Question Game Dash Arduino code for two inputs

Hi folks,
I thought this should be simple but I have been battling with it for days, so please help!
I am using Game Dash in v.2.6 with the MSFS plugin.
I am trying to get data into my Arduino Uno but try what I might seem unable to do so.
I am sending Dash1 and Dash9 info to the Arduino in Hex and (think) I am converting it back on the Arduino side using such examples as are available. My settings look like this (you can see the values are being generated when MSFS is running):



I have the hex code set as follows:


The interface setting is as follows:

My code on the Arduino loads properly but I can not see any printed output on the serial monitor. This is the code below:
Any help greatly appreciated!

Code:

int i;

unsigned int IAS;      // holds the speed data (0-65535 size)
unsigned int RPM;           // holds the rpm data (0-65535 size)                 
 
byte speeddata = 0;         // marker that new data are available 
byte rpmdata = 0;           // marker that new data are available


//====================SETUP==================================
void setup() {
   // serial initialization
  Serial.begin(9600);   
}


//=================LOOP===============================
void loop() {
 
      readSerialData();
      AirspeedChange(); // and run the Airspeedchange function
      Wind (); // run the Wind function for the fan speed
}



//===================SUBROUTINES=============================
        ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
        // Procedure: read serial data
        ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
        void readSerialData(){
 
          byte Data[5]={'0','0','0','0','0'};

          // parse the buffer
          if (Serial.available()>4){
            Data[0]=Serial.read();                   // read command
            if (Data[0]=='R'){                       // if rpm data
              Data[1]=Serial.read();                 // store high byte
              Data[2]=Serial.read();                 //
              Data[3]=Serial.read();                 //
              Data[4]=Serial.read();                 // store low byte
              RPM = NormalizeData(Data);
              rpmdata=1;                             // we got new data!       
                if (Serial.available()>4){
                  Data[0]=Serial.read();               // re-read command
                }
            }
            if (Data[0] == 'S' ){                    // if speed data
              Data[1]=Serial.read();                 // store high byte
              Data[2]=Serial.read();                 //
              Data[3]=Serial.read();                 //
              Data[4]=Serial.read();                 // store low byte
              IAS = NormalizeData(Data);
              speeddata=1;                           // we got new data!
                if (Serial.available()>4){
                  Data[0]=Serial.read();               // re-read command
                }
            }
            if (Data[0] == 'Z' ){                      // if Shutdown - Output
              Serial.flush();
            }             
          }
          if (Serial.available()>60) Serial.flush();
        }
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
        // Function: convert Hex to Dec
        ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
        unsigned int NormalizeData(byte x[5])
        ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
        {
        unsigned int result;
 
        for (int i=1; i<5; i++)
        {
          if (x[i]>47 && x[i]<58 ){   //for xA to xF
            x[i]=x[i]-48;
          }                       
          if (  x[i]>64 && x[i]<71 ){ //for x0 to x9
            x[i]=x[i]-55;               
          }
        }   
        result = (x[1]*16*16*16+x[2]*16*16+x[3]*16+x[4]);
        return result;
        }
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//------------------Airspeed change for force feedback actuator-------------------
void AirspeedChange()
  {
   if (speeddata == 1)  {
    Serial.print("You have set the Speed to a Value of:");     
    Serial.println(IAS);
    //do stuff with IAS
      speeddata=0;
   }
}

void Wind() {
  if (rpmdata ==1) {
    Serial.print("You have set the RPM to a Value of:");     
    Serial.println(RPM);
    //do stuff with RPM
   rpmdata=0;
  }
}

//-----------------------------------------------------------------

I have posed the following question to ChatGPT, providing a string where RPM is 2500 and Speed is 260 and it came up with the expected result. But nothing happening when I actually run the code on my arduino, so how would I know if anything is being sent at all?
-----
In the above code, how would a data string as follows be evaluated for RPM and IAS respectively?: R09C4S0104Z00
------
Let's evaluate the provided data string "R09C4S0104Z00" for RPM and IAS values based on the given code:

1. Parsing the data string:
   
   • The code reads the first character of the string, which is 'R', indicating that it is RPM data.
   • The next two characters '09' represent the high byte of the RPM value.
   • The following two characters 'C4' represent the next byte of the RPM value.
   • Then, the code reads 'S' as the command, indicating that it is speed (IAS) data.
   • The next two characters '01' represent the high byte of the IAS value.
   • The subsequent two characters '04' represent the next byte of the IAS value.
   • Finally, the code encounters 'Z', which indicates a shutdown command.
2. Converting the data to decimal:
   
   • The NormalizeData() function converts each hexadecimal digit to its decimal equivalent.
   • The high byte of RPM '09' is converted to decimal as 9, and the next byte 'C4' is converted to 196.
   • Similarly, the high byte of IAS '01' is converted to 1, and the next byte '04' is converted to 4.
3. Updating the variables:
   
   • The RPM variable is updated with the converted RPM value of 9 * 256 + 196 = 2460.
   • The IAS variable is updated with the converted IAS value of 1 * 256 + 4 = 260.
4. Flagging new data:
   
   • The rpmdata flag is set to 1 to indicate that new RPM data is available.
   • The speeddata flag is set to 1 to indicate that new IAS data is available.
5. Shutdown command:
   
   • Since 'Z' is encountered in the data string, the serial buffer is flushed.
6. Function execution:
   
   • In the AirspeedChange() function, since speeddata is set to 1, it will print the received IAS value and perform actions accordingly.
   • In the Wind() function, since rpmdata is set to 1, it will print the received RPM value and perform actions accordingly.

Therefore, based on the provided code, the data string "R09C4S0104Z00" would result in the RPM value of 2460 and the IAS value of 260 being evaluated and processed.
----------------------------
But of course nothing is happening...

Thanks @noorbeast, it’s not like I don't know how the software is supposed to work either,

• I have motion simulation running quite successfully on both DCS and MSFS2020.
• I have also tried the same sketch on SimTools 3, also with no serial output being received.
• I placed print commands at various places and can see the sketch running properly but no serial being received.
• I ran a sketch designed only to pick up any serial string being received..- nada..

It probably is something simple but it should not be this hard to find..

Thanks @yobuddy
I have based my code on various examples provided and it should work. DCS and MSFS2020 both show their data being received but that is not being sent on to the Arduino. I uninstalled V3 and V2.6 in total and installed V2.6 again and set everything up again from scratch but still nothing. Please try the code I provided and see if it works for you? Ihave also tested everything on a different machine and same effect, so not machine related. Also not serial port related as far as I can see because I can send code strings manually and the sketch will interpret it correctly in the Arduino serial monitor. It just never sees any data coming through. I have double checked that output rates match and baud rates match so should not be that either.

Hi @yobuddy, many thanks.
PM sent.
Today I reloaded V3 and managed to install the DCS and MSFS2020 plugins, but whereas before I was getting input from MSFS, this time it did not even do that. I will try v.2.6 again tomorrow but right now its late. I will also re-install legacy versions of simconnect (not that I had removed them) as that had previously been the reason MSFS was not working.

To your comment that a math overflow is happening that could very well be but why?
The code string used was as follows: R09C4S0104Z00

Noted that the Ard serial monitor and SimTools do not work together.

There seems to be code missing ? What is the string supposed to look like if it is in binary and how do I get it back to decimal? You did not mentioned that, also various variables not declared?

Many thanks,
Roel

Hi @yobuddy, sorry, did not realise your follow-up post was still referring to the original example, will have a look at it again and let you know how I go. Thanks!

Ok @yobuddy , so before going to the sketch I ran into a few problems. First, double clicking on the MSFS banner to launch the game resulted in an unhandled exception - game not found. I managed to find your solution on the forums where you stated :"You may find that some game plugins do not set a launch path for a given game plugin, or the path is setup for a different version of the game than what you’re running. To update a launch path for a game plugin, simply drag and drop the games exe or shortcut on the banner for the given game plugin."
Ok, then it ran. Using virtual output I could see that only RPM was creating an output and the Speed had a pretty weird look first symbol which never changed. There was no output at all going to the virtual interface:


These were the settings used:


.. ideas?

Thanks @yobuddy. Missed it that time. Ok, done and this is the result:

So the RPM is coming through with a weird symbol, nothing from Speed, but that is something to do with the plugin I suspect?

Done. I can see that as soon as I launch the game it starts spitting out the following data:


Is that usual? Could it be the cause of the math overflow message I get when using V2.6?

Once the sim is running I get the following (aircraft stationary):


So I can see that the first three digits there are for the RPM, and 0 is at the end for Speed.

When the aircraft is moving the airspeed is now working and coming alive:


So here you have RPM at 1429 and Speed at 21 so output = R142921

Where do we go from here?

Ok thanks!

Some progress..
I changed the output back to my original:

and put the following output rules into both RPM and Speed:

Running my original Arduino sketch but with an LED activation added I think I see something happening.
As I need the output for DCS and MSFS and the V.3 DCS plugin does not have Game Dash I now need to get this to work on V2.6
But before I get there, let me first prove this configuration on the sim, that will be a big step if it works with MSFS.

@yobuddy Could you please provide me with the explicit equivalent from your suggestion above pasted into the RPM loop routine. I keep on having to second guess what is meant and am getting nowhere I'm afraid. So where you say:

Please apply that correctly in the RPM code extract here:

Code:

void loop(){  
  if (Serial.available() >= 2){ //if 2 bits available in the serial buffer...    
    bufferArray[0] = Serial.read();  
    if (bufferArray[0] == 'R'){
      bufferArray[0] = Serial.read();

      //Set sign    
      bufferArray[1] = map(bufferArray[0], 0, 255, 0, NUM_LEDS);
      if (RpmOld != bufferArray[1]){
        RpmOld = bufferArray[1];        
        Set_Strip(bufferArray[1]);      
        FastLED.show();  
      }
    }
  }
}

Answering my own question I suppose this should work?

Code:

 void readSerialData() {
        ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
     
          byte Data[5]={'0','0','0','0','0'};
          if (Serial.available() >= 5){ //if 5 bits available in the serial buffer...    
            Data[0] = Serial.read();  
            if (Data[0] == 'R'){
              Data[1]=Serial.read();                 // store high byte
              Data[2]=Serial.read();                 //
              Data[3]=Serial.read();                 //
              Data[4]=Serial.read();
              RPM = ((Data[1] * 256) + Data[2]);
              IAS = (Data[3] * 256) + Data[4];
            }
          }
        }