I have a the D10A kit installed (main unit, battery, GPS antenna, magnetometer, OAT probe) and I was wondering if it is possible to send GPS position (and possibly other parameters like heading and position of the heading bug) to an external autopilot. I have purchased the PortaPilot unit (interesting device by the way, for those on the budget) and I was able to connect it to portable GPS that sends the data in NMEA. I would, however much more prefer having those received from the D10A instead. Do I need an additional device or is the D10A already sending this data on select interface pins?
Marc_J._Zeitlin
Active Member
Since the D10A does not have an internal GPS receiver (or antenna) and only receives GPS information from an EXTERNAL GPS system (panel mount or portable), I'm not sure what you're asking here. The D10A cannot provide a GPS signal to anything, as it has no GPS functionality internally.
What "GPS antenna" do you think you have for the D10A?
Dynon's GPS 251 provides position data to the D10A. Ok it's not the antenna but a receiver. https://dynonavionics.com/gps-251-receiver-module.php
Marc_J._Zeitlin
Active Member
Interesting that that unit is not mentioned in the experimental version of the D10A installation guide anywhere. And it is both the antenna AND the receiver. They must have come out with that when the started using the D10As in TC'd aircraft.
In any case, the Serial output data shown in the Pilot's User Guide on pages 9-2 and 9-3 does not indicate that any GPS location data is output in the data stream, so I think you're SOL. There are no other pins on the DB-25 on the D10A for sending info out.
MAYBE if you have an HS34, you can get GPS data out of the ARINC 429 TX lines, but I wouldn't bet on it. The information in the manuals is pretty thin on this type of stuff.
That's right. It was a GPS designed to feed the EFIS-D10A in the standalone EAA STC application.
Incidentally (for SkyView STC customers), for complicated reasons, and EFIS-D10A must not have a GPS connection connected to it when used with SkyView HDX in those installations (power/ground/pitot/static/nothing else).