Hardware CDU compatible with the NGX? tips wanted!

[Nigge 20]

Hi,i am looking to buy a hardware cdu for my ngx... can you guys give me some tips if there is any good cdu out there?

(I like it if the price is below 1000 euro)

I have looked at this, http://secure.simmarket.com/vr-insight-cdu-ii-panel.phtml

but does that work with the ngx?

 

Thanks for your help

/Niklas

[Wendall 50]

Hi,

Indeed it does, in fact I'm using the VRInsight as I'm writing this. Although the setup is slightly confusing, once all is set up the final product is quite functional, and the buttons are indeed interchangeable with different aircraft. The price is lowest I found on the market, and I have no regrets after buying.

[FBC57 1]

Opencockpits have just released a CDU, very professional.

 

You can ask them, but I think you'll find that it will work with the NGX,

 

 

Frank Cooper

[Heron1B 0]

OpenCockpit 438 (Euro) and Flight Deck Solutions 809 (Euro) I am sure both use a small LCD screen (VGA) whereby you unlock the NGX CDU panel in the sim and drag image to the screen. All activation LSK align with the image. I have the FDS version and cannot fault it.

 

Both OpenCockpits and Flight Deck Solutions offer prompt delivery.

[Nigge 20]

Has anyone tried open cockpits? it looks really nice i think... But i want to be sure before i order anything:-p

[_andreas_ 0]

Nigge, I'm in the same position. The VR Insight CDU doesn't really interest me for various reasons. The FDS CDU seems awesome but expensive. So having thought about this for some time I'm very close to ordering the new OpenCockpits CDU. I've been in contact with the OC people and the english manual will be added to the site very soon, giving more details about the inner workings.

 

As I'm not using any of the OC interface cards or SIOC I will proably write my own driver for it using the NGX SDK.

Using FSUIPC with LUA scripts will likely also work although I'd like to avoid that if I can. As for the outputs (indicators) I already use Phidgets LED64 cards for that so my plan is to simply connect the CDU indicators to those.

 

I'd also be very interested to hear if anyone else already tried the OpenCockpits CDU though.

[Andydigital 93]

The VRInsight CDU is the only one available on the market than can have its buttons changed so that you can use it with different aircraft types, all the others are aircraft specific if I am not mistaken. Yes the keypad is not backlit and it doesnt look like a replica of a Boeing CDU, but its not supposed to, its generic i.e. it can be used with about half a dozen different aircraft.

[Nigge 20]

The VRInsight CDU is the only one available on the market than can have its buttons changed so that you can use it with different aircraft types, all the others are aircraft specific if I am not mistaken. Yes the keypad is not backlit and it doesnt look like a replica of a Boeing CDU, but its not supposed to, its generic i.e. it can be used with about half a dozen different aircraft.

 

I understood that... the problem is that the VRInsight isnt nearly as good looking as the open cockpit one... And honestly at the moment the NGX is the only aircraft worth flying...And i dont think that the ngx will be outdated anytime soon...So to me its not a problem if its specific for the 73x if its sure that the open cockpit one will work...:)

 

/Niklas Eriksson

[_andreas_ 0]

I'm not sure what you mean that the CDU can't be used with different aircrafts just because the CDU buttons can't be changed? As far as I know both the FDS and OpenCockpits CDU buttons are assignable directly via FSUIPC (where you can assign different actions for different aircrafts), and the FDS CDU appearantly even comes with it's own API to make it fully programmable. I'm not sure about the earlier version of the OpenCockpits CDU but the web page for the new one says "The keyboard is fully configurable", whatever that means (the manual is still spanish only ).

 

I think I'll order one tonight or tomorrow.

Nigge, you can make fun of me if I can't get it to work with the NGX....

[Andydigital 93]

What I mean is you can take the buttons off of the hardware itself and swap them for more relevant ones for the aircraft in use. Not all FMC's are the same between aircraft, even Boeing's button layout is not exactly the same between the 737, 767 and 777 etc.

[_andreas_ 0]

Ah sorry, I see what you mean now. You're right. When flying airliners I only use the NGX anyway and hopefully I won't change my mind about that any time soon.

[Nigge 20]

haha that sounds good, Imhope i wont be allowed to make fun of you then, please report how it goes... ill order one soon as well

[Heron1B 0]

Go here to read up on the VRInsight CDU and then make your decision.

 

http://www.737ng.co.uk/technical.htm

[Nigge 20]

That actually doesnt look to good for the VRInsight... even though everyone has their on opionion...

But my main question still remains regarding the open cockpit one...

Have anyone tried it and has a opinion about it? or even know if it will work with ngx?:)

[Andydigital 93]

I and many other people have been using the VRI CDU2 without issue for over 12 months with the NGX, that blog post seems to say more about the blogger and his attitude rather than the quality of the product and software.