Is it a habit we prefer mechnical instruments?

Morgans wrote:

"Ernest Christley" wrote

I'm going with a Dynon (BMA takes to long to boot up), with some
backup steam gauges. The plane will still fly without the engine
running and the batteries drained, and I won't enough information to
make it as comfortable as possible.


I'm sure there was a typo in that last sentence, but I was not able to
figure out what you were trying to say.

Wanna' try again? g

Aargh! Want! I WANT enough information. Dang-it!

--
This is by far the hardest lesson about freedom. It goes against
instinct, and morality, to just sit back and watch people make
mistakes. We want to help them, which means control them and their
decisions, but in doing so we actually hurt them (and ourselves)."

In article ,
Ernest Christley wrote:
Le Chaud Lapin wrote:

[[.. munch ..]]

This is where electrical engineers come in. I could rattle off the
names of 20 people I know personally who could assuage any of these
concerns after 4-hour meeting in boardroom, and know how to design the
circuit, with USB interface, cheaply, in real-time, as the concerns are
being enumerated.

I work with these sort of engineers. I have to test thier systems. I
still hear the classic, "The customer would never do that."

"For every fool-proof system developed, there exists a
_sufficiently_determined_ fool capable of breaking it."

"You can make a thing damn-near fool-proof,
But you can't make it near damn-fool proof."

Morgans wrote:
"Ernest Christley" wrote

Drop the temps to -40F and they won't work at all. Dowse them in water
and couple of times and the leads will corrode.

Just don't ignore the drawbacks.

And you didn't mention static charges (coming in from all of those sensors)
wiping memory clean, or damaging components, nor did you mention radio
frequency interference, or engine noise, or the computer causing
interference problems with the communications.

Sensors are no where near the memory of the computuers. I would think
that an EE designing USB-based sensor would know to design it so as not
to damage the PC. RFI is hyped. Everytime somone operaters a laptop
or PDA in an aircraft, the are generating RFI. And besides, it's
something that is easily dealt with.

The issue of displays washing out is in the most part solved with
commercially available displays being marketed for aviation use, but the 500
buck computer that has been mentioned here is not going to have a display
capable of working in the cockpit.

I've used both PDA and laptop screen in aircraft many times. But not
in the cockpit..

I hope by the time I finish an airplane, there are glass cockpit units that
will fit my budget. I would love to have one.

I'm hoping one day work on a custom aircraft project with some people.
Obviously, I'd want to work on the electronics.

-Le Chaud Lapin-

An interesting set of "glass panel" gizmos...

http://www.avnet.co.uk/lts/pages/eis.htm

Richard Lamb wrote:
An interesting set of "glass panel" gizmos...

http://www.avnet.co.uk/lts/pages/eis.htm

This is precisely what I mean. I notice they sell an engine monitor, a
fuel guage and a fuel computer. Then there is the IC-A3E VHF COM
transceiver.

These are the types of "gadgets" that should be consolidated into a
software-centric model. The idea is that the PC manufacturer would
make the main system with display. Mechanical specialists would make
inexpensive, USB-compatible, throw-away gadgets in their areas of
expertise. The software people would tie everything together.

Since the fuel gauage shown is being sold for 99 british pounds, I
don't think it would be too difficult to compete on a cost basis.

-Le Chaud Lapin-

"Le Chaud Lapin" wrote


RFI is hyped. Everytime somone operaters a laptop
or PDA in an aircraft, the are generating RFI. And besides, it's
something that is easily dealt with.

I wish I could point right to the bit I just read recently, saying that RFI
is *more* of an issue than was previously thought.
--
Jim in NC

Le Chaud Lapin wrote:

Richard Lamb wrote:
An interesting set of "glass panel" gizmos...

http://www.avnet.co.uk/lts/pages/eis.htm

This is precisely what I mean. I notice they sell an engine monitor, a
fuel guage and a fuel computer. Then there is the IC-A3E VHF COM
transceiver.

These are the types of "gadgets" that should be consolidated into a
software-centric model. The idea is that the PC manufacturer would
make the main system with display. Mechanical specialists would make
inexpensive, USB-compatible, throw-away gadgets in their areas of
expertise. The software people would tie everything together.

Since the fuel gauage shown is being sold for 99 british pounds, I
don't think it would be too difficult to compete on a cost basis.

-Le Chaud Lapin-

Right idea, wrong implementation approach.

Integrate.

Bring all the pieces together in your own (proprietary) box.



Almost any old processor will do, but not a box - but a chip.

Integrate the circuit functions into that.
Serial, parallel, USB, etc.
Interface and drivers for sensors...

The display is the hard part.

I saw an LCD TV receintly with 1400:1 contrast ratio that was awesome.
A little big for the Pitts, but very readable.
Also very expen$ive - but it's the technology you want - not the TV.

Look back over these posts to see what people think they want and
try to make something that fits?

As for the mechanical gages?

One that is woefully lacking is an off-the-shelf low value amp meter.
(more precisely ('cuz Jim's watching) - one that might have interchangable
shunts?) 60/30/15 amp display?

I run a 15 AH battery. A 60 amp meter tells me nothing.

Richard

"Le Chaud Lapin" wrote

Since the fuel gauage shown is being sold for 99 british pounds, I
don't think it would be too difficult to compete on a cost basis.

From your posts:

show altitude, IAS, TAS, average velocity, average acceleration, etc.
* show stress all over aircraft as colors correlated to degree of
stress on parts
* show air pressure, humidity, etc.
* control fuel efficiency with exact precision
* play videos
* play music with psychedelic twirly things
* have voice-over-IP (VOIP) conversation with 9 other air-borne pilots
simultaneously
* render 3-D maps of terrain
* render 3-D map of airports
* render 3-D images of flight path
* show precipitation with little colored droplets and clouds
* record images terrain from web cam mounted underneath
* log flight data
* redisplay hotel information that was save in web page at airport
* control the heat warmers in seats
* control transparency of side windows
* control wattage of lights, internal and external
* show tire pressure
* show fuel level
* show oil level
* show hydraulic pressure
* control fuel mixture according to altitude, pressure, etc
* control throttle
* control, trim, pitch, yaw, roll
* control foot heaters
* control defoggers, wipers
* monitor pilot's face and do image recognition to see if s/he's dozing
off
* act as radio for ATC and other communications
* provide verbal warnings for unorthodox maneuvers and suggestions for
improvement
* synthesized verbal training based on actual conditions
* synthesized verbal read-out of current local atmospheric conditions
* synthesized verbal read-out of forthcoming atmospheric conditions
20-miles out
* show 3-D map of all other aircraft in vicinity
* allow kids to play video game in back seats

I count at least 28 items. Some of them would be well above 99 pounds.

So that puts your system (before computer or displays) at 2800 pounds?

Humm.
--
Jim in NC

"Morgans" wrote in message
...

"Le Chaud Lapin" wrote


RFI is hyped. Everytime somone operaters a laptop
or PDA in an aircraft, the are generating RFI. And besides, it's
something that is easily dealt with.

I wish I could point right to the bit I just read recently, saying that
RFI
is *more* of an issue than was previously thought.
--
Jim in NC

I read or heard the same, and don't recall the source or precise date,
except that it had to do with use of "non transmitting" electronics (such as
laptops and PDAs) in the cabins of airliners and corporate jets.

Peter

"Peter Dohm" wrote

I read or heard the same, and don't recall the source or precise date,
except that it had to do with use of "non transmitting" electronics (such
as
laptops and PDAs) in the cabins of airliners and corporate jets.

Right.

Was it AvWeb?
--
Jim in NC