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SDS EFI in 2018

rv6ejguy

Well Known Member
2018 is here now and this marks our 23rd year of supplying EFI for the Experimental Aircraft market. 2018 will see us surpass 1900 aviation ECUs and kits delivered to the market. We're pretty proud of that. With the new year, some new things for SDS also:

With our higher purchase volumes now, we've been able to get better pricing on some components used in our kits so we've added some more hardware to the kits for without raising prices.

We've slightly lowered the pricing on four cylinder angle valve systems also as a result of this.

Some hardware will see some slight changes this year as a result of customer feedback but in all cases, we retain the same high quality standards with our parts as before.

Now that we are back to marketing on our own again, you'll be seeing more ads and articles about SDS in many magazines and web forums starting in January. We also have some new partners to help expand into new markets and areas. You may see us at more aircraft trade shows in the future. I'll make announcements on those when we are closer to those events and know for sure. You'll see continued support of the teams running SDS at Reno and we're excited to be working on some new projects in that area.

As usual, we continue development on new features and expanding our kit offerings. SDS EFI is available for 4 and 6 cylinder Lycomings, O-200 and IO-550 Continentals, Rotax 912 and Jabiru 2200, 3300, 5100 engines along with many popular auto conversion engines like Subaru and LS engines.

We do see backlogs building a bit more now with lead times stretching over 2 weeks now in some cases. We're training our personnel on new jobs to try to keep order lead times down to reasonable levels.

We look forward to working with builders and continue being the leading EFI supplier in this market and as always, appreciate your support and feedback.
 
Speaking of CNC work, here's a run of the new lightweight fuel pump module ends. We've eliminated the integral filter because most people wanted to install something larger externally. These will save some weight, length and cost.



We're supplying these plus billet inlet and outlet filters now all all kits ordered after Jan. 15/18.
 
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Here is the new pump module assembled. The changes shaved off about 74 grams from the last iteration. Overall, down about 125 grams from the original design in 2014. Some of our customers are pretty concerned with weight so we thought we'd pare it down as much as practical without increasing run times.
 
End pieces and straps are 6061-T6, the threaded spigots are 7075-T6.

CNC production is humming now with more machines available. As of today, they've turned out 458 SDS parts since Jan. 2. Great job from Trevor and Howard.

You can see more info on the machined parts and production here: http://sdsefi.com/racetech.htm
 
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EM-6

Some of our test partners have been aware of conceptual work done on the new EM-6 ECU as of a few months ago. This work actually dates back to August 2016.

We'll be finished the CPI2 design next month and can start on the EM-6 in earnest then, incorporating the shopping list of features and ideas we've been wanting to implement for some time now.

About all I can say at this point is that it will have some features which have be commonplace in other more expensive ECUs for a while. The plan is to make it retro-compatible wiring wise, with older EM-X ECUs as we've done since the EM-1 was produced back in late 1993.

The EM-6 is the second generation SDS ECU specifically designed for Experimental Aviation after our EM-5/57 board which went on sale in Dec. 2016.

As with the CPI2, I invite people to give us their feedback and ideas for features they'd like to see in the new EM-6.

While projects like this usually take longer to finish than we anticipate, we hope to introduce this ECU to the market in the 3rd quarter of 2018.

We also plan to offer free ECU upgrades to any SDS aviation customers who buy EM-5s in 2018. We know some people want to get flying sooner than the EM-6 release date but would also like to have the latest features down the road when they're available. This will be a win-win for those folks.

Additionally, to show our appreciation for all those already flying our aviation EM-4 and EM-5 ECUs prior to 2018 (including re-branded ones), we'll have a very economical upgrade path to the EM-6 available.
 
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I had a VF2
SL-20 (older with power tailstock)
Doosan MX-250 9 axis running esprit(4 live tools)
I loved that Doosan but had to send an operator to go to school to run it! Ouch!

Memories...
 
Any chance SDS will ever come out with a single pump unit like AFP? I?m needing a boost pump to replace my duke boost pump and just looking for options.
 
We might consider that if there is enough call for it. Easy enough to use much of our existing hardware. :)
 
How complex is converting Rotax 912 from 2 carburetors?

We've sold a number of kits and parts to do the conversion, dating back to 2007: http://www.sdsefi.com/rotax.htm

You have to check each installation for cowling clearance and depending on the manifold and ignition used, you may have to relocate/ remove the coolant bottle and stock ignition boxes.

Ronnie Smith from SMLA has installed many SDS units on his custom 912/914 builds: http://flysmla.com/

Gets rid of the carb synch issues, adds a few hp and allows you to have modern ignition control as well.
 
We've sold a number of kits and parts to do the conversion, dating back to 2007: http://www.sdsefi.com/rotax.htm

You have to check each installation for cowling clearance and depending on the manifold and ignition used, you may have to relocate/ remove the coolant bottle and stock ignition boxes.

Ronnie Smith from SMLA has installed many SDS units on his custom 912/914 builds: http://flysmla.com/

Gets rid of the carb synch issues, adds a few hp and allows you to have modern ignition control as well.

Thank you for quick response.
 
Clarifications

I wanted to clear up some confusion some people have about our 2 current electronic products.

The CPI and CPI2 (the latter under development and testing now) just control ignition.

The EM-5 and EM-6 (the latter under development now) controls fuel and ignition or fuel only if you already have mags or another brand of EI. You don't need a CPI if you have an EM-5.

To clarify another question that's cropped up a few times recently, our panel mount, dual connector, 3 1/8 inch programmer can access either ECU on a dual system just by flicking the selector switch for primary or backup ECU. You don't need 2 programmers or have to swap cables. This has been available from SDS for a couple of years now and has a dimmable display when using V29.5 software.



Other misinformation circulating about our 6 dual cylinder systems was saying the engine will quit if one ECU goes down. This is not correct. The engine will run on either ECU, you just lose spark on one set of plugs and the ability to trim fuel. This is a similar situation to losing one mag.
 
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CNC Art

Trevor's Haas VF2s have been churning out new parts for us all through the month of January with a bunch more coming next week. Here's a small sample just back from the anodizer. Feb., March, April are typically some of our busiest months so we want to be able to ship systems without big delays.



Coil mount bases



Fuel blocks, coil brackets and Hall sensor mounts

On another note, we sent off a new fuel pump frame to Tom at TS Flightlines so he can complete mockups of the popular RV layouts to build line sets for people fitting SDS. We're very happy to have Tom as an SDS partner. Great guy, great quality products.
 
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Any chance SDS will ever come out with a single pump unit like AFP? I?m needing a boost pump to replace my duke boost pump and just looking for options.

I need a single boost pump also, to go with my stock Bendix RSA. Havent bought it yet, but Andair was top of my list. If you have the capability, not sure why you wouldnt add this to your inventory. Plenty of non-recirculating injections you know.
 
I need a single boost pump also, to go with my stock Bendix RSA. Havent bought it yet, but Andair was top of my list. If you have the capability, not sure why you wouldnt add this to your inventory. Plenty of non-recirculating injections you know.

Not to speak for Ross, but with any business decision it's not just "can we?", but "will it be profitable?"--and beyond that, "will it be more profitable to divert our limited resources into producing some of those than to focus on producing more of our main product?". If pump module production is maxed out on dual units, then making single-pump units would detract from sales of the (presumably more-profitable) complete injection systems.

Same goes for "why won't Van's make a matched-hole RV-3?" that pops up every now and then.
 
Ross;
I am looking at Duplex fuel valves for the EFI on my high wing (Bearhawk) application. The designer recommends running the fuel valve in "Both", especially for TO and Landing. Andair doesn't make a 4 position duplex valve. SPRL makes one, but the feed is 3/8, and the return is 1/4". Is the 1/4" big enough for the return line on a IO540? I haven't found any other brand valves doing a bit of googling

Because of the significant amount of return fuel (>50% of the fuel feed flow), I think running in R or L is better for most of the flight. But with low fuel,manuevering close to the ground I think "Both" might be a good choice for my application, at least during TO and Landing.
 
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Not to speak for Ross, but with any business decision it's not just "can we?", but "will it be profitable?"--and beyond that, "will it be more profitable to divert our limited resources into producing some of those than to focus on producing more of our main product?".

Uhhhh...Yeah. I was responding to his "if we have enough call for it".

So I'm seconding the original call.

FWIW I find Andair to be difficult if not downright unresponsive to deal with. But thats currently what there is to work with.
 
Not to speak for Ross, but with any business decision it's not just "can we?", but "will it be profitable?"--and beyond that, "will it be more profitable to divert our limited resources into producing some of those than to focus on producing more of our main product?". If pump module production is maxed out on dual units, then making single-pump units would detract from sales of the (presumably more-profitable) complete injection systems.

Same goes for "why won't Van's make a matched-hole RV-3?" that pops up every now and then.

We certainly can do almost anything but often it cannot be justified time or money wise like you say. Our main focus is EFI but we have branched off into more CNC'd parts now that we have the machining capacity with our partners- 2 lathes and 3 mills. We can easily turn out many hundreds of parts per month now and have been doing just that as of late.
 
Ross;
I am looking at Duplex fuel valves for the EFI on my high wing (Bearhawk) application. The designer recommends running the fuel valve in "Both", especially for TO and Landing. Andair doesn't make a 4 position duplex valve. SPRL makes one, but the feed is 3/8, and the return is 1/4". Is the 1/4" big enough for the return line on a IO540? I haven't found any other brand valves doing a bit of googling

Because of the significant amount of return fuel (>50% of the fuel feed flow), I think running in R or L is better for most of the flight. But with low fuel,manuevering close to the ground I think "Both" might be a good choice for my application, at least during TO and Landing.

Some of our high/shoulder wing clients are returning fuel to a low mounted header tank and dispensing with the Duplex valve. This would seem to be reasonable with -6 lines feeding everything.

A 1/4 return line is probably ok if not very long and full of bends and 90 degree fittings.
 
Awesome update and progress! Thanks for keeping us all informed as you move forward. I can't wait to have this system on my airplane.
 
Thank you. My friend Ralph Inkster will be back from Australia soon. We plan to do a series of videos on his new RV which has an dual SDS EFI setup on it. We'll cover the installation, tuning, features and flight testing as it progresses. I hope this will help people understand more of the entire process.
 
Another milestone for us yesterday, we sold our 1900th ECU for aviation. Our first one was sold back in 1995. Looking forward to surpassing 2000 this year along with the introduction of the 6th generation computer.

Thanks to the folks who've emailed us with features to incorporate on the new design. We've got quite a shopping list now. We can't use every idea put forth but if the idea has widespread merit, we'll certainly do our best.
 
Thanks to SDS for years of support

For those who do not know about SDS I can tell that Ross and his crew provide excellent products and superior support.

I got a EM2 system from Ross about 11 years ago and ran it on a 2.8L Toyota. It was great.

I now have a EM4f running on a Honda R18. SDS is easy to use, and is very adaptable to a wide variety of settings. You can have it control switches are various RPM and much more.

I would highly recommend them. How often can you fine a company whose owner still personally answers all your you silly questions for more than 12 years!

Thanks Ross. I am glad to see that you continue support experimental aviation for years and years.

Charlie Rosenzweig
RV6a (95% done).
Longview Washington.
 
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Another milestone for us yesterday, we sold our 1900th ECU for aviation. Our first one was sold back in 1995. Looking forward to surpassing 2000 this year along with the introduction of the 6th generation computer.

That's saying something, in particular because they have been installed on such a wide variety of engines. It's an experience pool a mile wide and a mile deep.
 
EM-6 Development

With the initial design phase of the CPI2 wrapping up at weeks end, we have some time to start focusing on the upcoming evolution of the the EM-X ECU series in the form of the EM-6. (6th generation).

We have 13 new features at this time we intend to incorporate or at least explore for the new ECU. Unfortunately we can't discuss too much of those given the competitive nature of this market now.

So, like with the CPI2, we're looking for your good ideas and feedback which will help make the EM-6 more user friendly and more capable for your mission.
 
Do you think you?ll provide an upgrade path to the newer design once it?s completed for those of us with the EM5 hardware?

At the rate I?m building I?ll be happy to be flying by EM7..
 
Do you think you?ll provide an upgrade path to the newer design once it?s completed for those of us with the EM5 hardware?

At the rate I?m building I?ll be happy to be flying by EM7..

Here is an excerpt from our website on upgrades for EM-5 users, published in early Feb. 2018:

"To show our appreciation for the continuing support from our customers, we'll be offering free EM-6 ECU upgrades when they are available later this year to all customers who purchase a complete aviation EM-5 system in 2018. For customers who have purchased a complete aviation kit (EM-5 ECUs only) prior to 2018 (including rebranded EFXX ones), we'll be offering new EM-6 ECUs at a special discounted price. The EM-6 will be the next generation SDS ECU, based on the continuing evolution of EM-1 through EM-5 ECUs going back to 1994. After evaluating new concepts and features over the last year, we'll be starting full scale hardware and software development in late March of this year. We hope to be done testing in the 3rd quarter of 2018 with production release in the 4th quarter of 2018."
 
We're getting a number of people asking about kit lead times now. At present, we've got about a 10-14 day order backlog. This won't impact most builders but that backlog looks to be growing given the number of quotes requested lately. Just something to be aware of. If you're having engines built by Barrett or Aerosport, we can coordinate delivery with Rhonda or Darren Jones respectively.

For those still building, we can ship out fuel system components like pump modules, filters and regulators separately to allow you to get those items mounted for plumbing purposes and keep your build progressing. Along that vein, contact Tom at Flightlines if you need any custom fuel lines built.
 
Wiring, Filters and Business

We get quite a few questions about wiring harnesses, I suppose because we don't show them in system photos so I'll post a bit of info here.

Yes, we supply all the wiring in Tefzel, custom built to your length and termination desires since we build for many different airframes (lots of pushers as well as RVs) where one length certainly doesn't fit all.

Most folks opt to leave the FWF cables unterminated for easier firewall passage and exact tailoring. We can pin those or install the connectors too if you want.

We also don't show fuel filters in some of our system photos but these are also supplied in the kit in the form of billet Holley ones with replaceable SS mesh elements, AN6 fittings and Adel clamps to mount them.

On another topic, a number of people have asked if we are doing ok. It seems someone is telling them that we won't be in business soon. That's news to us. We're averaging about 4 systems a week since Jan. 1 between aviation and automotive, selling lots of billet valve covers, a few flywheels and CPIs, fuel pump modules and doing older upgrades. CPI2 development is lagging a bit as a result of being very steady with sales. We have several pre-orders for those now too which is encouraging.

Currently there are 9 more aviation systems already scheduled for build over the next 30 days. These encompass Lycoming, Continental, LS7, Rotax and Jabiru engines. No doubt other aviation and auto orders will come in addition to these 9 so there is no problem with cash flow at this time. Time to build them is more of an issue so I apologize if we're a bit slower than usual in getting systems sent out.

We've got a few OEM supply projects under way on some new light engine types being bench tested now and we hope to be supplying decent numbers of systems to at least one of these companies by the 3rd quarter of this year.

We're working with another new partner in Europe now, hoping to make more inroads there.

So, the future looks good especially with our 2 updated controllers in the works as well as some new CNC'd products coming soon.

Rumors of our demise are being greatly exaggerated by some entity...
 
As a user of SDS on my Subaru 2.5 RV4, in my 50+ years in auto racing and airplanes,
I have never dealt with such a great organization as Ross at SDS ! ! TOM
 
Ashley Miller brought to our attention that new Thunderbolt engines may come with a flywheel (PN LW-12227) which does not have the 12 tooling holes required to bolt our magnet drilling jig to. In this case, you'd have to get an older flywheel with the tooling holes or one of our SDS billet flywheels.
 
As a user of SDS on my Subaru 2.5 RV4, in my 50+ years in auto racing and airplanes,
I have never dealt with such a great organization as Ross at SDS ! ! TOM

GRT seems cut from the same block of customer service and product "ego-less-ness" (no such word, but you get the idea)......
 
Lycoming Flywheel

This is the new Flywheel fitted to a new Thunderbolt Lycoming.
If you are planning fitting a SDS System delete this flywheel from your order.
There are no tooling holes drilled which are needed to install the magnet alignment tool supplied by Ross.

Another great reason to order Ross's new light weight flywheel.

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Thanks for the pix and heads up on this topic Ashley.

On the production front, we continue to stand at about a 14 day backlog despite having put in a 7 day week last week and many long hours. Thanks to all the folks who are placing orders with us and we'll be doing our best to get these shipped on time.

It seems like 540 systems are the flavor of the week, have 3 of those in process at this time. Last 2 weeks it was several LS V8 systems which we're suddenly seeing more demand for this year so we've developed some new parts for those.

We're getting ready to run another batch of ECU boards next week so that's taken up a bit of time ordering parts and lining up the loading and soldering schedule.

It's been great talking with RV guys about their projects too- surely some of the nicest folks in aviation.
 
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Rotax 912 EFI

We've finally had some time to build a few more Rotax kits after not having manifolds available for over a year. Thanks to Jim for his fine welding skills and Trevor for CNC'ing the other bits to save some of the hand fabbing from before.



The kit for the customer above is going to Europe. He wanted the hand-held programmer due to lack of panel space for the usual aviation programmer.



We sold our first Rotax 912 EFI kits back in 2007. Things have been refined and lightened a bit since then. People tired of problems with their Bing carbs say they'd never go back after flying the EFI.
 
LSX Kits

We've been working with a couple of partners on kits for the GM LSX V8 engines for aircraft and recently sold several in addition to 2 others which have been flying for 1 and 2 years respectively. These replace the factory ECUs and drive by wire throttle systems. You should see at least one more FWF vendor offering these engines at Osh this year.



This one is going on an LS7 in Russia, firing the factory coils.
 
Kitplanes

For those interested in learning more about SDS EFI, see the new issue (June 2018) of Kitplanes. This has an article on developing the kit for the O-200 engine we use for system testing. Some of the components were lifted right out of our Lycoming parts bin.
 
SDS at OSH

I will have my RV-14 at Air Venture all week. I am willing to remove the cowling so people can see all the components of an SDSEFI system. I will be in homebuilt camping. PM me for my cell number.

BTW, I am not in anyway associated with SDS other than being a customer, so any information I provide should be verified with Ross and Barry.
 
We really appreciate that Marvin!

BTW, Marvin has done one of the nicest SDS installations we've seen yet so it's worth looking at if you're interested to see how it all fits together. His -14 is super clean too, just fresh off an award at SNF.
 
EFI Electrical System layout

This topic is constantly under discussion which is understandable given its important foundation for EFI system reliability.

A number of people have contacted me by email for advice and guidance on this topic over the last few months due to the confusing number of opinions floating around here on VAF and other forums.

While I don't have the time to critique each proposed layout, especially complex ones, we'd be happy to share some of our recommended layouts as guidance for folks contemplating using SDS EFI, based on our 23 years experience in this market with over 1900 aviation ECUs and complete systems supplied.
 
This topic is constantly under discussion which is understandable given its important foundation for EFI system reliability.

A number of people have contacted me by email for advice and guidance on this topic over the last few months due to the confusing number of opinions floating around here on VAF and other forums.

While I don't have the time to critique each proposed layout, especially complex ones, we'd be happy to share some of our recommended layouts as guidance for folks contemplating using SDS EFI, based on our 23 years experience in this market with over 1900 aviation ECUs and complete systems supplied.

Are these the same schematics that you have on your website Ross?
 
We have some new ones from other users we think have some good ideas behind them and fit with our experience of keeping things simple and understandable. I think a fellow RV10 builder has already shared his design with you and I should have a revised copy of that to share soon.
 
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