VKB Gladiator NXT & SRS

[DDT]

While using the Gladiator in game with DCS, I have started getting notifications saying that an error occurred with the Gladiator input and you need to restart the SRS for it to work again.

Well, it doesn't seem to affect the Gladiator because it doesn't stop working....but my SRS is acting strange. I was wondering if you have heard of any conflicts between the Gladiator and SRS.

This happens often throughout a session flying in DCS.

I have used different USB ports and it is all the same.

ALSO: And this might be connected to the first problem. My Gladiator has started to quit functioning at all randomly while using it. It simply stops controlling the plane I am flying and I crash. I had this problem earlier and reported it and you told me it sounded like it was not calibrated. So I did what I thought was calibration to it and it has been several months and it's been OK till this week.

HOWEVER: Just now I saw a video on calibration and it showed to do something different than what I did several months ago, so I recalibrated the stick a few minutes ago according to the instructions of getting the blue light to flash etc..... I didn't do that before I used the VKB config app and I don't remember anything about blue lights, ....and am hoping that it fixed the problem. I am hoping I don't have to buy a new stick already.

So I am going to test the stick out. The problem is that it is so random it could take some time to duplicate.

So my first question stands. Why am I getting that error notice concerning VKB and the SRS? And which one is the initial culprit? Is there a conflict?

[Ron61]

Could you provide more information? Screenshots from the configurator would be best. You need the Global, Global-External, Profile-Axes (and Buttons) tabs. How is the power saving mode for the USB ports on the system configured?

[DDT]

I don't know how this first screenshot got duplicated so many times and I don't know how to delete them either.

I changed these just now to unchecked. I'll see if that helps.

Well...that's all the things I could find to screenshot. If there is something missing I'll need instructions of where to look next. I was a really poor fisherman so I became a dog catcher!

[Ron61]

For a laptop, these USB settings checkboxes are relevant in terms of saving battery power.
For the desktop, you should disable this. Moreover, you need to go through all the devices in the tab "USB controllers" and check it in the "HID devices" tab.
Well, try newer firmware and configurator, there have been changes.

[DDT]

Yes all that has been done. So, if that is all I can do to fix these two problems then it is done. I have not been getting the 'notice' lately so it could be that the minor problem is fixed.

BUT - About the Gladiator's number 1 main problem, that it randomly become unresponsive. We'll have to wait and see, since it doesn't occur as often as the "notice" appears. I don't think the two problems are related. If they were then the Gladiator would quit working when the 'notice' appears, but it doesn't.

I don't see any further help for this problem here on this forum so I assume that if the stick becoming unresponsive gets worse, (because it's random right now but been going on for 12 months) then I will have no other option than to replace the Gladiator. Then the dilemma will be since there not much feedback here, do I take another chance on another Gladiator or try something else. I'll give this a few more weeks to see how things go.

[Ron61]

You didn't answer, have you tried a newer firmware?
In the topmost line of the configurator, in brackets, the recommended firmware version for this configurator is indicated. You can use versions above this one, but not below. Try to follow this simple rule and maybe everything will be fixed.

[DDT]

Yes I updated the firmware. Like I said, I'll have to try out the stick for some time before I'll know if that worked or not. Maybe it's not the stick but my computer. There is no way to know really.

If you remember I reported this problem a few months ago and then recalibrated and the problem of the stick dying did not come back until just now. Now I have updated the VKB tool and recalibrated again. So, I'll have to wait to see if it comes back. If it does - then what? Seems like it's the end of the road as far as testing the stick goes at that point. Maybe my game booster is shutting something off. Could be anything. If it comes back, I'll tell you.

[DDT]

Update:
I think the conflict with SRS is an SRS problem - because I realized that it affects my twcs trottle too.
So I'll take that up with SRS. It should be simple.

However yesterday my Gladiator took a leave of absence again and drove my plane into the ground. I have no idea why that would happen

[DDT]

Here's the latest:

I just got the word from SRS that the problem is with the VKB Joystick not SRS

The Gladiator keeps disconnecting the SRS radio every couple of minutes or so. I've tried different USB ports and different USB hubs. The pc, usb ports & hubs are set to never sleep or turn off.

The Gladiator does not shut off (It usually continues to work but not always) as the popup says .... but the SRS does disconnect. So I have to turn off the SRS and restart it and wait for it to connect and then it will be good for a few minutes. Then I'll get the popup again and be disconnected. The team at SRS tell me that it's not an SRS problem but in the stick as the popup says.

It used to work just fine before.................What could be causing this?

Here's the popup again:

[DDT]

So where's your tech support guys gone?

[fallout9]

Not sure what kind of support you'd need? If the joystick works well without a certain background running software which we don't know in which way could impact it, then there's not much we could do in this case.

[DDT]

So, you think it is a motherboard problem? Well...it still could be the stick because I reported this problem months ago that the stick randomly quits... and I never got an SRS popup then. Maybe because I wasn't using it. Not sure.

I'm using a gaming laptop. That would mean buying another $3000 laptop to see why a free program doesn't work with a $250 flight-stick. (I have no other sticks to test this on....Because I gave away my other sticks all three of them)

[DDT]

Btw..... there are two other people who use the VKB Gladiator who have told me they had the same sort of problem with the Gladiator. One of them is on DCS forum discussing the issue with me.

[fallout9]

...and telling you that he fixed the issue by updating drivers/Windows.

[DDT]

Yes that is true. Interesting that I got more suggestions for fixing this than I did from VKB. However, I don't think it was necessary to re-install Windows 11 at this point because it appears so far that I have resolved the issue by replacing the regular USB hub with a powered USB hub. The issue has not occurred since I did that.

On the DCS forum a third VKB user posted that he also had this problem, which also as in my case did not affect his other controllers and switching to the powered USB Hub, fixed it. Perhaps VKB should look further into this. Anyway, there will be other people with this same problem most likely, so now VKB support can tell them what to try in order to resolve the issue. Otherwise this has been a very, very good stick.