Status PowerFLARM for USA

[[email protected]]

We are well aware that we have stressed the patience of our fellow
pilots with repeated delays and would like to apologize for this.
Here's the status as of Monday 16-May-2011.

First, the good news. The portable PowerFLARM is shipping to GA pilots
in Europe, with close to 500 already delivered, and initial customer
feedback has been very positive. It is real and shipping. Initially
some secondary features are missing but will be available via software
updates (PCAS Mode A/C display, flight recording, ADS-B target
alarming and dataport output, obstacle warning, check lists).

Now for the bad news. We had difficulty with FCC testing, caused by a
third party module (not by the FLARM radio...). We believe we have now
found a solution which will result in successful FCC certification of
the portable PowerFLARM, and will allow us to deliver portable units
to USA by end of June.

Now for some worse news: The non-portable “brick” unit was delayed
pending successful testing of the base design. We will now accelerate
design, production and testing of this model, but realistically it
will not be ready for the USA 2011 season (it will take until fall to
finish design, production, and FCC testing).

And finally, some excuses: When we specified PowerFLARM we did not
anticipate that merging the technologies of FLARM, PCAS, ADS-B, LCD
display, internal GPS antenna and batteries would be so challenging.
Our desire to design it all into the smallest and lightest possible
package did not make things simpler either. Also, huge amount of
effort went into making classic FLARM and PowerFLARM fully compatible;
even though they run on very different processors they now share over
90% of the core RF and collision-detection code. This was possible due
to the ‘mandatory update’ to firmware version 5 which all ‘classic’
FLARM had to perform after March 2011.

We will post videos of PowerFLARM in operation shortly and keep you
updated on progress at least every other week.

The FLARM team, 16-May-2011

[Andy[_1_]]

On May 16, 3:13*pm, " > wrote:
> We are well aware that we have stressed the patience of our fellow
> pilots with repeated delays and would like to apologize for this.
> Here's the status as of Monday 16-May-2011.
>
> First, the good news. The portable PowerFLARM is shipping to GA pilots
> in Europe, with close to 500 already delivered, and initial customer
> feedback has been very positive. It is real and shipping. Initially
> some secondary features are missing but will be available via software
> updates (PCAS Mode A/C display, flight recording, ADS-B target
> alarming and dataport output, obstacle warning, check lists).
>
> Now for the bad news. We had difficulty with FCC testing, caused by a
> third party module (not by the FLARM radio...). We believe we have now
> found a solution which will result in successful FCC certification of
> the portable PowerFLARM, and will allow us to deliver portable units
> to USA by end of June.
>
> Now for some worse news: The non-portable “brick” unit was delayed
> pending successful testing of the base design. We will now accelerate
> design, production and testing of this model, but realistically it
> will not be ready for the USA 2011 season (it will take until fall to
> finish design, production, and FCC testing).
>
> And finally, some excuses: When we specified PowerFLARM we did not
> anticipate that merging the technologies of FLARM, PCAS, ADS-B, LCD
> display, internal GPS antenna and batteries would be so challenging.
> Our desire to design it all into the smallest and lightest possible
> package did not make things simpler either. Also, huge amount of
> effort went into making classic FLARM and PowerFLARM fully compatible;
> even though they run on very different processors they now share over
> 90% of the core RF and collision-detection code. This was possible due
> to the ‘mandatory update’ to firmware version 5 which all ‘classic’
> FLARM had to perform after March 2011.
>
> We will post videos of PowerFLARM in operation shortly and keep you
> updated on progress at least every other week.
>
> *The FLARM team, 16-May-2011

Thanks for the update Urs.

You said "Initially some secondary features are missing but will be
available via software
updates (PCAS Mode A/C display, flight recording, ADS-B target
alarming and dataport output, obstacle warning, check lists). "

It seems the implemented functionality is less than classic FLARM. I
don't think of the dataport output as a secondary feature as I have
been expecting to use the data stream to drive other instruments.
What is the schedule for software updates to provide the missing
features?

thanks,

Andy (GY)

[Dave Nadler]

On May 16, 6:30*pm, Andy > wrote:
> On May 16, 3:13*pm, " > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > We are well aware that we have stressed the patience of our fellow
> > pilots with repeated delays and would like to apologize for this.
> > Here's the status as of Monday 16-May-2011.
>
> > First, the good news. The portable PowerFLARM is shipping to GA pilots
> > in Europe, with close to 500 already delivered, and initial customer
> > feedback has been very positive. It is real and shipping. Initially
> > some secondary features are missing but will be available via software
> > updates (PCAS Mode A/C display, flight recording, ADS-B target
> > alarming and dataport output, obstacle warning, check lists).
>
> > Now for the bad news. We had difficulty with FCC testing, caused by a
> > third party module (not by the FLARM radio...). We believe we have now
> > found a solution which will result in successful FCC certification of
> > the portable PowerFLARM, and will allow us to deliver portable units
> > to USA by end of June.
>
> > Now for some worse news: The non-portable “brick” unit was delayed
> > pending successful testing of the base design. We will now accelerate
> > design, production and testing of this model, but realistically it
> > will not be ready for the USA 2011 season (it will take until fall to
> > finish design, production, and FCC testing).
>
> > And finally, some excuses: When we specified PowerFLARM we did not
> > anticipate that merging the technologies of FLARM, PCAS, ADS-B, LCD
> > display, internal GPS antenna and batteries would be so challenging.
> > Our desire to design it all into the smallest and lightest possible
> > package did not make things simpler either. Also, huge amount of
> > effort went into making classic FLARM and PowerFLARM fully compatible;
> > even though they run on very different processors they now share over
> > 90% of the core RF and collision-detection code. This was possible due
> > to the ‘mandatory update’ to firmware version 5 which all ‘classic’
> > FLARM had to perform after March 2011.
>
> > We will post videos of PowerFLARM in operation shortly and keep you
> > updated on progress at least every other week.
>
> > *The FLARM team, 16-May-2011
>
> Thanks for the update Urs.
>
> You said "Initially some secondary features are missing but will be
> available via software
> updates (PCAS Mode A/C display, flight recording, ADS-B target
> alarming and dataport output, obstacle warning, check lists). "
>
> It seems the implemented functionality is less than classic FLARM. *I
> don't think of the dataport output as a secondary feature as I have
> been expecting to use the data stream to drive other instruments.
> What is the schedule for software updates to provide the missing
> features?
>
> thanks,
>
> Andy (GY)

The ADS-B target dataport output is missing.
Other dataport output is as expected.

Hope that helps,
Best Regards, Dave

[Andy[_1_]]

On May 16, 4:59*pm, Dave Nadler > wrote:
> On May 16, 6:30*pm, Andy > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On May 16, 3:13*pm, " > wrote:
>
> > > We are well aware that we have stressed the patience of our fellow
> > > pilots with repeated delays and would like to apologize for this.
> > > Here's the status as of Monday 16-May-2011.
>
> > > First, the good news. The portable PowerFLARM is shipping to GA pilots
> > > in Europe, with close to 500 already delivered, and initial customer
> > > feedback has been very positive. It is real and shipping. Initially
> > > some secondary features are missing but will be available via software
> > > updates (PCAS Mode A/C display, flight recording, ADS-B target
> > > alarming and dataport output, obstacle warning, check lists).
>
> > > Now for the bad news. We had difficulty with FCC testing, caused by a
> > > third party module (not by the FLARM radio...). We believe we have now
> > > found a solution which will result in successful FCC certification of
> > > the portable PowerFLARM, and will allow us to deliver portable units
> > > to USA by end of June.
>
> > > Now for some worse news: The non-portable “brick” unit was delayed
> > > pending successful testing of the base design. We will now accelerate
> > > design, production and testing of this model, but realistically it
> > > will not be ready for the USA 2011 season (it will take until fall to
> > > finish design, production, and FCC testing).
>
> > > And finally, some excuses: When we specified PowerFLARM we did not
> > > anticipate that merging the technologies of FLARM, PCAS, ADS-B, LCD
> > > display, internal GPS antenna and batteries would be so challenging.
> > > Our desire to design it all into the smallest and lightest possible
> > > package did not make things simpler either. Also, huge amount of
> > > effort went into making classic FLARM and PowerFLARM fully compatible;
> > > even though they run on very different processors they now share over
> > > 90% of the core RF and collision-detection code. This was possible due
> > > to the ‘mandatory update’ to firmware version 5 which all ‘classic’
> > > FLARM had to perform after March 2011.
>
> > > We will post videos of PowerFLARM in operation shortly and keep you
> > > updated on progress at least every other week.
>
> > > *The FLARM team, 16-May-2011
>
> > Thanks for the update Urs.
>
> > You said "Initially some secondary features are missing but will be
> > available via software
> > updates (PCAS Mode A/C display, flight recording, ADS-B target
> > alarming and dataport output, obstacle warning, check lists). "
>
> > It seems the implemented functionality is less than classic FLARM. *I
> > don't think of the dataport output as a secondary feature as I have
> > been expecting to use the data stream to drive other instruments.
> > What is the schedule for software updates to provide the missing
> > features?
>
> > thanks,
>
> > Andy (GY)
>
> The ADS-B target dataport output is missing.
> Other dataport output is as expected.
>
> Hope that helps,
> Best Regards, Dave- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Ok, that's good. Thanks! I had always expected ADS-B support to be a
follow-on after initial delivery.

Andy

[ursus]

Update as per 31-May-2011

- Full PCAS functionality, receiving Mode A/C transponders will be
available by July
- FCC re-testing in progress, see:
http://www.flarm.com/powerflarm/110531_FCCtest034.JPG
- For production, all needed parts are already in hand, so we won't
have any
delays from the current electronic parts shortages

The FLARM team, 31-May-2011

[Andy[_1_]]

On May 16, 3:13*pm, " > wrote:

> Here's the status as of Monday 16-May-2011.

> We believe we have now
> found a solution which will result in successful FCC certification of
> the portable PowerFLARM, and will allow us to deliver portable units
> to USA by end of June.

> We will post videos of PowerFLARM in operation shortly and keep you
> updated on progress at least every other week.
>
> *TheFLARMteam, 16-May-2011


All I have seen since May 16 is a photo of a unit in the RF test
chamber.

The further delay in deliveries is no great surprise to me, but when
can we expect the next "bi-weekly" progress report?

Andy

[Westbender]

cricket chirping.....

[Paul Remde]

Hi,

More news is coming very soon.

Paul Remde

"Westbender" > wrote in message
...
> cricket chirping.....