G3X Touch EIS hacks

[hais]

On 11/30/2021 at 2:07 PM, PT20J said:

One thing I did on my Mooney analog engine gauges was to put a grease pencil tick mark at the normal needle location so I could tell at a glance if something was amiss. Turns out that the G3X EIS will allow you to place tick marks at any location on the gauge, so I marked normal cruise fuel pressure and oil pressure. I also put a tick mark at 0 on the ammeter and at 2500 rpm and 15, 20 and 25" on the manifold pressure gauge. If you want to get fancy, you can make the marks different colors.

The EIS gauges can have two different types of yellow ranges denoted Yellow Range and Yellow Range + Alert. Both look the same on the gauge depiction. The difference is that if the parameter falls with Yellow Range + Alert, it generates a yellow CAS Caution message on the right side of the G3X display. A Caution message also pulls EIS Discrete Output 2 low to activate an external indicator. On my case, I connected it to PMA450B Flightmate input 3 which creates an aural "Master Caution" annunciation in the pilot's headset. As an example, Mooney specifies that my oil pressure gauge have yellow range from 25 to 60 psi. I wanted a CAS Caution for low oil pressure, but the pressure can fall below 60 during idle (which is permissible) and I didn't want a nuisance alert in this case. So I set a Yellow Range + Alert to 25 - 45 psi and a Yellow Range from 45 - 60 psi. I also created a Yellow Range + Alert at 425-475 F CHT which draws a yellow line at 425 across the CHT/EGT bar graph.

The same can be done for Red Range and Red Range + Alert. In this case, an alert generates a red CAS Warning message and pulls Discrete Output 1 low. I connected this output to the PMA450B Flightmate input 2 which currently annunciates the default "Oil Pressure" warning. These messages are field recordable and I plan to change it to say "Master Warning." 

Skip

Thanks for this tip! QQ: how do you cancel the audible alarm? Say, your oil temp is out of range, and you take appropriate measures. Do you continue to hear the alarm until the temp is back in range?

[PT20J]

36 minutes ago, hais said:

Thanks for this tip! QQ: how do you cancel the audible alarm? Say, your oil temp is out of range, and you take appropriate measures. Do you continue to hear the alarm until the temp is back in range?

The audible alarm comes from the PMA 450B and it has a button to press silence the alarm.

[hais]

47 minutes ago, PT20J said:

The audible alarm comes from the PMA 450B and it has a button to press silence the alarm.

That's neat. I checked GMA 35, the one we are building. It appears that the inputs are for music, so audible alerts won't work without another box in between. 

Now I wish I had picked PMA450B over GMA35.

[carusoam]

3 hours ago, hais said:

That's neat. I checked GMA 35, the one we are building. It appears that the inputs are for music, so audible alerts won't work without another box in between. 

Now I wish I had picked PMA450B over GMA35.

Note for @Mscheuer…

-a-

[rbp]

On 11/30/2021 at 5:07 PM, PT20J said:

Turns out that the G3X EIS will allow you to place tick marks at any location on the gauge

just for clarification, you're hacking the experimental version?  or is this user-changeable on the certified version? 

[Niko182]

12 minutes ago, rbp said:

just for clarification, you're hacking the experimental version?  or is this user-changeable on the certified version? 

Youre not hacking it. All G3Xs are the "experimental". On boot up you hit menu and hold it and you can adjust  every aspect of the g3x.

[rbp]

22 minutes ago, Niko182 said:

Youre not hacking it. All G3Xs are the "experimental". On boot up you hit menu and hold it and you can adjust  every aspect of the g3x.

note the name of this topic

the G3X comes in both experimental and certified

 

[Niko182]

9 minutes ago, rbp said:

note the name of this topic

the G3X comes in both experimental and certified

 

I understand that it is for sale certified aswell. Im saying that the userface is identical to the experimental. It was originally designed to be adjusted by the user. They didnt remove that ability from the certified version, however they do state its not legal to make adjustments, but its easy to do.

[PT20J]

For clarification, these capabilities exist in configuration mode in both certified and experimental versions. I wrote a very detailed specification for what equipment I wanted installed, how I wanted it wired, and how I wanted it configured, which I provided to the Garmin dealer. To figure some of this out, I had to use a bootleg copy of the installation manual for the G3X because Garmin restricts it to its dealers.  Then, I verified the configuration settings with the dealer using their current rev of the install manual just before installation.

Skip

[Ryan ORL]

2 hours ago, rbp said:

just for clarification, you're hacking the experimental version?  or is this user-changeable on the certified version? 

On the certified G3X, a number of options that are "user-changeable" from the experimental version are set to hidden and therefore only changeable from configuration mode.

I guess, by the letter of the law, you can only have the markings exactly the same as what your POH says.  Red range here, yellow range there, red radial line here, green arc here, etc.  However, if you boot up in config mode, it is extremely simple to add to these to enhance safety, as was described in the original post.  (Adding caution/warning alerts, etc) 

Of course none of us certified owners would ever do that.  I would also never swap my overhead cabin lights for LEDs or anything else of that sort.  My airplane conforms 100% to the original/properly altered type design.

[PT20J]

6 minutes ago, Ryan ORL said:

I guess, by the letter of the law, you can only have the markings exactly the same as what your POH says.  Red range here, yellow range there, red radial line here, green arc here, etc.  However, if you boot up in config mode, it is extremely simple to add to these to enhance safety, as was described in the original post.  (Adding caution/warning alerts, etc) 

The only STC requirement is that any gauge limitation markings (colored bands) shown in the limitations section of the POH must be retained. There is nothing that prevents you from having additional tick marks or alarms set. Here's an example of how I had the oil pressure gauge marked:

Red line at 25 psi

Yellow range 25-60 psi

Green range 60-90 psi

Red line at 100

Those markings are from the POH. I had a white radial line added at 75 psi because my normal cruise oil pressure is around that. Also, the yellow range is good for idle but not for higher powers. Mine drops down to about 55 at idle when warm. I had the Yellow + Alert set to 25-50 and Yellow set to 50-60. On the gauge they display as a continuous yellow range from 25-60 as required, but it won't generate a CAS Alert unless the pressure drops below 50.

[hais]

On 1/11/2023 at 6:19 PM, hais said:

That's neat. I checked GMA 35, the one we are building. It appears that the inputs are for music, so audible alerts won't work without another box in between. 

Turned out the GMA35 does have alarm inputs. I hear they produce non-mutable continuous tone with COM priority.