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Cobham/Comant Industries’ CI 420-490 Iridium

NEW PRODUCTS

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slide-in replacement for Garmin GMA340 and PS Engineering PS8000 audio panels, easing installation. Also configured as a slide-in upgrade for legacy products is Avidyne’s AXP340 ADS-B Mode S transponder. As a replacement for existing KT76A/KT78A transponders, the AXP340 brings Mode S capabilities to previous installations while adding a direct-entry numeric keypad, pressure altitude and GPSbased lat/long readout, one-touch VFR code entry, timers and an altitude alerter. The AXP340 is a panel-mounted Class 1 Mode S Level 2 device, supporting 1090 MHz extendedsquitter standards. Earlier, Avidyne said certification was pending of the interface between its DFC90 digital autopilot and the Evolution Pro PFD from Aspen Avionics. The DFC90 already is approved in Cirrus and Piper PA-46 aircraft equipped with Avidyne’s Entegra displays, and the company said pairing it with the Aspen PFD will add significant performance and safety benefits like full-time envelope protection plus automatic return to straight and level flight. Aspen currently holds an approved model list STC for its PFDs on a wide range of aircraft, which will be amended to add the Avidyne’s plug-and-play, new DFC90-compatible v2.6 panel-mounted avionics stack software. Both companies said they plan to seek certification of the DFC90/Aspen PFD configurations in many other models, including a Beech Bonanza. “Aspen’s wide-reaching AML makes it an attractive retrofit for a large number of aircraft, and the Evolution PFD and DFC90 are an excellent combination,” said Patrick Herguth, Avidyne’s chief operating officer. To learn more, visit www.avidyne.com.

406 MHz ELTs, providing operators a low-cost alternative complying with FAA annual test requirements and offering a robust beacon and annual aircraft inspection database. The company noted its 406Test.com website offers a lowcost alternative to commercial ELT testers. Cobham’s online database management capabilities through the 406Test.com website include tracking which ELT is being used in a particular aircraft, receiving email reminders when an aircraft’s annual inspection is due as well as reminders for battery and registration replacements, accessing ELT certificates from past years and performing self testing more efficiently by having all aircraft, inspectors, facilities and ELTs pre-loaded into the system. “Because 406Test.com works with satellites, there is no equipment to buy or install,” said Michael Wilkerson, general manager for Cobham Beacon Solutions. “Customers can create an account on www.406Test.com and quickly get started.” Wilkerson added that, unlike other ELT testers, the 406Test. com through-the-satellite system does not require the ELT being removed from the aircraft and can be completed in as little as five minutes. According to Wilkerson, another benefit is the system’s maintenance management program, which allows users to house all vital aircraft, facility and beacon information in one easy-to-use database. To learn more, visit www.cobham.com.

DAC International
DAC International, a Greenwich AeroGroup company, introduced what it calls the first of its kind: the GDC64, an interface unit to bridge between a commercial, Class II electronic flight bag and aircraft power and data. The GDC64 is a type design-approved product certified for use on Part 25 business jets and air transport category aircraft. It is approved for connection to any of the aircraft’s 28-volt power busses, and with four ARINC 429 input ports, the GDC64 can provide a wealth of information to the iPad or other tablet computers, including navigation and air data information. “As tablet computers like the iPad, Android and others find more and more uses in the cockpit, from weight and balance calculators to aeronautical charts with weather overlays, the GDC64 is an indispensible addition,” said Francisco Hernandez, vice president of sales for DAC International. “Our ECD division is continually looking for certified solutions for our customer’s data and power connectivity needs.” The GDC64 power supply is designed to provide the necessary protections for the lithium-ion battery in a Class II tablet, while the ARINC 429 inputs isolate the device from the critical aircraft data systems. At the same time, the data is available to software applications running on the iPad or other tablet computers. The unit serves as a buffer between approved aircraft systems and tablets like the Apple iPad whether it is employed as Class 1 or Class 2 EFB.
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Cobham/Comant Industries
According to Don Jeckell of Comant Industries, the company introduced an iridium-only antenna (CI 420-490 Iridium) that will have iridium TSO and iridium approval in the teardrop shape. “You could take a Comant GPS antenna off that your customer isn’t using any longer, and in that same footprint, pop on a new iridium antenna without having to drill any extra holes,” Jeckell said. “The same thing is true with the new barof-soap ARINC-shaped antenna (CI 401-490 Iridium).” Cobham Beacon Solutions came to the AEA Convention to discuss the continued success of 406Test.com, a subscription-based through-the-satellite self test capability for all

http://www.406Test.com http://www.406Test.com http://www.406Test.com http://www.406Test.com http://www.cobham.com http://www.avidyne.com http://www.406Test.com

Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2012-2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2012-2013