Hello everyone!
I just saw the new forums and figured I might as well see if anyone here has experience with a setup I’m working on.
Avidyne IFD540
Bendix-King KT74
Garmin GI-106A
Garmin G5 HSI (certified)
Garmin G5 AH (certified) (connected to the HSI via GAD-29B, and with a GMU-11 magnetometer)
STEC System 50
The challenge is setting up the IFD540 to work with everything else. Bendix-King is reluctant to hand out the KT-74 install manuals (although the Trig TT31 is virtually identical and its manual is available). Garmin says exactly how to make the G5s talk to any Garmin device, but nothing about the IFD540 (as would be expected). Would anyone care to comment on this setup for the IFD540?
For the G5s:
RS-232 channel 1 output: MapMX format, connects to both G5s to provide GPS data (I’ll also have a backup GA35 antenna just for the G5s)
RS-232 channel 1 input: disabled
GPS ARINC 429 output: low speed, GAMA 429 format (connects to GAD-29B)
VOR/ILS ARINC 429 output: low speed (connects to GAD-29B)
GPS ARINC 429 input 1: low speed, GAD 42 format (connects to GAD-29B) (looks like the G5 can output airdata here too)
SDI: LNAV 1
VNAV: Enable Labels
For the KT-74:
RS-232 channel 2 output: ADS-B (Avi) format (connects to KT-74 directly)
For the GI-106A:
Direct connection from dedicated IFD540 ports, no need to configure any I/O
Does that all make sense? Two further questions:
(1) Do I need to connect the IFD540 VOR/ILS ARINC429 input to the GAD-29B too? The IFD540 manual shows connections for the Aspen systems, and their airdata output only goes to the GPS ARINC429 input section.
(2) Is there any way to have the G5 output its altitude data to the KT-74? I’ve got an altitude encoder, but if I can dump that and rely on the G5’s internal encoder then that saves weight and wiring, as well as ensuring that the G5 and the KT-74 agree.
Thanks for any advice,
Evan Slatyer
This is going to be a great panel once it is all working. My understanding was that the Avidine was supposed to be a slide in replacement for the 430. So if the 430 works should not the connector wiring for it provide some useful hints?
Other than that I am absolutely unaware of how to get those pieces of kit talking to each other.
Thanks very much for the reply!
The Avidyne is mechanically and electrically a slide-in replacement for the GNS 530W … but the software setup is not directly transferrable. Garmin’s G5 installation manual provides settings for the GNS 530W, but figuring out how those map to settings on the IFD540 remains a challenge.
As far as I can tell Garmin has also released a firmware update for the GNS 530W recently that changes the connections used for the G5 (removes one of the required connections to free up I/O for other purposes) – but the installation manual hasn’t been updated to reflect that.
I think that there is going to be a significant amount of trial-and-error to get this working; when I do figure it out I’ll post it here for future reference.
Cheers,
Evan
Evan – did you get the IFD540 working with the G5s? Would you mind sharing the settings? Thanks!
106080 – I ended up just sending it away to the local Avidyne dealer and asked them to set it up for the G5s. They’ve done that, but I’m still waiting for all the wiring to be installed so it hasn’t been tested yet.
John – thanks for the information. I was largely relying on the AvidyneLive posts about people having it working and the Avidyne dealer saying that they’d have no trouble setting it up – but this may have been a poor decision. In any case, right now I’m only flying VFR, and hopefully by the time I get the instrument rating Avidyne will have added the G5 to their STC.
Cheers,
Evan
Hi Evan,
I have been in avionics for over 35 years and have had my own shop for 28 years. I bought a Comanche about 6 months ago and joined ICS at that time. I would be happy to answer any avionics questions that pop up here.
I think you may be asking the wrong question. You bought these with the question of how to make them work together. The question before purchase maybe should have been “Is it even legal for me to put this in my airplane”. That answer is no. Avidyne has not put the G5 in their manual as a compatible combination under their STC. Garmin has not put the IFD-540 under their STC as being a compatible unit. Because of this, a call to either vendor will usually net you no help at all. Maybe by now you have got it working, but that still puts you in a very precarious position. Once you connected the IFD-540 to the G5 you negated the STC, so you no longer have an IFR GPS. Only a field approval can save you now and that seems very unlikely. Any accident or incident involving an insurance claim could cause the insurance to not pay off since the airplane is being flown in an un-airworthy condition.
Normally I’m more helpful and it’s not my intention to scare you or reprimand you. I just believe in shooting people straight.
The Avidyne IFD series is a slide in replacement to a Garmin GNS unit, but only if you have the most basic equipment. They will not work with most of the avionics that Garmin will work with. I have found that out the hard way. Even the stuff they do say will work with the IFD series can be very buggy.
John Stark
N8029P
