loopfuzz

loopfuzz

Well Known Member
Here's a little project I created on for the back seat of my RV-4, though it could also be useful for just a backup screen in a side by side. It takes the serial output data from a dynon efis and displays it on a small lcd screen. I wrote all the source C. And I bought a already assembled board designed for making embedded applications like this.

Now my GF can be my autopilot on our flight to Oshkosh next week! :)

It could easily be written to also pull engine data from the dynon engine monitor but I don't have one of those to test with. And I might make it support some of the other efis units that output serial data, but I don't have a list of all of them that do. I think the MGL that I'm putting in my 6 may have a option for this.

The board cost about $40, the case cost about $6, and I can't really put a price on the source code. I may release it as open source if people are interested. But I'll have to clean it up a bit, I wouldn't want people to think I write sloppy code. :) I did do a couple small modifications to the board, like soldered on a screw terminal for the power input and hooked up the backlight power for the lcd.

I made a little youtube video about it:
Here is a link to a video demo of it on youtube

Here is a updated picture from the back seat of my rv-4

efis_buddy4.jpg



Christopher.
 
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Hi Chris,
That was a great project, your video and code was also very good.
Have you looked at this http://www.iflyez.com/EFISRecorder.shtml
I used an old laptop to start with, I think a better option would be an EEEpc , they are only a few hundred now days.

P.S , That engine mount I got from you is going to be painted RED, the same as my Engine.
 
You guys could become pretty popular

Jamie & Chris:

After reading both of your creative posts it occurs to me that you guys could solve a problem several folks are having with their gps hooked to dynon units. My Lowrance gps seems to work ok, but on cross country flights the autopilot loses the gps data and goes off line. Dynon claims it's the gps but another post claims that the problem also occurs with other gps so the prob is not just with Lowrance.

If I could capture the data that comes out of the Lowrance gps and simultaneously save it on my pc while it also travels into the dynon, perhaps we could determine if the data is bad due to a lost gps signal or is the dynon messing up.

I used to write C++ but it's been almost 20 years. Yes, my laptop is plenty fast. Is there any way to collaborate on such a project or at least get us started?

Thank you in advance.
 
loopfuzz said:
I may release it as open source if people are interested. But I'll have to clean it up a bit, I wouldn't want people to think I write sloppy code. :)
Click to expand...

Don't worry, we all do sloppy code when were "coding on the corner of the table". Ever heard of a guy that documented all his code with nice declaration and such when he was doing a small application for himself. I haven't ;)

This is a very interesting project. I'm looking forward to where it will go!
 
Jamie Aust said:
Hi Chris,
That was a great project, your video and code was also very good.
Have you looked at this http://www.iflyez.com/EFISRecorder.shtml
I used an old laptop to start with, I think a better option would be an EEEpc , they are only a few hundred now days.

P.S , That engine mount I got from you is going to be painted RED, the same as my Engine.
Click to expand...

Jamie, Yah I did see the efis recorder project, I just didn't like the idea of having a full computer in the backseat and waiting for boot up times. His project is great for logging all that data though. Which is why I think he created it. Boot up time for my monitor is like 5 secs. :) much smaller and less power consumption.

I'm glad you like the mount and that its going to good use!
 
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MrNomad said:
If I could capture the data that comes out of the Lowrance gps and simultaneously save it on my pc while it also travels into the dynon, perhaps we could determine if the data is bad due to a lost gps signal or is the dynon messing up.
Click to expand...

Yah if you end up recording this data, I would be interested in looking at it. I made a dynon serial splitter cable so I can feed the gps data in from a gps while I can also pull the serial data out of the dynon for showing on this new device.

I havn't flown to much with the dynon hooked to the gps yet so I don't know of any issues. But like I said we'll be flying to oshkosh soon so that should be a good test.

I'm using the bendix/king av8or gps. Which gps are you using?

Christopher.
 
Losing comm with the gps

loopfuzz said:
I'm using the bendix/king av8or gps. Which gps are you using?

Christopher.
Click to expand...

Hi Chris. I am using the Lowrance 2000c gps. It hooks to my D180 via a serial connection. I tried various baud rates but the problem continues. I'd be willing to fly my next cross country with the laptop running, secured to the floor, using a converter and the cigarette lighter in my panel, collecting data as I travel. The gps and the Dynon lose comm at least twice on every 3 hour trip so it's almost a certainty it will happen again. I can build the redq cable but could use some help with the C++ code.

My intent goes towards solution of the problem and helping Dynon solve it. Everyone is feeling the pain of the economy so I'm inclined to work together with friends and fellow pilots and try to solve the problem.

If you want to help, that would be great. Lemme know what the next step is.

Barry
Tucson
 
Hi All,

I will keep this short as I dont want to get off topic, maybe start a new thread ?
Anyway 3 things to look at.
1) If a gps looses a fix ( even for a few seconds) it will stop the output of NMEA data, it would restart, but the A/P may disconnect by then.
2) My old Garmin gps has a log feature build in so I can replay into my Pc when I get home. ( default log mode may need to be turn on )
3) Here is a GPRMC string.
$GPRMC,123519,A,4807.038,N,01131.000,E,022.4,084.4,071281,003.1,W*43
The most importent thing in the above string is the "A"
"A" = valid data, but "V" is in-valid data ( eg a loss of fix, even if only for a few seconds)

Back to topic.....LoL... yes I understand boot up time is a pain in the a$$, you have made a very project, that must have been fun, its a great feeling when you see it working just the way you want it.

P.S google DIY Gps Logger, if that help.
 
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Jamie Aust said:
P.S , That engine mount I got from you is going to be painted RED, the same as my Engine.
Click to expand...

Jamie, be aware that dark colors tend to "hide" cracks on welded tube structures. Most people now use white or a very light color on engine mounts so that cracks are more easily detected.
 
some more pictures

Some more pictures of the simple case I used for it. I think I want to make a case out of Aluminium. It would look better :)
efis_buddy5.jpg

efis_buddy6.jpg


Christopher.
 
a better looking panel face plate

Jamie Aust said:
If you want a pro-look , then try these,

lcd.jpg


http://www.crystalfontz.com/product/XES635BK-YYE-KU
Click to expand...

Yah those are nice looking. I've seen them before. I guess the reason why I didn't go with that before was that I still need a micro processor and these boards don't have one. or if they do have one they don't advertise it. Those board also cost a bit more. Looks like around $80 to $100.

The translucent silicon keypad looks awesome on those. I wonder how hard it would be to find a place to make those.

Another option I've seen is somebody like this. http://www.frontpanelexpert.com/. Where you can create a panel and upload the design to them. Then they send you the created panel. I'm thinking they might be spendy though.

Christopher.
 
Radio / Tv tech, I dont do that so much these days as most people just go out and buy a new item if it stops working. I have done a bit of basic stuff with pic micros, nothing flash. I found that I could get an idea for something, but after I built it, I would find something of the shelf that does the same thing and cost about the same price. My job now is still in electronics.
 
Very nice

Christopher,

Cool project and nice implementation... Thanks for sharing. Which processor/development board and language did you use? Have enough room for a 1.5" oled attitude indicator on one side of your project box? :)

Stan
 
designerX said:
Which processor/development board and language did you use? Have enough room for a 1.5" oled attitude indicator on one side of your project box? :)
Stan
Click to expand...

This board uses a 40mhz pic processor and the board it self is made by a company called olimex. I use a C compiler by a company called Hi-tech. They have a free version that works great.

My project box probably has enough room on the side for something like that. What did you have in mind?

Christopher.
 
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OLED

I didn't have anything specific in mind... just like what you have and thought something like the following may jazz up your display and allow a more familiar UI representation.

http://www.4dsystems.com.au/prod.php?id=28

It appears to have a built-in graphics processor w/commands for drawing and has micro-SD support for icons/images.

Stan
 
What about this, would your code adapt easily?

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=45541


Originally Posted by RV8RIVETER said:
Just a long shot, but what the heck. If this thing is easily programmable/adaptable would it be possible to use it as an extra display for say a GRT for the back seat of an -8?
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Rainier Lamers said:
Well, this one is different to our other EFIS units in that you can't change the screens and there is not a lot you can setup. We did this on purpose to make it easier for the average aircraft factory to install (aircraft factories are mostly staffed by people who don't want to have to do anything - they need "plug and play").

But it is also different in other ways - it can easily run multiple applications loaded from SD card (once a new application is loaded it stays in the unit until changed again).
This unit is written in "C" (unlike our other EFIS systems) so it makes it quite possible for other programmers to use the hardware to do whatever they want. We are thinking of making that easy by providing a basic application (Like the famous "Hello World") so all the hardware interface layer, display driving and stuff like that is taken care of and the third party programmer can then concentrate on what he wants the unit to do. In part this is due to non-aviation related applications but what the heck - I wanted to have something resembling open source for a long time so this one may just be the ticket. (our big EFIS systems just are not suitable for this).
The "Hello World" will probably be done in GNU C (ARM) so the development environment is free and easy to get.

To answer your question - yes, absolutely. You would just need the XTreme hardware, no AHRS or anything else (so that is really cheap) - and then write a program to take in whatever data you can get your hands on from another EFIS and display that. Who knows where that could go...

Rainier
CEO MGL Avionics
Click to expand...
 
RV8RIVETER said:
What about this, would your code adapt easily?

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=45541
Click to expand...

Yah, Im interested in seeing this by MGL. And I very much like the idea of being able to write my own apps to put on it. I'm curious the price though.

Not much of my code for this would be useful for 2 reasons. 1) You want it to interface to a GRT which probably spits out a different format then the dynon. and 2) This new efis unit by Rainier will have a completely different graphics layout.

I am playing around with some other bigger color screen solutions that would cost around $150 in hardware. Won't be able to work on it for a couple weeks though. Flying to OSH soon! See you guys there?

Christopher.
 
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