How about some sort of press release - highlights, future time-frames for software and features. A bunch of questions have been posed - mostly relevant to the new SB and upcoming software release to remediate the AD.....
Those of us that couldn't go are anxious to hear some positive information!
I don't have the authority to give an official press release. Come to think of it, I simply don't have any authority at all. I'm nothing. Just a spouse of an employee. For the most part, I am a concerned customer, just like every other participant here. I don't have a playbill, and I certainly don't have the script. The only unique thing I have over anybody else, is a seat with a slightly better view of the stage. And in some aspects, even that is debatable.
So if you're offering me a 'penny for my thoughts' I am happy to oblige, and that penny is about all they're worth. Here is what I think I know...
For existing EXP installations:
There will be a software available (6.0) soon. That software will bring the SIL down to 1. The 1 means you are still a client of the network and receiving all traffic services, but you are not 2020-compliant. Apparently the FAA is okay with this. Disclaimer: I don't know if that means they will accept it as an AMOC for the AD which says to move to a SIL of 0, or if they are simply okay with it in the interim to the compliance date.
There will be a software available (7.0) later. That software will work in combination with the add-on certified GPS to bring the SIL back up to 3 and make everything kosher for 2020. When is later? I can't tell. But I can guess that it will be after the certification is in hand for the add-on GPS and before the compliance date for the AD comes to pass.
If it was my cat, I would do nothing until either software 7.0 is available or until the AD compliance date draws near.
For new EXP installations:
The Gen 2.0 EXP unit will have the same form-factor as the certified unit, but (naturally) a lower price.
For new ADS600-B installations:
FAA approval (such that expectations can exist) is expected in August. Once certification is in hand, the production line will spool up. For the sake of simplicity, the company line here at Oshkosh is, "Certification in August, product shipping in September." Of course, there is a backlog and of course initial production is bound to have some unforeseen snag. So my crystal ball says that the company will transition from initial production into full-steam volume production in the month of October. Purely my guess, not a commitment to anybody on the part of NavWorx.
One the production line is humming, the company can flex it left, right, or center to emphasize new production or EXP upgrades or certified unit upgrades. Which brings me to...
For existing ADS600-B installations there are several paths forward:
1) There will be a global AMOC (or three?) that allow the unit to be slaved to an external certified GPS. From what I've read (mostly here) all of the major brands and models will have coverage. With an external certified GPS and the AMOC, the system can continue to broadcast a SIL of 3.
2a) There will be an upgrade program to install the newly certified GPS into an existing unit. It won't be free, but it isn't very expensive either. It is below the company's cost, so we bleed a little and they bleed a little. Reminds me of an expression: the goal of democracy is not to make anybody happy. The goal of democracy is to try to ensure an even and equal level of unhappiness across the population.
2b) For those who want to avail themselves of some of the new and novel features of the Gen 2.0 box there will be a more extensive upgrade program. The cost will be slightly higher than option 2a, but not dramatically so.
New and novel Gen 2.0 features:
Internal TransMON function
Internal WiFi
USB Maintenance Console connection (no more serial port adapters, yay!)
Simplified configuration process
All of the new certified units will have software 5.0. This software will auto-detect much of the aircraft configuration that was done manually until now. The unit will self-detect if it is connected to an external certified GPS, or if it needs to use the internal GPS. The unit will self-detect if it is connected to digital data for the squawk code and barometric altitude, or if it needs to use the internal TransMON. For the digital interfaces, it will auto-detect baud rates.
Software 5.0 will include anonymous mode when squawking 1200.
All units will come with the hardware to receive 1090MHz, but the software to process the 1090 piecemeal data is still in the future. Just too much to tackle in this software release. (I am just as bummed as you are.) The good news is that once the dust settles on this chapter in the company's history, I think the biggest remaining customer noise will be for the dual-band functionality. So that's why I still think I will have it in my airplane some day.