Garmin 396 to D-100/D-10A connection/data transfer

[rvmills]

My D-100/D-10A combo is not detecting my Garmin 396, and after reading the Garmin Aviation Portables Guide for Experimental Applications and the D100 Install guide, I have a few questions.

Quick background:

- Completing panel updgrade. Added a D-10 to existing D-100, both configured and networked via DSAB and remote compass is showing on both, so that piece seems OK.

- Added a GTX-327 XPNDR and selected format 4, and the 327 screen is showing pressure altitude from the Dynon, so that piece seems OK (though not yet flight/ATC tested).

The blue data wire on the 396 is connected to pin 22 on the D100, and I'm confirming that the 396 and Dynons share a common aircraft ground. Dynons are set to Aviation In/9600 Baud in Setup>HSI>EFIS_Serial. No GPS is indicated on the Dynon "Available GPS Inputs" screen, so I need to go to the 396 setup and make sure all is correct there, and that's where my question lies.

Per the Garmin manual, the 396 always outputs the GPRMB, GPRMC and GPGGA NMEA sentences (as needed by the Dynons). However, I do not see (in the Garmin manual) GPBOD or GPAPB listed, and the Dynon manual says one of those is required. In the Garmin manual I do see switchable NMEA sentences GPGSA, GPGSV, GPWPL and GPRTE listed, and I also see Garmin proprietaty sentences PGRME, PGRMZ, PGRMM and PGRMH listed.

The 396 is listed as one of the GPS units "known to work", so is there a selection I need to make on the 396 to replace the missing GPBOD/GPAPB? Are there any other selections I need to make on the 396? (I will ensure that "Aviation In/NMEA & VHF Out" is selected in the 396 Serial Data Format window).

Any other gotchas or recommendations? I figure this is a pretty straight-forward and proven combo of components, so if you have a quick checklist of connections and configuration options that make this work (or if I'm missing something else here), your feedback would be greatly appreciatated!

Thanks much,
Bob Mills

 

[dynonsupport]

Re: Garmin 396 to D-100/D-10A connection/data tran

No GPS is indicated on the Dynon "Available GPS Inputs" screen,

We don't have a "status" screen per-se - just the HSI screen itself, which will display something like "waiting for GPS signal" in magenta at the top of the HSI page when there's a GPS connected, talking, but not locked to the sattelites. So I'm not sure what you're looking at here.

Per the Garmin manual, the 396 always outputs the GPRMB, GPRMC and GPGGA NMEA sentences (as needed by the Dynons). However, I do not see (in the Garmin manual) GPBOD or GPAPB listed, and the Dynon manual says one of those is required. In the Garmin manual I do see switchable NMEA sentences GPGSA, GPGSV, GPWPL and GPRTE listed, and I also see Garmin proprietaty sentences PGRME, PGRMZ, PGRMM and PGRMH listed.

The 396 is listed as one of the GPS units "known to work", so is there a selection I need to make on the 396 to replace the missing GPBOD/GPAPB? Are there any other selections I need to make on the 396? (I will ensure that "Aviation In/NMEA & VHF Out" is selected in the 396 Serial Data Format window).

Basically, make sure you have NMEA out going, all of the selectable sentences on, and under the advanced NMEA setup, data rate set to "normal". That's all there is to it. If your GPS isn't powered externally and grounded to the same place your Dynon is, you'll need to run a ground wire between them too (serial connections reference ground).

Also, make sure your Dynon is on version 4.0 or higher. If it's older than 3.0, there's no GPS support.

 

[rvmills]

Re: Garmin 396 to D-100/D-10A connection/data tran

DS:

Thanks for the info. Notes and follow-on questions:

Running 4.0 on both Dynons.

396 is powered via the avionics bus (permanent install...is that what you mean by powered externally?). Will check that the 396 and Dynons share a ground, or will run the extra ground wire between them as you describe.

Will turn on selectable sentences, and check the data rate set to normal in Advanced NMEA.

After this, sounds like the 396 should be auto detected, and I should see the magenta message and CDI on the HSI, correct?

The other screen I referenced above is under Setup>HSI, on the bottom-right side of the screen. I can look at NAV inputs or GPS inputs, and there are 9 available slots for each type, but mine are all empty (no GPS inputs detected or listed...I don't have a VHF NAV, so not worried about that part). I looked at a buddy's D100, and his GPS is listed on that page, and I see the magenta message you referred to on his HSI. I'm assuming that after making the Garmin adjustments and the Dynon auto detects the 396, I'll see the 396 listed on the setup page as well. Good assumption?

Appreciate the feedback, and will work it.

Cheers,
Bob

No GPS is indicated on the Dynon "Available GPS Inputs" screen,

We don't have a "status" screen per-se - just the HSI screen itself, which will display something like "waiting for GPS signal" in magenta at the top of the HSI page when there's a GPS connected, talking, but not locked to the sattelites. So I'm not sure what you're looking at here.

Per the Garmin manual, the 396 always outputs the GPRMB, GPRMC and GPGGA NMEA sentences (as needed by the Dynons). However, I do not see (in the Garmin manual) GPBOD or GPAPB listed, and the Dynon manual says one of those is required. In the Garmin manual I do see switchable NMEA sentences GPGSA, GPGSV, GPWPL and GPRTE listed, and I also see Garmin proprietaty sentences PGRME, PGRMZ, PGRMM and PGRMH listed.

The 396 is listed as one of the GPS units "known to work", so is there a selection I need to make on the 396 to replace the missing GPBOD/GPAPB? Are there any other selections I need to make on the 396? (I will ensure that "Aviation In/NMEA & VHF Out" is selected in the 396 Serial Data Format window).

Basically, make sure you have NMEA out going, all of the selectable sentences on, and under the advanced NMEA setup, data rate set to "normal". That's all there is to it. If your GPS isn't powered externally and grounded to the same place your Dynon is, you'll need to run a ground wire between them too (serial connections reference ground).

Also, make sure your Dynon is on version 4.0 or higher. If it's older than 3.0, there's no GPS support.

 

[jwachman]

Re: Garmin 396 to D-100/D-10A connection/data tran

Bob,

I'll throw my two bob in on this, as I just linked up my garmin 296 to both the Dynon HS34 and the ICOM 210 - and had all sorts of problems.
The garmin manual didn't help too much, but I got their eventually.

So my story, if it helps.

I bought the garmin cable for the 296. It has (it think 10 wires) of which there is a COM 1 out and in, and a COM 2 out and in. I connected COM 1 to the HS 34 and COM 2 to the ICOM 210. I got no data on anything.

Many fault findng minutes later. I found that you can only use either COM 1 or COM 2, not both. SO I now spliced both the HS34 and ICOM into the COM 1 wires. Set the COM 1 setting on the 296 as you noted, check the baud was at 9600, and checked the serial in settings on the HSI.

Still nothing.

So I started checking the GPS and how it fitted into the AIRGIZMO dock. What I found was that the power/data wire connection in the back was being moved a tiny amount when I locked the 296 into the dock, and being disconnected. In fact there was no power (and I would have picked that earlier if I'd looked at the battery symbol on the main page of the 296.

So I fixed up this issue, and data finally started to flow both the the HS34/HSI and the ICOM 210 (which is brilliant - all the frequencies for the airfiled you are heading to are entered into the ICOM).

Anyway, don't know if this helps. Good luck.

Cheers
Jon

 

[rvmills]

Re: Garmin 396 to D-100/D-10A connection/data tran

Thanks Jon, will also double check that the power/data cable is seated well, when I get back home and do my checks/adjustments. Appreciate the info from your experience!!

Cheers,
Bob

 

[rvmills]

Re: Garmin 396 to D-100/D-10A connection/data tran

DS:

Just rechecked and reset all the settings on my 396 and my D100 and D10A. With NMEA and VHF out from the Garmin, and NMEA/9600 in on the Dynon's all GPS data is displayed.

One problem is that on the D10A (the slaved unit) the GPS data blinks at a 2 second interval. I did a search, and see that problem noted in an thread titled "Interminntent HSI". In that thread, it looks like an HS-34 will fix this issue, but I do not plan to use one (I'm adding an AP-74 and autopilot instead). Will the AP-74 also fix this, or is there another fix? I saw in that older thread that the next firmware update will fix it without needing the HS-34. Will that fix be in the same firmware update that comes out when the APs start shipping?

Would like to get rid of the blinking...if you can help, much appreciated!!

Cheers,
Bob

 

[dynonsupport]

Re: Garmin 396 to D-100/D-10A connection/data tran

This is a known bug that should be fixed in our next firmware update, due out soon (some weeks away, though we don't know how many. It's in "beta" now). No need to buy an HS34.

The blinking will occur on whichever device is configured as the "slave" device.

 

[rvmills]

Re: Garmin 396 to D-100/D-10A connection/data tran

Thanks much!