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Release notes

0.9.7.3

Released October 4, 2026.

DirectLink better handles device driver crashes without requiring a TelemFFB restart. The Windows force feedback driver can crash when device effect memory fills up or damaged data arrives from a device. This is more common with USB hubs and add-in USB cards. If the driver crashes, DirectLink reports the device as disconnected and TelemFFB reconnects it. Other unexpected DirectLink errors now produce an error message instead of closing TelemFFB.

Devices keep working if their effect memory fills up. DirectLink remembers the device's memory limit until TelemFFB restarts. TelemFFB frees space by dropping the vibration effects that started least recently.

Effect errors better explain what happened. Messages say whether the device ran out of memory, accepted the effect, returned damaged data, or lost the effect. Damaged data, lost effects, or no response may point to a USB connection problem. Try connecting the device directly to a motherboard USB port, without a hub.

DirectLink retries devices after driver crashes. If the driver crashes while DirectLink lists or opens a device, it tries again after five seconds. Repeated crashes increase the wait, up to five minutes. Error messages include the crash count to help identify recurring problems.

0.9.7

Released September 29, 2026.

Fixes driver faults and input stalls with some devices. On some force feedback bases, input polling and effect updates could reach the device driver at the same time, most often right after loading an aircraft. This could cause the driver to stop responding, leaving all effects disabled until TelemFFB was restarted. In some cases, input could also stall for several seconds.

0.9.6

Released September 23, 2026.

Recovers when another application acquires the device. If another application acquires the force feedback device while TelemFFB is running, DirectLink will now try to reacquire it. Once recovered, TelemFFB rebuilds its effects automatically. Previously, the effects would remain inactive until TelemFFB was restarted.

Recovery attempts are logged, and the TelemFFB error report will indicate whether the device was recovered, recovery was deferred, or recovery failed.

  • Recovered: Another application acquired the device, and it was successfully reacquired.
  • Recovery deferred: Another application is repeatedly acquiring the device, so DirectLink backs off rather than continuously fighting for control. Find and close the application using the device.
  • Recovery failed: The device could not be reacquired. Check that it is still connected and working normally in Windows.

Built-in centering stays disabled after a reset. Resetting a device can turn its DirectInput centering (the driver's autocenter setting) back on. DirectLink now turns it off again after every reset. This applies only to centering that is controlled through DirectInput; a device that keeps its own centering in firmware is not affected either way, and its centering is still set in the manufacturer's software.

Clearer errors when another application acquires the device. If an effect update or device reset fails because another application has acquired the device, the error now identifies the lost device instead of reporting a generic failure.

0.9.5

Released September 2026. First public release.

  • Core bridge: TelemFFB's effects on any DirectInput force feedback device.