Vertical Power sent out this teaser via email:
Quote:
New Product Announcement at OSH
We'll be announcing a new product in a few weeks that is complementary to the VP-X and the VP-400. But the announcement will be a bit different than our other new product announcements. We'll be announcing it early in the product development cycle to that you can see how we "build" a new product.
There's a few reasons for doing this:
1. Share with fellow airplane builders how avionics that go in homebuilt aircraft are built.
2. Get feedback and ideas.
This will be posted in the electrical systems section of VAF forums and Vertical Power forums. Keep an eye out there in a few weeks.
PS -
If you're thinking of buying a VP-X or VP-400 between now and AirVenture - rest assured those products won't change or be outdated by the new product announcement.
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I'll speculate as to what it could be and hope it is.
VP offers two products that simplify aircraft wiring: the VP-X and the VP-400 (and their variants).
The VP-X does a lot of basic work. Given it has:
* ECB and display on separate EFIS
* Wig-wag automatic operation and warmup for HID lights
* Flap and trim motor control (runaway control, variable speed and cutoff on airspeed, etc)
* More convenient wiring in that no separate wiring to circuit breakers; and wiring to panel switches is low-current, high-gage wires. This latter provides opportunities, see below
It is good value for money.
VP used to sell the VP-200 model until about a year ago, which did what the VP-X does plus a lot more: the VP-200 could replace many hardwired panel switches with its Soft Keys (programmable keys in a special display unit), and reduce pilot workload with its Flight Modes. Neither the VP-X nor the VP-400 offer those, one reason I purchased a refurbished VP-200 last year.
However, it's not necessary to introduce a completely new product to bring back the lost functionality of the VP-200. This is where the wiring of the -X and -400 comes into play. The usual panel switches are controlled by low-power wiring to the VP-X/400 box, which provides circuit breaker etc. capability, and then connects to the aircraft device wiring (lights, flaps, etc). Those low-power physical switches could be replaced by a small, auxilliary hardware device with a small LCD screen and 4 to 6 virtual switches. The LCD screen would provide labels to the virtual switches. If the LCD screen were a touchscreen it would also serve as the virtual switches, otherwise, physical switches in a single unit, similar to the -200, would be necessary.
This auxiliary unit could also have intelligence, enough to detect different flight regimes and operate the various circuits in a user-programmed pattern (again, like the -200).
The nice thing about offering an auxilliary unit is that it could be wired into existing VP-X configurations. The auxiliary unit would be mounted so its screen is in the panel, and additional wires run from the existing physical switches to the new unit. As an auxilliary or additional unit it would not replace installed VP-X/400 units, but simply be a nice supplement to them to provide the missing VP-200 capability.
For new installations, this auxiliary unit would replace most panel switches, like the old -200.
Vertical Power announcement
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