SideWinder Force Feedback Serial Adapter Requirements

ID: Q175021

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft SideWinder Force Feedback Pro

SYMPTOMS

While using the SideWinder Force Feedback Pro joystick in a game enhanced with force feedback effects, you do not feel the force feedback effects.


CAUSE

The SideWinder Force Feedback Pro uses MIDI to transmit force feedback effects. If the MIDI features of the sound card are not functioning properly then the force feedback effects will not be felt. Microsoft has created a serial adapter that uses a serial port to communicate the force feedback effects signal. If the steps outlined in the RESOLUTION section of this article do not resolve this problem, you may need a serial adapter.


RESOLUTION

Check the following before ordering a SideWinder Force Feedback Pro serial adapter.

TEST FORCES

The Windows Control Panel provides a way for you to check the force feedback operation of your SideWinder Force Feedback Pro. This allows you to see if it and the MIDI port on your sound card are operating correctly.

To test the forces of your SideWinder Force Feedback Pro joystick, use the following steps:

  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.


  2. Double-click Game Controllers.


  3. In the list of game devices in the Controller column, select SideWinder Force Feedback Pro and then click Properties.

    If the SideWinder Force Feedback Pro is not listed in the Controller column, click Add, select SideWinder Force Feedback Pro, and then click OK.


  4. Click the Test Forces tab.


  5. Grasp the joystick handle and press several buttons on the joystick that correspond to the types of forces you want to feel.


If the forces work correctly, see the GAME CONFIGURATION section of this article. If forces do not work, see the SIDEWINDER FORCE FEEDBACK LED section of this article.

GAME CONFIGURATION

If force feedback effects are working, then the joystick and MIDI/game port are working. Since your SideWinder Force Feedback Pro joystick and the software are working correctly, the lack of force feedback effects while playing your game is most likely caused by one of the following:

  • Your game is not force feedback enabled.


  • An incorrect setting or option was chosen in your force feedback game.


To resolve either of these problems, you can review the manual that came with your game, taking note of any special instructions that pertain to enabling force feedback. Also, you may need to reinstall your game, paying particular attention to any selections that have to do with the type of sound card in your computer and other choices that could affect installation of the game's force feedback feature.

SIDEWINDER FORCE FEEDBACK LED

The LED light on the front of the SideWinder Force Feedback Pro must remain lit. If it is blinking, it indicates that the joystick is not properly connected with the AC adapter to an AC wall outlet and no force feedback effects will be felt.

It is also possible that the wall outlet isn[ASCII 146]t getting power. Connect the AC adapter to an AC outlet that you know is working and see if the LED stays lit.

At this point the LED should be lit and not blinking. If not, make sure it is connected directly to the game port on the computer and plugged into a wall outlet before you continue.

If the LED is now on and not blinking you should return to the TEST FORCES section of this article. If the LED was already lit and not blinking or if you have tested it again and it is lit and not blinking, see the RUN SETUP AGAIN section in this article.

MIDI ENABLED

Make sure MIDI is enabled on the sound card and that it is using a MIDI address.

The SideWinder Force Feedback Pro joystick communicates with your computer through the external MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) section of your sound card's game port, to which you connected the joystick. The force feedback feature of your game relies on correct operation of an enabled external MIDI port. The external MIDI port is usually enabled when your sound card is installed, but in some instances it may not be. The MIDI port contained on your sound card must be enabled in order for force feedback to work with your joystick.

To make sure your MIDI port is enabled, use the following steps:

  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.


  2. Double-click Multimedia and then click the Advanced tab.


  3. In the Multimedia Devices area, double-click MIDI Devices and Instruments to display the list of MIDI ports installed on your computer.


  4. Click the entry in the list that identifies your MIDI port, such as MIDI for External MIDI Port, MIDI for MPU-401, MIDI for SoundBlaster, and MPU-401 Compatible.


  5. Click Properties and then click the General tab. Make sure that Use MIDI Features On This Device is selected.


NOTE: If the forces on your joystick still seem sluggish or intermittent while playing your game, try selecting the MIDI for FM Synthesis option in step 4 above. If you have two external MIDI ports listed, for example both MIDI for External MIDI Port and MIDI for MPU-401, then your computer has two external MIDI ports. If you enable one of the external MIDI ports and your joystick doesn't work in the force feedback mode, then enable the other external MIDI port and try the joystick again.

NO MIDI PORT

If there is no MIDI port listed, your MIDI port is not enabled. There are two possible reasons for this:

  • Your sound card driver is installed but the MIDI port is not configured properly. You can use the Windows Device Manager to check the configuration of your external MIDI port.


  • The incorrect driver is installed or not set up properly for your external MIDI port. You will need to install the correct driver for your sound card and then test the forces again.


You can usually install the correct driver by either reinstalling the sound card software from your original CD-ROM or floppy disks or by downloading the latest driver from your sound card manufacturer's BBS or Web site. After reinstalling the sound card software or installing new sound card drivers, consult your original sound card manual or any instructions that accompanied the new drivers for enabling the external MIDI/game port.

CONFIGURE MIDI PORT

Configure your computer's external MIDI port.

To check and configure your external MIDI port, you need to use the Device Manager and do the following:

  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.


  2. Double-click System and then click the Device Manager tab.


  3. Make sure View Devices By Type is selected.


  4. Scroll down the list and double-click Sound, Video And Game Controllers to display the list of controllers connected to your computer.


  5. Click the controller entry in the list that identifies your sound card.

    For example, Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16. (This is an example; your sound card's name can be quite different.) Do not click the Gameport Joystick entry; this is not related to the external MIDI port. If your sound card isn't listed, try looking in the main level under Computer. Some sound cards, such as the Opti 82C930, are listed in their own section in the Device Manager. If you have two external MIDI devices listed, for example both MIDI for External MIDI Port and MIDI for MPU-401, then your computer has two external MIDI ports. If you enable and configure one of the external MIDI ports and the joystick doesn't work correctly, then enable and configure the other MIDI port and try it again. To enable a MIDI port, refer to the MIDI ENABLED section in this article.


  6. Click Properties and then click the Resources tab.


  7. Scroll down the Resource Settings list until you see a listing for Input/Output Range. There may be more than one entry. In order for the external MIDI port to operate, there must be one Resource Type entry in the list with one of the following Setting values: 
    
      0300 - 0301
      0310 - 0311
      0320 - 0321
      0330 - 0331


ENABLE MIDI

Find a configuration that enables the MIDI port.

Before proceeding further, make a note of all the Resource Type and Setting values in the list in case you need to restore them later.

If the Use Automatic Settings box is not checked, select it and then click OK. Windows will attempt to configure your sound card for all available resources. It may be necessary to restart Windows in order to complete the process.

Check new configuration settings using the following steps:

  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.


  2. Double-click System and then click the Device Manager tab.


  3. Make sure View Devices By Type is selected.


  4. Scroll down to the Sound, Video And Game Controllers entry, click on the name of your sound card, and look for the necessary Resource Settings.

    Look for one of the following values: 
    
      0300 - 0301
      0310 - 0311
      0320 - 0321
      0330 - 0331


BASIC CONFIGURATION

Try a new basic configuration for the sound card, using the following steps:

  1. Clear the Use Automatic Settings check box.


  2. Select Basic Configuration 0000 from the Setting Based On list box.


  3. Check the Resource Settings list again to see if the necessary Resource Type and Setting are listed. Look for one of the following four values: 
    
      0300 - 0301
      0310 - 0311
      0320 - 0321
      0330 - 0331


  4. If none of the values match, then select the next configuration setting in the Setting Based On list. For example Basic Configuration 1, Basic Configuration 2, and so on.


  5. Repeat this process until you find a Resource Type and Setting that contains one of the four required values.


  6. If you find the proper Resource Type and Setting, but a device conflict message appears in the Conflicting Device list, then launch the Windows Hardware Conflict Troubleshooter. To display the Windows Hardware Conflict Troubleshooter, click Start, and then click Help. Double-click Troubleshooting, and then click If You Have A Hardware Conflict.


NO MIDI

If none of the basic configurations have the necessary Resource Type and Setting, your sound card:

  • Is not set up properly so that its external MIDI port is installed. In this case you should run the installation/Setup procedure that came with your sound card again. If your computer came with the sound card already installed, look for the installation disk or CD-ROM for the sound card that came with your computer.


  • Does not have an external MIDI port that is compatible with the SideWinder Force Feedback Pro joystick. In this case, you will need to purchase a compatible sound card, equipped with an "MPU-401 compatible port," before you can use the SideWinder Force Feedback Pro.


CHECK FOR UNKNOWN DEVICES

Check for your sound card in the "Unknown Devices" section of Device Manager. If your sound or MIDI device is listed here, it may not operate properly.

  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.


  2. Double-click System and then click the Device Manager tab.


  3. Make sure View Devices By Type is selected.


  4. Scroll down to the "Unkown Devices" entry (if it exists).


  5. If your sound card is listed here you may need to remove it and reinstall it following the directions provided by the manufacturer. You may also need to obtain an updated sound card driver from the manufacturer of the sound card if your sound device continues to be listed in "Unknown Devices".


RUN SETUP AGAIN

Since your joystick is connected properly, but didn't perform correctly when you tested it, you should run the Setup for the SideWinder Force Feedback Pro again to insure that all software is correctly installed on your computer.

Insert the compact disc into the CD-ROM drive and follow the Setup instructions given in the Getting Started booklet to reinstall the SideWinder Force Feedback Pro software.

MULTIPLE GAMEPORTS

Check your computer for more than one game port. It is possible that your computer is equipped with more than one game port.

To check for multiple game ports, examine the back of your computer for an adapter that has 15-pin game ports mounted on it. If you have an adapter that contains two 15-pin game ports, you'll probably need to remove this adapter from your computer for your game port on your sound card to work.

DIRECT CONNECTION

Connect the SideWinder Force Feedback Pro joystick directly to the sound card.

Ensure that there is not an extension cable or Y adapter connected to the Joystick. This is very important. Some extension cables do not transmit MIDI, and some are too long to retain the MIDI signal. For best joystick communications and playability you should have the joystick directly connected to the computer.

SINGLE MODE DMA

If the response of your joystick seems sluggish or intermittent or even stops responding while playing your game, especially when music is playing, you may have a sound card that needs to be set as follows:

  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.


  2. Double-click Multimedia.


  3. Click the Advanced tab.


  4. In the Multimedia Devices area, double-click Audio Devices.


  5. Select the listed audio device, click Properties, and then click Settings. If the Settings button is unavailable (shaded), there is no Use Single-Mode DMA option on your computer.


  6. If there is a Use Single-Mode DMA check box, select it.


SPECIAL CARDS

Sound cards that need a specific basic configuration value:

  • LogiTech SoundMan. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    Q172625 ActiMates/SideWinder: Configuring Logitech Soundman Sound Cards


  • Media Vision Premium 3D, Deluxe, and Prosonic 16. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    Q172934 ActiMates/SideWinder: Configuring Media Vision Sound Cards


  • Turtle Beach Wave Front and TBS 2000. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    Q172867 ActiMates/SideWinder: Configuring Turtle Beach Sound Cards


Because the required Resource settings match the settings for your sound card, your sound card should now be configured properly. At this point you should return to the TEST FORCES section in this article.

CLOSE OTHER PROGRAMS

If no forces are felt, close all running programs to ensure there is not a conflict, and try testing the forces again.

Close down all other programs that are running, except Explorer and Systray. Do this before you test or install the SideWinder Force Feedback Pro. The best way to do this thoroughly is through the Close Program window, which you can access by pressing the CTRL+ALT+DELETE key combination on your keyboard. The Close Program window will appear.

To close a program down, select it with the mouse, and then click the End Task button. You will have to press CTRL+ALT+DELETE each time you want to close down a program. Continue this process until all programs are closed except Explorer and Systray. Then start the program you are having a problem with, and try to reproduce the problem.

If, after closing other running programs, you are still unable to successfully test the forces, then you should reinstall the SideWinder Force Feedback Pro while no other programs are running. Some programs can interfere with the installation of the software. If you are only running the basic Windows components then it is less likely that the installation could have a problem.


MORE INFORMATION

For more information about obtaining a serial adapter from Microsoft, please contact Microsoft Technical Support. In the United States please call (425) 635-7040 between 6:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. Pacific time, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. In Canada, please call (905) 568-4494 between 8:00 A.M. and 8:00 P.M. eastern time, Monday through Friday excluding holidays.

Additional query words: tshoot troubleshooting tshooting software 2.00

Keywords : kb3rdparty kbenv kbhw kbsetup kbsound kbref
Version : WINDOWS:
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto kbprb kbinfo


Last Reviewed: August 10, 1999
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