Is anyone else having disconnect issues with the Interlink DX?

[Airwolf076]

So I'm noticing that with my laptop especially RF9.5S is nearly unplayable simply because the Interlink controller constantly disconnects from USB. Is this a known issue? Is there a fix for this? This is a relatively new gaming laptop, not even a year old, with an RTX 3060 in it, and i'm plugging into a USB port that I never use for anything, so I don't think this is a problem with a worn out port or an underpowered rig.

I also sometimes get disconnects and controller lag with the Interlink on my desktop(also a relatively powerful and recent gaming PC), but it's not nearly as often or as pronounced. I can actually have an enjoyable experience on the desktop.... not so with the laptop, but the fact that both have issues tells me its something about the controller and not my PC hardware.

 

[Ryan Douglas]

There is a known issue with some InterLink DX controllers on some computers, but the disconnect symptom you described isn't known to coincide with that. It still may be worth trying the same fix, which is to connect via a USB hub. A cheap, unpowered one is sufficient. You can contact RealFlight Product Support for additional assistance.

The input lag you described on your desktop, on the other hand, is consistent with the known issue. I suspect a hub would solve that.

You may also find success with the power setting changes described in this post. It would be easy to try, and it seems to have helped the user in that situation.

 

[Skypod]

Same setup same issues.

 

[Ryan Douglas]

Same suggestions.

 

[Kenta78]

Having the same issue with a desktop. 2x USB 2.0 2xUSB 3.0 and one red USB 3.1?. The 2.0 didn´t work, I just got the Windows sound of USB is connected. The 3.0 didn´t work either, and the red 3.x.. did work sometimes. Connection error, lag etc. I connected the interlink to my cellphone, running a game pad testing program, and it worked flawlessly. So the issue wasn´t the Interlink.. I found this thread and the other so I bought a nonpowered usb hub. I don´t get it why the Interlink has such trouble connecting to the computers? After all , it´s just a gamepad and my ordinary gamepad works just fine in any usb port. So why is it only the Interlink?. It worked also just fine on my old gaming desktop This is for sure strange Horizon should ship the interlink with a usb hub for free, I mean the Interlink isn´t that cheap.

 

[TomXP411]

After all , it´s just a gamepad and my ordinary gamepad works just fine in any usb port.

I believe it's a little more than just a game pad: The Interlink controllers act as license keys for the software, so there's some custom electronics in there. In fact, my older versions of RF (I go all the way back to 4) won't work with newer Interlink controllers... so I still keep my three Interlink Elite controllers around, in case I want to do flying LAN parties.

 

[csgill75]

I believe it's a little more than just a game pad: The Interlink controllers act as license keys for the software, so there's some custom electronics in there. In fact, my older versions of RF (I go all the way back to 4) won't work with newer Interlink controllers... so I still keep my three Interlink Elite controllers around, in case I want to do flying LAN parties.

That all stopped with Realflight 8. you no longer need an Interlink on newer versions of Realflight. You just need a controller, Any controller will work. Xbox controllers work....

 

[TomXP411]

That all stopped with Realflight 8. you no longer need an Interlink on newer versions of Realflight. You just need a controller, Any controller will work. Xbox controllers work....

That's good to know. That may explain why the Interlink buttons (trim buttons and UI buttons) are suddenly usable as joystick buttons on the newer controller, when they were not usable on the Elite.

 

[Ryan Douglas]

I don´t get it why the Interlink has such trouble connecting to the computers? After all , it´s just a gamepad and my ordinary gamepad works just fine in any usb port. So why is it only the Interlink?. It worked also just fine on my old gaming desktop This is for sure strange Horizon should ship the interlink with a usb hub for free, I mean the Interlink isn´t that cheap.

I realize it seems a bit odd, but that is the nature of this particular issue.

Anyone who needs help with a hub should contact RealFlight Product Support!

 

[Ryan Douglas]

That's correct, older InterLink devices communicated differently, whereas as far as Windows is concerned the InterLink DX is a fancy joystick. Every control on it is sent as either an axis input or a button (or a combination of buttons, in the case of three-position switches).

 

[Airwolf076]

I'm actually using this powered hub now, and it solves my issues on both laptop and desktop...... I really think it might be a power issue and that the controller draws a bit more current than your average Xbox/PS controller..... I think that might also explain why it was soooo much worse on my laptop and actually to the point of being completely unplayable.

 

[Bill Stuntz]

I really think it might be a power issue

It's been confirmed via Ryan that it's NOT a power issue. I don't have a DX controller, but I do have both an X and an Elite. The X has been reported to have a similar problem, and the Elite never has the problem. I've measured the power usage of both controllers. The X draws .028A@5.01V. The Elite draws .019A A 64G thumb drive draws .046A. USB1&2 can supply .5A, USB3 .9A. And NO, that doesn't PROVE that the DX doesn't use more power than the X. But even if the DX draws 15x the power of the X - which seems unlikely, the controllers are nowhere near the power limit for ANY USB port. And it's been proven that an UNpowered hub works just as well as powered ones. It seems to be a timing/handshake issue with only SOME USB chipsets that somehow prevents the controller from being properly detected/configured. Other chipsets work fine. And AFAIK, pretty much any hub connects to the InterLink just fine, but the PC's USB port doesn't connect properly without the hub in the systems with the "bad" chipset. Is it a chipset problem or an InterLink problem? I don't know. But literally everyone who has experienced the problem and reported back has said that connecting through a hub makes it 100% reliable. So there's at least a reliable work-around.