GDC31

[Mike Granby]

Anyone have any experience of this device? It's a roll steer unit that
will couple many GPS units to many autopilots, getting over the
Garmin/STEC requirements for this technology. I'm thinking of putting
one in my Saratoga, and wondered if anyone had fitted one to their
birds, or if they'd used one.......

[Mike Rapoport]

I don't but I looked at their website. It looks like a converter box that
takes in RS232 data and outputs Arinc 429 and analog composite roll
steering. I know that the 430 and 530 output Arinc 429 and the Garmin GAD42
will convert this to analog composite roll steering. I think that you still
need an autopilot that will accept roll steering inputs. My experience is
that you want as few manufacturers as possible in your avionics stack. I
have a 530 with a GAD42 providing analog roll steering input to the
autopilot in the MU-2. The GAD42 will also reformat a bunch of other data.

Mike
MU-2

"Mike Granby" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> Anyone have any experience of this device? It's a roll steer unit that
> will couple many GPS units to many autopilots, getting over the
> Garmin/STEC requirements for this technology. I'm thinking of putting
> one in my Saratoga, and wondered if anyone had fitted one to their
> birds, or if they'd used one.......
>

[Albert]

> Anyone have any experience of this device? It's a roll steer unit that
> will couple many GPS units to many autopilots, getting over the
> Garmin/STEC requirements for this technology. I'm thinking of putting
> one in my Saratoga, and wondered if anyone had fitted one to their
> birds, or if they'd used one.......
>

The GDC31 will convert serial RS-232/422 GPS data into one of two things.
One, it will create an analog heading bug signal that can drive the
autopilot in heading mode using GPS course and course deviation. It works
like what STEC calls a GPSS converter. There is a panel mounted switch that
allows you to switch back and forth between the real heading bug and the
faked heading bug made by the GDC31. Two, it can convert that serial data
into Arinc 429 roll steering messages for autopilots that can use it. This
is for cases where you have an older GPS that has only serial output and
doesn't have a 429 output.

I've seen it work in somebody else's plane, seems to do a good job.