It's a plus....
gmcjetpilot said:
.....
I have no proof, but my big concern is UPGRADE. Its all going into the central integration box. To add, subtract or modify, basically might mean a whole new box or architecture, verses changing what you need. On the other hand it might make it easier to change things out? However if you panel is a done deal, set for good, than it does not matter.
.......
George... I think this (future upgrades) is a plus for the system, rather than a negative.
Most avionics interconnects are sort of standard in what the wires do... it's the connectors, pin numbers and harnesses that are different. Take a nav/comm or a transponder, every model has similar functions and connections, with most avionics wires that leave the stack being audio type functions.
If the Approach Hub is a sort of universal back plane, their individual short cables connect the differring transponders into a universal "transponder plug" on their backplane. This occurs for each type of equipment, so changing a King KT-76A to a Garmin GTX-330 is a cable change only, to the transponder, and to wherever the altitude info. is coming from.
Where this may breakdown is with the more complex, and differing, Integrated EFIS/EMS/display type of avionics. However, if these new items are going to more RS-232 communications, this should be easy...
Jim Weir (RST) suggested a similar poor mans approach a while back, which he called "Karmic Avionics Standards". Approach Systems seemed to have taken a similar integrated standards approach, with a physical universal hard backplane.
See his articles here...
http://www.rst-engr.com/rst/articles/
Having worked under (behind) a few certified avionics stacks, I can see the Approach Hub system being much cheaper for future upgrades due to reduced labor costs - but if you do the work yourself, this cost doesn't count...
gil in Tucson