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G3X Touch V5.70 with GMC 507 Support

Which screen first?

Does it matter which screen receives the update first? PFD-MFD (Left to right) or MFD-PFD (right to left)??
 
Does it matter which screen receives the update first? PFD-MFD (Left to right) or MFD-PFD (right to left)??

Hello Anthony,

No, it doesn't matter, but personally I like to insert the software update card in the MFD and power up the MFD and update that display first, they power-up the PFD and update it.

When the PFD resets after loading the software to internal memory, I hold down the menu key to bring it up in configuration mode so I can watch all of the various devices being updated on the system information page. Only when all of the software updating by the PFD is complete do I restart the system in normal mode.

Thanks,
Steve
 
Hello Anthony,

No, it doesn't matter, but personally I like to insert the software update card in the MFD and power up the MFD and update that display first, they power-up the PFD and update it.

When the PFD resets after loading the software to internal memory, I hold down the menu key to bring it up in configuration mode so I can watch all of the various devices being updated on the system information page. Only when all of the software updating by the PFD is complete do I restart the system in normal mode.

Thanks,
Steve

I second Steve's method! I like to see the LRU's update so I know when they are finished. Seems to help eliminate surprises later...
 
i have only had luck by updating one at a time, and leaving the adjacent screen powered off completely

otherwise I get high network error rates on at least one module when updating, I have no idea why this is, and my can bus passes all the tests
 
Hello Anthony,

No, it doesn't matter, but personally I like to insert the software update card in the MFD and power up the MFD and update that display first, they power-up the PFD and update it.

When the PFD resets after loading the software to internal memory, I hold down the menu key to bring it up in configuration mode so I can watch all of the various devices being updated on the system information page. Only when all of the software updating by the PFD is complete do I restart the system in normal mode.

Thanks,
Steve


Steve,
This is interesting.
I've always used 2 SD cards and updated the 2 screens at the same time.
Any issue doing it this way?
Thanks.
Johan
 
Steve,
This is interesting.
I've always used 2 SD cards and updated the 2 screens at the same time.
Any issue doing it this way?
Thanks.
Johan

Hello Johan,

No problem using 2 software update cards if that is what you want to do, but since it only takes about 15 secs to do a software update, I sure wouldn't take the time to create/maintain two software update cards.

It is more common for people to use two database update cards to cut down the time for that loading activity, and perhaps that is what you meant.

Thanks,
Steve
 
I just installed v 5.90 in an aircraft that previously had autopilot trouble with v 5.70. Everything seems okay. However, it took well over an hour just for the G5 update. The servo updates were about 15 minutes. The automatic update went in the sequence of GDU 465 (less than 20 seconds) then upon reboot the system updated the autopilot servos. Then came the G5 update. An hour later the servo update executed again. Glad I had a maintainer on the airplane. So be wary of the update if depending on ship's battery alone.

Jim
 
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I just installed v 5.90 in an aircraft that previously had autopilot trouble with v 5.70. Everything seems okay. However, it took well over an hour just for the G5 update. The servo updates were about 15 minutes. The automatic update went in the sequence of GDU 465 (less than 20 seconds) then upon reboot the system updated the autopilot servos. Then came the G5 update. An hour later the servo update executed again. Glad I had a maintainer on the airplane. So be wary of the update if depending on ship's battery alone.

Jim

Interesting. I just upgraded from 5.6 to 5.9 and the whole process took about 5 minutes with the G5 and servos taking the longest. Could be 5.7 had something to do with your long update.
 
Hello Jim and Anthony,

Of course the software update I was referring to taking 15 seconds is the transfer of the new G3X Touch software for all LRUs into each GDU 4XX display from the SD card.

The updating of each device on the can bus (e.g. servos and G5) which has new software for a particular update is an additional update time, but not generally long.

If you are in configuration mode on the PFD and seeing a device taking a long time to update (e.g. G5), remove power from everything in the system but PFD1 and the device you are trying to load. This will remove all other communication from the CAN bus and streamline the software load to the device which is not completing the software update.

It is ok to power up a few devices with PFD1 (e.g. all servos) when they are on the same power circuit, but the main thing is to remove as much as possible to reduce non-essential communications on the CAN bus during a software update. Powering off some devices on the CAN bus is generally not necessary, but can be a good way to resolve software update issues when observed.

Please contact us directly by phone or email if you have additional questions.

Thanks,
Steve
 
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Us too.

We like the way Steve has mentioned. We take everything off line, then boot up the GDU. Load the new software and then bring the other items in the Garmin system on line. It take a minuet or less each time we up-date. We were running 5.7 with no problems and just switched to 5.9 a couple of flights ago. It so far checks out just fine.

I asked Garmin and they tell me that they are planning to bring the gear to up-date GTXer's to Sun and Fun, so we will get that done as well if needed.
Hope this helps. Yours, R.E.A. III # 80888
 
5.9 anomaly report

I flew with 5.9 today on a multiple leg flight with 4 landings and shutdowns. On my first leg, the GMC307 lights would flash one at a time in a pattern (AP, NAV, and FD). The autopilot never unhooked and worked perfect while this was happening. The flights after this it never resurfaced. Anybody else have any reports?
 
5.9 worked, no issues, today. I noticed the airplane icon (my plane) showed up as red in color. Does this indicate anything?
 
qwerty??

I moved from 5.6 to 5.9 and I thought we were supposed to get a qwerty keybord in the update, is there a setting to change the format?
 
5.9 worked, no issues, today. I noticed the airplane icon (my plane) showed up as red in color. Does this indicate anything?

Hello Spirko,

The ownship aircraft icon was changed to magenta (not red) on the charts due to some requests we received to improve the contrast of the ownship icon on those charts, especially in night mode.

The digital map ownship icon remains white.

Thanks,
Steve
 
I'm still having a screen refresh issue with 5.90... when zooming in, say for landing, it's many seconds before the dashed lines from previous flights go from swollen fuzzy blobs to the correct dashed line appearance. With previous releases, the screen would refresh in a couple seconds at most when zooming.

Heinrich
 
It's hard to quantify, but I've also noticed that the system seems generally slower and more laggy than it did before 5.9.
 
I just logged 10 hours over 2 days using 5.9 with no issues with the autopilot. However, I agree that refreshes of map data appear to be slow in certain circumstances - more so on the PFD than the MFD.
 
Hello,

We are going to replay several hours of V5.90 flight test videos and see if we can spot what you guys are talking about. :)

We run a camera up close on the pilot side GDU 460 PFD, and always operate the displays in split screen mode with a map, so perhaps we will see something.

It isn't uncommon for minor task scheduling adjustments to be made on a software release when analysis shows that improvements can be made, and since map drawing is a relatively low priority, it is possible we have impacted it in some small (but observable) way under certain conditions.

Thanks,
Steve
 
I will add my voice to the screen refresh issue. I noticed a slightly longer delay between resolution updates when zooming. It also seems to take a long time for the charts to show up. Its always take a second or two but this weekend I was showing off my G3X Touch to a friend and when I flipped to the regular VFR chart it took about 5 seconds for the chart to render. I don't usually use it but there are times when its nice especially near Class B airspace shelves.
 
I saw a significant new delay in map redraw for some map features with V5.70, enough so that I thought the software had frozen up at first. It did not seem nearly as bad in V5.90 although I don't have much time on the newer version yet.
 
Hello,

We wanted to give you an update that we have been able to identify and correct the issue that was causing the map drawing delays that several have reported in V5.90 software.

We are working on one additional improvement that we would like to get into the software related to the above report of flashing lights on the GMC 305/307 before we release V6.00.

Thank you for your patience,
Steve
 
Any update on the v6.0 software? I'm still having the occasional flashing lights. Also, when I choose NAV it will not engage the magenta line. Sometimes both the NAV and HDG lights will be lit at the same time and I have to toggle back and forth until it will grab the NAV line.
 
Any update on the v6.0 software? I'm still having the occasional flashing lights. Also, when I choose NAV it will not engage the magenta line. Sometimes both the NAV and HDG lights will be lit at the same time and I have to toggle back and forth until it will grab the NAV line.

Hello Anthony,

We expect V6.00 to be released within the next week. We apologize for the delay.

Most of what you describe is normal autopilot behavior. If your active lateral mode is HDG and the plane is not close to and on an intercept path with the course line, when you press the NAV button on the GMC, NAV mode will be armed, but not active.

Simply turn the aircraft with the HDG knob to put the aircraft on an intercept path with the course line, sit back, and watch the autopilot automatically capture the course line (NAV mode moves from armed to active and the HDG light goes out) when the aircraft is close to intercepting the course line.

Thanks,
Steve
 
After the issues with V5.7 (albeit minor), we are all a little less willing to be the guinea pig on a new release - especially a primary one ending in .0. However, I?m less than a week from a 4 week jaunt to Alaska and so I?m doubly shy.

Any PIREPs on this release (absence of problems and/or observations on new features) would really be appreciated.
 
Flew once with 6.0 yesterday and the map redraw is definitely faster, although still not stellar. But, it's been so long since pre-5.70 that I can't remember if it's the same as it was before or not. Haven't tried AP performance, so no comment there. Yet.
 
After the issues with V5.7 (albeit minor), we are all a little less willing to be the guinea pig on a new release - especially a primary one ending in .0. However, I?m less than a week from a 4 week jaunt to Alaska and so I?m doubly shy.

Any PIREPs on this release (absence of problems and/or observations on new features) would really be appreciated.

About 1.5 hrs today with 6.0, most of the flt with the AP driving, multiple approaches using all modes, 0 issues.
 
The AOA/stall warning tone has been intermittent on my system. I see "Improve AOA/stall warning tone output" in the changes to v6.0, is this likely to make tone reliable?
 
what features constitute a major release for version 6.0?

It looks like mostly small improvements, are there any systems or modules that have received a rewrite?
 
what features constitute a major release for version 6.0?

It looks like mostly small improvements, are there any systems or modules that have received a rewrite?

Brian,

We didn't call it a major release. Just the next version past V5.90.

Thanks,
Steve
 
V6.00 flight

I also flew over an hour this morning with the V6.00 software update, multiple AP modes, an approach, and no problems. FYI, I did also have the V5.7 issues, but it is the first time I have run into a G3X Touch SW bug, and I've taken every update since starting with V2.70. For that matter, I am still waiting for the fix to a bug I found in my certified GTN750! G3X SW is pretty darn good, and I don't think we should go around calling ourselves guinea pigs....
 
I flew a little over an hour today with the new update and had no problems. The blinking light issue on my GMC305 is still there though. :-(
 
I flew a little over an hour today with the new update and had no problems. The blinking light issue on my GMC305 is still there though. :-(

Hello Darin,

In our last correspondence with you on this issue you indicated that the system was showing that there was no RS-232 connection between the GMC 305 and the roll servo.

Has that been fixed?

Thanks,
Steve
 
Hello Darin,

In our last correspondence with you on this issue you indicated that the system was showing that there was no RS-232 connection between the GMC 305 and the roll servo.

Has that been fixed?

Thanks,
Steve

Hi Steve, I haven't ad any issues with the rs232 since you helped me. My gmc305 lights still occasionally blink out and come back on. Nothing like the light show I had when there was a serial issue.
 
Hi Steve, I haven't ad any issues with the rs232 since you helped me. My gmc305 lights still occasionally blink out and come back on. Nothing like the light show I had when there was a serial issue.

Hello Darin,

Ok, thanks. If you could reach back out to us at [email protected] we have some more troubleshooting we would like to do starting with collecting a video of this behavior.

Thanks,
Steve
 
Airspace warning alerts

After installing the last database updates/software on mr g3x I am getting very annoying repetitive warning messages when approaching c or d airspace. It?s not only my g3x, mine is a touch but my friend has the earlier knob controlled version and he is getting the same issue.

The warning keeps repeating over and over for three to five minutes, with no way to stop it,

Was something changed in either the database info or perhaps the software upgrade?

Help, it?s very annoying when it happens.

Steve
 
After installing the last database updates/software on mr g3x I am getting very annoying repetitive warning messages when approaching c or d airspace. It?s not only my g3x, mine is a touch but my friend has the earlier knob controlled version and he is getting the same issue.

The warning keeps repeating over and over for three to five minutes, with no way to stop it,

Was something changed in either the database info or perhaps the software upgrade?

Help, it?s very annoying when it happens.

Steve

Hello Steve,

I never use airspace alerting, but I turned it on and did some testing this morning with V6.00 and the 1807 navigation database. Everything worked normally.

It is best to contact us directly so we can ask you details about your system, your observations, your settings, where you were flying, and at what altitude/direction you were flying when this occurred so that we might reproduce the problem.

Thanks,
Steve
 
After installing the last database updates/software on mr g3x I am getting very annoying repetitive warning messages when approaching c or d airspace. It?s not only my g3x, mine is a touch but my friend has the earlier knob controlled version and he is getting the same issue.

The warning keeps repeating over and over for three to five minutes, with no way to stop it,

Was something changed in either the database info or perhaps the software upgrade?

Help, it?s very annoying when it happens.

Steve

i've had this same issue prior to v6.0 which I have not installed yet, the problem is that the database may have several definitions for the airspace ahead, the atlanta bravo always triggers at least 10-15 warnings for me when I am on the arrival, it's quite cumbersome and muting it doesn't make it go away really
 
KMHT Alerts

I get multiple alerts at KMHT class C, but it does not alert multiple time from all directions of entry. The alerts are normal from some directions. This would tend to confirm the similar description of the problem outlined in the prior note. Perhaps this is a database issue confined to only a few locations and a few databases?

Steve in NH
 
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