2 questions on G5 to G400W interface

I bought a plane with a G400W WAAS (a gps-only 430 without the com).
And a G5 connected serially to the G400, no CANBUS or ARINC connection between them. Both units are recently purchased and installed by an avionics shop (prior owner) and I just updated the G5 software to the latest 7.10 from 6.8.

The G5 is showing a serial data error. I have (and READ!) both manuals. Checking the setup, the data formats selected at each end did not match. The manuals say to make them both preferably MAPMX. OK, doing that.

Q1. Selecting MAPMX on the G5 puts the G5 IN baud rate at an unchangeable 38400. There does not seem to be a baud rate selector on the G400 when selecting MAPMX as its rs232 OUT. Actually there seems to be no baud rate selector for any rs232 out on the G400w. The manuals do not seem to cover this issue - should this work? Will it just magically match?

Q2. The G5 has a setting for VNAV indicator deviation range, of either +- 500 ft or +- 1000 feet when using the serial data in. (ERROR! That setting is NOT for “serial data in”, it is for NAV data in which has to com into the CAN BUS, via an ARINC-to-CAN BUS adapter. My mistake!) It also says to MATCH that range to the output range of the device feeding it. Which is the G400W. I can’t find in the G400 setup or manual what the setting of this range is. (Never mind!)

Thanks!
Bill H

Going by memory here, so I can easily be wrong….
Pretty sure the G400W has a baud rate selector for the RS232 ports, somewhere in the secret, hidden set up menu.
The 400W outputs vertical steering commands thru ARINC, only.

Bill_H said:

I bought a plane with a G400W WAAS (a gps-only 430 without the com).
And a G5 connected serially to the G400, no CANBUS or ARINC connection between them. Both units are recently purchased and installed by an avionics shop (prior owner) and I just updated the G5 software to the latest 7.10 from 6.8.

The G5 is showing a serial data error. I have (and READ!) both manuals. Checking the setup, the data formats selected at each end did not match. The manuals say to make them both preferably MAPMX. OK, doing that.

Q1. Selecting MAPMX on the G5 puts the G5 IN baud rate at an unchangeable 38400. There does not seem to be a baud rate selector on the G400 when selecting MAPMX as its rs232 OUT. Actually there seems to be no baud rate selector for any rs232 out on the G400w. The manuals do not seem to cover this issue - should this work? Will it just magically match?

Q2. The G5 has a setting for VNAV indicator deviation range, of either +- 500 ft or +- 1000 feet when using the serial data in. It also says to MATCH that range to the output range of the device feeding it. Which is the G400W. I can’t find in the G400 setup or manual what the setting of this range is.

Thanks!
Bill H

Click to expand...

Bill,

On both the G5 and the GPS 400W, when you select MapMX as the RS-232 format, you automatically lock in the 38,400 baud rate needed for that interface. There is no separate selection of that baud rate on either unit since this single baud rate is always used for MapMX.

You mention above that you have a data error on the G5, but didn't have MapMX selected on both devices. If the wiring is good, this error should clear when you properly configure both interfaces for MapMX.

While the GPS 400W provides vertical guidance for VNAV+V and LPV approaches to the G5 when you have a GAD 29 ARINC 429 interface installed, it does not provide enroute/terminal VNAV like a GTN does over either RS-232 or ARINC 429.

You will only have VFR lateral guidance provided to the G5 when using just an RS-232 interface to the GPS 400W.

Steve

Great info

Thanks y'all, this helps. The G400W is connected to a Skyview HDX via the Skyview ARINC adapter so vertical guidance does show there, but we thought that it should also show on the G5. Oh well!

So the Skyview ARINC adapter has 2 ARINC channels in and one out. Could that be hooked up to the G5 without buying a GAD29 for almost $500?

https://www.dynonavionics.com/arinc-429-module.php

Bill_H said:

Thanks y'all, this helps. The G400W is connected to a Skyview HDX via the Skyview ARINC adapter so vertical guidance does show there, but we thought that it should also show on the G5. Oh well!

So the Skyview ARINC adapter has 2 ARINC channels in and one out. Could that be hooked up to the G5 without buying a GAD29 for almost $500?

https://www.dynonavionics.com/arinc-429-module.php

Click to expand...

Bill,

Any ARINC 429 output channel is capable of driving multiple ARINC 429 inputs, so if you had a GAD 29 ARINC 429 to CAN bus converter for the G5, the GPS 400W could drive both the GAD 29 and the Dynon ARINC adapter at the same time.

If you want to provide the glidepath guidance provided by the GPS 400W to the G5, you would need to add the GAD 29 ARINC 429 to CAN bus converter since the G5 receives this data over the CAN bus.

Steve