Saitek X-56 RHINO H.O.T.A.S. SYSTEM User manual

USER MANUAL
COMBAT SERIES
X-56 RHINO H.O.T.A.S. SYSTEM
HANDS ON THROTTLE AND STICK
™

1
Welcome
Message from the Developers
The Saitek Pro Flight team thanks you for purchasing this groundbreaking piece of Pro Flight hardware.
Rest assured that, as with all the products we’ve developed over the years, a wealth of knowledge,
skill, and endeavor went into the development phase. Thanks to our dedicated pool of beta testers –
comprised of actual pilots and sim pilots – we created a piece of hardware to satisfy your needs for years
to come. Combine this product with others in the range, like the Combat Rudder Pedals and Pro Flight
Instrument Panels, and Saitek Pro Flight becomes a one-stop-shop for all your combat flying equipment.
TheSaitekProFlightTeam

2
STICK OVERVIEW
A. POV
B. Thumb Pickle Button
C. Thumb HATs, Witches
and Castle
D. Stick Buttons with Trigger
and 2 x Head Buttons
E. X, Y, and Rz Axes, Elevator,
Aileron and Rudder Axes
F. Pinkie and Flying Pinkie
G. F.E.E.L. Spring System
Pinkie: Interaction menu
Flying pinkie: General Controls->Stop Engines
(handbrake)
Thumb Pickle: General Controls-> Boost
X and Y axis: Analog Steer left/right/up/down

3
THROTTLE OVERVIEW
A. Throttle Rotaries with inset buttons
B. 2-position Slider
C. Thumb Controls with 2 HATs, Thumb Button, Mini
AnalogStick
D. Twin Throttles with Throttle Lock
E. Throttle Tension Adjuster
F. 3-position Mode Switch
G. Base Controls with 7 Toggles and 2 Rotaries
Press: Digital Strafe Down
Press: Digital Strafe Up
Roll: Analog: Roll left/right (if no rudder pedals)
Left switch (pinky) frontside Left: Digital Strafe left
Roll: Map zoom in/out
Throttle: Analog: With large deadzone if not using digital
Left switch (pinky) frontside Right: Digital Strafe right
Button frontside Left: Quickmenu
Button frontside Right: Abilities Menu
C) Mini Analog Stick:
Settings-> Controls->Menu Navigation->Misc(at the bottom)
scroll vertical: X-axis
scroll horizontal: Y-axis
Settings-> Controls->Platform movement
First person analog:
FP walk: Y-axis
FP look left right: X-axis

4
GETTING STARTED
Drivers and Software Installation
Windows®8/10 (32- and 64-bit)
A) Drivers Only
1. Download and install the X-56 Rhino Software from www.saitek.com
2. After reading the Disclaimer, select the ‘I accept the terms of the
Disclaimer’ option and click ‘Next’ to continue
3. At the Plug In screen, plug the Stick and Throttle units into the
PC. Click ‘Next’ when it becomes highlighted
4. The Windows Security popup will ask ‘would you like to install this device software?’ Before clicking
install, check the box that says ‘always trust software from Mad Catz Ltd.’ Now click ‘Install’
5. At the next screen, click ‘Next’ to go to the Controller Test page
6. Use the Controller Test page to test all the X-56's axes, buttons and functions.
Once you have tested all the functions, click ‘OK’ to continue
7. From the end screen, click ‘Finish.’ Your drivers are now installed
B) H.U.D. Software
1. Download and install the X-56 Rhino Software from www.saitek.com
2. After clicking ‘Run setup.exe,’ your Windows 8 system will drop out of the Metro/Start screen and ask via
popup if ‘you want to allow the following program to make changes to this computer.’ Click ‘Yes’
3. After reading the Disclaimer, select the ‘I accept the terms of the Disclaimer’ option and click ‘Next’ to
continue. The H.U.D. Software will now install
4. On the finish screen, you can use the checkbox to run the H.U.D. Software when you click ‘Finish,’ or
remove the check mark from the checkbox to just finish the installation
C) .NET Framework
1. If this is the first Mad Catz product that you have installed, you may be asked to install .NET Framework
after the HUD Software installation finishes. This is strongly recommended; this Microsoft Feature
Update is required by the HUD Software
2. Click ‘Download and install this file.’ The PC will now find the correct files from the Internet and
download them
3. When the installation finishes, click ‘Close’

5
Windows®7 (32- and 64-bit)
A) Drivers Only
1. Download and install the X-56 Rhino Drivers from www.saitek.com
2. After reading the Disclaimer, select the ‘I accept the terms of the Disclaimer’ option and click ‘Next’
to continue
3. At the Plug In screen, plug the Stick and Throttle units into the PC. Click ‘Next’ when it
becomes highlighted
4. The Windows Security popup will ask ‘would you like to install this device software?’ Before clicking
install, check the box that says ‘always trust software from Mad Catz Ltd.’ Now click ‘Install’
5. At the next screen, click ‘Next’ to go to the Controller Test page
6. Use the Controller Test page to test the X-56's axes, buttons, and functions. After testing, click 'OK'
to continue.
7. From the end screen, click ‘Finish.’ Your drivers are now installed
B) H.U.D. Software
1. Download and install the X-56 Rhino Software from www.saitek.com
2. After reading the Disclaimer, select the ‘I accept the terms of the Disclaimer’ option and click ‘Next’ to
continue. The HUD Software will now install
3. On the finish screen, you can use the checkbox to run the HUD Software when you click ‘Finish,’ or
remove the check mark from the checkbox to just finish the installation
C) .NET Framework
1. If this is the first Mad Catz product that you have installed, you may be asked to install .NET Framework
after the HUD Software installation finishes. This is strongly recommended; this Microsoft Feature
Update is required by the HUD Software
2. Click ‘Download and install this file.’ The PC will now find the correct files from the Internet and
download them
3. When the installation finishes, click ‘Close’

6
CONTROLLER SETTINGS
If at any time you wish to check that the X-56 is working correctly, open the Game Controllers page and
click on the controller’s Properties tab.
Here are the various ways to do this from each operating system:
Windows®8/10 (all 32- and 64-bit versions)
1. From the Metro/Start screen, click the ‘Control Panel’ icon. NOTE: If you have no Control Panel icon on
your Metro/Start screen, type ‘control panel’ and the icon for the Control Panel will appear
2. Once the Control Panel is open, double-click on the ‘Devices and Printers’ icon. NOTE: If you cannot see
this icon, make sure that you have large icons selected
3. With the Devices and Printers screen open, find the X-56 Rhino in the device list and right-click on this
icon. From the dropdown menu, select ‘Game Controller Settings’
4. From the Game Controllers window, you should see the X-56 Rhino listed and selected. Click ‘Properties’
and this should take you to the Controller Test screen
From the Controller Test screen you can test all the
functions, axes, buttons, rotaries, etc. When you have
completed your tests, click ‘OK’ twice to get back to
the main desktop
Windows®7 (all 32- and 64-bit versions)
1. Click on the ‘Windows’ icon from the system tray. Hover over the All Programs menu. Click the ‘Games’
folder and then the ‘Games Explorer’ icon
2. Click the ‘Tools’ option (with downward facing arrow) from the list across the top of the window. From the
dropdown list, click ‘Input Devices’
3. From the Game Controllers window, you should see the X-56 Rhino listed and selected. Click ‘Properties’
and this should take you to the Controller Test screen

7
From the Controller Test screen you can test all the
functions, axes, buttons, rotaries, etc. When you have
completed your tests, click ‘OK’ twice to get back to
the main desktop

RED GREEN YELLOW BLUE Notes
k = Rate 1 2 3 4
OD = Outside diameter 33 33 33 33
d = Wire diameter 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8
E = Youngs Modulus ( 210000 ) 210000 210000 210000 210000 N/mm2
FL = Free length 52 47 42 36 Un-compressed
WL = Working length 30.8 30.8 30.8 30.8 Pre-compressed
P1L = Position 1 length 25.8 25.8 25.8 25.8 Full Working Compression
n = Total Number of coils 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 Active coils (6.5 coils in spring)
D = Mean Diameter 31.2 31.2 31.2 31.2
Rate K= Ed*4 / 8n D *3 1.70 1.70 1.70 1.70 N/mm
Load @ Breakout BL = FL-WL x k 36.12 27.60 19.08 8.86 N
Load @ P1L SoL = FL - SL x k 44.64 36.12 27.60 17.38 N
Stress= 8 x P x D / 3.14 x d *3 608.50 492.38 376.25 236.90 N/mm2
% UTS ( M4 Music Wire ) 30.89 24.99 19.10 12.03 %
8
F.E.E.L. Spring Tension System
Each spring placed on the Rhino stick shaft will give a different feeling. You can also operate the stick
without a spring, providing a total of five different forces.
Each spring has a unique feel and different identification. These identifiers are color swatches at the
top of each spring – Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green. This table lists some of the calculations used for
differentiation:

9
Changing or removing a spring
To insert, change, or remove a spring, follow these steps. Ensure the trigger is facing away from you and
that the X-56 Rhino logo plate is facing you.
1. Turn the Locking Bezel (part B) counterclockwise until the Stick comes away from the base.
2. Remove the Seal Ring (part C) by placing the fingers from your left and right hand under the ring on either
side, and then lift up. The Seal Ring is stiff by design.
3. Pry apart the Locking Clamps (part D). These pull apart from the stick, but are under load from the spring.
Take one half off first, hold the spring, and then remove the other half.
4. Remove the Spring (part E), then either replace with a new Spring of leave the Spring off.
To reassemble, reverse the order of the above steps, making sure to securely seat the Seal Ring (Part C)
and firmly tighten the Locking Bezel (part D) on the Stick base.
1. Turn Locking Bezel counterclockwise
4. Pry apart Locking Clamps
2. Remove Stick
5. Remove Spring
3. Remove Seal Ring

10
H.U.D. Software Overview
H.U.D. Software allows you to program the X-56 Rhino with an array of keyboard commands, from basic
single-key commands to very advanced, timed, and macro commands. It will also allow you to program
any axis with keyboard commands, and program mouse commands.
In the H.U.D. Software you can also alter the response curves and deadbands of the main axis – we’ll
cover the explanation of these topics later in the manual.
There are two ways to launch the H.U.D. Software:
1. From the desktop icon that looks like this 2. From the start menu bar...
Once the H.U.D. Software launches, you will be presented with the Home Screen.
If it’s the first time you’ve run the H.U.D. Software, you will be asked to choose your language. Once this
is done the main Home Screen will appear. If you’ve made a mistake choosing your language or you
wish to choose another language, the language menu can be accessed by clicking on the icon in the
bottom-right corner of the Home Screen.
There are four main Tabs within the H.U.D. Software:
1. HOME
2. PROGRAMMING
3. SETTINGS
4. SUPPORT

11
HOME TAB
On the Home screen you’ll see:
- Close-up of the product
- Related products that we feel that you would be interested in
- Live Facebook feed from Saitek Pro Flight
- Social media and website short cuts, Saitek.com, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, etc
- Language selection, use the flag icon in the bottom-right corner to access this

12
PROGRAMMING TAB
After selecting the PROGRAMMING Tab you will see the X-56’s programming environment.
You will see a high-resolution image of the controller you are going to program on the left side of the
screen. On the right side of the screen you will see a list of command boxes, called “Cells,” going down
the page.
At the top of the image panel you will see Stick and Throttle icons. Clicking on either of these will change
the current unit you are programming. The unit you are programming is easily recognizable by the
larger image that fills the window.
In the PROGRAMMING Tab you can mimic your controller to directly copy any of the keyboard
commands used in your favorite games. The commands are then saved in what we call a Profile.
What is a Profile?
A Profile is the name given to a file that has programmed controller commands saved into it. For
example, you may have a Joystick with a number of buttons/hats. If you want one of these to do
something in-game that you would normally have to use a keyboard shortcut for, you can “assign”
that command to that button. If you want Button ‘A’ to activate the landing gear (which is the “G” key
on a keyboard), you can use the H.U.D. Software to assign this function. You can also create more
complicated assignments, like “shift+F2,” or even timed commands and macros.

13
Making your first Profile
1. Either hover the mouse pointer over the Cell, or press the button you want to create a Profile for on the
controller. If you hover your mouse over the Button ‘A’ Cell, Button ‘A’ will light up on the 3D Joystick
image. Or just click Button ‘A’ on the stick and the correct Cell will light up.
2. When the correct Cell is lit, left-click in it and a
large flashing cursor will appear in the left side of
the Cell. You will also see a green tick, a red cross,
and a mouse icon on the right side of the Cell.
3. The Cell is now waiting for the keyboard
command. Using your keyboard, press the button on
the keyboard you would like Button ‘A’ on the stick
to activate. For this example we will use the ‘G’ key,
which usually activates landing gear. When you
press ‘G’ on the keyboard, a large white tile with the
letter ‘G’ should appear in the Cell, as shown here.
4. If this is the correct keyboard command, press
the green tick icon on the right side. If not, press
the red cross and redo the procedure to get the
keyboard command into the Cell again. After
pressing the green tick icon, the command name box
will appear, labeled as “Untitled” (left image, below).
Simply choose a name for the command and type
the name into this box. For this example, we chose
“Landing gear.” Press the enter key to complete
the Cell. Button ‘A’ = Landing gear, which is your
keyboard’s ‘G’ key (right image, below).

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5. Test your Profile by opening the “Testing” window.
Above the 3D image there are seven icons. The one
that is second from the right, which looks like a silver
cog, is labeled “Test Profile.”
Click on this icon and a new window will open. A
cursor will already be flashing in the test area. Simply
press Button ‘A’ on the X-56. When this is pressed,
letter ‘G’ will appear in the window, which proves
your first programmed button is working.
Close this window by clicking on the “OK” icon in the bottom-right corner of the Testing window.
6. You can add other keyboard commands if you wish and then test them. Just remember to save your work
before you shut down the H.U.D. Software.
7. To make the programming you have just created
work in your game, you must first save it as a Profile
and then activate it. This can be done with one click.
In the icon row just above the 3D image, you will see
an icon that looks like a blue target. If you hover over
this icon a tool tip labeled “Profile” will appear.
Click this icon and a standard Windows save box will appear. Give your Profile a name and save it. After
saving, the Profile will become active and you can shut down the H.U.D. Software and play your game
The X-56 will now respond as you have programmed it.
8. The H.U.D. Software is capable of many other powerful programming features that we have not yet
covered. For example, you can program axes, mouse movement and mouse buttons, hats, and special
timed or complicated commands. For a full list of features and full manual please go to the SUPPORT Tab
and click on “Read H.U.D. Programming Manual,” or watch the specially designed
H.U.D. programming video.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
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Icons in the Profile Editor
1. New Profile
Opens a blank Profile for you to edit/build.
2. Open Profile
Opens a previously created Profile for editing.
3. Save Profile
Clicking “Save” will save a new Profile or overwrite a current Profile.
Using the drop-down arrow next to “Save,” you can “Save as,” allowing you to save the current Profile
to a different location or as a different name.
4. Views
You can change the view in the Profile Editor to be just programming Cells (i.e., no image). Clicking the
“Views” button again will restore the default view and the image will reappear.
5. Profile
If you are working on a Profile to use immediately, so you can get flying straight away, click here.
6. Test Profile
Clicking this icon will bring up the test window. This is especially useful if you are attempting to program
advanced timed or macro commands as it gives you a place to test your work before you fly.
7. Print
By pressing this icon, the Profile that you are currently building will be sent to the default printer on your
system.

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Settings
The settings page will allow you to alter the deadzone and response curves of all axes on both the Stick
and the Throttle.
Response Curves
Depending on the type of aircraft that you fly, you may want your joystick to be more or less sensitive
around the middle or end points of the axes. For example, if you’re flying an F/18 on a refueling mission
at 25,000 feet, you will be making very fine movements to get into the correct position. Having a
shallower response curve around the center point of the joystick’s X and Y axes will enable you to make
very fine adjustment to your aircraft.
Deadbands
A deadband, sometimes known as a deadzone or neutral zone, is a part of the range in which an axis
moves, undetected by the drivers and without effect on in-game progress. It may be around the center
point of the axis range, or at either end of the axis range.
Axis Range Adjustment
The axis range adjustment, or axis saturation to assign its correct name, allows you to shrink the raw
data range of an axis.
Physical Axis Adjustment
The physical axis adjustment, or physical saturation, allows you to shrink the full axis data range into a
small physical stick movement.
S-Curves and J-Curves
There are two types of adjustable curves – S-Curves and J-Curves. J-Curves are linear axes, like throttles
and rotaries. S-Curves are non-linear, like X and Y axes.
The first screen you’ll see
is the ‘SELECT DEVICE TO
MODIFY’ screen.
You have two choices;
choose to alter either the
Stick or the Throttle axis.

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Once you are in the ‘STICK // AXIS MODIFICATION’ screen, you’ll see a raft of options.
We’ll go through them one by one.
1
6
2
7
8
9
4
5
12
10
11
3
1. Name of the Part being Modified
2. Modifiable Axes
3. Manual Axis Adjustment and Test Area
4. Spring Values – for Reference when Changing Axis Data
5. Back Button
6. Physical Axis Adjustment Slider
7. Manual Axis Attribute Boxes
8. Deadzone Adjustment
9. Axis Curvature Adjustment
10. Pre-made Profiles
11. Apply Button
12. Undo Button

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1. Name of the Part being Modified
This will either be the Stick or the Throttle unit for the X-56. If you wish to change the part that you’re not
currently on, use the back button (5) to go back to the selection screen.
2. Modifiable Axes
This shows a list of all modifiable axes. The Stick has three modifiable axes:
- X Axis
- Y Axis
- Rudder Axis
The Throttle unit has six modifiable axes:
- Left Throttle
- Right Throttle
- Rotary 1
- Rotary 2
- Rotary 3
- Rotary 4
3. Manual Axis Adjustment and Test Area
This area will show you how the current response curves / dead zones / saturation points are set up on
the selected axis. You can also adjust the center deadzone, the range saturation, physical saturation, and
the response curve on the selected axis. There is also a cross-hair which will show the physical position
of the axis you are manipulating.
4. Spring Values
This is a reference section when you are adjusting the axes on the Stick. It will act as a guide for axis
modification, and you may choose differing axis curves or deadzones depending on the Spring you have
fitted to the Stick. If you are modifying the Throttle unit’s axes you will not see this reference section.
5. Back Button
Takes you to the device selection screen.
6. Physical Axis Adjustment Slider
Allows the ends of the axes, the far left and far right on the X Axis or full up and full down on the Y
Axis, to be moved inwards towards the center point. It is similar to setting up a deadzone at the far ends
of your axes. on the Y-Axis to be moved inwards towards the center point, it is similar to setting up a
deadzone at the far ends of your axis.

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7. Manual Axis Attribute Boxes
This area allows you to input raw data to setup your deadband, curvature, range saturation, and physical
saturation settings. This is very useful if you already have the data or a third-party source is supplying
the data. For example, a forum post on how to setup the response curve for an F/A-18F.
8. Deadzone Adjustment
The deadzone slider will allow you to adjust the deadzone around the center point of the axis you
currently have selected.
9. Axis Curvature Adjustment Slider
Shrinks the range of an axis. Instead of going from 0 to 65555, for example,
we can shrink it to 300 to 62555.
10. Pre-made Profiles
We have included a set a predefined curves to select. This is to make it easier for those who do not wish
to make their own curves. There are two different types of curves to choose from:
1. J-Curves – these curves will give you a single point of manipulation and are ideal for
throttles and rotaries.
2. S-Curves – these curves will give you two points of manipulation and are ideal for setting
up X and Y axes.
11. Apply Button
This button will save the curve that you are manipulating on the selected axis. Once saved, this axis will
perform as saved, for all games, until the axis is adjusted and resaved or the reset button is used.
12. Undo Button
This button will turn the response curves on your currently selected axis back to their default state.
This can be very useful when experimenting with curves and deadbands.