Connection Options for HS34, D100, SL30, GNS480

[Alfio]

I am upgrading my panel for IFR. I already had a D100/120, HS34, GTX-327 transponder, and the EKP-IV GPS. Am now doing some rewiring to accomodate a GNS-480 gps/nav/com, and SL30 nav/com

Equipment:

D100 EFIS (Dynon)
HS34 Expansion Module (Dynon)
CNX80 GPS/Nav/Com (GNS-480, Garmin)
SL30 Nav/Com (Garmin)
GTX-327 Mode C Transponder (Garmin)
EKP-IV GPS (Avmap)

Connections:

D100 and GTX-327:  D100 Serial Altitude Encoder
HS34 and CNX80: ARINC Rx/Tx (8 lines)
HS34 and EKP-IV: Serial Data
HS34 and SL30: Analog Connections
CNX80 and SL30: Serial Data Connection

My dilemma is that the SL30 only has one data port and I wish to connect the SL30 to the CNX80 with that data port. This would allow Com and Nav frequency list transfers as well as using the CNX80 as a DME lookup and calculating unit. It would be so much easier though if I could hookup the SL30 and HS34 digitally.

I have the following questions:

1.- Is my analog connections between HS34 and the SL30 necessary or could I somehow manage a serial connection? 

2. Do the ARINC labels from HS34 transfer the Altitude encoder information from the D100 to the CNX80? I don’t think I could feed the CNX80 and GTX-327 from the same RS-232 serial port as I believe they use different mode settings.

3. Any other wiring options I did not think of?

And just to clarify, for IFR in Canada we need to have independent navigation boxes for failure redundancy, thus the need for the extra SL30 nav/com.

 

[dynonsupport]

1) Though I think the HS34 was tested with analog connections to the SL30, customers have had hooking up practically any radio with the HS34's analog inputs successfully. Nominally, the SL30 is connected via a serial port to the HS34. As such, the analog inputs on the HS34 are not supported anymore, though you're welcome to try them out. But generically, the serial interface between the HS34 and the SL30 is the only one technically supported.

2) Not completely sure how the CNX80 uses the ARINC labels, but the ones that are sent by the HS34 are here: http://wiki.dynonavionics.com/Generic_ARINC-429_Wiring, and does include both pressure and barometric altitude.

3) You MAY (and I don't have the manuals handy to look at format and such from here at Sun 'n Fun) be able to split the TX line from the SL30 and send it to the CNX 80 and the HS34, and then connect the SL30's RX line to just the CNX80. I believe (but am not certain) that we don't need to send course back to the SL30 in order for our HSI display to work correctly. There's a chance I'm remembering this wrong though. One of my colleagues may chime in with an update to this.

 

[Alfio]

1) Though I think the HS34 was tested with analog connections to the SL30, customers have had hooking up practically any radio with the HS34's analog inputs successfully. Nominally, the SL30 is connected via a serial port to the HS34. As such, the analog inputs on the HS34 are not supported anymore, though you're welcome to try them out. But generically, the serial interface between the HS34 and the SL30 is the only one technically supported.

I'd like to connect via serial... but maybe I will just wire the SL30 for both analog and serial and then decide which one works via the configuration panel. I don't relish going back to wiring the units later, as access is quite limited.

2) Not completely sure how the CNX80 uses the ARINC labels, but the ones that are sent by the HS34 are here: http://wiki.dynonavionics.com/Generic_ARINC-429_Wiring, and does include both pressure and barometric altitude.

I wonder if anyone knows for sure that the pressure/barometricaltitude label is sufficent for the GNS480 (i.e. do not have to provide serial altimeter encoding)...

3) You MAY (and I don't have the manuals handy to look at format and such from here at Sun 'n Fun) be able to split the TX line from the SL30 and send it to the CNX 80 and the HS34, and then connect the SL30's RX line to just the CNX80. I believe (but am not certain) that we don't need to send course back to the SL30 in order for our HSI display to work correctly. There's a chance I'm remembering this wrong though. One of my colleagues may chime in with an update to this.

Someone had suggested that to me earlier as well, however like you I am not sure about whether the HS34 needs to transmit information back to the SL30 for nav functions (e.g. course). I would appreciate confirmation. 

I have also posted my information on Vans Air Force. Hopefully someone will have implemented a similar configuration and is in the know.

By the way, thanks for replying. It had slipped my mind that you guys would be at SunNFun, and probably quite busy.

 

[ploucandco]

Hello Alfio,

I have the same setup already cabled on my table (except the SL30) waiting to be put in my panel.


I wonder if anyone knows for sure that the pressure/barometricaltitude label is sufficent for the GNS480 (i.e. do not have to provide serial altimeter encoding)...


I cabled the Dynon serial out to the transponder so that in case of failure of the HS34 or the GNS480, the transponder directly gets altitude from the D10A. Tested and works fine.
The GNS480 sees the baro changes from the D10A through HS34 and arinc. Tested and works fine.

By the way, I would expect that you would gain replacing the Avmap with a Garmin handheld (like 696) or Bendix av8or ACE as you cannot see the GNS480 flightplan on your big GPS screen (avmap only accepts NMEA).

Jacques

 

[Alfio]

I cabled the Dynon serial out to the transponder so that in case of failure of the HS34 or the GNS480, the transponder directly gets altitude from the D10A. Tested and works fine.
The GNS480 sees the baro changes from the D10A through HS34 and arinc. Tested and works fine.

By the way, I would expect that you would gain replacing the Avmap with a Garmin handheld (like 696) or Bendix av8or ACE as you cannot see the GNS480 flightplan on your big GPS screen (avmap only accepts NMEA).

Jacques

Thanks for the confirmation, Jacques. I already have the Dynon wired with the GTX-327 transponder, so I will leave that alone.

As for the Avmap.... well I have reached deep into my pockets for upgrading to ifr. Will leave the panel mounted Avmap alone for now. The 696 will not fit in the same panel allocation as the Avmap, so that is another issue.

Alfio

 

[ploucandco]

By the way, concerning your SL30 connection issue, if you don't want to connect the AVMAP to the HS34, you could connect a serial of the CNX80 as MAPCOM to the HS34. And the second serial of the HS34 to the SL30. That will do the same as the garmin handheld to pass the frequencies to the SL30 through the HS34. You will have full digital connections.

Jacques.

 

[Alfio]

...That will do the same as the garmin handheld to pass the frequencies to the SL30 through the HS34...

According to Dynon's info, I thought only the x96 GPS series had their frequency data replicated by the HS34. Interesting option. I already have the Avmap hooked up to the HS34 but will consider disconnecting it... mulling over the options. Thanks.

Alfio

 

[dynonsupport]

It could work if the AVMAP is emulating the Garmin frequency format and can send frequencies to an SL30 directly that way. Not sure if they do that, though. Then, as far as the HS34 is concerned, it thinks it's looking at an x96. Or more specifically, when the HS34 sees the x96 format frequency sentences, it passes them back out to the SL30.

 

[ploucandco]

But the AVMAP EKPIV is not sending frequencies like the garmin handheld.
But the real question is if the frequencies are passed to the SL30 if these are part of an "aviation" stream and not "NMEA". This stream would be generated by the CNX80 (GNS480).

Jacques.

 

[dynonsupport]

The Garmin handhelds actually aren't transmitting this over NMEA, technically. It's their own invented format that they insert between NMEA sentences when the user punches over a frequency. When you select the output, in fact, it says NMEA+VHF (or something to that effect). We only support that particular Garmin format. As far as we know, it's the only way that radio data comes out of any widely used device.