Connecting a GNS 430/530 to a PC

[PA34 F-GFTF]

Hi,

It seems most handheld GPS can be connected to a computer (through a serial
cable, IIRC).
That allows some cool features, like preparing your flightplan in advance on
your PC, or downloading to the PC the actual positions of your aircraft in
order to obtain a chart of the actual flight path.
Now, do you know if panel-mounted GPS can also be connected to a PC ? Namely
for Garmin's GNS 530 ?
I can't see any reference to this on the 530 reference manual, and I would
be surprise that handheld GPS can do thing that Garmin's top tier GPS can't.

fu2 rec.aviation.marketplace
--
YAG

[Pokeymon]

> It seems most handheld GPS can be connected to a computer (through a
serial
> cable, IIRC).
> That allows some cool features, like preparing your flightplan in advance
on
> your PC, or downloading to the PC the actual positions of your aircraft in
> order to obtain a chart of the actual flight path.
> Now, do you know if panel-mounted GPS can also be connected to a PC ?
Namely
> for Garmin's GNS 530 ?

The 430/530 has a serial port output. If you wire the aircraft for it, then
you could connect it to your PDA or notebook to get a moving map, which
makes no sense because the 530 is already a moving map. Plus the data
format is King/Aviation, not NMEA, so most off the shelf moving map programs
couldn't interpret the serial data anyway. One interesting thing you could
do is to capture and store the flight data so you can look at it later. No
normal 430/530 installation puts a serial port connection there for you on
the panel, it would have to be a special thing for your airplane.

The 430/530 has several serial ports but they are for connecting to other
equipment or a 2nd 530 unit for cross filling flight plans. The cross fill
serial port details are not published so you can't upload your own flight
plan from your PDA or laptop either.

> I can't see any reference to this on the 530 reference manual, and I would
> be surprise that handheld GPS can do thing that Garmin's top tier GPS
can't.

It's a certification thing. Nobody wants you to be able to load a flight
plan from an external source. There is no assurance that the data is valid.
No general aviation panel mounted TSO'd GPS will allow you to externally
load a flight plan. All of them will provide serial data output in various
formats but are rarely wired for the pilot to have access.

If you want to play with a GPS in this manner, use your handheld.

[Jack McAdams]

I do not believe there is anyway to connect the panel-mount products
to a PC. I also went from a ahndheld GPS to a panel-mount version
(430) nad sure do miss the functionality of uploading a flightplan.

There is a second, but unused, data port on the 430 that could perhaps
provide the avenue to do this. I have talked to others and have heard
- not confirmed - that there may be a certification issue in
permitting uploading of data to a certified device.

Jack
Sundowner- N6363U



"PA34 F-GFTF" > wrote in message >...
> Hi,
>
> It seems most handheld GPS can be connected to a computer (through a serial
> cable, IIRC).
> That allows some cool features, like preparing your flightplan in advance on
> your PC, or downloading to the PC the actual positions of your aircraft in
> order to obtain a chart of the actual flight path.
> Now, do you know if panel-mounted GPS can also be connected to a PC ? Namely
> for Garmin's GNS 530 ?
> I can't see any reference to this on the 530 reference manual, and I would
> be surprise that handheld GPS can do thing that Garmin's top tier GPS can't.
>
> fu2 rec.aviation.marketplace

[Maik]

Hi,

really a new idea :-)

It is possible to use the NMEA output of the Garmin 430/530 as an input
for a PC.

It is NOT possible to up-/download flightplans or waypoints.
This is NOT a technical problem.

It seems that it is not allowed for IFR or installed GPS-systems to get
Flightplans or waypoints via an external device.

There is only one chance to feed a Garmin 430/530 legally... with
another Garmin 430/530 via Crossfill.

Solution would be: write a program that simulates the communication
between two Garmins 430/530 and feed this program with flightplans and
waypoints from a flightplaning program or handheld GPS-systems.

Than you could up-/download flightplans and waypoints.
I would be happy to get such a software but writing it it is not a way
to get rich :-)

Another solution is a VFR only GPS like the KMD150. Here you can
up-/downlaod waypoints and flightplans.

Regards
Maik

PS: If I wrote anything stupid please correct me asap. thx.

PA34 F-GFTF wrote:

> Hi,
>
> It seems most handheld GPS can be connected to a computer (through a
serial
> cable, IIRC).
> That allows some cool features, like preparing your flightplan in
advance on
> your PC, or downloading to the PC the actual positions of your
aircraft in
> order to obtain a chart of the actual flight path.
> Now, do you know if panel-mounted GPS can also be connected to a PC ?
Namely
> for Garmin's GNS 530 ?
> I can't see any reference to this on the 530 reference manual, and I
would
> be surprise that handheld GPS can do thing that Garmin's top tier GPS
can't.
>
> fu2 rec.aviation.marketplace

[Pokeymon]

> Hi,
>
> really a new idea :-)
>
> It is possible to use the NMEA output of the Garmin 430/530 as an input
> for a PC.

No, because NMEA format is not one of the options.

[kage]

The CNX-80, or whatever it's called now, has an infrared port for loading
flight plans. Last time I checked it was still not enabled.

Karl


"Peter" > wrote in message
...
>
> Maik > wrote
>
>>It is NOT possible to up-/download flightplans or waypoints.
>>This is NOT a technical problem.
>>
>>It seems that it is not allowed for IFR or installed GPS-systems to get
>>Flightplans or waypoints via an external device.
>
> That's correct. It is some sort of FAA requirement, but I have never
> seen anyone come up with a reference for it.
>
> Actually it would be great to have a connection for an external
> keypad. That alone would make waypoint entry about 10x faster.
>
>>There is only one chance to feed a Garmin 430/530 legally... with
>>another Garmin 430/530 via Crossfill.
>>
>>Solution would be: write a program that simulates the communication
>>between two Garmins 430/530 and feed this program with flightplans and
>>waypoints from a flightplaning program or handheld GPS-systems.
>
> I bet the protocol is confidential :) You just need to borrow two of
> these very expensive boxes and play with them. Is it plain RS232, or
> ARINC429?
>
>>Than you could up-/download flightplans and waypoints.
>>I would be happy to get such a software but writing it it is not a way
>>to get rich :-)
>
> If you want to do some reverse engineering, have a go at the Jepp GPS
> database format :)
>
>>Another solution is a VFR only GPS like the KMD150. Here you can
>>up-/downlaod waypoints and flightplans.
>
> Yes, the KMD150 (essentially a panel mounted version of the Skymap 3c)
> is perhaps the best panel mounted GPS which can still have the route
> uploaded from a PC. I have a KLN94B/KMD550 but if I was equipping a
> "cheap" plane for mainly VFR I would go for the KMD150 right away.
>
>
> Peter.
> --
> Return address is invalid to help stop junk mail.
> E-mail replies to but remove the X and the Y.
> Please do NOT copy usenet posts to email - it is NOT necessary.