SimHawk Console - Anyone have one? Docs? Pinouts..

[a2capt]

I've aquired a SimHawk '2000' console, similar to the one here:



Instead of 'Pro', it says '2000', it has no propeller control, and the mixture is moved inwards.

The PCB has the slider for it, and I've got parts to make it 'whole'...

My question at the moment is, if anyone has one- I'm trying to figure out the pinout to the cable that goes from the unit to the PS/2 keyboard. This one has a MiniDin 8 on the input side and the MiniDin 6 where the keyboard actually goes.

So it's got a cable that goes from MiniDin 6 male to MiniDin 8 male. this helps people plug in stuff to the 'right' places by not being physically able to plug it backwards. Saves on tech support ... but makes replacing lost cables a little more challenging.

I got this off eBay on an impulse .. figuring "I can convert that to USB, it's just a buncha switches".. well, yeah. Except when I opened it, it's a lot more than that, that I was figuring it was probably anyway after thinking more indepth about it.

The problem with using the old hack up a keyboard and hook it to stuff .. for a flight sim, is that you can't just do that to be realistic. The same key does landing light, for example. On /off. Well, in the real thing, it's a toggle. You can't toggle a keyswitch that easily. IE, it assumes the thing is "off" when you power up, but when if it's "on" (flipped up?), so your sim console is now backwards.

I guess thats what checklists are for.. and momentary toggle switches that make contact passing center. But anyhow..

I figure i'll convert it to USB using a micro controller, so it can work on anything as a 'custom' controller.

It was sold by Control Vision around the time of the turn of the century  ... (Makes it sound really old ;-)

This is the same company that makes the "Anywhere Map" software now. They ditched this about 2003-2004 when the software got really popular.  Judging from the serial # on my unit I suspect they didn't sell that many, the one I have is what I figure the last revision they made.

I've seen them labeled:
Sim-Hawk 97, Sim-Hawk Pro and then the one I have, Sim-Hawk 2000. the 2000 has MiniDin connectors in the back as opposed to 5 Pin (AT) sized DIN, but the cabinet is stamped for the older connectors, as well as the silk screening still shows that.

[NIN]

Saitek Yoke with quadrant and their new switch panel = All USB and probably cheaper.  Jettison that dinosaur and get in the 21st, man! 

[a2capt]

I have two Saitek sets, as well, as well as CH Products USB and Gameport yokes, rudders, and CH USB quadrant, etc, in addition to a 'Jeppesen, FlyElite, whoever made it', USB
This one has all the com/nav/etc.



The Sim-Hawk hardware when coupled with FlyElite 8.1 is equiv. to a PCFTD  when proper video hardware is used. I've already logged all the sim time I can, so I'm not concerned with being able to log it, more so having something that is more suited for procedures, IFR checklist, etc.  Hence the idea of bringing "it" - into the 21st century..

FWIW, Fry's was selling the Saitek X52 set for $24.95 on Black Friday, as a refurb, and I grabbed a couple and some for some cadets that wanted them, too. They sometimes have them otherwise for $49.95 too, though not a yoke, you get some decent controllers.