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New serial port location - Page 31-14

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BigJohn

Well Known Member
This morning I re-read this thread: http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=62738. In this thread the topic jumps back and forth between the location of the physical serial port connector, and Dynon software versions.

I am starting this thread to address the location issue only. From what I gather, the location of the serial bus connector was changed from the tunnel to up in the instrument compartment in back of the Dynon 180, in order to solve a noise transfer into the headset circuit. Since my kit was early enough to have the connector in the tunnel, I would like to change this before first flight, while the plane is still in the shop and easily accessed.

It seems all I would need to do this is to know which wires coming out of the back of the Dynon are the data wires, and clip them and install a new connector. Doesn't seem that would cause a certification problem, since it would be merely updating to the new design.

Has anyone else done this, or contacted Van's about it? Anyone have the pin-outs for the data wires?

Stein, care to weigh in on this?

My configuration: Dynon 180, no Dynon 100, autopilot, software version 5.4.
 
Hello John,
My kit also had the serial port location in the tunnel. I could see access problems in the future, going by the experience of others who have posted on this subject. I need to have the plug under the instrument panel, like Vans? red RV-12 is now set up.

Yesterday I slipped the pins out of the plug, cut the cable ties and traced the wires back to their origin using their colours and gentle tugs. The three wires are not twisted with others and it was fairly easy to pull them back over the pedal tubes and thru the snap bushings, till they were free in the main avionics area. I then made a small al angle bracket for the 9 pin socket and riveted them together. Then I bolted that assembly to the bottom of the panel, just forward of the RH cooling fan. I drilled another hole for a tiny snap bushing about 1 ? inched further forward, and pushed the wires, pins first, down thru the hole. I replaced the pins in the plug. I did not cut the 3 wires short but looped the excess, securing it with a couple of cable ties. (If I have to relocate the plug I still have the full length wires.)

Hopefully this will be a satisfactory setup.

Rod
 
Rod, if you read my note under Data Downloads today you can see this info is helpful to me. as well. Thanks.
Dick Seiders
 
Rod,

Sounds like a neat installation. I will do something along those lines.

If anyone from Van's or Stein's is listening, I would just like to confirm that this change will eliminate the noise problem. The question is where is the noise transfer taking place - in the cable bundle down to the tunnel, or in the circuitry of the electronics module. If the latter, then one would want to tap into the back of the Dynon directly, rather than using the same wiring through the electronics.

Sure would be nice to have a skematic.

John
 
serial port wiring

Rod,
You did a great job of relocating the serial port. If you received an early version of the Dynon D-180 wiring harness, then the serial port should work.
However, if you received a more recent version of the D-180 harness that has a 9-pin D-Sub connected to it, then your serial port will not work. It will be necessary to remove the 9-pin D-Sub and its wires from the Dynon EFIS 25-pin connector and replace them with your serial port wires. I can not remember, but it might be necessary to change the gender of the pins from male to female. Another option is to cut off the 9-pin D-Sub connector from the Dynon harness and splice in the wires that go to your serial port. There is no need for the serial port wires to connect to the control board because they just pass though. I hope that I explained that without making it confusing.
Joe
 
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Joe,

Thank you for that good explanation. The only thing preventing me from bypassing the electronics module as you suggest was the fear that somehow those data wires get used somewhere in Stein's magic box. If it is just a pass through, I shuould be good to go.

John
 
Wouldn't it be safe to assume that the three color-coded wires (wht/blk, wht/orange, and wht/yellow ) are not used in the same harness for another purpose? I would feel confident that finding those three at the back of the tunnel harness connection at Dynon would be the right wires for cutting and a new connection. I am sure Stein could confirm for peace of mind.
Dick Seiders
 
Pinout for the Dynon Flightdek 180.....

can be found here on page 2-4, 2-5:
http://dynonavionics.com/downloads/Install_Guides/FlightDEK-D180 Installation Guide.pdf
Seems to me the easiest way to approach this issue is like BigJohn describes in the first post. That is remove the 25 pin connector from the back of the Dynon, locate these pins and either remove them or cut the existing wires and install a new serial connector per the pinout diagram. If I'm reading all this correctly, that would make the old harness like the new one.
I would take it a step further and buy a panel mount USB extension cable like the other guys sell, plug one end into the serial adaptor, and mount other end in an accessible location on the panel so updates can be performed by just plugging a USB extension cable from your computer into this connection.
Food for thought!!
 
Great Idea!

To Dick Seiders: Your assumptions are correct.
To Bill Waters: The USB socket is a great idea. Why didn't I think of that? :)
Permanently mounting the Serial-to-USB adaptor adds weight to the plane, albeit not much.
Joe
 
Removed the wiring from the tunnel and located it in the panel wiring deck. Currently have the USB dropped thru the deck floor and attached to bottom of deck with velchro. Like Billy's idea tho and am searching for a double female USB connector. Billy did the upload of 5.4 for me as my laptop is still stubborn.
New problem now is re-doing my winds aloft, Hobbs total, audio alarms, etc. as all were lost after the upgrade. Neither the Installation Manual, nor the operator's handbook are very helpful in doing this. Seems to me this Dynon could be a lot more user friendly than designed presently.
Dick Seiders
 
Data Connector

BigJohn said:
Works great. See http://www.mykitlog.com/users/display_log.php?user=BigJohn&project=639&category=0&log=114732&row=2 and next entry for details.
Click to expand...

Wow, John, that's the best solution I've seen yet. And very simple. That's the way I'm gonna do mine for both the D-180 and the D-100.
BigJohn's data connector:
1058195123_VNjGg-S.jpg


Tony
 
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GEE

From what I can discern, I'll have to learn a LOT about computers, etc., in order to be able to keep up to date, never mind just get my Dynon running!! This appears to be an 'educational process' that I don't look forward to. This is disappointing to me - I don't have the skills to even begin to understand most of the 'Dynon talk'.:confused:
 
Why have the middleman?

That is a such a sensible idea, John. But you got me thinking. Why not elininate the D sub plug and attach the data wires from the dynon direct to a USB panel mounted socket? I reckon the socket would not be out of place on the front of the panel, below the intercom buttons
Rod
 
Rod - I considered that idea, but went for the simpler approach because:

The connector on the front panel would be more obvious - might have a problem at certification time.

The serial to USB converter would have to be permanently installed behind the panel.

I would have to find and order a USB pass-through panel-mount connector, while the original 9 pin D-sub was adaptable to use as a panel mount.

John
 
John, thanks for your thoughts. I didnt know there was a converter circuit in the adaptor plug. You probably have reached the best compromise
Rod
 
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