Back in late April I returned to flight testing with earnest... 20hrs in a couple weeks...pretty respectable for my schedule. All the handling, stalls, g-loading test cards completed...typical Rv-10. New fuel flow hardware tested and junked-- Incompatible with G3x. 
but that's another story.
During these tests, I started getting AHARS 1 and ADC 1 FAIL msgs. on startup Curious, but nothing a restart didn't fix. After the second occurrence, Garmin sent me a replacement GSU73--AHARS/ADC worked but not EMS. Put the original back in-good to go on first boot.
After a couple more of these msgs, they sent me a second GSU73. Same thing- good AHARS/ADC but bad EMS display and different from the first. So back to the original unit which booted correctly the first time--
On 6/10, everything quit--AHARS 3/ ADC3 Fail msgs, No EMS display. Data file showed " system unsable" Wait a minute, I don't have an AHARS 3. Called Garmin and they sent a new config module and installed one of the two spare GSU73 I still had not sent back. AHARS- check, EMS-displayed, but all X'd out. No amount of trouble shooting/ swearing/ pleading would fix the issue.
I had TEAM X at Garmin stumped, SteinAir was out of ideas. I had a total of 4 GSU 73's in my possession- all of which showed different engine instruments when installed. A new config module and multiple reloads of Ver.11.20 and 11.40 did absolutely NOTHING. I spent days tracing wires and sensors, continuity checks till I couldn't see straight.
The system showed the GSU73 installed, the correct software had been installed- twice, Data error rate at 0%, etc, except there was no little green check mark. The G3x saw everything, it just wouldn't talk to the GSU 73- none of the FOUR units.
It was only when I called CMI to tell them OSH was slipping away that I caught a break. The new head of product development happened to be around and wanted to say HI. Hadn't met him yet. We talked for a few minutes about the problem and he started asking questions in a language only DR would probably understand, but one term stood out that I saw in the Config Screens-FPGA files I believe. Turns out he had an avionics background.
Another call to John at Team X, and I had Version 8.00 in my hands. Yes, we went back that far for many reasons but the biggest one was to make sure that ALL the files were overwritten by known error free code.
I'm sure you can see were this is going and what happened next....
It was a SOFTWARE PROBLEM!!! It now WORKS! after 20 days I just have to find how current I can update to without incurring an error or if it was a one time glitch.
This was an EXTREMELY frustrating episode in my Phase 1 adventure. I owe many thanks to the good people at Team X, SteinAir, Dane Patterson, Vic, and my new friend at CMI for all their time and effort.
Fingers crossed that I can wrap this up in time for the big show.
but that's another story.During these tests, I started getting AHARS 1 and ADC 1 FAIL msgs. on startup Curious, but nothing a restart didn't fix. After the second occurrence, Garmin sent me a replacement GSU73--AHARS/ADC worked but not EMS. Put the original back in-good to go on first boot.
After a couple more of these msgs, they sent me a second GSU73. Same thing- good AHARS/ADC but bad EMS display and different from the first. So back to the original unit which booted correctly the first time--
On 6/10, everything quit--AHARS 3/ ADC3 Fail msgs, No EMS display. Data file showed " system unsable" Wait a minute, I don't have an AHARS 3. Called Garmin and they sent a new config module and installed one of the two spare GSU73 I still had not sent back. AHARS- check, EMS-displayed, but all X'd out. No amount of trouble shooting/ swearing/ pleading would fix the issue.
I had TEAM X at Garmin stumped, SteinAir was out of ideas. I had a total of 4 GSU 73's in my possession- all of which showed different engine instruments when installed. A new config module and multiple reloads of Ver.11.20 and 11.40 did absolutely NOTHING.
I spent days tracing wires and sensors, continuity checks till I couldn't see straight.The system showed the GSU73 installed, the correct software had been installed- twice, Data error rate at 0%, etc, except there was no little green check mark. The G3x saw everything, it just wouldn't talk to the GSU 73- none of the FOUR units.
It was only when I called CMI to tell them OSH was slipping away that I caught a break. The new head of product development happened to be around and wanted to say HI. Hadn't met him yet. We talked for a few minutes about the problem and he started asking questions in a language only DR would probably understand, but one term stood out that I saw in the Config Screens-FPGA files I believe. Turns out he had an avionics background.
Another call to John at Team X, and I had Version 8.00 in my hands. Yes, we went back that far for many reasons but the biggest one was to make sure that ALL the files were overwritten by known error free code.
I'm sure you can see were this is going and what happened next....
It was a SOFTWARE PROBLEM!!! It now WORKS! after 20 days
I just have to find how current I can update to without incurring an error or if it was a one time glitch.This was an EXTREMELY
frustrating episode in my Phase 1 adventure. I owe many thanks to the good people at Team X, SteinAir, Dane Patterson, Vic, and my new friend at CMI for all their time and effort. Fingers crossed that I can wrap this up in time for the big show.
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