Serial ports and VP-X

[RV9APlane]

I have a dual SV1000 system with dual GPS, Skyview transponder, Skyview ADS-B, and an SL30. These take up all 5 serial ports.  I have a Vertical Power VP-400 which did not need a serial port but the company has been sold and the VP-400 is no longer supported and I am required to switch to a VP-X Pro.  I had literally just finished the wiring of my whole system a couple weeks ago.  According to the VP-X manual (pg 32) I am supposed to connect a TX and RX from the VP-X to a serial port on the Skyview system.  Given my current setup that can't happen without giving up something.  One of the GPS's the only obvious solution to me but then I lose the redundancy I was hoping for.  So, short of giving up one of the GPS's, is there any other solution?  Can I dedicate a serial port on PFD for the VP-X and the serial port on the MFD for the second GPS?  Any other ideas?

 

[rvator51]

If I understand you correctly, you have 2 Skyview GPSs wired to 2 serial ports on each SV1000.  I dont think this is necessary.  Wire one GPS to one SV1000 and wire the other GPS to the second SV1000.  You still have redundancy as if one goes out, you can still use the other gps to feed the network.  Dynon Support, can Bruce do it this way?

 

[jdubner]

... you have 2 Skyview GPSs wired to 2 serial ports on each SV1000 ...

That is the correct configuration according to figure 53 on page 8-4 in the Skyview installation manual which addresses this specific situation (two GPSs and two displays with redundancy desired). 

Bruce has wired it correctly.

 

[jakej]

Bruce

-- another way could be to have a switch between the 2 Dynon Gps's, that would free up a port. I'd have 3 of the wires parelled up with only the Gps Tx wires as the switched ones

HTH
Jake J

 

[Dynon]

rvator's suggestion is the way to go. The idea to have in mind when designing in redundancy is: What happens if I take a hammer (or a pair of scissors) to device X or its wiring. In the by-the-book way, if you have two GPSes and have them paralelled to both displays, the answer is "nothing" (except for a warning) should one puck fail. If you wire one puck per display, then the failure of one puck will remove GPS from one display, but the other will still have 100% functionality. So a slight loss in capability, but perhaps the right tradeoff for your situation. Oh, if you have another GPS on board (an IFR navigator perhaps?) it's also capable of providing full GPS, in which case, definitely do what rvator suggests - one puck per display, and free up a port.

 

[RV9APlane]

Excellent! Thanks for all your help everybody, I appreciate it!