HEUSINKVELD HE-HBV2 Sim Handbrake User Manual
- June 6, 2024
- HEUSINKVELD
Table of Contents
HEUSINKVELD HE-HBV2 Sim Handbrake
Congratulations on acquiring a Heusinkveld Sim Handbrake! We hope you will enjoy this top-of-the-line racing simulator product for many years to come.
Introduction
This is the manual for the Heusinkveld Sim Handbrake. We advise you to read it thoroughly in order to get the most enjoyment out of your handbrake.
Packing list
The box contains the following:
- Handbrake
- Adapter plate
Accessory box, which contains:
- USB cable
- Hex key tool
- Elastomer springs
- Mounting materials
- Manual
Digital download
The current version number of this manual is listed on the cover of this
document. The latest version of the manual can be downloaded at
Heusinkveld.com/support
Contact
If you have any questions which are not covered in this manual, feel free to
send us an email at support@heusinkveld.com.
Initial setup
In this section we’ll explain how to mount the handbrake to your rig and make fine adjustments to the setup.
Mounting materials
A selection of bolts, nuts and T-nuts is included with your handbrake. These
will in many cases be sufficient to create a solid mount between your
simulator, the handbrake and the optional adapter plate.
Please note that there is a great variety of simulator platforms available and
we cannot foresee every possible mounting scenario. We can therefore not rule
out that you may need to source some mounting materials yourself.
Overall position of the handbrake
Before starting the installation, determine the overall position of the
handbrake which works best on your simulator. Take the following into account:
- The base can be mounted in a horizontal or vertical position.
- The lever can be mounted in a horizontal or vertical position (relative to the base).
Changing the orientation of the lever
By default the lever is in a horizontal position. The lever can be reassembled
to a vertical position relative to the base of the handbrake.
Mounting the handbrake to your simulator
If you have determined the general position of the handbrake, you can
decide on how to mount the handbrake to the simulator. There are 2 options for
mounting the handbrake to your simulator:
- Using the 4 holes on each corner of the base to mount the handbrake directly to your simulator.
- Using the adapter plate as a mounting platform between the handbrake and your simulator.
The adapter plate can be mounted with 2 bolts and t-nuts to an aluminum profile. The 4 holes on each corner of the handbrake match the pre-tapped corner holes of the adapter plate. No nuts are needed here.
Yaw adjustment on the adapter plate
The adapter plate has a 22,5 degrees yaw adjustment.
Adjust the yaw of the handbrake by choosing different holes to bolt the
adapter plate to your simulator.
Fine-
tuning the position of the lever
There is also an option to fine-tune the angle of the lever. In the vertical
position you have 26 degrees of freedom. In the horizontal position you have
19,5 degrees of freedom (the lowest position can’t be used when the lever is
horizontal).
In order to fine tune the position of the lever, adjust the position of the
lever mounting bolt closest to the base. 
Connecting the electronics
We’ve provided a USB-cable with the handbrake. The controller board of the
handbrake is integrated inside the base. One side of the USB-cable can be
plugged into the handbrake. The other side should be connected directly to
your pc.
Please make sure there is always a bit of slack in the cable. This prevents
damage to the plug, socket and electronics. Specifically if you use a motion
simulator, secure the USB cable to the (moving) frame of your simulator before
you connect it to your handbrake.
Plug and play
Your handbrake is now ready for racing. It is pre-calibrated with a force of
approximately 15 kg and it will work after assigning it in your favorite
simulator software. Please note that iRacing requires an additional one-time
in-game calibration: calibrate the handbrake to an output of 4095.
Mechanical adjustments
The Sim Handbrake offers plenty of mechanical adjustments which change the mechanical feel of the handbrake.
Principle of operation
Your Sim Handbrake is force based. The harder you pull, the higher the signal
output to the simulator software will be.
The handbrake has a spring stack with a 2-stage system. Initially a metal coil spring is compressed. This coil spring simulates the pad-to-disc gap and/or the slack on the handbrake cable. The main loading of the brake disc is simulated by compressing the elastomers.
By adjusting the handbrake dead zone in Smart Control you have the option to let the brake signal output start as soon as you compress the metal coil spring, or only after the metal coil spring has been fully compressed.
The following adjustments are available:
- Resistance of the main elastomers (overall resistance).
- Travel on the metal coil spring.
- Preload on the metal coil spring.
Adjusting the overall resistance
Your handbrake has been supplied with 3 elastomers. One is already installed
in the spring stack, the other 2 are in the accessory box. By changing the
elastomer you can change the overall resistance of the handbrake.
The top
stack has the lowest resistance. The bottom stack has the highest resistance.
By default your handbrake is set up with a medium resistance.
A small wrench is supplied with your handbrake to remove the end-cap of the
stack. The required parts to build any of the above stacks are included with
your handbrake.
Please note that changing the elastomer does not change the amount of force
required to reach maximum output on the handbrake. The required amount of
force can be changed through the SmartControl software. 
Adjusting the travel on the
metal coil spring
Your Sim Handbrake is fitted with a metal coil spring. This metal coil spring
simulates typical handbrake system slack. This slack may exist in a system
where a brake pad is moved by hydraulics and needs to grip on a disc, or from
slack in a cable based system.
The amount of travel in this metal coil spring can be varied by changing the
length of the spacers inside the metal coil spring. At minimum the 10mm spacer
should be present inside the spring. In order to shorten the travel, you can
add 1-3 additional small spacers.
Removing the metal coil spring
If you don’t want to to use the metal coil spring, you have the option to
remove it completely.
Adjusting the preload on the spring stack
You can change the preload on the spring stack using the knurled knob. Always
make sure the end-cap sits against the knurled knob after adjusting.
By increasing the preload, you need a higher initial force to get movement in
the lever. As a side effect the spring stack (mainly the metal coil spring)
will compress a bit, resulting in a slightly lower travel. 
Smart control Adjustments
Your Sim Handbrake comes with a powerful configuration tool allowing to set up your handbrake in ways not previously possible: SmartControl.
Download SmartControl
The software can be downloaded from our website heusinkveld.com. Click on
Support (top bar). Scroll to Sim Handbrake. Click on Download Smart Control.
Save the file and run from a folder of your choice.
Overview
With Smart Control you can configure (non-linear) handbrake output curves, set
pedal dead zones and the brake pedal force. All settings can be saved into
profiles, which can be loaded again in a few mouse clicks.
Settings applied in SmartControl will have effect in any simulator software, without having to make additional adjustments, re-assign controls or recalibrate (including iRacing) in the simulator software itself.
Calibration
SmartControl also includes a calibration wizard. Because your handbrake has
been pre-calibrated during assembly, calibration is not required before first
use. Recalibration in SmartControl is only required when you have made
mechanical adjustments to the spring stack.
Bottom deadzone adjustment
You can set a bottom deadzone for the handbrake in SmartControl. If you
increase the deadzone, the handbrake lever requires a bit of force/movement
before it registers output. The effect of your deadzone setting can be checked
in realtime in the green vertical signal output bar.
Handbrake force setting
SmartControl allows you to set a maximum force on the handbrake. This setting
is in kilograms (kg) and represents the actual force pulled on the handbrake
lever. The maximum brake force is 22kg. When you pull the maximum force on the
handbrake, the handbrake will give 100% brake output signal to the simulator
software.
Depending on which elastomers are installed in the rubber stack, you may reach the end-stop of the handbrake before reaching the maximum handbrake force. We strongly recommend setting a maximum handbrake force which can be achieved without having to pull the lever into the end-stop.
How you set the maximum handbrake force further depends on your personal preference. Even in similar real race cars, the required handbrake force varies a lot as this is a function of the specific components installed in that car.
Handbrake output mapping
A key feature of SmartControl is the ability to set a custom signal output map
for your handbrake. Traditionally race simulator controller output has had a
one-on-one sensitivity in relation to the handbrake input. SmartControl allows
you to map non-linear output curves using 5 zones (six input parameters).
The handbrake has a Curve Type pull-down menu with pre-defined output curves. Here you can also select the option to make a custom curve and then set the desired pedal output percentage at the 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% marks of the pedal input. You have complete freedom to set your own shapes.
Please note that some simulator software offers in-game options affecting the
linearity of certain pedal outputs. In order for SmartControl to work
effectively, always make sure that all in-game settings are set linear.
We will illustrate this functionality with a few use cases on the next
pages:
Use case 1: Handbrake curve on a low grip surface.
Rear wheels tend to lock up earlier on low a low grip surface such as gravel
(for example at 50% handbrake output). By setting a convex output curve you
can increase the useful range of the handbrake. You’ll now effectively have a
broader range for fine modulation before it reaches 50% output and the wheels
are fully locked.
Use
case 2: Handbrake curve on a high grip surface.
Rear wheels tend to lock up later on a high grip surface such as tarmac (for
example at 80% handbrake output). By setting a concave output curve you can
more easily reach full rear wheel lock, which may help you to better navigate
hairpins on tarmac. 
Use case 3: Immediate lock for drifting
In drifting competitions instant lock of the rear wheels may be required. By
setting a very aggressive output curve, instant lock can be achieved at even
the slightest pull at the handbrake lever. 
Using SmartControl with iRacing
The Sim Handbrake sensor output value always ranges from 0-4095, regardless of
your settings in SmartControl. Most simulator software can instantly use these
output values, because Windows works with a default range of 0-4095 for 12bit
USB devices as well.
A notable exception is iRacing, because iRacing uses an in-game method to calibrate the handbrake. In order for the Sim Handbrake to function correctly in iRacing, you must do the following:
When using the handbrake calibration wizard in iRacing, you will see a RAW value. When asked to pull the handbrake, make sure you always pull it to a value of 4095.
This ensures that your SmartControl settings always function correctly in
iRacing. You will only need
to calibrate in iRacing once. Re-calibration after changing SmartControl
settings is not required.
iRacing offers the optional setting ‘custom controls for this car’. If you use this setting, always make sure to follow the instructions 1 and 2 per car in order for your SmartControl adjustments to function correctly in iRacing.
Save and Load profiles
SmartControl allows you to store an unlimited amount of profiles. In order to
save a profile, click on File and then Save Profile. In order to load a
profile, click on File and then Load Profile.
Shared profiles with other SmartControl compatible products
If you have other Heusinkveld products which work with SmartControl, you can
create shared profiles for multiple devices (for example a profile which
includes settings for a handbrake + pedal set).
When loading a profile you have the option to load specific elements of a
shared profile (for example only load the profile settings of the handbrake
and not for the pedals).
Good to know
All profiles are saved relative to your personal calibration values. This
means that you can exchange profiles with fellow Sim Handbrake owners and
apply them without re-calibrating.
Profile changes are applied directly onto the Sim Handbrake controller board. If your simulator software is Alt-TAB friendly, you can apply a different profile or test specific adjustments in the middle of a training session.
Maintenance
Your Sim Handbrake has been designed to have a minimum of wear, tear and
noise.
Please take note of the following in order to keep your product in good
shape for many years.
Preventive maintenance
The Sim Handbrake has been designed to not require any preventive maintenance.
All pivot points contain self-lubricating bearings and the elastomers have
minimal friction relative to other parts of the spring stack.
Elastomers
After very prolonged use (tens of thousands of duty cycles) the elastomers may
leave a small amount of dust-like residue. This can safely be wiped away with
a dry cloth. The performance of the elastomers will not be affected: These
have been tested to retain their as-new characteristics even after one million
duty cycles in an overload situation.
Recommended lubricant
If you do feel the need to lubricate parts of your handbrake, the recommended
lubricant is PTFE Dry Spray. Under normal circumstances this should not be
necessary.
Support
If you need any help, please send us an email at
support@heusinkveld.com.
Safety
Please take note of the following when using our pedals.
General product description and intended use The Sim Handbrake is a sensor-
based handbrake system with a lever that can be connected to a computer for
use in a driving simulator.
The product is suitable for use in a simulator only. The product is not
suitable for use on (public) roads, on a test track, or as part of an electric
vehicle.
Safety precautions
No specific personal safety equipment is required to use this product.
The product must be mounted rigidly to the simulator. When driving, the seat
of the simulator and the product must not be allowed to move freely relative
to eachother.
Recycling & environment
The packaging of the Sim Handbrake is made out of paper and cardboard where possible. Please use the appropriate paper waste stream to dispose the packaging in case you don’t want to keep it.
At Heusinkveld we support our products with spare parts for many years after
the original production date. In the very unlikely case the product itself
needs to be scrapped, please make sure to follow local guidelines for
responsible recycling.
If you need to disassemble the product, please use the provided hex keys to do
so. This allows you to separate the various materials used in the product.
If you are unsure how to responsibly recycle the product, you may always send
it back by mail to Heusinkveld.
Our mail address is:
Heusinkveld Engineering
Cuxhavenweg 5E
9723JK Groningen
The Netherlands