange how difficult is to find all the latest software/firmware however thank you for your help , much appreciated !

Alex Oz wrote:try latest Wizzo (v0.93)

@UIV - Can we get the latest stable Wizzo version uploaded to VKB's FTP? Thanks.

DarkOmenX wrote:Hello ,
I got this flight system today

Just curious - what prompted you to install firmware on a new product that ships with a working, good firmware version from the factory? There's usually no need to flash a brand new device that's working out of the box as it should. Firmware should only be updated if there's a) a known issue that a new firmware will fix, or b) in case of removable grips, a new grip is installed that requires new firmware for the grip to be detected correctly.

If it worked out of the box I wouldn't need to do all of this, not only couldn't I configure correctly the stick , WIZZO didn't work at all not even recognizing my GladiatorMK2 and if all the FTPs and download links form the product page where properly updated I wouldn't have to spend so much time asking for help .

Now what I find very confusing regarding your download & ftp page is :

What firmware version is considered stable/latest and should be current for Gladiator MK2 "NON-PRO"
What version of WIZZO is the latest one and should be considered to use firstly
I expect to download all I need and stable versions from here :
https://vkbcontrollers.com/?product=gladiator-pro-mk-ii

however WIZZO form this page didn't work , then I was pointed to the FTP and even then what I downloaded form there t didn't work if you follow my case until I got the hint form Alex "try latest Wizzo (v0.93)" which was no where to be found until I checked the link form Alex description and finally got it to work when I installed WIZZO v093.

Anyway Thanks again for all the help provided as the stick is really magnificent and now with WIZZO far easier to use and configure .

DarkOmenX wrote:What firmware version is considered stable/latest and should be current for Gladiator MK2 "NON-PRO

The one it came pre-installed on your Gladiator, as it has been tested by VKB HQ before shipping it. Usually there is no requirement to update the firmware of a new device unless VKB HQ identified some issues after the fact that is corrected with a newer firmware release. Sorry that you had to jumps through hoops here because WIZZO didn't work as it should have.

DarkOmenX wrote:What version of WIZZO is the latest one and should be considered to use firstly

That's the only real issue we had here - WIZZO wasn't updated on the FTP site as it should have been, so that's something on VKB HQ's end that should be improved. I chatted with Alex Oz today, and I now have links on VKBcontrollers.com for newer versions of VKB software than the FTP provides (to which I linked previously, assuming that the FTP site is maintained regularly by the powers at VKB HQ - which it is not).

Have a look here for the current recommended set of software/firmware: https://vkbcontrollers.com/?page_id=4609

Thank you rrohde !
So far everything is working as it should and Im quite happy now . One thing though ,the controller is recognized by other games as "control pad" and interfering with other games like in my case Ghost Recon Wildlands .
I had Logitech stick before and never had issue with that .
In GRW Im using keyboard+mouse as default and switch to XboX One Controller when I wanted to drive vehicles or fly planes . To prevent Gladiator interfering I have to unplug it , I never had to do that with my previous stick.
Not a big deal but if that can be corrected somehow it would be nice .

Thank you guys !