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Garmin GTN 6XX/7XX Software v6.41 and Service Bulletin 1723

g3xpert

Well Known Member
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Good news! GTN 6XX/7XX software version 6.41 is released and for EAB customers with non-certified aircraft. You can download the software and the associated service bulletin with detailed instructions for how to load. Please see the service bulletin for complete details and make sure you are familiar and comfortable with the software update process outlined there before attempting it on your own aircraft. If not, the option of seeking assistance from a dealer is still available. Link to the software and service bulletin downloads:

Service Bulletin 1723 - GTN 6XX/7XX Software Loader Image 006-B1367-36

I've summarized a few more applicable changes in the bullet list below. Additionally, I wanted to include links to the nice postings Steve did on the new functionality when tied to G3X Touch. One of the most notable being the ability to load a visual approach to most runways!

GTN Visual Approach Guidance on G3X Touch

GTN 6XX/7XX Main Software Version 6.41 contains:

  • Added support for visual approaches which include advisory vertical and horizontal guidance to most runways.
  • Added support for forwarding GTX attitude through the Flight Stream 510 to portable devices.
  • Added support for advisory vertical guidance on LNAV approaches in regions without SBAS coverage.
  • Removed pop-up that impeded the creation of user waypoints defined by two radials.
  • Fixed RS-232 Aviation Outputs is sue that would incorrectly send distance to destination.
  • Changed datalink weather timestamps so that they will now collapse when all weather is current to declutter the display.
  • Added support for logging connections to the Flight Stream products connected to the GTN. The log can be sent to Garmin for analysis, when needed.
  • Added support for setting transponder emergency squawk code when COM volume knob is pressed and held to activate the emergency COM frequency.

GTN Main Software Version 6.41 and Flight Stream 510 Software Version 2.32:
  • Fixed issue related to FIS-B weather data (Service Advisory 1684) from a GTX 345
  • Added an attitude output from a GTX 345 when connected to a GTN
Regards,
Brian
 
Link takes me to old G3X update page?

I must be doing something wrong because I never get to a GTN update page when I click on the link, It takes me to the GTN service bulletin but not the software download page?

Is there another way to get to it?
 
Two Links

There are two links listed for the GTNXXX the first is for the SB, the second is for the loader. You will need to activate the two links to get what you want.
Once you activate the second link you will download an xxx.exe file. Double click the exe file and it will install the update to the (required) SD card. Then you can proceed to install the update to the device in accordance with the SB you downloaded with the first link.

Hope that helps you get through the less than intuitive process.
 
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Ahh, got it.

I didn't see the link at the bottom, I thought it was for the Service Bulletin also.

Got the update now,Thanks
 
Installed last evening, worked like a charm, no glitches.

Brian,

Good to hear!

Here is a tip on using GTN Visual Approaches. The Visual Approach button shows up on the lower left of the map page when a Visual Approach is available for use at the destination airport.

By default, this button becomes visible at 10 nm from the destination airport. I found myself wanting to see if a visual approach is available to use sooner than 10 nm out, so I went into the Map Setup page, selected "Visual APPR Selector" and changed the setup to show this button at 15 nm from the airport which seems about right. You can also choose 25 nm if you like.

Thanks,
Steve
 
Great work Garmin

do the visual glide slopes provide terrain/obstacle avoidance? I think it's important to clarify that and reiterate to people who may be making assumptions
 
Great work Garmin

do the visual glide slopes provide terrain/obstacle avoidance? I think it's important to clarify that and reiterate to people who may be making assumptions

Hello Brian,

Good question. The primary purpose of this approach is to provide advisory horizontal and optional vertical guidance for the selected runway to aid in flying a stabilized approach and ensuring that the aircraft is in line with the chosen destination runway.

It is a visual approach and terrain/obstacle clearance remains the responsibility of the pilot, but when vertical guidance is provided, the algorithms are providing some assistance in verifying clearance is sufficient.

Having said that, when you activate a visual approach, the pop-up has a reminder that "Guidance is advisory and may not provide adequate clearance from terrain or obstacles.".

Section 6.13 of the updated GTN Pilot Guide provides additional information regarding terrain/obstacle clearance on the visual approach.

Thanks,
Steve
 
Scary, but worked well

I did my update, this morning, on the 650. I am always nervous when I do these, because I know I can really screw up my unit. I take a phone picture of each page of my configuration screens, so that I can go back, if necessary. Anyway, I downloaded the SB, read it, then downloaded the software to my SD card.

Everything worked as it should. And I reviewed each screen to confirm that only the correct changes were made.

Ron
 
Hello Brian,

Good question. The primary purpose of this approach is to provide advisory horizontal and optional vertical guidance for the selected runway to aid in flying a stabilized approach and ensuring that the aircraft is in line with the chosen destination runway.

It is a visual approach and terrain/obstacle clearance remains the responsibility of the pilot, but when vertical guidance is provided, the algorithms are providing some assistance in verifying clearance is sufficient.

Having said that, when you activate a visual approach, the pop-up has a reminder that "Guidance is advisory and may not provide adequate clearance from terrain or obstacles.".

Section 6.13 of the updated GTN Pilot Guide provides additional information regarding terrain/obstacle clearance on the visual approach.

Thanks,
Steve

Perfect, thanks Steve! I just wanted to make sure that was reiterated to pilots, a warning each time makes sense
 
I downloaded the update and installed it on a 32gb class 10 chip and tried to install it on my GTN-650 today. It took a while for the Update button to become enabled after booting the unit up, and when I touched the Update button, there was no choice for the main board software. The com, nav and waas buttons were there, but no main board choice. So, I shut everything down and tried again...same result. I am on v6.21.

Any idea what's going wrong?
 
I downloaded the update and installed it on a 32gb class 10 chip and tried to install it on my GTN-650 today. It took a while for the Update button to become enabled after booting the unit up, and when I touched the Update button, there was no choice for the main board software. The com, nav and waas buttons were there, but no main board choice. So, I shut everything down and tried again...same result. I am on v6.21.

Any idea what's going wrong?

Mark, I'd recommend you work directly with our experimental product support if you are having issues with the load. Contact information below.

Regards,
Brian
 
I installed and works ok but i can not see the flight plan in the G3x legacy map. is appear about 3 seconds and then disappear. First issue, first flight.
 
Mark, I'd recommend you work directly with our experimental product support if you are having issues with the load. Contact information below.

Regards,
Brian
I installed the software on a run of the mill 8gb chip and it worked perfectly. Go figure...
 
I installed the software on a run of the mill 8gb chip and it worked perfectly. Go figure...

Hello Mark,

Glad to hear you were able to complete the GTN software installation.

Did you verify that the 32G SD card was formatted with a FAT32 format? It is more common to find the larger cards using something other than FAT32 and the GTN requires FAT32 formatting as specified in the service bulletin.

We use full size 8 Gbyte SanDisk SD cards for all of our GTN software and database updates and never have any troubles.

Never attempt to use a micro SD card in a carrier.

Thanks,
Steve
 
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I tried installing on a newly formatted 16gb card and it said there was not enough space and I needed over 60gb. What's up with that?

Update: Put on reading glasses and the card is 16m not 16g. I don't even know why I have this thing...
 
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I updated 3 airplanes today using a 4GB sd card, no problems. It's really nice to finally have the Flight Stream 510 working properly (also reqiures FS510 firmware update).
 
Hello Mark,

Glad to hear you were able to complete the GTN software installation.

Did you verify that the 32G SD card was formatted with a FAT32 format? It is more common to find the larger cards using something other than FAT32 and the GTN requires FAT32 formatting as specified in the service bulletin.

Thanks,
Steve
I'll check that when I get home on Tuesday. I'll bet that was the problem.
 
Same problem Here

Mark I had the same exact problem. I used a 32GB card which I used successfully for the last update and have confirmed it is running FAT32. Same thing where it took a while to even let me select update. I did the nav successfully but then the WAAS one failed three times before I gave up.

Mark were you using a SanDisk card? What was the brand of the card you were successful with? Thanks,

Nick
 
Downloaded the update to a FAT32 formatted card but the GTN did not like it. I then put the same download on my spare Garmin card and everything updated perfectly.

Just went and did an LNAV+V and I am impressed. We do not have WASS/SBAS in Australia so I have never had vertical guidance on a GPS approach before. Trio Propilot flew the lateral and vertical approach perfectly.

Fin
9A
 
Links don?t work.

The download links from the Garmin page say they do not exist. Anybody else have this problem? Tried I.E., Chrome, and Safari.
 
The download links from the Garmin page say they do not exist. Anybody else have this problem? Tried I.E., Chrome, and Safari.

I noticed you mention Safari. Loader card note from the service bulletin:

The application requires Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 10. Mac computers are not supported.

I did verify that the downloads are working with my windows PC.
 
Ya, I saw that note. I only tried Safari to see if the links were working. Have both Windows PC and a Mac (for just this reason).

All appears to be good now...must have just caught the website at a bad time. Thanks for the response.
 
Success

All went well today when upgrading from 6.21 to 6.41 but it was disappointing to have to clear the configurations and then re-enter everything. Did I mis-read that or was that appropriate and necessary? Doesn’t matter to me at this point, but might help someone else.
 
I did not clear my configurations

and all went well ---- I did take a picture of each config page, just to be sure I could reinstall.

Ron
 
Will MAC support be added soon?

I noticed you mention Safari. Loader card note from the service bulletin:

The application requires Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 10. Mac computers are not supported.

I did verify that the downloads are working with my windows PC.

I only have a MAC.
 
I'm just finishing the hardware installation, and I did the update to the GTN. Being kind of a cheapskate (after spending many Gs on the system) and since I won't be ready to fly until sometime late 2018, any way we could get a comp expired nav database for the new format of the update?
I'm looking for some good feedback on the system that everything is wired exactly right before closing the top skin, and the lack of any nav info in the GTN seems to cause a lot of "normal" issues not related to the wiring.
 
Issues with GTX 330ES transponder

I did the update over the weekend and it looks like I have lost connectivity to my GTX 330ES transponder. The GTX is running software version 8.02 and cannot be controlled by the GTN 650 anymore. I have sent Garmin an email, but thought the information might be useful to others while we work out what the problem is. I'll report back once resolved.
 
I installed and works ok but i can not see the flight plan in the G3x legacy map. is appear about 3 seconds and then disappear. First issue, first flight.

I have the same problem with G3X Touch. The HSI works fine but no flight plan on the maps. Is there any solution yet?


Art Penner
 
I have the same problem with G3X Touch. The HSI works fine but no flight plan on the maps. Is there any solution yet?

Hmm.. I noticed on my first flight after the upgrade that I didn't get the 3D boxes to fly through after entering a waypoint. I wonder if this is part of the same issue?
 
I have the same problem with G3X Touch. The HSI works fine but no flight plan on the maps. Is there any solution yet?


Art Penner

Hello Art,

Are you using G3X Touch V5.60 software? If so, you should have no problem seeing the flight plan/approaches/etc transferred from a GTN using V6.41 software.

There is a known incompatibility with G3X GDU 37X V11.40 and older software that prevents the GTN provided data from being shown on the map and we have a notice on the GTN V6.41 download page of this incompatibility.

This incompatibility has been addressed and we are close to releasing new G3X V11.50 software. We are sorry for the inconvenience to G3X customers seeing this issue.

Thanks,
Steve
 
Good morning,

G3X V11.50 for GDU 37X displays is now available which should provide compatibility with the new GTN V6.41 software.

Thanks,
Steve
 
Yes

EAB customers with non-certified aircraft can update the GTN 6XX/7XX without having to take it to a dealer. Obviously, you can upgrade the G3X and the G5 (for experimental).
 
Did this updated yesterday .. Visual Approach is awesome.

No issues with the update, GTN625 and used VMWare Fusion on my Mac to build the SD card which was a 16GB SDHC from PNY.
 
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