Cyborg EVO Force Problem with Rudder Calibration, always steers right!

[Morphium]

Hello all,

after a while I decided to go for a Saitek gaming device again as I was slightly dissapointed in the past concerning driver support and functionality.

Somehow the same game starts now again.

I obtained an EVO Force stick and have severe problems to get it running properly.

Some threads led me already in the right direction but I want a clear statement to my issues.

The stick is installed with the drivers only and when I play Battlefield 2 I have a strange drifting behaviour. The drifting is occoured by the rudder conrtol from the third axis and it always "steers" my helicopter to the RIGHT (not like the common left steering problem). Starting with the jet does also the same. When I configure the stick not to use the rudder or when I set the rudder control to the coolie hat then everything is ok.

NOW:Is this a driver problem or a malfunction from the stick as I cant calibrate an usb device?!?!

Second:
Having my Speed Link Rumble Pad plugged in when I start BF2 leads to a crash into the desktop when starting the game!? This seems a general and common problem with Saitek devices as far as I have read some threads here. It also could be BF2 but I dont remember having this severe and strange behaviour with Speed Link or Logitech products.

So please Saitek (or any other experienced user) if you dont want to loose your old/new customer, please point me into the right direction before I smash the stick and have it RMAed! This would be the last Saitek device I had.

PS:I called already my shop and they will reserve a new device, so a quick help would be very handy so that I save my time and anger to take the ride for nothing again.

Thank you!

EDIT:
22 views and no answer from tech support up to now. I return the device and have an exchange. If the problem will persist after then, Saitek will be on my blacklist again :mad:

[MrTingles]

I'm having the exact same problem. my stick is brand new out of the box and it does the same thing. I'm getting really annoyed by it.

[Morphium]

Mr Tingles,

how nice to know that I am not the only one. Do you encounter this problem in BF2 or in other games also? I do not have any further sim based games, so that I could test it to its full extend.

Now who is to blame: EA or Saitek?! WTF someone please make a statement. (sorry for my wording but this is no fun anymore).My exchange is on its way and I want to know if I can save my time an make a refund. Everyone who is using Thrustmuster has not to cope with such things. :mad:

[Doc-Chaos]

in first i noticed some strange behavior with BF2 and some other controllers (not only saitek), so i would point in first at EA ... when you ride a helicopter i thought its a "realistic" issue, because of the axis rotation torque from propelled machines ..they will always turn a little bit right.. but thats not a real flightsim tough :) and the problem is the same in cars, boats etc

back to ..

patched BF2 to the latest version? Updated the controller or SST software etc ?

because i noticed the same prob is with an Logitech wingman and as i updated BF2 the prob was gone!

is that right steering problem also when you take a close look at the Control panel / GameController properties dialog from windows ? if, it might be a defect controller.

k0s

[Morphium]

Hi Doc,

thank you for your respone (finally someone). I installed only the drivers which came along on the cd. At first I was slightly surprised to see that the driver version on the cd was a newer one than the one which is offered in the Saitek download section. Mine is x.1731 and Saiteks website offers x.1727 (also downloaded the website driver and installed it over the old one)

As already mentioned I only have BF2 to test the device. Other games I have do not accept the z axis because there is no need of it.

The gamecontroller properties doesnt show any misbehaviour to the right on the z axis but even if the device would have a fault, I think this won´t be visible due to the fact that the visible monitoring IMHO is not precise enough. When using the DXTweak2 I see that the controller never returns to its origin when its been turned. When I start the programm, it shows a value of 128. Turning the z axis a bit results that the stick has a center of 132 afterwards. Sometime it even reached 136 and I really don´t know if this is a normal behaviour.

Anyway it also could be a misinterpretation from BF2 of the stick´s values which are being read out falsely. Therefore I asked if EA is to blame for this mess (btw I patched BF2 to 1.2 already). Only strange thing is that my friends nonforce version doesnt have these issues thats why I am going nuts here.

I´ll report back tomorrow as my exchange is on its way and hopefully will work without flaws.

Stay tuned....

[Doc-Chaos]

well.. afaik is that a normal range and thats the reason why you can define "deadzones" but if you are still unhappy try to exchange the stick. i think it will still have the same behavior. ;)

greets
k0s


btw about precision. theese sticks are using optical inputs to get the values.. everything else is a problem by software .. or MPU latency ;)
at the beginning of testing such a device i had a nice behavior:
with dual processor machines the values where more exact than with a single processor machine. just 4 info :p

[ScottieDoo]

My rudder keeps shifting to the right and I've tried everything the previous people have mentioned. If I don't figure out this problem soon I'm going to return this joystick. :mad:

[yourbuddy]

I also have the same problem I only bought this for use with bfs noticed right out of the box always went right. when I go to the controler thingy on computer it looks ok till I move controller then shows bar over to right side a little. I should of never wasted my money on this brand I was always a logitech person and never had a problem going back to them. There are no fixes for this controller I have looked for 2 monthes now and nothing I am very upset.
Store I bought it from will not refund my money I am puting up on ebay

[orgee]

yup, me too, same damn problem. not only in bf2.. but in Pacific fighters also..

what is this deadzone thing and why doesnt this joystick just work like its supposed to. I mean cmon, if these joysticks are coming out like this out of the box, is that how it is too for you Saitek people? is that ok with you people? if its not like that, then why is our joysticks like this?

[JZ - 515]

I'm having the god dam same problem too, i just go mine 3 days ago and it was always steering right, so I called up saitek, and he walked me through all these steps to fix it, none of them worked. so now I have to return it to saitek and let them check it out and replace it (cos i bought mine off the internet. ARGGGGHHHH Will I ever get to play???

[orgee]

i guess i have a wasted 70 bucks here, cuz its out of warranty from store AND i bought an X52..and it doesnt seem to have that problem. so now i have an extra crap cyborg evo sitting here..i wonder if saitek will take it and give me credit.. or at least replace it with the non-forcefeedback model, i heard that one doesnt have this problem.

[sig_za]

I have extractly the same issue with Pacific Fighters.
My current driver is: 4.3.3.1727

Relax peeps !!

I have a work around.

Once your game is loaded and you on the screen where you are about to fly, race, drive, shoot, whatever.
Simply twist the rudder full LEFT then full RIGHT then full LEFT again. The rudder is now centered.

[richard]

after purchasing this joystick i am in need of some help. although after reading most of the threads here i feel as though it is in vain, anyways here goes.

i seem to have a major problem with the rudder axis(r) in that it never centres itself. in my test input page it will not centre no matter what. which obviously effects games like bf2 and pacific fighters :-(( can anyone help???

rich

driver version 4.3.3.1730
software version 4.3.3.2000

[sig_za]

i seem to have a major problem with the rudder axis(r) in that it never centres itself. in my test input page it will not centre no matter what. which obviously effects games like bf2 and pacific fighters :-(( can anyone help???

driver version 4.3.3.1730
software version 4.3.3.2000
Just an idea, have you tried the older drivers? 4.3.3.1727 seems to work ok for me, using the 'fix' mentioned in the above post.

Also check out saitek's support (http://www.saitek.com/row/supp/cyborgevo_support.htm) page, see question 7.

[cbickell]

Used a 3rd party prog called DXTweak (Google it for the site), and set my rudder deadzone to 20%, since I couldn't get Saitek's deadzone util to recognize my evo force.

Anyway this seems to have solved the problem... although my rudder is slightly less sensitive to extremely small movements it also stops games picking up accidental slight twisting when moving the x and y axis of the stick.

It's also fixed the main problem of the rudder being offcentered to the right sometimes. Although the rudder is still off in control panel it's not enough to be out of the deadzone.

Hope this helps some of you!

[cbickell]

NM I spoke too soon, still messes up in BF2... trying to fly a chopper that's always going right is near impossible, looks like I will have to return the evo.

[Cazawiro]

I also have that problem... but my real big problem is I live in a country outside US and I can not send it back to Amazon..... :mad:

[richard]

thanks for your help but could you please tell a bit more in detail about how to use dxtweak, as i have never used it before and find it quite hard to understand. managed to download the program.

[ChorT]

I have the same problem. Joystick always steers right in games, controller properties and JoyTester2.

[UKSupport]

Hi,

Download the latest drivers and software from this link:

http://www.saitekforum.com/showthread.php?t=8486

This will add a deadzone adjustment option into the Properties for the stick in Game Controllers. Use it to apply enough deadzone to exclude the slight drift on the rudder and you should then be fine.

[mattsta]

Hi,

Download the latest drivers and software from this link:

http://www.saitekforum.com/showthread.php?t=8486

This will add a deadzone adjustment option into the Properties for the stick in Game Controllers. Use it to apply enough deadzone to exclude the slight drift on the rudder and you should then be fine.

This did not add the deadzone adjustment in my game controller properties. I use the Cyborg 3D Rumble Stick.

[UKSupport]

I've just checked again and it definitely does. Make sure you are installing the driver file which is called crumble_151205_32.exe. You should get a test screen as part of the installation and you should see a deadzone tab up the top, between the Gain Settings and About tabs.

[mattsta]

Ok, I got the drivers installed with the deadzone adjuster but I'm not sure how to adjust the deadzone to correct my rudder problem. I have tried all sorts of positions, but my plane still drifts to the left when I taxi. Any suggestions on a setting that will correct this left rudder drift???

Thanks

[UKSupport]

Just drag the central slider until it excludes/covers the position of the red line. That should ensure that the drift doesn't happen.

[mattsta]

I dragged the slider so the red line is covered by grey, and my plane still drifts to the left when it reaches a certain speed.. Is there anything else I can try? I have Uninstalled/Reinstalled drivers, re-calibrated joystick before I installed saitek drivers.. still no luck.. One thing I noticed is in the Game controller properties, on the Test Input page it shows the rudder all the way to the left.

Thanks for your help!

[UKSupport]

Unplug the controller, click Start>Run, type regedit and click OK. In the Registry Editor browse to the following folders in order:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
SYSTEM
CurrentControlSet
Control
MediaProperties
PrivateProperties
DirectInput

And delete the VID_06A3&PID_FF52 folder. Plug the controller back in, rotate and twist the stick fully a couple of times and see if that has fixed it.

[mattsta]

Still drifts to the left...

I'm not ready to give up yet though! Any other suggestions???

[mattsta]

Well.. I am embarassed.. And I sincerely appologize for taking up your time .. It turns out that it was part of the Flight Simulator realism settings:

"P-Factor - Adjust the realism level of your planes real life tendency to yaw to the left due to asymetrical thrust"

Thanks so much for taking the time to help me though.. I hope this post helps other people too!!!!

[Hammered]

I have this problem too, and have just about given up on trying to use helo's. I have the latest drivers installed. Dead zones set so that the joystick now doesn't wobble in the config screen. BF2 is patched up to the latest 1.21. I have disabled the primary control reset the secondary ones. Started game and rotated joystick before doing anything (even done this just before jumping into a chopper). Took off, got a slight right rotation, but not enough to be to intrusive... Now as soon as I make a sudden movement, like evading a missile or enemy, the controls then go completely crazy and it's uncontrolable. I end up either jumping out or just crash!!!

The EVO is a complete waste of money... and I'm really, really angry about it :mad:
I have a eclipse keyboard, which I am more than happy with. But I don't think I'll be buying another Saitek product again...

Someone's at fault with this be it EA Games or Saitek. Either way neither company is trying to find out what the issue is to solve it, which I find out of order!!! :mad:
We are paying good money for these products and no-one seems to want to solve the problem for us... It's not good enough!!!

[Moses580]

I have a Cyborg Evo Force..
And I had all the problems with steering right and so on.. but with the deadzone adjustment in the new driver everything worked just fine..
After all the hassle I was very pleased with that stick...

And now???

I bought it 3 Months ago and it's broken!!!
The rudder isn't of any use anymore... most of the time it is full right, if I put it left and right many times wildly it will go to the left, but never recenter, will switch back to full right and all starts from the beginning...
I deleted that registry entries, reinstalled software.. did everything...
after all I tried it on two other computers... all the same problem.. the rudder just gives very strange feedback...
Why is this???
It can't be broken after 3 months??? I played only about 4 hours a week... ??

[UKSupport]

Hammered - I've no idea what's going on there. Which axes are affected? All of them? Do they just go wildly out of control? If so, is this problem replicable in the test screen in Game Controllers in Control Panel or in other games?

Moses580 - I'm afraid you'll need to return it to the store for an exchange as it has a fault.

[Hammered]

Once I've made any sort of quick movement, all controls go out of control, all axes are affected, I end up constantly fighting the controls. I have never, ever had this sort of problem with any other joystick I've owned in any game. The controls act as if there is some sort of delay once the movement has been made, hence not being able to bring it back under control...

[UKSupport]

You didn't answer my question though - can you see this problem occur when you test it in Game Controllers in Control Panel? Also, are you able to test it in another game to see if the same problem occurs?

[StoaX]

This is downright ridiculous!!!
The controler shows in the properties window that the Z "twist" axis is twisted almost totally to the left....
I have tried moving the controler through all extremes to "remind" it of its perameters... No joy the problem still exists
I have uninstalled the joystick from the device manager and reinstalled it to varying levels of current drivers... (the ones on the CD, the newest on the website and some in the middle).... No joy the problem still exists
i have gone through the process of edditing the registry and neither the "VID_06A3&PID_FF52" or the "VID_06A3&PID_0464" files exist to be deleted so i can "Plug the controller back in, rotate and twist the stick fully a couple of times and see if that has fixed it."
I am not setting my deadzones to cover up Saitec's mistakes because if i did i would have virtually no "twist" movement that would register... I did not spend £40 on a controler that i cannot fully use!!
and i have not tried to install this "DXTweak" as this i Saitec's problem and i will not install random unofficial fixes in attempt to fix it... Saitec hasn't provided anything that can fix this trivial problem that is ruining many peoples gaming!!!!

[UKSupport]

"Many people" aren't getting the problem - it's just a small percentage of users that have this issue. Are you able to test the stick on another PC to see if it does the same thing on there? I suspect in your case that you have a faulty unit and it just needs exchanging - testing it on another PC would confirm if the problem was with the unit that you have there.

[StoaX]

I have tried the controler on another PC and you were correct, it would appear that the controler still has a fault..
You say that it will need replacing, tell me; why was the controler fine for 9 days of use until suddenly through no malltreatment it goes wrong... should I expect that a replacement model will work without problems because i am concerned that i may exchange this faulty controler for the same model with a less intrusive fault that i will have to counter for instance, with the use of a restrctive deadzone? how small is the percentage of people who encounter problems with this model? is the non force feedback model less prone to falut?

please excuse my almost hyperactive questioning but I am concerned that i have invested unwisely in your product as some authors in this forum seem to have had little conclusion to their problems.
i hope that i can continue using a cyborg evo force joystick as i love the ergonomics and handling of the hardware but i do feel a little more than reserved about this model ever working to my satisfaction.

[UKSupport]

Why has it worked fine for 9 days and then gone wrong? - pure bad luck, I'm afraid. The non-force version is less likely to have a problem as it uses a different electronic solution to the force feedback version, so you may want to exchange it for that.

[StoaX]

ok thanks for the advice, i've sent current controler back for a replacement (same model) if i have a problem again i'll go to non force feedback...

watch this space
:D :mad: :o
thanks again

[docnobby]

Hi!

I'm afraight im having exactly the same problem as "StoaX"!

Worked fine for about two weeks and now the ruder axis is screwed!
Tried it with two other PC's, but no chance. It seems as if the "right side" of the ruder axis isn't even recognized. When twisting left, i see the red bar going all left, but when turning right it goes about 2mm to the right and thats it. As a result it can't center itself anymore!

I'm kinda "unhappy" because I had similar Problems with my other 3 (!) Saitek controllers. :mad:

I had two X-45 and a X52 (still using the throttle of that one). All of them had problems with axis. Most of em at the throttle side.
The problem with the X-52 throttle was: After about one Month of usage the blue lights at the throttle became darker and began flickering, when moving the throttle. Then suddenly all axis (on the lefthand side) seemed to be "connected" to the throttle axis. When moving the throttle they moved around wildley and the lights started flickering around. Since I had no more warranty (the bill was from the first X-45, replaced two times) I decided to take the whole thing apart, clean it with a special "electric-stuff-cleaning-fluid" and assembled it again. Now it's working perfectly, but I seem to have to repeat the whole procedure once in about two month. I think it has something to do with one of the "multi-plugs" inside having bad contact. :cool:

Now, that was a big "story", thanks for your time! The only thing I wanted to say is that I seem to have very bad luck with your products. If you have any ideas for me, how to solve the ruder problem of my FF-Stick (without taking it apart) I would be very happy to try it. Otherwise I will take it back to store and try another companies products (not many to choose from :o ).

Greetings: Doc Nobby

[wildapes]

I just received a Cyborg Evo Force joystick to replace a logitech 3d force pro (had it for a week and returned it because it was too sensitive)

My brand new Cyborg Evo also displays this issue of the rudder drifting right. I have changed the deadzone so that it fills the area (which is 1/5th of the entire bar) so now I lose precision rudder movements and really have to twist the stick in order for it to be detected. I have since also discovered another issue. When pulling back the stick sometimes it will not detect the full range of movement and get stuck about half way. When pushing forward it doesn't display this issue. So now I have rather large dead zone settings for both the rudder and x axis. I can understand if perhaps the joystick cost $20-$40 it would have these issues but this joystick retails for $70... it shouldn't have these budget joystick issues. The force feedback also doesn't seem to work properly in IL-2. It is extremely weak though it works properly in the driver configuration setup.

I am not sure if I am going to keep this stick. I really wanted to have force feedback in games but maybe I am better off just getting a CH joystick.

[esdonkeyboy]

I have tried the controler on another PC and you were correct, it would appear that the controler still has a fault..
You say that it will need replacing, tell me; why was the controler fine for 9 days of use until suddenly through no malltreatment it goes wrong... should I expect that a replacement model will work without problems because i am concerned that i may exchange this faulty controler for the same model with a less intrusive fault that i will have to counter for instance, with the use of a restrctive deadzone? how small is the percentage of people who encounter problems with this model? is the non force feedback model less prone to falut?

please excuse my almost hyperactive questioning but I am concerned that i have invested unwisely in your product as some authors in this forum seem to have had little conclusion to their problems.
i hope that i can continue using a cyborg evo force joystick as i love the ergonomics and handling of the hardware but i do feel a little more than reserved about this model ever working to my satisfaction.


I've got the same problem(cyborg evo nonforcefeed) with the same week and a half of good performance followed by hard right! On to stick #2 same problem without the week and a half of good performance. Not happy with this exprience at all! Sort of blows the non ff theory out of the water doesn't it?

[wildapes]

Well I guess if you are a serious flight simmer you should look at only CH products. Pity they don't make a force feedback controller (anymore... I guess)

The Saitek is a decent stick I suppose but has some issues. I guess it's worth the cost if you are just beginning flight sims (I might replace it with a CH stick and full hotas and maybe feet rudder in the future if I get serious)

Cant really blame saitek I guess since they are really a budget product company and the flight sim community is very esoteric.




BTW my rudder always drifts right unless I set a massive deadzone. My yaw will only detect half range of movement unless I completely turn the default spring off (which is completely unexceptable in games that don't have force feedback. Good thing the games I play use force feedback....)

[StoaX]

Hey guys, I've got a new evo force stick now after a bit of a longwinded return and reshipment process. I was provided with a new stick free of charge as they (independent online retailer) accepted the steering right as a genuine problem.. The new joystick works fine (tis ruddy lovely to be honest) I have no problems with it especially after intsalling the latest software (under "about" tab in the properties window it quotes version 5.5.0.95). I had to introduce small deadzones on the X,Y and Rudder fields to give me straing flight without minor (but annoying) drift in said directions, all I have to do now before starting Battlefield 2 is to move the stick through all of its extremes to calibrate, as doing this in game has no effect if a drift issue occours (I think this is EA's problem not Saitek's). Other than this the jostick is spot on.. I hope this can inform anyone who is unsure wether they should stick with the brand after thier product went bad. I am happy with the joystick and just hope that this one doesn't "go bad" any time soon, i'll try to be otimistic ;)
p.s. it is a quallity joystick in my opinion, ergonomically I mean :)

... i just read esdonkeyboy's article, I think if my replacement stick goes bad like the previous one then I wont be looking for a replacement same model I will be looking for a refund

[audiogarden21]

First off, the drivers are horse****, utter, worthless, pieces, of crap... I've had my Saitek EVO (non-feedback) for nearly a year now, and for the longest time it has been retired due to the Z axis pulling left on me, when it worked fine for a while, then went kaput like most posters products. I just recently rebuilt my system, reinstalled windows xp home on my SATA1.5, didn't install ANY drivers whatsoever, and it worked PERFECTLY. I mean it couldn't have been better, seriously.

I go through windows updates and select all drivers, I realized afterward that one of those drivers was for my Saitek EVO, and after the install is does NOT work, once again. And before on my previous system, only the drivers from the cd would allow the controller to function to a degree where I could control it(I'd just have to hold Z right a tad and X back a lil bit, pulled left and up on me in properties for the controller). If I removed the registry file they recommend on the support page, and plugged it back in, it would be perfect until I moved it.

I also encountered at some point during the first few months I had it, I would get the issue where after playing BF2 for a few minutes, the whole controller would go crazy and crash me(not my computer but whatever I was flying, or lack there of I should say, OMFGROFFLE!!one!!!!!) out of the blue, which really pisses me off.

I have concluded there is nothing wrong with the joystick itself(that which I suspected was causing the problem when it first started acting up) and that it was the drivers that would cause the problem. It's quite sad that even a small margin of people are having this issue. When a problem arises, you're SUPPOSED to be on the ball and fix that ****, not ignore it and move on. Fix the drivers, and the god damn controllers people. Peace.

[Sander3]

Hello all, is there already a fix for this problem? I deleted the folders in my registry, and now the rudder problems looks like fixed. But i am not sure about it yet. I also have another problem, with the throttle. It is always at 50% when i use the joystick for the first time, even when the throttle is completly down. Is there a way to fix this? And i tried to find that deadzone ajustment but i can't find it. Can somebody tell me where i can find it, so i can try to fix the throttle problem too. :(

[UKSupport]

hi,

The deadzone adjustment is only going to be there if you've obtained the latest drivers from the Announcements section here on the forum but it won't "fix" the throttle issue that you mention.

The throttle being at 50% until you move it on first boot is normal - just move the throttle a couple of times before you get into the game and that should cover it.

[Sander3]

Okay, i can live with that.

But now, i downloaded the newest software for the cyborg evo force. But where can i find that deadzone adjustment? I tried to find it in the profile editor and control panel, but i didn't see it. I might just be looking not good enough, but can you tell me where to look? ;)

[UKSupport]

It's in the properties for the stick in Game Controllers - bring that up and you'll see the Deadzone tab at the top.

[Sander3]

Okay, I think you mean this screen:
http://img113.imageshack.us/img113/782/saitekconfig8cl.gif


As you can see, there is no deadzone tab at the top, so maybe the version isn't correct.

I've got this version:
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/3958/saitekversie1ji.gif

Edit: Thanks. It was my fault. Yesterday when i tried to uninstall the old version, I couldn't find a uninstallation file, but now i found it. I intstalled the newest version, and now i see a deadzone tab. :o

[SharpShooter2k6]

I have the same problem in BF1942... Its not EA because it used to work fine. Its the crappy Japanese quality. I know that they have SOME great products, and my evo wireless could be great, had the run beta tests/fix problems before launching the release of this stick.

[UKSupport]

How does the evo wireless look when you test it in Game Controllers in Control Panel? Is the rudder off-centre in there? Does it do the same thing in other games?

[dacarthy]

I have the same problem with the rudder steering right, but also WAY too much to the left sometimes. The deadzone space is now getting stupidly big.

Any way I can return this personally to Saitek?

[UKSupport]

It needs to go back to the store for an exchange if you're in the first year of warrany and in Europe. If you're in the US then you'll need to email support@saitekusa.com for a returns number.

[dacarthy]

OK, thanks very much. Returning to store today.

By the way, this will be the second time I have returned this stick. Was thinking of just a Plain Cyborg Evo. Any known issues with that stick?

[Jeepee_fr]

I have the same problem with the rudder steering left with a Cyborg Evo Force :( . My driver version is : 5.5.0.95 and software is : 4.3.3.2059. The deadzone space is now getting stupidly big for the rudder. There is anything I can do ? :confused: In advance, thanks a lot ...

[Ticker]

You may want to try this, it solved my problems:

http://www.saitekforum.com/showthread.php?t=10221

[Jeepee_fr]

Thank you very much for your answer :) ! I'm not sure I'm going to try you technique if the joystick is still under warranty :confused: ... But it can be the best way to fix this problem !

[Brewmeisterman]

Seems from the number of posts on the rudder control there is a severe problem with the build/design/drivers.

My Evo force (one week old) looks good, feels good and is absolute crap for anything other than an expensive desk ornament.

I have tried, repeatedly, the solution suggested and yes it really does stop turning right. It goes left! When I say it goes left I mean spinning to the point where your eyes cross trying to keep up. Setting the rudder dead zone also kills the throttle settings.
The registry key mentioned is not there so I presume the new driver has overwritten it?

I'm about ready to find an open window and give it free flying lesson of my own!


BTW does anyone else have the problem with screen lock ups if you unplug the stick when you're in the game?

[e30Birdy]

Man i wish i woulda just kept my Logitech 3d Pro, mine turns right, doesnt hardly detect the twist, and it turns all the way right as soon as i touch the throttle! Secondly yes it does lock games, locked my bf2 today, my logi never did that

Is there a revised version of the stick out? Or a newer model i could swap this baby for or do i have to send it back and go get a logi force feed 3d pro?

[oneweigh]

:mad: I bought and played my first x52 into the ground. Worked great and it used Version 1 software driver CD (which had manual calibration ability). Bought another and S.O.B. if I dont have the same problem. It shows Version 2 on the CD. The new one uses AUTO CALIBRATION which sucks! So I tryed loading the Version 1 drivers and guess what? It does not recognize the new stick.

However, I found if I simply unplug the USB cable, plug it back in and reload my profile.dat I'm go to go for about an hour of hard play.

And PS: SUPPORT: I exchanged the damn thing once and rebuilt my machine again from scratch. Houston you have a problem, please get a patch out there for it because I love my x52 and don't want to change.

My Daddy always told me. if something works good don't ***k with it!

[UKSupport]

Actually the X52 has never had manual calibration in the driver - if you were able to calibrate then that would suggest that you were running with the basic joystick driver that's built into Windows.

Unplug the controller, click Start>Run, type regedit and click OK. In the Registry Editor browse to the following folders in order:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
SYSTEM
CurrentControlSet
Control
MediaProperties
PrivateProperties
DirectInput

And delete the VID_06A3&PID_0255 folder (or VID_06A3&PID_075C). Plug the controller back in, rotate and twist the stick fully a couple of times and see if that has fixed it.

You don't actually say which part of the stick is losing its calibration though - let me know either way.

[TwoD]

I have a Cyborg Evo Force too and I also experienced the drifting (to the left in my case). But I did solve it!

I tried everything suggested in this thread, of which neither helped:
* Calibrate using old drivers
* Use the latest drivers with the drifting "fix", which actually isn't a fix since it only removes the calibration tab. Calibration is however done automatically by moving all axis to their limits a couple of times so that's not much of a problem really.
* I wiped my computer clean of every Saitek driver etc and reinstalled only the drivers for the joystick. (I don't bother to install the programming software since I don't need it now).
* Tested the same procedures on another computer without results.
* Etc etc...

This was the third day I was using the stick since I got it, which of course didn't feel too terrific...

In the end, I eliminated all possibilities of software failure which meant it could only be the hardware.
So, I opened the joystick base, only to discover that the rudder sensory system was placed in the actual stick. I put the base together again and tested, still drifting...

I took the stick apart and moved it around a bit, and the problem was suddenly obvious!

In the handle, a plastic "slice" with holes in it is moved through an optical sensor by a small gear. The slice and sensors work exactly like those found in an old mouse, except that a complete circle with holes isn't needed here since the angle of rotation is limited. I could use a couple of images here to show what it looks like, but I have none so ASCII art will have to do...
The slice as seen from above:

_______
/|||||||\ <-- The holes detected by the sensor. This end should be rounded ;)
\ /
\ /
\ o / <- the gear through which the motion is transfered, the slice rotates around this point

The small gear on the slice had simply cogged over, causing the slice to be shifted too much to one side. When this happens, you are perfectly able to turn the stick in one direction since there are plenty of holes for the sensors to detect the whole motion. But when you turn the stick the other way, the slice isn't big enough to be inside the sensor's effective area.

When the stick is used/auto-calibrated that's a really bad thing.
It will make the drivers put the rudder "origin/center position" to a position which is somewhere near half a turn in the direction in which it can detect motion. Since the stick has a spring which causes it to move back to its physical center position when released, the driver will think you are twisting the stick.

This problem cannot be fixed with any kind of driver since it's a mechanical error. The stick is simply incapable of sensing the complete twisting motion in one of the directions, thus forcing the software to make an incorrect calibration.

Fixing the problem was pretty easy.
(Note that I won't take any responsibility for what happens if you attempt this procedure. Nor will Saitek I presume...)
Open the stick by unscrewing the 4 screws holding it together. It's not neccessary to take apart the top part with the buttons, and I don't recommend it.

Carefully open the stick cover since there's a loose pin and metal plate inside which you don't want to lose. It can be tricky to get the cover to separate near the trigger since it's a bit tight, and there are some cables in the way, but it's possible. Be careful with the trigger, there's a spring inside it which will jump out whenever it gets a chance to do so...

Remove the pin through the center of the stick and pull it off the base, mind the cables!
Now you need to unscrew the two larger screws holding the sensor and plastics in place. The rounded piece of plastic on top is what rotates the gear, and it also plays a part in the spring system centering the stick.

Now you'll see the slice with holes I was talking about earlier.
Now's the trickiest part, you must put it back together so that the slice can rotate in both directions without ever going outside the sensor range. The sensor is simply the two components on either side of the gap in the small circuit board. The slice goes in this gap while a (probably infrared) lightbeam is used to determine if the stick is moving or not.

When it's put together correctly and the two screws are fastened, the center of the slice should be aligned with the sensor. I checked this by connecting the joystick to the computer, sliding the stick back onto the base and moving it in both directions while watching the calibration meter.
Since the springs in the centering system are quite strong, it was hard to move them far enough by hand without having the rounded plastic piece screwed on. Or atleast held firmly in place where it should be positioned.

Once you see that all is working (check the other axis and buttons too, just to make sure you didn't break anything), disconnect the joystick and put the plastic cover back on, be careful with the electronics!
Enjoy a drift-free stick! :D


My suggestions to Saitek would be to either make the slice bigger, or to make a more robust solution which won't cog over like that...
And please state on the driver download page/FAQ that there's a possibility of hardware failure if one is experiencing drifting...


Please note that I'm not implying that there is a mechanical error in all of the joysticks experiencing the drifting behaviour, only that it's a possiblity.

[rolim]

This is an EVO (no FFB) with resistors for axis control

http://image2.frappr.com/pix2/i/20061208/f/6/d/f6dfe0f167cea326b37eee98ea72bf8a0_large.jpg

http://image2.frappr.com/pix2/i/20061208/f/1/a/f1a90fd1c895211dabd76f5c07165f450_large.jpg

http://image1.frappr.com/pix1/i/20061208/5/d/f/5df4318084d76eae656179c19629821b0_large.jpg

[juancitocook]

I´m having the same problem (Cyborg EVO) as many people, the RUDDER control always goes right, i tried many things:

- Latest DirectX drivers, (August 2007)
- Latest Saitek driver (5.5.0.8.2 - at your page is evo_151205_32.exe),
- Delete VID_06A3&PID_0464 (i dont have another VID_06A3&PID_****);
- Orginal CD Driver
- TwoD fix
- Clean Win XP SP2 Install
- All Win XP official patchs
- Read the forum
- Write to the forum (now)
- Pray

and nothing, the rudder never stop quiet in the center, always goes right and shakes a bit, calibration dont work, so... i think is some kind of conflict with DirectX (Directinput) or (i dont think so) another device, but anyway i think you have to fix it on some way, we are many people with this problem on the forum!!!.

Nice Job TwoD, but as rolim say the EVO (no FFB, wich is my case) have a resistor, nothing optical, anyway i tryed to fix on that way and nothing.

Before re-install the WinXP everything were working fine, but after a clean Win install i have to say goodbye to my beloved Freespace 2!

Please give me an answer, i feel that the issue is some kind of conflict with the drivers (DirectX - Directinput - Saitek)!!

Best wishes

[Jabun]

I just got my stick up and running, but in the joystick properties tab it senses the joystick rudder to the left. The red bar is about a third of the way to the left of the center. It worked for about 4 days then this happened. Solutions?

[Jabun]

Twod - it worked for me. I was kinda scared taking apart my 6 day old 70$ joystick, but I'm not a patient person.

Thanks again. Off to play Star Wars: Alliance.

If your attempting this email me at tc638 @hotmail.com and I'll help you as much as I can.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not responsible if you **** up your joystick attempting this.

[juancitocook]

I got a solution !!!!!!!!

The problem were a conflict between Printer and Joystick, maybe because i reinstall WinXP with the Joy plugged in; then:

1- I turn off the Printer USB Controller from PC->Properties->Hardware-> device manager->USB Controllers
2- Restart Windows
3- Calibrate the Joystick
4- Turn on again the Printer USB Driver again

Now everything is ok!!!

I think Saitek can fix this issue on the Driver!!!

Maybe the other solution (Delete the registry value) works, but i didnt try that.

[SeNses]

my joystick dosent go the the left anymore. It goes down :(

[TigrisJK]

Is TwoD's solution still the only one to this problem? I'm getting fed up with this stick fast... haven't used it in a few months, thought I'd give it a whack, recalibrate the deadzones and play some BF2.

Those screws are in there tight, they're not coming out without a fight... and if it's not a hardware issue I'd rather not be opening up my stick.

[TigrisJK]

Kay, got impatient, did TwoD's fix. Worked perfectly... though I stripped one of the screws pretty bad and so now it's never coming open again. =(

Make the slice bigger Saitek! It's ruining a lot of people's perfectly good sticks!

[SeNses]

When i try to open it and pull the lower thing out it wont go out. Its most likely to break the f***. And the 4 screws holding the handle, I cant get them open. Can anyone explain to me TwoD's solution with pictures? I am not that good with English :D

[TigrisJK]

Can't give you pictures for fear of stripping the screws some more, but you only have to open the handle (there are four screws on the handle), not the base.

Rolim's second image is the thing you're looking to get at, inside of it when you remove the plate is everything that TwoD mentions. DO NOT lose any of the parts, or allow anything to fall out.

If your English is bad and you can't understand TwoD's directions, you may want to consider not opening it up yourself in case you don't understand the directions once you're inside. I think it's pretty obvious once you open it up and look at it what the problem is. Once you have read TwoD's account of the issue, you then understand what it means when you see all the parts in front of you.

P.S. I almost forgot: Thanks TwoD!

[SeNses]

Can't give you pictures for fear of stripping the screws some more, but you only have to open the handle (there are four screws on the handle), not the base.

Rolim's second image is the thing you're looking to get at, inside of it when you remove the plate is everything that TwoD mentions. DO NOT lose any of the parts, or allow anything to fall out.

If your English is bad and you can't understand TwoD's directions, you may want to consider not opening it up yourself in case you don't understand the directions once you're inside. I think it's pretty obvious once you open it up and look at it what the problem is. Once you have read TwoD's account of the issue, you then understand what it means when you see all the parts in front of you.

P.S. I almost forgot: Thanks TwoD!
Its not a problem anymore, I bought a Extreme 3D Pro. BYE SAITEK :)

[cyberbot]

I can tell about my experience with such bug. When I first tested my new joystick I discovered that there is a slight bias of rudder center position (about 0.2 of a smaller section of calibration gauge). It didn't really affect playing games but still annoyed me.

There is a Russian proverb: "A stupid head doesn't give a rest to hands" so I decidede to take it apart;). Inside I found out an interesting engineering solution:). There are 16 holes in the slice that was described by TwoD above. And one of them near the center is glued with something to make it opaque for the sensor. So we have 8 holes for right motion and 7 holes for left which causes the center position to bias.

Then I thought that I'm more clever than Saitek's engineers and cleaned the hole:D. When I assembled the joystick I understood why it was glued. Now the center position is OK but every slight movement of the stick around the Z axis causes the rudder to move so it became much worse.

I decided to return everything to initial state and glued the hole in the slice. The calibration seemes to be OK now as it was at first but another problem appeared. Now when I move the stick back fast to its limit the rudder moves right a bit. I suppose that is because there are quite large gaps between the gears and inertia causes the slice to move. Probably there was some thick grease on the gears that kept then from moving in such way and I rubbed it off. I'll try to fix it later.

So a slight right bias of the rudder's central position is not a malfunction.
Sorry for my English - I am Russian.