Redundancy v networking

[rustynnuts]

Hi folks
I am trying to get a glass IFR setup with the most redundancy possible and features for the lowest price, oh and of course the highest priority is reliability. The usual impossible dream?
My question is if I ran 2 x Skyview panels in parallel, each with their own GPS and ADAHRS on a VPX-Pro what features do I lose that the networking provides.
My assumptions are I would need the ADHRS units to both be SV-ADAHRS-200
Autopilot control would be used on the primary system and be manually assigned to the fallback PFD system
Another related question is can the engine probes feed two systems simultaneously
This line of thinking was prompted by the software update that affected both systems as the networking feature requires both skyview units to be on the same version. This way you could stay one update behind on one unit until all bugs had been found. In the soup is not where I would like to find a bug.
Any input would be welcome as well as "The minimalist design" that any one has up and running for IFR
Thanks
PS awesome products

 

[dynonsupport]

So a few thoughts here.

First, our next version of SkyView firmware greatly increases the utility of having your displays connected to each other in terms of redundancy. As of that next version - 3.4 - SkyView will be able to do three things that in combination really up the ante in terms of IFR capability. First, on the raw wiring side of things, SkyView network will be able to self-detect breaks in particular wires and annunciate the issue without the SkyView Network connection actually being affected (in most cases, assuming there aren't many failures in the wiring). Next, and related to that, SkyView Network's redundant data paths will be utilized in such as way that if the entire primary network has become inoperable, say due to the catastrophic failure of a device or the failure of one of the data wires, the system will be able to switch to a second network on a separate pair of wires (that are already connected in all existing SkyView Network installations). Finally, with multiple ADAHRS in the system, SkyView will continuously compare the flight instruments of them both, and let you know if they're in disagreement. It will then present a neat UI to allow you to choose which ADAHRS you trust.

To answer your other questions: if you did choose to separate the displays, though, you would indeed need two SV-ADAHRS-200 units. You can't send the probes to multiple EMS modules easily, as splitting probe wires to multiple EMS modules changes their outputs. If you wanted map on both displays, you'd need a map license for each as the normal single license per airplane wouldn't propagate over the network. Autopilot could only be connected to one display at a time - it looks like you see that. You'd need to change wiring to send it to the other display in the event of a failure. This isn't something you'd want to reconfigure in-flight.

We've really designed SkyView to work best as a multi-display system, and virtually all installations are done that way. If you were really set on separating them, you should probably choose one of the displays for EMS and AP (they need not be the same display), and consider these non-redundant (in a failure, you can live without both of those), but do put an ADAHRS on both displays.

 

[rustynnuts]

Thanks for the reply
That is all good news and pretty much eliminates any advantage to isolating the screens. The other option was to simply install a D6 series as a separated EFIS for when all else fails.
As for an EMS failure I guess the age old backup instruments (ears) will have to suffice until the next landing though I'm sure they would be trying to convince me that there was something loose.
With the new Rotax 912iS have you any information about the interface package required for the EMS as I believe it is mainly derived directly from the ECU.
Cheers Paul

 

[dynonsupport]

There will be an updated EMS module, the SV-EMS-221, that supports the digital interfacing to the 912 iS. There will also be a probe package for the engine to fill in the gaps that don't come through over the data stream (amps, fuel pressure). Pricing has yet to be announced, though I expect we'll make it public shortly. Release is around the Oshkosh time frame.