The encoding is a bit funny here: For coeffs, these are signed values. The
maximum value is 64 (100 decimal), the min is 9c.
For the offset, the minimum value is FE0C, the maximum value is 01F4.
For the deadband, the minimum value is 0, the max is 03E8.
** Controls **
OP= 41
LEN= 03
00 Channel
01 Start/Stop
Val 00: Stop
Val 01: Start and play once.
Val 41: Start and play n times (See byte 02 below)
02 Number of iterations n.
** Init **
*** Querying features ***
OP= ff
Query command. Length varies according to the query type.
The general format of this packet is:
ff 01 QUERY [INDEX] CHECKSUM
reponses are of the same form:
FF LEN QUERY VALUE_QUERIED CHECKSUM2
where LEN = 1 + length(VALUE_QUERIED)
**** Query ram size ****
QUERY = 42 ('B'uffer size)
The device should reply with the same packet plus two additionnal bytes
containing the size of the memory:
ff 03 42 03 e8 CS would mean that the device has 1000 bytes of ram available.
**** Query number of effects ****
QUERY = 4e ('N'umber of effects)
The device should respond by sending the number of effects that can be played
at the same time (one byte)
ff 02 4e 14 CS would stand for 20 effects.
**** Vendor's id ****
QUERY = 4d ('M'anufacturer)
Query the vendors'id (2 bytes)
**** Product id *****
QUERY = 50 ('P'roduct)
Query the product id (2 bytes)
**** Open device ****
QUERY = 4f ('O'pen)
No data returned.
**** Close device *****
QUERY = 43 ('C')lose
No data returned.
**** Query effect ****
QUERY = 45 ('E')
Send effect type.
Returns nonzero if supported (2 bytes)
**** Firmware Version ****
QUERY = 56 ('V'ersion)
Sends back 3 bytes - major, minor, subminor
*** Initialisation of the device ***
**** Set Control ****
!!! Device dependent, can be different on different models !!!
OP= 40 <idx> <val> [<val>]
LEN= 2 or 3
00 Idx
Idx 00 Set dead zone (0..2048)
Idx 01 Ignore Deadman sensor (0..1)
Idx 02 Enable comm watchdog (0..1)
Idx 03 Set the strength of the spring (0..100)
Idx 04 Enable or disable the spring (0/1)
Idx 05 Set axis saturation threshold (0..2048)
**** Set Effect State ****
OP= 42 <val>
LEN= 1
00 State
Bit 3 Pause force feedback
Bit 2 Enable force feedback
Bit 0 Stop all effects
**** Set overall gain ****
OP= 43 <val>
LEN= 1
00 Gain
Val 00 = 0%
Val 40 = 50%
Val 80 = 100%
** Parameter memory **
Each device has a certain amount of memory to store parameters of effects.
The amount of RAM may vary, I encountered values from 200 to 1000 bytes. Below
is the amount of memory apparently needed for every set of parameters:
- period : 0c
- magnitude : 02
- attack and fade : 0e
- interactive : 08
** Appendix: How to study the protocol ? **
1. Generate effects using the force editor provided with the DirectX SDK, or use Immersion Studio (freely available at their web site in the developer section: www.immersion.com)
2. Start a soft spying RS232 or USB (depending on where you connected your joystick/wheel). I used ComPortSpy from fCoder (alpha version!)
3. Play the effect, and watch what happens on the spy screen.
A few words about ComPortSpy:
At first glance, this soft seems, hum, well... buggy. In fact, data appear with a few seconds latency. Personnaly, I restart it every time I play an effect.
Remember it's free (as in free beer) and alpha!
** URLS **
Check www.immerse.com for Immersion Studio, and www.fcoder.com for ComPortSpy.
** Author of this document **
Johann Deneux <deneux@ifrance.com>
Home page at http://www.esil.univ-mrs.fr/~jdeneux/projects/ff/