SimStack Software Update

Posted on by Rodney Posted in News

Simulator Solutions are pleased to announce the release of a major software update to the SimStack family of products.

These updates provide support for more applications and further enhance the functionality of SimStack.

The updates include:

  • The merger of SimSwitch and SwitchPSX into SimStack Switch
  • New version of SimStack Loader (v1.5)
  • Updated Compile server
  • Additional support for Prosim (737 & A320), X-Plane (10 & 11) and FSUIPC (Prepar3D & FSX)
  • The creation of an open API for direct access to SimStack Inputs and Outputs

The enhancements to the code library include:

  • Memory utilisation improvements
  • Additional functions to speed up programming
  • Native H-Bridge support
  • Support for Prosim, X-Plane and FSUIPC clients

For more information about this update, please visit the Simulator Solutions support forum.

Australasian Simulation Congress

Posted on by John Posted in News, Services, Software

This week Simulator Solutions is showcasing our range of products and services at the Australasian Simulation Congress in the new Sydney Exhibition Centre.

Our exhibit demonstrates the flexibility of the SimStack solution come visit and discuss how our services can address your needs. 

SimStack 737 MCDU Conversion Kit

Posted on by Rodney Posted in Development, News

Simulator Solutions have been working with a customer over the last few months to develop a MCDU conversion kit for the 737.

This conversion kit will provide all the parts to turn a genuine Classic 737 MCDU into a 737-NG MCDU*, including

  • SimStack Foundation Board – Pre-configured and wired.
  • 5.6″ Colour LCD Display and driver board with custom Firmware and custom glass panel.
  • Mounting brackets and hardware for all parts.
  • Comprehensive instructions
  • Complete wiring harness

For a comprehensive review of the SimStack 737 MCDU by our launch customer, please visit his website at: flaps2approach.com.

The 737 MCDU Conversion kit will be available for sale in the second half of 2017 for US$550.

Please contact us for more information or to register your interest.

 
* Please note that some parts of the MCDU chassis may require machining to ensure SimStack parts will fit correctly.

Custom Connector and Wiring Loom Service

Posted on by Rodney Posted in News, Product

Simulator Solutions have launched their Custom Connector and Wiring Loom Service.  This service enables Simulator Solutions to provide surplus MIL-SPEC connectors with custom wiring looms from their large stock of surplus Boeing and Airbus standard connectors to simulator builders.Custom Connector and Wiring Loom Service

Having gone to the trouble of finding genuine parts for your simulator, it is a shame to have to hack them up because the connectors are too difficult to find.  If you are lucky enough to acquire parts with connectors still attached, they are usually supplied with only a short stump of aviation grade wire that is difficult to work with and too short to be useful.

Simulator Solutions will work with you to design a custom wiring loom to suit your simulator.  In many cases, the large multi-pin connectors only need a fraction of the original number of connectors to bring panels back to life. 

Simulator Solutions offer a Connector Exchange Program and a Loom Only Service where we re-pin your connectors and create looms to meet your requirements.

Simulator Solutions looms use new PVC insulated, 20 AWG copper wire in a variety of colours to simplify wiring.  Each connector and loom is labelled and a complete wiring summary is provided for your records.

Please visit our website for more detailed information about Simulator Solutions’s Custom Connector and Wiring Loom Service.

SimStack Ground Board

Posted on by Rodney Posted in News, Product

The SimStack Ground board is designed to help manage ground connections in your simulator and is now available through the Simulator Solutions Online Store.  

The SimStack Ground Board is the same size as a SimStack Input board and is mounted in a standard SimStack.  Each board can aggregate up to 40 individual ground connections and handle in excess of 30 Amps of current.

SimStack Ground Board

When wiring up a simulator, a large number of ground wires need to be correctly terminated.  SimStack Ground was designed to offer an easy way to terminal these ground connections in a simple and effective way.  Correct grounding of DC power circuits is important as floating ground potential problems cause strange behaviour in simulators and can often be hard to track down.

For more information about the SimStack Ground Board, please visit our Online Store.

SimStack – Shortlisted 2017 Aerospace Australia Limited Industry Innovation Awards

Posted on by Rodney Posted in News

Simulator Solutions’s SimStack – shortlisted 2017 Aerospace Australia Limited Industry Innovation Awards.  The awards recognise and reward Australian companies at the forefront of aerospace innovation.

The Aerospace Australia Limited Industry Innovation Awards are awarded every two years at the Australian International Airshow held at Avalon Airport in Victoria.  

SimStack was nominated for this award for its ability to integrate original aircraft components, including ARINC429 parts, directly into flight simulators without the need for modification. SimStack was recognised for its ability to handle the voltage, current and logic requirements of aviation components in addition to the power and flexibility of its Ethernet connectivity that provides significant advantages over traditional Serial and USB based systems.

All of these points have allowed Simulator Solutions to provide a product that reduces development time and cost.  SimStack also provides customers’ simulators the ability to utilise their pool of rotable spares which reduces downtime and provides increased realism during training.

The Awards will be presented by the Chairman of Aerospace Australia Limited, Air Marshal (Retired) Geoff Shepherd, AO, at the Avalon 2017 Innovation Theatrette on 1 March.

Click here for further details about the 2017 Aerospace Australia Limited Industry Innovation Awards.

SimStack - Shortlisted 2017 Aerospace Australia Limited Industry Innovation Awards

Online Store – Now Open

Posted on by Rodney Posted in News, Product, Software

The Simulator Solutions Online Store now makes it even easier to get your SimStack boards shipped directly to your door. You can access the Simulator Solutions online store here: https://simulatorsolutions.com.au/products-page/

Simulator Solutions Online Store Features:

  • Access to all Simulator Solutions Products
  • Secure Checkout facilities
    • Payment via Credit Card,
    • or directly from your PayPal account.
  • Accurate Shipping Calculator
  • Choice of shipping services via Australia Post

The Simulator Solutions online store is only available to registered customers.  To become a registered customer, please Click Here to register an account.

Simulator Solutions have recently integrated their SimStack range of products with ProSim 737, Prepar3D and FSX in addition to the ongoing support for Aerowinx PSX. Over the coming weeks, Simulator Solutions will be releasing an MCDU conversion Kit to allow you to convert genuine MCDU’s for use in your simulator.

SimStack ARINC 429 Interface

Posted on by Rodney Posted in News, Product, Production, Software

Simulator Solutions are delighted to announce the long awaited release of their ARINC 429 interface, SimStack ARINC.

The SimStack ARINC 429 board allows you to interface directly with ARINC 429 instruments and panels with no modifications to the aircraft equipment.

SimStack ARINC 429 features:

  • 2 independent ARINC 429 interfaces with one Tx bus and one Rx bus per interface (total of 2 Tx and 2 Rx ports)
  • Connects directly to ARINC 429 bus
  • Support for High or Low speed ARINC 429 operation
  • Receives and validates ARINC 429 words for manual processing
  • Automatically handles transmission inter-bit and inter-word timing
  • 32 word FIFO Tx and 32 word FIFO Rx buffers
  • Automatic hardware calculation and insertion of parity bit
  • SimStack Libraries to assist in manipulating ARINC 429 Words
  • Aviation grade IC chipset
  • Standard SimStack Spring connectors providing an easy wiring solution
  • Integration with the SimStack range of products to provide discrete Input and Output connections to ARINC instruments.

SimStack ARINC Each SimStack can support one SimStack ARINC board on the top of the stack. SimStack ARINC has been tested with a range of Honeywell, Bendix and Collins units found in both Boeing and Airbus aircraft. SimStack ARINC allows you to send and receive data from complex ARINC instruments, however SimStack ARINC 429 is not a simple plug and play solution.  In order to work with SimStack ARINC, you will need to be familiar with how to write SimStack code in C++ and you must have a good understanding of the ARINC 429 protocol. The ARINC standard is applied differently between manufacturers so information specific to your hardware is also highly recommended.  Simulator Solutions will work with you to learn the basics of ARINC 429 to get your project up and running. More details about Simulator Solutions SimStack ARINC 429 board can be found by clicking here.

SimSwitch – Support for Prepar3D, ProSim737 & FSX

Posted on by Rodney Posted in News, Product, Software

Simulator Solutions have launched SimSwitch which connects SimStack hardware with Prepar3D, ProSim737 and FSX.

SimSwitch is a software switch that allows a SimStack Foundation Board to establish 2 way communication with Prepar3D, ProSim 737 or FSX.  This opens up a new opportunities for people modelling a wide variety of aircraft to integrate OEM parts with their simulator.

SimSwitch has the following features:

  • Inject commands directly into ProSim 737,  or Prepar3D / FSX via FSUIPC
  • Hold client connections up should the main host go offline
  • Highlighting to indicate offline and unknown clients
  • Sorting by Connection ID, Name or IP address
  • Debug functions to facilitate troubleshooting
  • Automatic version checking to alert you when new versions of SimSwitch are released

simswitch-example SimSwitch can be downloaded from the Software Section of our Website or by visiting: https://simulatorsolutions.com.au/simulator-solutions-software/simswitch/

SimStack is a modular, stackable and scalable hardware interface for simulators that is designed to integrate OEM parts into your simulator with little or no modification.  For more information about SimStack, please visit our website: https://simulatorsolutions.com.au/

SwitchPSX v2.11 Released

Posted on by Rodney Posted in Members, News, Software

Simulator Solutions are delighted to announce that SwitchPSX – Version 2.11 has been released. SwitchPSX is a software switch designed to sit between SimStack Foundation Boards and PSX to improve performance and stability. Version 2.11 has a number of feature improvements and bug fixes.

  • Version Check – SwitchPSX will now check to see if a new version is available when starting
  • Notify Bugfix – Resolved an issue to make the Notify Command work correctly
  • Column Sorting – Allow you to sort clients by Column Heading (#, ID, Description or IP)
  • Colour Coding – Colour code clients by status to identify if any are missing

SwitchPSX - Version 2.11 Released The latest version of SwitchPSX can be downloaded from here: https://simulatorsolutions.com.au/simulator-solutions-software/switchpsx/