317: Starting Up Networked FIPs Locally

Putting FIPs on a networked PC could reserve system resources for the simulator but the FIPs on the remote computer have to be started manually.

Stefano Cancelli in the Comment section of the story provides a solution by using a Microsoft utility called PSExec.    Via PSExec, the FIPs on the networked PC can now start up automatically when FSX on the local computer launches, and quits when FSX exits.

Very useful tips and followings are the instruction from Stef:

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Install pstools on to your system in a folder of your choosing i.e. c:\pstools.

Add the following to the exe.xml file of FSX

<Launch.Addon>

    <Name>Network FIPs</Name>

    <Disabled>False</Disabled>

    <Path>C:\pstools\psexec.exe</Path>

    <CommandLine>\\lenovo1 -h -i -u AdminUser -p AdminPassword “C:\Program Files (x86)\Saitek\ProFlight FSX Plugin\SaiFlightSimX.exe”</CommandLine>

</Launch.Addon>

 

Edit:
Above <CommandLine></CommandLine> is in a single line format as below shown. 

<CommandLine>\\lenovo1 -h -i -u AdminUser -p AdminPassword "C:\Program Files (x86)\Saitek\ProFlight FSX Plugin\SaiFlightSimX.exe"</CommandLine>

In this example, Lenovo1 is the name of my 2nd pc, AdminUserName and AdminPassword should be valid local accounts on the 2nd PC with admin privileges.

Some caveats:
1. Make sure that the 2nd computer is configured with simconnect and all works fine by manually launching the Saitek program before attempting the remote launch.

2. The 2nd PC should automatically login on startup. Instructions for a windows 7 machine are here: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/ee872306.aspx

3. I have UAC (User Access Control) off on my second PC.  Not sure if it will work when enabled.

4. If you use Remote Desktop to access the 2nd computer, do NOT launch a RDP session.  The way that RD works is that each login is considered a different session with unique session id’s.  It would be tricky to get PSEXEC to execute the Saitek application in the RD session.  Instead, it will launch into a different session that will not connect to your main fsx computer through simconnect.

Just have the 2nd computer startup and autologin and you should be fine.  No need for a remote desktop session.  However, something like VNC or Teamviewer for remote access should be no problem as that only works on the active session.

Hope this helps make running your sim with networked gauges simple and pain free.

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Here’s additional command-line information of the utility.

Thanks very much Stef.