Switching calibration sets?

[airguy]

Dynon - I've got capacitive senders in my fuel tanks, which have a different response to 100LL versus Mogas and would require recalibration when switching fuels. Is it possible to have a calibration in "standby", maybe as a different file residing on my USB stick, that I could load when I change fuels? In essence, one file for 100LL and another for Mogas, with the only difference being the level sensor calibration points?

 

[dynonsupport]

It's possible to do so. You will have to do two separate calibrations to get the calibration points for each, then do an EXPORT SETTINGS.

Then the exported config file will have to be edited to remove all but the fuel level calibrations.

When loading one, or the other, there won't be any way to tell which is active other than looking at the calibration table values.

Dynon - I've got capacitive senders in my fuel tanks, which have a different response to 100LL versus Mogas and would require recalibration when switching fuels. Is it possible to have a calibration in "standby", maybe as a different file residing on my USB stick, that I could load when I change fuels? In essence, one file for 100LL and another for Mogas, with the only difference being the level sensor calibration points?

 

[airguy]

Ok, so if I understand this correctly, I would need to calibrate for 100LL, export that file and edit it to delete everything but the fuel cal data, and then recalibrate for Mogas, export and edit that as well - then when I want to switch back and forth between them I would simply import that abbreviated settings file, and it only changes the settings that are imported, leaving the rest as they were, is that correct?

 

[dynonsupport]

Correct.

Ok, so if I understand this correctly, I would need to calibrate for 100LL, export that file and edit it to delete everything but the fuel cal data, and then recalibrate for Mogas, export and edit that as well - then when I want to switch back and forth between them I would simply import that abbreviated settings file, and it only changes the settings that are imported, leaving the rest as they were, is that correct?

 

[swatson999]

I didn't realize you could import just a single sensor data configuration...that's good to know!

 

[mmarien]

When loading one, or the other, there won't be any way to tell which is active other than looking at the calibration table values.

One way to determine which calibration file is loaded would to have something different in your ENGINE page. Different names in the pin definition of the EMS section of the SETTINGS FILE. Instead of LEFT and RIGHT for the fuel gauges have MOLEFT, MORIGHT or AVLEFT, AVRIGHT. Or just have different colors in the fuel gauges. Green for MOGAS and blue for AVGAS. It would be a subtle hint as to which calibration files are loaded. These changes can be part of the partial settings file you load when you change fuels so would be automatic.

I think you might have to load the entire ems_module={ section of the settings file even if you are just changing the pin definitions for the fuel gauges.

 

[airguy]

When loading one, or the other, there won't be any way to tell which is active other than looking at the calibration table values.

One way to determine which calibration file is loaded would to have something different in your ENGINE page. Different names in the pin definition of the EMS section of the SETTINGS FILE. Instead of LEFT and RIGHT for the fuel gauges have MOLEFT, MORIGHT or AVLEFT, AVRIGHT. Or just have different colors in the fuel gauges. Green for MOGAS and blue for AVGAS. It would be a subtle hint as to which calibration files are loaded. These changes can be part of the partial settings file you load when you change fuels so would be automatic.

I think you might have to load the entire ems_module={ section of the settings file even if you are just changing the pin definitions for the fuel gauges.

That's a good idea, I'll consider that. I just received my airworthiness certificate yesterday afternoon, and first flight is still a few weeks away, so I'm realistically a couple months from recalibrating for both fuels. I'll respond back to this thread when I've got it figured out if nobody else beats me to it.

 

[airguy]

Ok, so if I understand this correctly, I would need to calibrate for 100LL, export that file and edit it to delete everything but the fuel cal data, and then recalibrate for Mogas, export and edit that as well - then when I want to switch back and forth between them I would simply import that abbreviated settings file, and it only changes the settings that are imported, leaving the rest as they were, is that correct?

Here is a datapoint for the group, on the differences in the capacitive sender response between fuels. I have calibrated my left tank on 100LL and the voltage ranges from 0.835 to 1.165 volts (empty to full), and when calibrated on 91 octane premium auto gas the voltage ranges from 0.801 to 1.502 (empty to full).

The capacitive sender response is significantly different, you must change the calibration sets when changing fuels if you want to trust your fuel levels.

 

[airguy]

Dynon - followup question regarding switching the datasets - once the files are stripped of extraneous data and contain just the fuel calibration info as described earlier, is there a specific file name format that needs to be followed for Skyview to recognize it?

 

[dynonsupport]

SkyView can load any file name that ends in .DFG.