Single EPL101x Series Dimmer For Dynon Skyview Br

[Dynon101]

I am trying to integrate a single dimmer knob to control the brightness of both my 8 RockRack switch indicator LEDs and the Dynon Skyview display brightness. 

I am planning to utilize pin 26 as the Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) ground for my RockRack switch indicator LEDs as I understand the "DIM OUTPUT" signal is essentially a "variable ground" (I think they could have called it something different than "output"...just say 'in). The Skyview manual states that the DIM OUTPUT "can sink a maximum current of 120mA and a maximum voltage of 40V."

QUESTION #1: For my landing light circuit, my switch has one output spade that provides power to the landing light. Should I simply branch off one extra wire from that output spade and run this second wire back to the (+) spade of the switch body indicator light and then from the indicator light (-) spade to pin 26?

I bought a ELP1012 dimmer: http://www.pcarv.com/images/Dimmer/EPL1012%20Website%20Instruction%20Sheet.pdf

The EPL1012 say it "is a pulse width modulated power switch and not a rheostat. The switching takes place between the red wire and the black wire. The white wire supplies power to the switching circuit at around 300 Hz. Please note that there is no current limiting within the dimmer."

QUESTION #2: Since the dimmer is essentially a variable voltage PWM digital signal, can I use this dimmer as the 0 - 14 VDC source for the pin 25 on the Skyview? If so should I wire it up as in the bottom "simplified" wiring diagram of the instructions?


THANKS FOR YOUR HELP (cyber yelling intentional)!!!

 

[jakej]

FWIW, & maybe not helpful now that you have a dimmer, however I use the Flight Data Systems LC50 unit For the same sort of situation.

 

[Dynon101]

Dynon Tech Support,

Happy Monday!!!

I know you are busy digging through emails and Forum posts but if you could please answer this question I'd be greatly appreciative

 

[Dynon101]

Dynon Tech Support,

Happy Tuesday!!!

I know you are busy digging through emails and Forum posts but if you could please answer this question I'd be greatly appreciative

 

[dynonsupport]

I have RockRacks in my plane, dimmed by SkyView. Works great.

First, do you have anything else you are dimming at the same time besides the switch LEDs?

If not, use the PWM output from SkyView to dim them. Hook the ground from the LEDs to SkyView, then the positive to the 12V. They will dim with SkyView's screen. It works great.

Now, for a dimmer. SkyView has a light sensor. Why not just use that and let it be automatic? It will dim the switch lights automatically. That's what I do. No fuss, no mess, no extra thing to worry about. You can manually turn the brightness up and down on SkyView if you ever need to override.

If you really want the dimmer, then still hook the LEDs to SkyView. Then use the dimmer to drive SkyView. Hook the dimmer to ground and 12V, and the center to SkyView. Don't hook anything else to it. You cannot use the ELP1012 with SkyView. SkyView needs a DC voltage to follow for external dimming.

 

[Dynon101]

THANKS for the reply and the advice!!!

>First, do you have anything else you are dimming at the same time besides the switch LEDs?

No...just 8 RockRack switch indicator lights.

>If not, use the PWM output from SkyView to dim them. Hook the ground from the LEDs to SkyView, then the positive to the 12V. They will dim with SkyView's screen. It works great.

So to confirm the switch wiring...lets say I have a landing light (I really do have a landing light) and the electrical path for this circuit starts at the circuit breaker and goes to the input spade terminal of the landing light switch body...then from the landing light switched side spade terminal I will run two wires...one wire to the landing light bulb (as expected) and the second wire will get looped back to the switch body LED (+) spade...then from the switch body LED (-) spade to the pin 26 of the SV. 

Since I have 8 such RockRack switch circuits, I will need to connect all of the 8 LED (-) wires together and then run that single wire to the pin 26 of the SV.

>Now, for a dimmer. SkyView has a light sensor. Why not just use that and let it be automatic?

This airplane is a Velocity and they have a smoked glass windscreen and side windows and a dimmed wall of SV-1000s might be good at the outer marker on a dark stormy night however at Decision Altitude that is going to be too bright so I want to have the rapid dim option.

>You cannot use the ELP1012 with SkyView. SkyView needs a DC voltage to follow for external dimming.

DANG...Do I use a rheostat or potentiometer?

Do you have a recommendation for this device?

THANKS AGAIN!!!

 

[dynonsupport]

On the RockRacks, there's really two circuits. The the RockRacks switch which has two terminals, and the LEDs which have two terminals. We're completely uninterested in what the switch is hooked to in this discussion.

Hook the positive side of the LEDs together from all your switches. Hook them to a source of aircraft power after a breaker. This should be about 0.16A of load.

Hook the negative side of all the LEDs together. Hook this to pin 26 on a single SkyView screen. Do not hook to multiple screens.

You're done. They will dim with the screen.

As for what dimmer to use? We recommend the dimmer module Dynon sells, although any 5K ohm to 50k Ohm variable resistor will do:

http://dynonstore.com/#!/SkyView-Dimmer-Module/p/69175457

 

[Dynon101]

>On the RockRacks, there's really two circuits. The the RockRacks switch which has two terminals, and the LEDs which have two terminals. We're completely uninterested in what the switch is hooked to in this discussion. Hook the positive side of the LEDs together from all your switches. Hook them to a source of aircraft power after a breaker. This should be about 0.16A of load. Hook the negative side of all the LEDs together. Hook this to pin 26 on a single SkyView screen. Do not hook to multiple screens.

Thanks...naturally the RockRack switches are beyond the scope of Dynon Forum however for posterity sak:

The switches can certainly be wired that way and with this installation the LEDs would be lit continuously and dimmed by the Dynon. This has the advantage being that the switch icons can be lit and easily seen.

I think that the switches might be wired a bit differently with a very nice advantage...If the output of the switch (the cold/switched/ side) was branched off with two wires... one wire going to the appliance and the other wire looped back around to the positive spade terminal of the switch LED. Using the landing light as the example, the LED would be dark when the switch is OFF, then when the landing light switch is flipped to ON the power would flow through the switch and go to the landing light bulb and then also back to the LED (+) spade terminal and the LED would be powered to indicate that the landing light was being powered on.

Of course the switch would be completely dark when the switch is OFF so the icon would not be easily seen in the dark cockpit....

Anyhoo...THANKS AGAIN!!!