New B747 CDU Hardware available (PU CDU V2)

[Christian_Norway]

Hello,
This B747 CDU product seems interesting! Reasonably priced and has several aircraft quick change pad options.  Still not 100% Plug and Play but several say they set it up in 10 min... I ordered this a while back and it has now arrived at the post office.  (I'm still on the road and will get back home in a week).

https://www.puairkorea.com/product/pucduv2/

Does anyone have any experience so far?
Obviously the big question will be how to connect this to PSX as Im not aware of any software developed for the PU CDU V2 communicating with PSX (yet)?

All feedback appreciated!

Cheers,
Christian

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

This is one of those projects that I have been looking forward to for a while ... depending on the availability of a proper SDK, I may want to have a shot at it. Not just for PSX.


Hoppie

[Gary Oliver]

https://uk.winwingsim.com/view/goods-details.html?id=945 also look amazing for the price!

[andrej]

For the price is looks stunning. However I am not sure how it will connect to the PSX as it has its own display. Connection is made via USB-C. I am not sure if you can just drag a screen into it (like FDS CDU). Having said that, I am considering it for Airbus flying (even if the font is not 100% correct).

I have Integrated Control Panel from the WinWing, and I happy with it. Ratio of quality and price from them seems to be very reasonable. I believe that it is a great deal.

Cheers,

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

It has apparently two modes, one of which they call "streaming" and this may be a display through USB. But it is not a problem really. The thing would need a driver for PSX and it is not difficult to tap into the complete MCDU subsystem on PSX.

And they also say fonts can be uploaded.

Hoppie

[andrej]

Hoppie,
than it is a mandatory purchase for all! :-) I have two CDUs from FDS (v1 and v2) and I am happy with it. Actually, for some reason button "6" does not always register, but it is OK. Nevertheless, CDU is an awesome and very helpful tool for anyone.

Cheers,

[asboyd]

I now have 2 FDS CDU's running and one Opencockpits. I may look into a winwings CDU to replace the OC one as it does not have brightness control at present....

AlexB

[JG]

Yep agreed, the Winwing CDU looks really nice for the price.....but it is very hard to get a clue about what you need to buy, at least on the Aussie link to their web site. I assume you buy the FPF 4 panel for a 744 sim.....but does it come with the guts that makes it work? Or do you have to buy an additional electronics module it clips or screws onto? The downloadable manuals are also very scant on relevant details for interfacing this particular product to anything, let alone the details needed to interface it to PSX. I will watch and wait with anticipation for the clever community that this is to create a bridge between this product and PSX....but without more info about what makes the Winwing tick it's beyond me.
Cheers, J.G. 

[Jelsomino]

to compare with CS 747X CDU (v2)
https://www.cockpit-simulator.com/shop/cs-747x-cdu/

[PanosI]

to compare with CS 747X CDU (v2)
https://www.cockpit-simulator.com/shop/cs-747x-cdu/

In the same price you can buy the MCDU/PFP for A320, B738, B744, B777 and you'll receive 279,2 USD change   

WinWing is a God sent gift for the average flight-simmer.

[andrej]

Yep agreed, the Winwing CDU looks really nice for the price.....but it is very hard to get a clue about what you need to buy, at least on the Aussie link to their web site. I assume you buy the FPF 4 panel for a 744 sim.....but does it come with the guts that makes it work? Or do you have to buy an additional electronics module it clips or screws onto? The downloadable manuals are also very scant on relevant details for interfacing this particular product to anything, let alone the details needed to interface it to PSX. I will watch and wait with anticipation for the clever community that this is to create a bridge between this product and PSX....but without more info about what makes the Winwing tick it's beyond me.

J.G.,
FPF 4 is indeed for B744/8. I believe that eventually we will be able to connect it without issues to the PSX. But I am not sure if WinWing will make it available on the release date.

As I understand, and from my experience with WinWing's IPC, there is some setup required. But it is very straight forward and not very problematic. You have to align stands and screw them together. Making sure that cable is placed correctly. So quite simple steps.

I am interested in their MCDU as I currently have 2 CDUs from FDS. I am not sure how heavy duty WinWing will be vs. FDS and CS product, but the difference of roughly USD 500 must be somewhere (surely not a profit margin). :-)

Cheers!

[Kurt]

I preordered one PFP4 to mess with  

It seems you can customize screen colour but not backlight colour which makes sense as the PFP7 (777) which seems physicaly similar has another colour on the background.

If successful adaptation to PSX is possible I will get at least one more so I can skip the touchscreen currently allocated to L+R CDU´s plus lower EICAS screen and change that to a simple non-touch monitor.

Lets see

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

If there appears a way to read the keyboard of the thing (via USB on a PC) and to send text strings to its display (also via USB from the PC) or to drive the display as a pixel display (via USB from the PC, but now appearing as a real display), then it will be possible to interface it to PSX.

So if they come out with a minimalistic kind of SDK then it's a go.


Hoppie

[JG]

Thanks Andrej, Hoppie and Kurt,
I too was thinking of getting one to mess with....but as Hoppie points out, without an SDK or better documentation of its workings, there isn't a lot of point. I'm not that clever at reverse engineering! Please keep the product feedback coming guys, as Andrej correctly says, "you get what you pay for" but if you're buying 3 of these, the difference between Winwing and FDS is massive. That said I would love to see a post from someone who might have the CS running properly with PSX? A touch screen is working fine for me for now, but like Kurt, I would love to add the realism of some actual panels at a cost that doesn't break the bank. J.G.

[Hardy Heinlin]

That said I would love to see a post from someone who might have the CS running properly with PSX?

They just started to develop an interface for PSX.


|-|

[JG]

Thanks Hardy,

That's great to hear, I'll send an enquiry.

J.G.

[Kurt]

They just started to develop an interface for PSX.


|-|

ohh that is good news - then I will probably get two of those later instead as the CS version is as close to the real thing you can get today.

[andrej]

They just started to develop an interface for PSX.

Very good news! Thank you Hardy.

[JG]

The news gets better.
After suggesting to Cockpit Simulator that a market may exist for extension of Aerowinx support to their 737 MCP and EFIS range I received this reply.
"After completing the adaptation of the 747 CDU to Aerowinx, we are also preparing to carry out the adaptation of the 737 MCP&EFIS to the Aerowinx 747."
With luck there may soon be a better solution to substitution of these components....their EFIS panels are very nicely manufactured and while slightly smaller than 744 ones with the wrong fascia colour, the controls are identical. I made some suggestions on how to add control of the 3rd auto pilot and some other features to the existing buttons on their 737 MCP. I think it may be helpful if we put this out there and get suggestions on what should be done with 737 MCP button assignments to make it as usable as possible for the 747 before they start development? These guys seem eager to assist and open to ideas from the market.
Having built my own MCP and EFIS panels from available bits in the parts market, I can tell you all the cost of buying ready made Cockpit simulator MCP and EFIS panels would be less.
J.G.

[Swiso]

Will the WinWing PFP4 be recognized by PSX or there's a need for some sort of interface  too ?