DSAB Protocol

[justbeingme]

I hear a lot of references to the DSAB buss. So far it seems to be all in the future. Is this buss protocol like RS-485 with addresses for each device on the network? I am working on a system (electronic fuel injection) that uses RS-485 with protocols like Modcom (CRC checking) or just simple serial packet communications. It would be nice to know that there is a display destination for my data like lbs/hr or gal/hr, MAP, BAP etc. Thanks

Dennis Anttila

 

[dynonsupport]

Hi Dennis,

The DSAB bus is about to get its initial capabilities in the coming days with the release of some new firmware. Mainly, it will allow the display of EMS data on an EFIS, including the EMS OAT data so that the EFIS can calculate density altitude and true airspeed.

The DSAB bus is being designed so that Dynon devices can connect to each other to share information and control, and hence is not intended as a general display destination or input point.

 

[rdoerr]

Can Dynon publish the Hardware and Software spec to interface to the DSAB interface? This would alllow a whole new level of integration.


Thanks
Ray Doerr

 

[dynonsupport]

We don't plan on publishing anything on the DSAB communications. Unless you could write code for our products, it wouldn't do you much good since you wouldn't be able to display anything new on the screens, and most of the data that is on the DSAB is already on our RS-232 ports. One of the purposes of the DSAB network is to have it be a closed network that we control in order to offer the highest reliability.

The hardware is RS-485.

 

[rdoerr]

I was thinking in terms of a data logger. If I created one that was on the RS-485 interface, I could log all the EFIS and EMS data from one point.

 

[dynonsupport]

This sort of connectivity is not practical given the way DSAB is designed. Because devices will be actively talking to each other, DSAB communications will not be formatted for easy external consumption like the RS-232 serial data streams are. This is governed simply by the nature of the bus and what it is designed to do. Additionally, since DSAB is designed to grow over time, it is very possible that the data that flows over it could change.

While we can not stop you from connecting up to the DSAB wires and reading raw data off of it, it is highly unlikely that you would have much success generating consumable information. Additionally, adding devices to DSAB that we do not specifically design for use with it could disrupt normal DSAB communications between Dynon products.