Intermittent "SV-AP-PANEL offline" message.

[cbretana]

I am suddenly getting this message intermittently. When it happens, and I run the Network configuration Detect function, it fails to find the AP-Panel. But if i shut down and restart the HDX, it finds it okay. I have checked that the connections are tight, and the pinouts on the network wires, and tried another another network wire, but I am still getting this message.
The only recent change to the system is that I added an electric pitch trim system (hooked to a hat switch on the stick), and wired it up through the AP-Panel so the A/P can adjust the trim. But it is working fine, (at least the manual trim from the hat switch is workimg).

 

[cbretana]

More info:
When I remove DB15 pin from back of SV-AP-PANEL, the Skyview Network Configuration Detect process sees the PANEL, and it works as it used to, as expected. But when I attach the DB15 connector, network detect fails to detect the PANEL. I get a red error message in Network Configuration Detect, saying "SV-AP-PANEL Offline", and a warning message on the main HDX display saying the same thing. In addition, none of the buttons on the SV-AP-PANEL work. With the DB-15 connected, I only have access to A/P functionality through the main HDX display A/P menu.
Also, with the DB15 connector attached, even though the SV-AP-PANEL is offline, and all the trim switches are wired through the panel, the trim switches still work. I surmise this is because the system is designed to fail safe if the Panel is not working properly. But the fact that it is working means that the wires must be hooked up properly. What else can cause this error message?

The only pins, I have hooked wires to on the DB15 are:
Pin 2. Aircraft Ground
Pin 3. Pitch trim nose up
Pin 4. Pitch trim nose down
Pin 7. Pitch trim motor Wire A
Pin 8. Pitch trim motor Wire B
Pin 9. Aircraft power (12Volt)

I also have pins 10, 11, 14 & 15 wired and connected to the DB15, in preparation for adding roll trim later, but the wires are not connected to anything as yet.

Am I missing something? Are any of the other pins required for both the Trim and the SV-AP-PANEL to work?

 

[cbretana]

Well, Tech support agrees likely cause is the SV-AP-PANEL. They are RMA'ing me a replacement. We will see what happens with the new part.

 

[cbretana]

Well, Tech support agrees likely cause is the SV-AP-PANEL. They are RMA'ing me a replacement. We will see what happens with the new part.

Got the new AV-PANEL, and installed it. But same issues are reoccurring!

If DB15 trim connector is attached, network cannot see the Panel. Interesting test behavior is that if both DB15 trim and network connectors are attached, when I boot up (cold start) the system, the trim switches work, until exactly that point in boot sequence when network detection occurs, at which time the trim switches stop functioning. I can tell that it's when the network detection occurs from reading the boot sequence report scrolling on the screen, AND because the trim fails immediately after the lights in the AV-PANEL buttons light up. I did this test multiple times and this happened the same every time.

 

[cbretana]

More Info: If disconnect the power from the DB-15 connector (It is on pin 9), the Network Configuration Detect process now finds and brings the SV-AP-PANEL online and it functions normally. I disconnected the power from pin 9 by pulling the CB that pin 9 gets power through. If I reconnect it and reboot, then the same old symptoms reoccur, that is, at that point in the HDX boot cycle when the network detect process attempts to bring the SV-AP-PANEL online, i.e., when I see the lights in the panel flicker on and off, the hat switch on the stick stops working and the panel goes offline. When the HDX finishes booting, the SV-AP-PANEL is non-functional. If I manually trigger a Network Detect, it fails to "see" the SV-AP-PANEL, and the SV-AP-PANEL is missing from the list of network components that have been found and brought online.

 

[Marc_J._Zeitlin]

Since Pin 9 is the input 12V power for the trim motors, it's difficult for me to understand how your trim system can work at all if the CB feeding pin 9 is disconnected - no power should be able to flow to your trim motors. It sound to me as though you've got some parallel path for power/ground to your trim system besides the power/ground lines (9 and 2) to the SV-AP-Panel.

I'd suggest investigating your trim power wiring to understand what kind of power flow you've actually got going on here...

 

[cbretana]

Marc,

Thanks for your time, I appreciate someone else's analysis, as I am really stumped. But no, I realize this is convoluted, it may be that I was not completely clear. When the power to pin 9 is disconnected, the trim system of course does not work, but the rest of the functionality on the SV-AP-PANEL does. The Configuration, Network Detection process is able to detect the SV-AP-PANEL, and all the buttons on the panel function as designed. The problem is that when I CONNECT the battery to pin 9, then the Configuration, Network Detection process CANNNOT detect the SV-AP-PANEL, and NOTHING on the SV-AP-PANEL works.

What is interesting is that if the pin IS connected, and I reboot the HDX, up until exactly that moment that the boot process attempts to bring the SV-AP-PANEL online, the trim system DOES function perfectly through the SV-AP-PANEL. Until that instant, I can run the trim motor up and down from the hat switch wired through the panel. But at that point, (when the lights in the SV-AP-PANEL flicker for the first time), the trim STOPS functioning. After that, when the HDX has completed the network detection process and and the boot process has completed, if I examine the network status, the SV-AP-PANEL is not among the list of detected components. And none of the buttons on the panel function - although the functionality is still accessible and working from the Autopilot menu in the HDX main display. If I trigger the network detection process again from the configuration screen, it again fails to see the SV-AP-PANEL.

At the moment, the only pins on the DB-15 connector that are connected to anything are the 12V power on pin 9, and the aircraft ground on pin 2. Pins 3 & 4 are connected to the hat switch on my control stick, but unless I push the hat switch in one direction or the other, they are also not really connected to anything. Pins 7 & 8 were connected to the pitch trim motor, but that has been removed as I re-installed manual spring-driven trim until I figure this out.

So the only pin here that matters is pin 9. When aircraft bus power is applied to pin 9, the HDX' ability to detect and bring the SV-AP-PANEL online to the Skyview Network is compromised, and none of the SV-AP-PANEL functionality (Autopilot or trim) works. When pin 9 is not connected, the Autopilot functionality works, but as you said, there is no power on pin 9 so the trim of course cannot function. I wondered if the fact that my aircraft bus runs a bit high, at 14.3V, might be the issue, but Dynon tech support says that can't be the problem.

But your suggestion to "investigat[e] your trim power wiring" has merit for another reason. After talking to Jeff in Tech Support today, it occurred to me that even though I have thoroughly circuit tested all the pins on the DB-15 connector to ensure they are connected as they should, I have not checked to make sure they are not shorted out among themselves (like maybe one strand of wire from one pin touching another). I will run those tests on every pair of pins on the DB-15 tomorrow. I don't think that has happened, but it would be good to eliminate that possibility.