Hofmann SIMPED-vario Rudder Pedals (1999)

SIMPED-vario Rudder Pedals

Manufactured By: Hofmann

Retail Price: $129(analog), $149(MS Sidewinder FF Pro), $154(MS Sidewinder Precision Pro and 3D Pro)

Review Date: 7-21-99

The age-old question has been answered- not the meaning of life, but "how can I use rudder pedals with my Microsoft Sidewinder Joystick?". The SIMPED-vario pedals not only work with Microsoft joysticks (with the appropriate interface adapter) but they work with virtually any controller that lends itself to use with pedals. To top it all off the pedals are incredibly accurate and realistic.

The SIMPED-vario pedals are manufactured my Hofmann in Germany. Most of the Hofmann webpage is in German but they do have a few pages posted in English for people like me who did not retain much of the 5 years of German taken in school. They do ship worldwide and claim a 28 day delivery to the US.

The SIMPED-vario comes in a variety of interfaces. Although all connect through the gameport their are separate interface connecters to allow setup with different controllers. The standard analog interface is a simple Y cable that plugs into the gameport and the analog controller plugs into the port on the cable, much like other pedal connectors. If you use one of the Microsoft controllers there is an additional male/female pass-through that plugs between the SIMPED-vario and the gameport. There are two versions of this adapter, one for the Force-Feedback Pro and one for the Precision Pro and 3D Pro.

There are also adapters in the works for connection to the PDPI L4 gameport and a "Virtual" connector that allows you to use the pedals with USB or serial port controllers. These adapters should be released soon and will make the pedals truly compatible with any controller. The US prices will be $20 for the "virtual" adapter and $45 for the PDPI version. Also planned are add-on toe brakes.

Some interesting attention to detail went into the making of the pedals. The movement of the pedals is read by magnetic signals opposed to the mechanical setups of other pedals. This means that there is no degradation of performance over time due to worn out pots and control is very accurate. The output of the pedal movement is non-linear giving you better accuracy in the middle range of the pedals movement. As the pedals reach the extremes of the movement path the signal becomes more standard.

Features 95%-

No-contact magnetic sensor
Realistic rudder control
Reversible pedals for racing setup
Microsoft Sidewinder compatibility
Future support for PDPI and USB ports
Future add on toe brakes

Appropriate For-

Flight Sims (MS FlightSim 98, CombatSim, Flight Unlimited II, European Air War, WWII Fighters, etc.)
Racing Sims (Need For Speed IV, Midtown Madness, etc.)
Mech/Space Sims (Descent Freespace, Forsaken, Mechwarrior 3, etc.)

System Requirements-

15 pin gameport.

Price -

The prices of the SIMPED-vario rudder pedals are on the high end for rudder pedals. Their quality and function also reside on the high end justifying the price and making them a fair buy for a serious "simmer".

Warranty-

6 months.

Performance 89%-

The SIMPED-vario pedals are great in almost every aspect! They are a superb addition to the Microsoft controllers. Mind you that they will take some getting used to if you are a seasoned Sidewinder user- the pedal movement is reverse of what you are accustom to with the twist rudder on the stick. I realized the bad habit I picked up from the MS controllers when I got behind the yoke of a real plane. I meandered down the taxi-way like I had a few drinks in me!

I did not use the pedals too much for racing games or sims. This is the only area where the pedals falter. The attributes that make them such great rudder pedals hinder their use as racing pedals. The wide spacing of the pedals and sliding motion opposed to a pivot makes using them for racing a bit un-natural. Although the function and provide accurate control I did not feel the pedals were the best for racing setups.

Using the SIMPED-vario pedals for flying is another thing. I flew them through aviation history- From a WWI Spad to a F-22, and everything in between. I even used them to control futuristic craft such as X-Wings and Mechs. Whether controlling a classic Warbirds., high powered fighter or spaceship the pedals gave great rudder control. The different control characteristics at the mid-points of movement help you control your craft more accurately.

The accuracy of the control was best illustrated with a few flights with Microsoft FlightSim 98's helicopter. No one will argue against the fact that you need rudder controls (to operate the collective control) to fly a helicopter. Although the Microsoft Sidewinder sticks offer rudder control through the stick-twist method it is not accurate enough to effectively control the craft. Connecting and using the SIMPED-vario pedals to the Sidewinders gave the necessary control accuracy needed to keep the bird strait. The Las Vegas Strip flight was transformed from a "get airborne and crash into a building" flight to a "see the sights" flight.

Pairing the SIMPED-vario pedals with the CH Products FlightSim Yoke PC gave the closest representation to the real thing I have yet to experience. I flew this setup through a few Combat Sim missions, Star Wars: Racer, WWII Fighters, European Air Warrior and Need For Speed III. The setup performed well through all of the flight sims but wasn't the best for the racing games, although quite functional.

Using any of the Microsoft Sidewinder controllers, adjustment period aside, is very nice. I found myself twisting the stick a few times, forgetting I had my feet resting on the pedals that actually controlled the rudder now. Once I got over that I was very happy to be using the Sidewinders with external pedals. All played the test sims and games just fine. With each the rudder control was much more precise than with the stick alone.

The pinnacle of the test was pairing a Microsoft Force-feedback Pro with the SIMPED-vario pedals. Combining the force effects with rudder control by your feet gave quite a workout. The setup wasn't as realistic as the yoke/pedal combo for most sims but overall it was the most fun.

Setup 82% -

There is minor assembly required, nothing to challenging though. The foot rests of the pedals are not connected to the base when the SIMPED-vario is delivered. Simply remove the single screw from each platform, line up the foot rest and re-insert the screw. Depending on how you prefer to use the pedals you can place the lipped end down (for flight setup) or up (for racing setup). The only thing left to the assembly is placing the 4 Velcro strips on the base of the unit if you feel you need the extra grip.

Setup of the SIMPED-vario pedals should not be much of a challenge for the user. The pedals plug directly into the gameport. There is a gameport plug that is wired off the plug from the gameport that the controller then plugs into. If using one of the Microsoft controllers you will also need to add one of the interfaces between the gameport and the pedal plug.

Once the connection is finalized start your system and enter the game controller setup to calibrate the controller with the pedals. In most cases calibration should go well. It is interesting that if you do need to "tweak" the pedals Hofmann suggests doing this from FlightSim 98 and not the calibration window of the game controller setup. I had no problems with any of the setups tested and did not need to perform this procedure.

Another minor setting that will need to be set is a series of 4 dip switches on the gameport plug of the pedals. It is set depending on whether the Microsoft interfaces are used or not. I suspect there will also be settings for the PDPI and "virtual" adapters when their released also.

I was not able to "hot" connect any of the setups (with the system on); having to connect the setup with the system off and then start the system for proper function of the controller. Each of the setups I ran required the same calibration as they would without the pedals connected. In some cases where a rudder control is not part of the standard setup you will need to check the "rudder pedals connected" box in the setup before calibration.

Note: With the Panther XL I simply plugged the pedals into the rudder pedal port on the back of the controller and ran the appropriate calibration setups.

** Software -

** No software is provided or necessary for the operation of the SIMPED-vario pedals.

Documentation 85% -

Documentation included with the SIMPED-vario pedals includes a 14 page manual containing all of the details you will need to setup and use the pedals. The manual details how to properly connect the pedals and calibrate them (including the calibration through FlightSim 98). The manual also describes the control characteristic of the pedals and has a graph that illustrates the response curve.

Each Microsoft interface also includes a supplemental sheet giving instructions on its use and instructions on making any necessary adjustments. The sheet also warns that the interfaces will not work with other rudder pedals and the MS controllers.

The Hofmann website is written predominantly in German. It has a few pages written in English giving details on the SIMPED-vario pedals. Translations in the manual, supplement sheets and on the website are done well. There are a few errors in the form of spelling but I can't criticize that!

Overall Rating 89% -

The SIMPED-vario pedals function with any gameport controller and will soon support USB and serial controllers. AND their Microsoft compatible meaning you can pair them with you Force-Feedback Pro or other Sidewinder stick. If your a serious flight simmer the SIMPED-vario pedals are a great addition to your flight setup. For racing fans your probably better seeking a wheel and pedal combination. The wide spacing of the pedals and the push/pull movement make them great for flying but a poor choice for driving.

The SIMPED-vario pedals are highly recommended as add-on rudder pedals for flight sims but not recommended for the serious auto race fan.

Pros-

Compatibility with Microsoft Controllers
Realistic spacing and movement

Cons-

The cost may be prohibitive for some
Unrealistic racing control

Tested With-

Similar to-

CH Products Pro Pedals

** Visit Hofmann**

Review date as printed on the original page. Images from the original page are not reproduced.