Dynon ramblings (my ramblings, not Dynon's)

Has anyone else tried to load the Dynon software upgrades into their units? I found that mine wouldn't accept them, giving me an indication that this procedure is locked out through Dynon and to go to Van's Download page. There are no Dynon upgrades on the Van's site. I called Dynon and their tech guy said that this had to do with the ELSA cert and that Van's had to maintain these upgrades. He told me to contact Rian at Van's as he is the go to person for Dynon questions. I put a call in to him but haven't heard anything yet (he is at Sun & Fun).

Has anyone else had a non working pressure altitude input on their Garmin 327? I know the 327 is set up properly as I checked the set up called for in Garmin's installation instructions and this WAS set up properly by Van's or their supplier. I traced the wire from the D-180 to the 327 and I have continuity. The D180 Altitude Encoder Set Up menu is another thing blocked by Van's (because of ELSA, says Dynon tech) so I can't check the output at the D180 going to the xpdr. This is another question for Rian.

Do you other 4 or 5 people who bought the Dual Display know that there is a Dynon Service Bulletin for multiple D100 series EFISs plus AP74 DSAB? (that's us, if you have the autopilot also).
It pertains to a problem of the screen/s rebooting in flight and is supposed to be complied with before further flight (check Dynon's web site). There are two proposed fixes, the more simple one being to upgrade to software version 5.3 which is on Dynon's site but NOT Van's. This and the non working altitude out to my xpdr are what prompted this whole thing.
Larry

no problems

I've loaded every software update since 1.something to 5.2 in my D10A with no problems. Sometimes it looks like it is not doing anything but just be patient. Also, make sure you have a compatible usb to serial converter if you are using one. I have used a converter but now I have an onboard computer hard wired to the Dynon through a RS-232 serial port. Works great. All that said, I haven't loaded 5.3 yet.

If Vans enabled the OEM lock features, you will be forced to contact them on updates.......

Dynon reboot issue - resolved in my airplane

LIMA HOTEL said:

Do you other 4 or 5 people who bought the Dual Display know that there is a Dynon Service Bulletin for multiple D100 series EFISs plus AP74 DSAB? (that's us, if you have the autopilot also). Larry

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Larry: I am the Dynon customer who discovered the reboot issue with the D100, D180, AP74 combo. I'm pleased to report that I have almost 10 hours since 5.3 beta and 5.3 final was installed w/NO reboots. Just yesterday I flew 1.8 hours on autopilot w/o a hitch. My Lowrance gps lost the signal over Roosevelt Lake AZ, and the a/p went into TRK mode which is what it's supposed to do. GPS signal came back shortly thereafter, I punched the NAV button, and merrily flew home. Email me if you have q's.

DYNON

Van's HAS enabled the locks and you CANNOT make the updates from Dynon's web site. My dual display does the reboot thing that Dynon talks about, it happened to me today while I was doing a ground runup.

I talked to Ken Krueger today and he said that indeed we will have to go through Van's for our Dynon updates and they have locked us out of some set up screens to prevent messing up ELSA things. He said Van's will ensure that when we get the updates through them we won't lose the RV-12 specific parameters. He also said that the 5.3 update will be on their site soon.

He also thinks, as I do, that my non functioning altitude encode is a problem with the D180, but he is going to get back with me after he does some homework with the data I gave him. He thinks we can prove it by swapping the D100 for the D180 since I have both.

Larry

HOW?

Being a little dense in this electronic era, I don't understand how anything you would do to the D180 would add any weight or speed to the aircraft to take it out of ELSA specs.

DYNON

When I say ELSA certification I think I should be saying Van's documentation system (ASTM?) that they have to maintain.
Larry

LIMA HOTEL said:

Van's HAS enabled the locks and you CANNOT make the updates from Dynon's web site.

I talked to Ken Krueger today and he said that indeed we will have to go through Van's for our Dynon updates and they have locked us out of some set up screens to prevent messing up ELSA things.

Larry

Click to expand...

Did you discuss this issue any further with Ken K? It is hard for me to understand how the installation of a Dynon update can cause a problem with the ASTM specification. Maybe Ken K. is worried that the builder will install an update prior to initial certification. (Even though the builder has to certify changes have NOT occurred.) Afterwards, I would not think it would be an issue.

And if still at SnF, inquire as to availability of an electrical schematic of the switch panel.

Marty,
I think the main reason Van's wants to control the upgrades to the Dynon is so that we don't accidentally lose the RV-12 set ups that are in the units when we buy the kits. I think controlling this is part of Van's ASTM or FAA or whoever's requirements for documentation to let us all build ELSA in a controlled fashion with Van's name as builder on the plates we mount in the tail.

By the way Ken K is at Van's, not at Sun 'N Fun.

FOR ALL YOU OTHER DUAL DISPLAYERS:
I just heard back from Ken K and he said that based on Van's analysis of my non functioning pressure alt on the xpdr, the problem is a wiring glitch with the dual display option. Until Van's gets it worked out, our options are to fly without mode C or fly without the D100 on. While I was talking to him , I was at my plane with avionics turned on (all electronic equip on). He suggested I turn off the D100 and sure enough, when I did the pressure alt popped back on the xpdr.

FOR EVERY ONE ELSE:
For those of you interested in the 5.3 upgrade, Ken said it probably would be on Van's site on this coming Monday.

LIMA HOTEL said:

Marty,
I think the main reason Van's wants to control the upgrades to the Dynon is so that we don't accidentally lose the RV-12 set ups that are in the units when we buy the kits. I think controlling this is part of Van's ASTM or FAA or whoever's requirements for documentation to let us all build ELSA in a controlled fashion with Van's name as builder on the plates we mount in the tail.

Click to expand...

If uploading the new firmware version overwrites all of the RV-12 specific information and the options entered by the user, I can see a very valid reason why Van's would like to do it in the manner chosen. I did not realize this was the case. As such, Van's is really providing us with a very good benefit here!!

DUAL DYNONS

I failed to mention yesterday that Ken K said that the wiring glitch in the dual display option resulted in a feedback from the D100 to the D180 and that caused the encoder output from the D180 to be blocked. They figured this out without Dynon's help. I told him I was impressed, but he said they had considerable experience with aircraft systems and this was Van's job to make things right! Of course I wonder if this hasn't ever occurred on other dual display set ups before (not trying to take anything away from Ken or Van's). Ken also said that the 5.3 update won't solve this problem.

Larry

LIMA HOTEL said:

H
.....the non working altitude out to my xpdr are what prompted this whole thing.
Larry

Click to expand...

Do you have menu access to set the encoder output on the Dynon? Also you need to have the correct receiving setting on the transponder.

It took some digging to figure it out on my GTX327 - Dynon output in this case is "Format 4" with the GTX327 input set to "Icarus" on Channel 1.

Apologies if this is teaching "granny to suck eggs" and your problem goes deeper into the LSA certification maze.

Jim Sharkey
RV-6

No one with an ELSA RV-12 has encoder output access on their Dynons. Van's set up most of the parameters on our Dynons and Garmin 327s and they are set properly and everything worked and communicated with each other properly until the dual display came along. That is where the glitch occurred. Ken asked me yesterday if I felt like doing a bit of rewiring and some reprograming or would rather be finishing my PAP (Production Approval Process) prior to calling for my inspection and getting it the air. I want to be flying! I think he knew what my answer would be (and I don't think he really would have given me the secret to unlocking the restricted access to the Dynons anyway). I am reading between the lines, but I am pretty sure the fix he had in mind is not what Van's wants as a permanent one. It occurs to me that this thing could have the potential to affect every existing RV-12 WITHOUT dual display if something on the D180 needs to be changed, eg. some piece of hardware added, or a change to the original harness to the D180s ($$$). Obviously Van's would not want that scenario. Again, this just MY conjecture. Like I said before, for now, those of us with dual display will have to fly without mode C or with our D100s turned off.

LIMA HOTEL said:

No one with an ELSA RV-12 has encoder output access on their Dynons. Van's set up most of the parameters on our Dynons and Garmin 327s and they are set properly and everything worked and communicated with each other properly until the dual display came along. That is where the glitch occurred. Ken asked me yesterday if I felt like doing a bit of rewiring and some reprograming or would rather be finishing my PAP (Production Approval Process) prior to calling for my inspection and getting it the air. I want to be flying! I think he knew what my answer would be (and I don't think he really would have given me the secret to unlocking the restricted access to the Dynons anyway). I am reading between the lines, but I am pretty sure the fix he had in mind is not what Van's wants as a permanent one. It occurs to me that this thing could have the potential to affect every existing RV-12 WITHOUT dual display if something on the D180 needs to be changed, eg. some piece of hardware added, or a change to the original harness to the D180s ($$$). Obviously Van's would not want that scenario. Again, this just MY conjecture. Like I said before, for now, those of us with dual display will have to fly without mode C or with our D100s turned off.

Click to expand...

Good luck !

My guess is they screwed up and connected the encoder output wire from both the screens to the input of the 327 and they are both trying to talk to the 327 at the same time.... That won't work.....

It would take about 5 minutes to pull that connector apart and pull out that wire...