By vikino - 3/10/2024 12:08:26 PM
Any news on this?
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By Bouwair - 4/25/2024 12:12:20 PM
Hello Tim, Maybe not a lot of people are mentioning this, but i think a lot of people would like to have this. We would like the options for the G5 the gamin auto pilot and the AT-1 together with the setup for the radio.
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By vikino - 4/25/2024 5:06:31 PM
+xHello Tim, Maybe not a lot of people are mentioning this, but i think a lot of people would like to have this. We would like the options for the G5 the gamin auto pilot and the AT-1 together with the setup for the radio.
That exactly what i think too, and what i want to get...Then you dont have to feed g5 or any AP with gps like garmin aera...
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By Tim Dawson - 5/22/2024 1:36:08 PM
Would you expect SkyDemon to send GPRMB sentences only, or also synthesize GPRMC sentences and similar?
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By vikino - 5/27/2024 11:27:45 AM
+xWould you expect SkyDemon to send GPRMB sentences only, or also synthesize GPRMC sentences and similar? Wozld be great to have GPRMC too |
By vikino - 5/27/2024 9:23:18 PM
+xWould you expect SkyDemon to send GPRMB sentences only, or also synthesize GPRMC sentences and similar? GPRMC, GPRMB, GPGGA, and one of GPBOD or GPAPB |
By Tim Dawson - 5/28/2024 9:09:41 AM
That makes life harder, because usually we do not even have access to raw GPS sentences, so we would need to be creating those messages with synthesized information. Please email us through the contact form on our website, and ask for it to be forwarded to me, and we can continue this discussion offline. In due course I'll be able to make a beta available to you for testing purposes.
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By vikino - 7/30/2024 3:00:56 PM
+xHow strange that now we're focusing on exactly this development, nobody in this thread wishes to help. Hello tim, i did not received topic notifications, will dm you |
By vikino - 8/5/2024 4:21:43 PM
+x+xFrom what I've heard, people drive their Skyview autopilot from the Skyview itself, having transferred the SkyDemon route on to it.
I do not know that the Skyview autopilot can be disconnected from the Skyview and given commands by other software, but if it can, and it accepts those commands via RS232, then our solution might work. Yes, you send the SD route to SV via wifi connection from SV then, once on SV, it can drive autopilot etc. but what I'm referring to is effectively using SD as a navigation source into SV so any changes made in SD would be reflected real-time in SV. Perhaps my confusion but that is what I understood the BT connectivity would enable? Hi, SV is intended to use internal SV maps to drive AP, i have to look into manuals if it is possible to drive SV AP over RS232. This what will be in SD is meant to drive older Dynon APs, as well as Garmin AP with G5, stand-alone autopilots. There it will work real-time.
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By ph-crj - 8/20/2024 4:30:15 PM
Hi, I tested it today with this equipment: VAN's RV6 experimental, iPad mini 6, Skydemon 4.0.0.397, Blutooth->RS232 Adapter Bt578v3, TRIO Autopilot. It works perfectly !! :-)
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By mbechc - 8/21/2024 7:31:05 AM
I would like to sign up as beta tester if needed.
I have the Skyview Radio panel which is useless in Denmark with all our small grass-strips (Half the flying time is spend rotating for new freq) - I would simply be overjoyed to have Skydemon able to transmit frequencies to the remote radio unit and put tape over the Dynon radio panel. You just smashed it with this feature....
Secondly I transmit routes from Skydemon to FPL inside Skyview, but having the servoes run by Skydemon is also extremely valuable. The last stretch were we get landing information and select the landing pattern in Skydemon can now be flown by autopilot controlled by Skydemon as I seldom have time to transmit FLP to Skyview and select the right leg inside FPL menu in Skyview - this is also a killer feature.
Wow just wow I have bought the serial adaptor and are ready to test
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By Tim Dawson - 8/21/2024 9:17:31 AM
No need for more beta testing of these features as they went live earlier this week in our new version. SkyDemon 4 is out now and it includes sending of frequencies to radios, and course data to autopilots.
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By Bouwair - 8/21/2024 9:25:53 PM
Can anyone put some electrical drawings here for connecting a trig radio and a Garmin G5 and the Bluetooth->RS232 Adapter Bt578v3
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By Tim Dawson - 8/22/2024 8:20:06 AM
Do you need further information than what's in the user manual?
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By Tim Dawson - 6/12/2024 8:55:23 AM
How strange that now we're focusing on exactly this development, nobody in this thread wishes to help.
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By I_Need_Help - 8/22/2024 7:11:07 PM
Hi @Tim and everyone,
I'm working on building a Bluetooth to CAN bus interface and transforming the message, which isn't too challenging. However, as an iPhone user, I'm running into difficulties connecting to SkyDemon from a Bluetooth-enabled microcontroller.
My main question is: When SkyDemon starts scanning for devices, what exactly is it looking for? Is it expecting an RFCOMM or SPP connection via Classic Bluetooth, assumingly as a server? Or is it scanning for a specific GATT using BLE? It would be really helpful if someone familiar with the scanning and connection code in SkyDemon could clarify this.
Additionally, I've ordered one of the standalone converters that were mentioned earlier. Once it arrives, what configuration is necessary for it to connect properly?
Thanks in advance for any guidance!
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By Tim Dawson - 8/23/2024 9:30:52 AM
SkyDemon uses Bluetooth low energy (BLE). There's no pairing process, there's no SPP, it requires pretty much no configuration, so it's very easy.
BLE to RS232 has a defined service and characteristic UUID (one for each) which you should be able to find online.
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By Bouwair - 8/25/2024 9:36:33 PM
+xDo you need further information than what's in the user manual?
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By tmn_pilot - 8/26/2024 10:12:59 AM
Hi all
Great feature :-)
Can anyone confirm it is working on android devices?
I've tried on 3 different devices with different BLE versions, and SD were not able to discover any of my BLE devices.
Thomas
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By aerobatics500 - 8/26/2024 5:39:26 PM
+xHi, I tested it today with this equipment: VAN's RV6 experimental, iPad mini 6, Skydemon 4.0.0.397, Blutooth->RS232 Adapter Bt578v3, TRIO Autopilot. It works perfectly !! :-)
Can you please post make and model of the bluetooth adapter. I purchased a BT578V3 and it doesn't work with IOS. |
By ph-crj - 8/26/2024 8:04:47 PM
+xCan you please post make and model of the bluetooth adapter. I purchased a BT578V3 and it doesn't work with IOS. It don*t work with IOS, it work with skydemon on IOS !!! :-) You can not find a BLE-Device with native IOS. You must find and add it from Skydemon. (read Manual)
The IOS APP "Lightblue" can show BLE-Devices nearby (like Apple Airtags) Achim PS: I ordered my Bt578v3 from Aliexpress (found via google)
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By Laycom - 8/26/2024 8:12:27 PM
I have connected a DSD TECH HM-10 Bluetooth 4.0 BLE iBeacon UART module and can receive the "COM setting data" via RS232. This works really well.
Is there a list of supported radios and their data format? Now I'm faced with the problem of wanting to control a Becker AR 6201 radio. It has an RS-422 interface. It shouldn't be a problem to convert RS232 to RS422, but the data format is unknown. Can anyone help?
Thanks in advance Michael
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By Tim Dawson - 8/27/2024 8:59:31 AM
SkyDemon works great with BLE devices on iOS and Android, it has been tested extensively on both using the BT578 but others should work the same.
We don't have a list of radios that support the Garmin protocol that we use. Trig are definitely included.
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By Laycom - 8/27/2024 5:38:14 PM
+xSkyDemon works great with BLE devices on iOS and Android, it has been tested extensively on both using the BT578 but others should work the same.
We don't have a list of radios that support the Garmin protocol that we use. Trig are definitely included. Is there a documentation of the used Garmin protocol? As already mentioned, I would like to control a Becker AR6201. If it is a GARMIN protocol, can you also control a GNS 430 / 530 with it? Are there any experiences?
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By Tim Dawson - 8/28/2024 8:57:48 AM
Yes there is documentation out there. Search for Garmin GTR 225 installation manual and look for the PGRMC NMEA sentence.
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By vikino - 8/28/2024 12:25:15 PM
+x+xCan you please post make and model of the bluetooth adapter. I purchased a BT578V3 and it doesn't work with IOS. It don*t work with IOS, it work with skydemon on IOS !!! :-) You can not find a BLE-Device with native IOS. You must find and add it from Skydemon. (read Manual)
The IOS APP "Lightblue" can show BLE-Devices nearby (like Apple Airtags) Achim PS: I ordered my Bt578v3 from Aliexpress (found via google)
It works with iOS, tested with iPhone, iPad, as well Android devices, tablets, phones, 578 v3 without any single issue... Is your 578 correctly configured? It can me configured via RS232 from PC...
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By ph-crj - 8/28/2024 1:46:20 PM
+xIt works with iOS, tested with iPhone, iPad, as well Android devices, tablets, phones, 578 v3 without any single issue... Is your 578 correctly configured? It can me configured via RS232 from PC...
Yesterday my perfekt working installation went crasy. :-( The TRIO Pro Pilot only accepted the tracking Signal for a few 10 minutes. After resetting all in flight, the Autopilot tries to navigate me in the wrong direction. After another 10 minutes it lose again the Signal. The route was a "Reversed" original Route (back from Helgoland to Hildesheim)(PH-CRJ in FR24)
I will try it again next week. Achim
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By Kilo Lima - 8/28/2024 5:00:33 PM
Hi,
I’m wondering where you connect the 5v supply for the Bluetooth module in your aircraft?
Thanks!
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By grahamb - 8/28/2024 5:10:57 PM
+x+xIt works with iOS, tested with iPhone, iPad, as well Android devices, tablets, phones, 578 v3 without any single issue... Is your 578 correctly configured? It can me configured via RS232 from PC...
Yesterday my perfekt working installation went crasy. :-( The TRIO Pro Pilot only accepted the tracking Signal for a few 10 minutes. After resetting all in flight, the Autopilot tries to navigate me in the wrong direction. After another 10 minutes it lose again the Signal. The route was a "Reversed" original Route (back from Helgoland to Hildesheim)(PH-CRJ in FR24)
I will try it again next week. Achim
Caveat all those who wish to hand over control of an aircraft to uncertified avionics and software running on consumer electronics devices. |
By Laycom - 8/28/2024 6:26:11 PM
+xYes there is documentation out there. Search for Garmin GTR 225 installation manual and look for the PGRMC NMEA sentence. Got it. Thanks.
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By davemg - 8/29/2024 8:36:03 AM
I got a IRXON BT578 v3 and can connect to it with Skydemon. Tim, is it possible to make a change to allow both sending frequency to a radio and receiving GPS/Traffic using the same device?
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By Tim Dawson - 8/29/2024 8:53:45 AM
Maybe in the future. These things only cost around £15, so for the time being, just use more than one.
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By ph-crj - 8/29/2024 9:57:34 AM
+xCaveat all those who wish to hand over control of an aircraft to uncertified avionics and software running on consumer electronics devices. I have an uncertified engine and the uncertfied Version of the Garmin G5. My plane is an "Experimental" homemade RV6. ;-) I always have to be prepared, that the engine fall of the plane.... That is why skydemon refers to Avionics Engineers.
and
That is why it's good to be a certified pilot. Achim
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By I_Need_Help - 8/29/2024 9:08:32 PM
+xSkyDemon uses Bluetooth low energy (BLE). There's no pairing process, there's no SPP, it requires pretty much no configuration, so it's very easy.
BLE to RS232 has a defined service and characteristic UUID (one for each) which you should be able to find online.
Thanks Tim
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By aerobatics500 - 8/31/2024 8:27:16 AM
Hi,
has anyone tested it with a TruTrak AP? It requires NMEA0183 format.
regards Georg
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By PaulSS - 8/31/2024 8:35:48 AM
Since the Bluetooth to RS232 converter is accessed via SkyDemon, does that mean it is still possible to pair other devices with the Bluetooth function of an iPad? I'm thinking of something like sending the route to an autopilot (connected through SkyDemon) and having the iPad connected to a headset with Bluetooth connectivity (for SkyDemon audio) using the normal Bluetooth function.
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By aerobatics500 - 8/31/2024 1:18:28 PM
+xSince the Bluetooth to RS232 converter is accessed via SkyDemon, does that mean it is still possible to pair other devices with the Bluetooth function of an iPad? I'm thinking of something like sending the route to an autopilot (connected through SkyDemon) and having the iPad connected to a headset with Bluetooth connectivity (for SkyDemon audio) using the normal Bluetooth function. I have two bluetooth devices already connected to Skydemon. One for the AP and one for the Radio. |
By Kilo Lima - 9/3/2024 9:09:19 PM
+x+x+xHi,
I’m wondering where you connect the 5v supply for the Bluetooth module in your aircraft?
Thanks! Any idea please? Thanks for your help! That will depend on your aircraft type and what rules you operate under e,.g. certified, LAA or BMAA It’s a non certified aircraft equipped with a Rotax 912 engine. Easy to do some modifications under French experimental rules. |
By Kilo Lima - 9/3/2024 9:11:38 PM
+x+x+xHi,
I’m wondering where you connect the 5v supply for the Bluetooth module in your aircraft?
Thanks! Any idea please? Thanks for your help! That will depend on your aircraft type and what rules you operate under e,.g. certified, LAA or BMAA It’s an Experimental aircraft equipped with a Rotax 912. Easy to do some modifications under French rules. Thanks |
By Kilo Lima - 9/3/2024 9:14:07 PM
It’s a French experimental equipped with a Rotax 912. Easy to do some modifications under this French rules. Thanks
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By I_Need_Help - 9/4/2024 11:01:15 AM
I have had good results with these in past
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/193552404580?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=UdLxmPhjSYW&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=M5gVARi1SJS&var=493775050618&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Also many people also fit a 12v socket and use a car usb adaptor but get a good make or you may get noise!
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By Kilo Lima - 9/4/2024 3:24:23 PM
Ok, thank you for your help. I will investigate for a converter.
I think this is the only way to supply 5v to the Bluetooth module.
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By Kilo Lima - 9/4/2024 3:29:12 PM
Or perhaps it’s possible to find a 12v Bluetooth module???? |
By bsdchapman - 9/14/2024 10:51:58 AM
+xI have connected a DSD TECH HM-10 Bluetooth 4.0 BLE iBeacon UART module and can receive the "COM setting data" via RS232. This works really well.
Is there a list of supported radios and their data format? Now I'm faced with the problem of wanting to control a Becker AR 6201 radio. It has an RS-422 interface. It shouldn't be a problem to convert RS232 to RS422, but the data format is unknown. Can anyone help?
Thanks in advance Michael Michael, I'm trying to prevent the back of my panel looking like a PAW Classic... these wee units look far better for mounting. Can you confirm that they can output RS232 sentances for avionics? Are any resistors needed?
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By jekroth - 9/19/2024 9:04:27 PM
+xWell...
I have tested theese BT-RS232 modules a lot by my self, it works great with Dynon EFIS-D100 + AP74 autopilot and Trig TY96 COM radio, also without any issue with KRT2 COM radio. You just need to "match" baudrate to 4800 or 9600bps, that should do in this case SkyDemon, afterwards it works like a charm, no drop outs with Samsung tablets or my phone Samsung S23 Ultra. And all another BT to RS232 work in the same way like this one, all are in the phone as bluetooth com port, all this seems to me much easier and more stable than 3rd party devices which are connected over wifi. Not talking about that you kill your internal data sim when connected to wifi of "ADAHRS" and so on...
This will just work perfectly.
Btw., with this, you can go to compleete system, because when you connect to this serial converter also Garrecht TRX1500 (for example), you can use SkyDemon as traffic display - by using GTX TIS protocol over that single BT-RS232 module. In the same way i have it with Garmin AERA 760, but planning a route is terrible on that device, but Garmin has built in RS232...
+xNo, not until there is a device with widespread uptake in the community that we can actually develop with. We can't just "support Bluetooth" without a known device to develop and test with. I have now flown a bit with both radio and autopilot connected to each blue tooth unit, and it works perfectly. My experience is that it is easy to accidentally press a new radio frequency if the air is bumpy, so I have chosen that they end up in standby mode, therefore a request for a button to switch standby/active in skydemon, also a numeric keyboard in the radio tab would be good. the auto pilot has everything I could wish for |
By moefly - 9/22/2024 4:55:46 PM
All,
I was very excited when I read about the feature in the Skydemon release note, went right into ordering parts and figured I share the experience here.
Top 1 priority for me was to get the radio (f.u.n.k.e. ATR833-II) connected. So I designed a 3d case that perfectly fits on top of the original Sub-D connector housing and uses the existing screw holes (only needed slightly longer screws). Once mounted, it sits below the connector at the back of the radio and doesn't block anything else / basically uses the same space.
I decided to use a HM-18 BLE to serial module. It is very power efficient and therefore I could easily use the 5V the radio provides on the Sub-D connector. The HM-18 is outputting TTL serial, hence I added a MAX3232 converter to provide the proper RS232 levels the radio expects.
Put everything together and it worked right away. For me it's almost a killer feature in Skydemon as it makes my life so much more simple during flight.
A big thx to Tim and his team for adding this feature!
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By Tim Dawson - 9/24/2024 10:16:43 AM
Nicely done!
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By vikino - 9/24/2024 5:35:42 PM
Hello Tim, have you got any time schedule about programming ability to send AP+COM and receive traffic via single BT-RS232? Just to know if i should wire second BT device or you can get it to work in near future?
Vitek
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By Tim Dawson - 9/25/2024 10:23:55 AM
I can't commit to a time schedule, sorry. I need to re-engineer part of the Bluetooth stack before it will be practical, and that could be weeks or months.
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By Kilo Lima - 9/25/2024 7:44:55 PM
+xI can't commit to a time schedule, sorry. I need to re-engineer part of the Bluetooth stack before it will be practical, and that could be weeks or months. Hi Tim,
What feature can we expect regarding the traffic? For example : To send the traffic received from Safesky in SkyDemon to a Dynon Skyview (with a Bluetooth module connected)?
Thanks.
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By Tim Dawson - 9/26/2024 9:51:37 AM
You can connect a FLARM traffic receiver to SkyDemon via Bluetooth so that the traffic it receives is displayed in SkyDemon. That's the only relationship between traffic and Bluetooth.
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By Kilo Lima - 9/27/2024 10:12:51 PM
+xYou can connect a FLARM traffic receiver to SkyDemon via Bluetooth so that the traffic it receives is displayed in SkyDemon. That's the only relationship between traffic and Bluetooth. Thank you Tim.
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By AlexLFDP - 10/3/2024 7:02:09 AM
Hi all
If anybody is connecting the BT receiver to the TruTrak 385 autopilot, I would be interested to hear. It's currently getting GPS feed from an old and useless AvMap Geo Pilot II+ that I would like to replace It seems that it may need engineer from avionics specialist but I would like to do it myself (flying non certified) because from what I see on Skydemon manual, it seems pretty simple. Pins connecting to Ground on both side, Rx Pin on autopilot connecting to Tx on BT receiver. On Irxon BT578, pin 5 is Gd and 3 is Tx, and it can't be rewired. So it probably means to create a RS232 cable if rewired is needed on autopilot RS232. It may be better anyway to avoid plugging the BT receiver directly to the avionics (thinking that it may be a pain if anything has to be done on the receiver if not easily accessible). Any recommandation on the type of wire/cable to be used if needed (shield?)
thanks
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By tobi - 10/11/2024 5:18:54 AM
+xAll,
I was very excited when I read about the feature in the Skydemon release note, went right into ordering parts and figured I share the experience here.
Top 1 priority for me was to get the radio (f.u.n.k.e. ATR833-II) connected. So I designed a 3d case that perfectly fits on top of the original Sub-D connector housing and uses the existing screw holes (only needed slightly longer screws). Once mounted, it sits below the connector at the back of the radio and doesn't block anything else / basically uses the same space.
I decided to use a HM-18 BLE to serial module. It is very power efficient and therefore I could easily use the 5V the radio provides on the Sub-D connector. The HM-18 is outputting TTL serial, hence I added a MAX3232 converter to provide the proper RS232 levels the radio expects.
Put everything together and it worked right away. For me it's almost a killer feature in Skydemon as it makes my life so much more simple during flight.
A big thx to Tim and his team for adding this feature!
Hi moefly,
according to HM-18 datasheet the power supply voltage is from 1.9V to 3.7V. The ATR833 has 5V output. Do you use a voltage converter or do you just run out of specs?
Regards, Tobi
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By Pascal - 10/16/2024 4:54:09 PM
+x+xCan anyone confirm if the available protocols work with a Becker AR6201, and they have it working. No, it will not work by default.
First, some words about TTL and V24. The mentioned working transceivers (Garmin GTR 225, f.u.n.k.e. ATR833-II, Trig TY 91/96) have a RS-232 interface with V24 voltage level. This means serial transmission with logical low at -12V and high at +12 V (nearly...). The cheap BT-Modules (which work like a charm with the iPad) have TTL voltage level. (low at 0 V , high at + 5V). To connect it to your RS-232 transceiver you need a voltage level converter.
Something like this:
Now to Becker. The AR6201 has an RS-422 interface. RS-422 is electrically different to RS-232 (4 lines, current driven). But it isn't the main problem, there are many converter from TTL to RS-422 available.
The challenge is the implementation of a translator from NMEA (ASCII) PGRMC sentences to the in-house Becker protocol. I found an Open Source solution used in the LK8000:
There should be any information needed for such a piece of software... I can't wait to try it out when I can have an AR6201 outside of the plane.
Hello , i have spent some time trying the Irxon bluetooth dongle with an rs 485/422 converter wired up to my Becker Ar6201 (rx2+ to pin 2 tx 2+, tx2+ to pin 3 rx2+,rx2- to pin 9 tx2-, tx2- to pin 10 rx2-, pin 23 ground) .The dongle is recognized by skydemon, the chosen frequency is described as being sent but none of the radio settings in the Skydemon list (garmin,funke..)produces any result. The tandem box in the internal menu of the becker is checked on so it should recognize a remote. If have seen youtube videos of the radio accepting frequency changes from a |
By Laycom - 10/16/2024 7:52:23 PM
+x+x+xCan anyone confirm if the available protocols work with a Becker AR6201, and they have it working. No, it will not work by default.
First, some words about TTL and V24. The mentioned working transceivers (Garmin GTR 225, f.u.n.k.e. ATR833-II, Trig TY 91/96) have a RS-232 interface with V24 voltage level. This means serial transmission with logical low at -12V and high at +12 V (nearly...). The cheap BT-Modules (which work like a charm with the iPad) have TTL voltage level. (low at 0 V , high at + 5V). To connect it to your RS-232 transceiver you need a voltage level converter.
Something like this:
Now to Becker. The AR6201 has an RS-422 interface. RS-422 is electrically different to RS-232 (4 lines, current driven). But it isn't the main problem, there are many converter from TTL to RS-422 available.
The challenge is the implementation of a translator from NMEA (ASCII) PGRMC sentences to the in-house Becker protocol. I found an Open Source solution used in the LK8000:
There should be any information needed for such a piece of software... I can't wait to try it out when I can have an AR6201 outside of the plane.
Hello , i have spent some time trying the Irxon bluetooth dongle with an rs 485/422 converter wired up to my Becker Ar6201 (rx2+ to pin 2 tx 2+, tx2+ to pin 3 rx2+,rx2- to pin 9 tx2-, tx2- to pin 10 rx2-, pin 23 ground) .The dongle is recognized by skydemon, the chosen frequency is described as being sent but none of the radio settings in the Skydemon list (garmin,funke..)produces any result. The tandem box in the internal menu of the becker is checked on so it should recognize a remote. If have seen youtube videos of the radio accepting frequency changes from a
Even if you can communicate with the AR6201 via a converter (RS-232 <-> RS-422), the device does not understand the commands.I'm working on it.
Please confirm that you are interested in a solution. The more interested parties, the better.
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By Pascal - 10/17/2024 3:06:44 PM
+x+x+x+xCan anyone confirm if the available protocols work with a Becker AR6201, and they have it working. No, it will not work by default.
First, some words about TTL and V24. The mentioned working transceivers (Garmin GTR 225, f.u.n.k.e. ATR833-II, Trig TY 91/96) have a RS-232 interface with V24 voltage level. This means serial transmission with logical low at -12V and high at +12 V (nearly...). The cheap BT-Modules (which work like a charm with the iPad) have TTL voltage level. (low at 0 V , high at + 5V). To connect it to your RS-232 transceiver you need a voltage level converter.
Something like this:
Now to Becker. The AR6201 has an RS-422 interface. RS-422 is electrically different to RS-232 (4 lines, current driven). But it isn't the main problem, there are many converter from TTL to RS-422 available.
The challenge is the implementation of a translator from NMEA (ASCII) PGRMC sentences to the in-house Becker protocol. I found an Open Source solution used in the LK8000:
There should be any information needed for such a piece of software... I can't wait to try it out when I can have an AR6201 outside of the plane.
Hello , i have spent some time trying the Irxon bluetooth dongle with an rs 485/422 converter wired up to my Becker Ar6201 (rx2+ to pin 2 tx 2+, tx2+ to pin 3 rx2+,rx2- to pin 9 tx2-, tx2- to pin 10 rx2-, pin 23 ground) .The dongle is recognized by skydemon, the chosen frequency is described as being sent but none of the radio settings in the Skydemon list (garmin,funke..)produces any result. The tandem box in the internal menu of the becker is checked on so it should recognize a remote. If have seen youtube videos of the radio accepting frequency changes from a As I mentioned before, Becker has its own protocol, nothing like NMEA (ASCII) PGRMC sets. You need to translate the output/input into Becker language. A separate controller with translation software is required. Even if you can communicate with the AR6201 via a converter (RS-232 <-> RS-422), the device does not understand the commands. I'm working on it.
Please confirm that you are interested in a solution. The more interested parties, the better.
Becker does offer its own rs232 to rs 422 converter (available for 180£ from Mendelsson…) I don’t know if this includes a “translator” inside. There are a least 2 pilots in my club who would be interested in a solution but we are both useless at programing😇 |
By Pascal - 10/17/2024 3:10:02 PM
+x+x+x+xCan anyone confirm if the available protocols work with a Becker AR6201, and they have it working. No, it will not work by default.
First, some words about TTL and V24. The mentioned working transceivers (Garmin GTR 225, f.u.n.k.e. ATR833-II, Trig TY 91/96) have a RS-232 interface with V24 voltage level. This means serial transmission with logical low at -12V and high at +12 V (nearly...). The cheap BT-Modules (which work like a charm with the iPad) have TTL voltage level. (low at 0 V , high at + 5V). To connect it to your RS-232 transceiver you need a voltage level converter.
Something like this:
Now to Becker. The AR6201 has an RS-422 interface. RS-422 is electrically different to RS-232 (4 lines, current driven). But it isn't the main problem, there are many converter from TTL to RS-422 available.
The challenge is the implementation of a translator from NMEA (ASCII) PGRMC sentences to the in-house Becker protocol. I found an Open Source solution used in the LK8000:
There should be any information needed for such a piece of software... I can't wait to try it out when I can have an AR6201 outside of the plane.
Hello , i have spent some time trying the Irxon bluetooth dongle with an rs 485/422 converter wired up to my Becker Ar6201 (rx2+ to pin 2 tx 2+, tx2+ to pin 3 rx2+,rx2- to pin 9 tx2-, tx2- to pin 10 rx2-, pin 23 ground) .The dongle is recognized by skydemon, the chosen frequency is described as being sent but none of the radio settings in the Skydemon list (garmin,funke..)produces any result. The tandem box in the internal menu of the becker is checked on so it should recognize a remote. If have seen youtube videos of the radio accepting frequency changes from a As I mentioned before, Becker has its own protocol, nothing like NMEA (ASCII) PGRMC sets. You need to translate the output/input into Becker language. A separate controller with translation software is required. Even if you can communicate with the AR6201 via a converter (RS-232 <-> RS-422), the device does not understand the commands. I'm working on it.
Please confirm that you are interested in a solution. The more interested parties, the better.
What shape or form would a Becker “Translator” take? Lines of code from Skydemon or a third-party device inserted in the chain between bluetooth dongle,converter and radio? Just curious.The question might sound stupid but I am more at home with engines and wiring |
By Laycom - 10/17/2024 7:09:35 PM
+x+x+x+x+xCan anyone confirm if the available protocols work with a Becker AR6201, and they have it working. No, it will not work by default.
First, some words about TTL and V24. The mentioned working transceivers (Garmin GTR 225, f.u.n.k.e. ATR833-II, Trig TY 91/96) have a RS-232 interface with V24 voltage level. This means serial transmission with logical low at -12V and high at +12 V (nearly...). The cheap BT-Modules (which work like a charm with the iPad) have TTL voltage level. (low at 0 V , high at + 5V). To connect it to your RS-232 transceiver you need a voltage level converter.
Something like this:
Now to Becker. The AR6201 has an RS-422 interface. RS-422 is electrically different to RS-232 (4 lines, current driven). But it isn't the main problem, there are many converter from TTL to RS-422 available.
The challenge is the implementation of a translator from NMEA (ASCII) PGRMC sentences to the in-house Becker protocol. I found an Open Source solution used in the LK8000:
There should be any information needed for such a piece of software... I can't wait to try it out when I can have an AR6201 outside of the plane.
Hello , i have spent some time trying the Irxon bluetooth dongle with an rs 485/422 converter wired up to my Becker Ar6201 (rx2+ to pin 2 tx 2+, tx2+ to pin 3 rx2+,rx2- to pin 9 tx2-, tx2- to pin 10 rx2-, pin 23 ground) .The dongle is recognized by skydemon, the chosen frequency is described as being sent but none of the radio settings in the Skydemon list (garmin,funke..)produces any result. The tandem box in the internal menu of the becker is checked on so it should recognize a remote. If have seen youtube videos of the radio accepting frequency changes from a As I mentioned before, Becker has its own protocol, nothing like NMEA (ASCII) PGRMC sets. You need to translate the output/input into Becker language. A separate controller with translation software is required. Even if you can communicate with the AR6201 via a converter (RS-232 <-> RS-422), the device does not understand the commands. I'm working on it.
Please confirm that you are interested in a solution. The more interested parties, the better.
Becker does offer its own rs232 to rs 422 converter (available for 180£ from Mendelsson…) I don’t know if this includes a “translator” inside. There are a least 2 pilots in my club who would be interested in a solution but we are both useless at programing😇
I would guess it's only the hardware converter (on ebay a few bugs). The newly emerged problem with the PGRMC sentences is also new for Becker.
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By Laycom - 10/17/2024 7:28:49 PM
+x+x+x+x+xCan anyone confirm if the available protocols work with a Becker AR6201, and they have it working. No, it will not work by default.
First, some words about TTL and V24. The mentioned working transceivers (Garmin GTR 225, f.u.n.k.e. ATR833-II, Trig TY 91/96) have a RS-232 interface with V24 voltage level. This means serial transmission with logical low at -12V and high at +12 V (nearly...). The cheap BT-Modules (which work like a charm with the iPad) have TTL voltage level. (low at 0 V , high at + 5V). To connect it to your RS-232 transceiver you need a voltage level converter.
Something like this:
Now to Becker. The AR6201 has an RS-422 interface. RS-422 is electrically different to RS-232 (4 lines, current driven). But it isn't the main problem, there are many converter from TTL to RS-422 available.
The challenge is the implementation of a translator from NMEA (ASCII) PGRMC sentences to the in-house Becker protocol. I found an Open Source solution used in the LK8000:
There should be any information needed for such a piece of software... I can't wait to try it out when I can have an AR6201 outside of the plane.
Hello , i have spent some time trying the Irxon bluetooth dongle with an rs 485/422 converter wired up to my Becker Ar6201 (rx2+ to pin 2 tx 2+, tx2+ to pin 3 rx2+,rx2- to pin 9 tx2-, tx2- to pin 10 rx2-, pin 23 ground) .The dongle is recognized by skydemon, the chosen frequency is described as being sent but none of the radio settings in the Skydemon list (garmin,funke..)produces any result. The tandem box in the internal menu of the becker is checked on so it should recognize a remote. If have seen youtube videos of the radio accepting frequency changes from a As I mentioned before, Becker has its own protocol, nothing like NMEA (ASCII) PGRMC sets. You need to translate the output/input into Becker language. A separate controller with translation software is required. Even if you can communicate with the AR6201 via a converter (RS-232 <-> RS-422), the device does not understand the commands. I'm working on it.
Please confirm that you are interested in a solution. The more interested parties, the better.
What shape or form would a Becker “Translator” take? Lines of code from Skydemon or a third-party device inserted in the chain between bluetooth dongle,converter and radio? Just curious.The question might sound stupid but I am more at home with engines and wiring Well, it depends ;-)) If Skydemon could add this type of device in his software it would be the smartest solution. Tim, are you listening?
If not, there is a piece of hardware needed. At one end the BT-Dongle, in between a small microcontroller with the translator and at the other end a RS-422 interface. This unit could be shrinked down to the size of a matchbox.
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By Tim Dawson - 10/18/2024 8:42:53 AM
Yes, we are willing to add support for Becker radios if someone can help us with the protocol and testing of the feature. Just get in touch with me via customer support (Michael) and we can talk about it.
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By Laycom - 11/4/2024 10:08:30 PM
+xYes, we are willing to add support for Becker radios if someone can help us with the protocol and testing of the feature. Just get in touch with me via customer support (Michael) and we can talk about it. |
By jekroth - 11/15/2024 3:07:38 PM
+xNo, not until there is a device with widespread uptake in the community that we can actually develop with. We can't just "support Bluetooth" without a known device to develop and test with.
Hello I have connected 1 bluetooth device to Funke radio and Dynon autopilot. It works great with Android but doesn't work with iPhone. With iphone you have to choose radio or Ap. Did we miss something or does it not work to control both with the iPhone. Is there anything that solves this? or should I mount 2 bluetooth units one yill radio and the other for AP
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By Laycom - 11/16/2024 6:03:54 PM
Thanks to Tim there is now an Android beta with support of the Becker AR6201 protocol.
Here is my solution to connect a BLE device to the Becker AR6201 radio:
Bill of material:
DSD TECH HM-10 Bluetooth 4.0 BLE iBeacon UART Modul mit 4 PIN Base Board für Arduino UNO R3 Mega 2560 Nano
RS422 MAX490 Mutual Transfer Full-duplex TTL Bi-directional Signal Module DC 5V
AMS1117 DC-DC Step Down Voltage Converter 6V - 12V to 5V
Minifuse 125 mA
My BLE to AR620x housing Please contact me for STL-files, if needed.
The schematic of the circuit is attached.
Please note this is only for 12 V bus voltage, and ONLY for experimental use!!!
Cheers!
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By norland - 11/18/2024 1:47:09 PM
Excellent to see support coming for the Becker, Winter project ahead! Well done for the work tracking down the protocol.
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By flying_john - 11/18/2024 6:29:58 PM
When this is used to send a frequency(channel) to the radio, how do you choose between standby or active frequency when you choose a new frequency in SD.
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By Laycom - 11/18/2024 8:29:57 PM
+xWhen this is used to send a frequency(channel) to the radio, how do you choose between standby or active frequency when you choose a new frequency in SD.
When setting up a new BLE device, you need to select the function you want to control. Autopilot, radio or whatever comes next. If you select radio you can determine whether you want to set the active or standby frequency. I prefer to set the standby frequency. You can set it via the tablet, check it again and then activate it manually. I hope this helps.
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By Laycom - 11/18/2024 8:44:51 PM
+x+xNo, not until there is a device with widespread uptake in the community that we can actually develop with. We can't just "support Bluetooth" without a known device to develop and test with. Hello I have connected 1 bluetooth device to Funke radio and Dynon autopilot. It works great with Android but doesn't work with iPhone. With iphone you have to choose radio or Ap. Did we miss something or does it not work to control both with the iPhone. Is there anything that solves this? or should I mount 2 bluetooth units one yill radio and the other for AP
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By vikino - 11/23/2024 11:20:57 AM
+x+x+xNo, not until there is a device with widespread uptake in the community that we can actually develop with. We can't just "support Bluetooth" without a known device to develop and test with. Hello I have connected 1 bluetooth device to Funke radio and Dynon autopilot. It works great with Android but doesn't work with iPhone. With iphone you have to choose radio or Ap. Did we miss something or does it not work to control both with the iPhone. Is there anything that solves this? or should I mount 2 bluetooth units one yill radio and the other for AP
I'm not sure I understood you correctly, you only connected ONE bluetooth device to the Funke radio AND to the Dynon autopilot? How did you do that? Yes, i have on one IRXON Trig radio and Dynon AP... Just use the same RS232 wire for both... |
By Laycom - 11/23/2024 3:10:34 PM
+x+x+x+xNo, not until there is a device with widespread uptake in the community that we can actually develop with. We can't just "support Bluetooth" without a known device to develop and test with. Hello I have connected 1 bluetooth device to Funke radio and Dynon autopilot. It works great with Android but doesn't work with iPhone. With iphone you have to choose radio or Ap. Did we miss something or does it not work to control both with the iPhone. Is there anything that solves this? or should I mount 2 bluetooth units one yill radio and the other for AP
I'm not sure I understood you correctly, you only connected ONE bluetooth device to the Funke radio AND to the Dynon autopilot? How did you do that? Yes, i have on one IRXON Trig radio and Dynon AP... Just use the same RS232 wire for both... This workaround is called multidrop. This only works if there is ONE transmitter and multiple receivers. The recipients all receive the same data packets and discard those they do not understand. As soon as the receivers also have to react, this concept with RS232 fails. Devices transmitting at the same time lead to collisions. The transmission becomes unreadable. I believe SD has only sent over BLE so far. Some devices, e.g. the Becker AR6201 also need to send data to SD, and then multidrop will fail. I assume that each controlled device has to use its own BLE. Maybe Tim can say something about that?
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By vikino - 11/24/2024 1:43:26 PM
+x+x+x+x+xNo, not until there is a device with widespread uptake in the community that we can actually develop with. We can't just "support Bluetooth" without a known device to develop and test with. Hello I have connected 1 bluetooth device to Funke radio and Dynon autopilot. It works great with Android but doesn't work with iPhone. With iphone you have to choose radio or Ap. Did we miss something or does it not work to control both with the iPhone. Is there anything that solves this? or should I mount 2 bluetooth units one yill radio and the other for AP
I'm not sure I understood you correctly, you only connected ONE bluetooth device to the Funke radio AND to the Dynon autopilot? How did you do that? Yes, i have on one IRXON Trig radio and Dynon AP... Just use the same RS232 wire for both... This workaround is called multidrop. This only works if there is ONE transmitter and multiple receivers. The recipients all receive the same data packets and discard those they do not understand. As soon as the receivers also have to react, this concept with RS232 fails. Devices transmitting at the same time lead to collisions. The transmission becomes unreadable. I believe SD has only sent over BLE so far. Some devices, e.g. the Becker AR6201 also need to send data to SD, and then multidrop will fail. I assume that each controlled device has to use its own BLE. Maybe Tim can say something about that? If becker needs to send back (dont understand why, because it should only receive freq from SD, bi direction is used on glass cockpits when you control com via display and you need to see tuned freq im case that you tune freq manually on radio, this is not feature in SD, so no need to com back from radio), and if, then its still not an issue, because AP only receives, so the TX line from IRXON goes to becker and AP and TX from becker to RX irxon, there will be still only one bidirectional device... |
By Laycom - 11/24/2024 6:00:06 PM
+x+x+x+x+x+xNo, not until there is a device with widespread uptake in the community that we can actually develop with. We can't just "support Bluetooth" without a known device to develop and test with. Hello I have connected 1 bluetooth device to Funke radio and Dynon autopilot. It works great with Android but doesn't work with iPhone. With iphone you have to choose radio or Ap. Did we miss something or does it not work to control both with the iPhone. Is there anything that solves this? or should I mount 2 bluetooth units one yill radio and the other for AP
I'm not sure I understood you correctly, you only connected ONE bluetooth device to the Funke radio AND to the Dynon autopilot? How did you do that? Yes, i have on one IRXON Trig radio and Dynon AP... Just use the same RS232 wire for both... This workaround is called multidrop. This only works if there is ONE transmitter and multiple receivers. The recipients all receive the same data packets and discard those they do not understand. As soon as the receivers also have to react, this concept with RS232 fails. Devices transmitting at the same time lead to collisions. The transmission becomes unreadable. I believe SD has only sent over BLE so far. Some devices, e.g. the Becker AR6201 also need to send data to SD, and then multidrop will fail. I assume that each controlled device has to use its own BLE. Maybe Tim can say something about that? If becker needs to send back (dont understand why, because it should only receive freq from SD, bi direction is used on glass cockpits when you control com via display and you need to see tuned freq im case that you tune freq manually on radio, this is not feature in SD, so no need to com back from radio), and if, then its still not an issue, because AP only receives, so the TX line from IRXON goes to becker and AP and TX from becker to RX irxon, there will be still only one bidirectional device... Becker can only control both frequencies in one command, so you need to know which frequency is tuned in the other channel. You have to read the status of the device constantly. And that creates traffic to SD. 2 Becker radios on one BLE device definitely doesn't work. But I think Tim should say something about this...whether he allows such a configuration or not.
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By Tim Dawson - 11/25/2024 3:51:01 PM
Our new 4.0.1 version allows the TX part of the Bluetooth configuration to be connected to both a radio (so frequencies can be sent) and autopilot (so course data can be sent). In future, my goal is to allow the same Bluetooth device to also act as a GPS/traffic receiver through the RX part, but that cannot currently be done, you need two Bluetooth devices in this case.
As Michael says, as soon as a device needs bidirectional communication - as the Becker radios do - this concept will not work.
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By vikino - 11/27/2024 7:35:20 AM
+xOur new 4.0.1 version allows the TX part of the Bluetooth configuration to be connected to both a radio (so frequencies can be sent) and autopilot (so course data can be sent). In future, my goal is to allow the same Bluetooth device to also act as a GPS/traffic receiver through the RX part, but that cannot currently be done, you need two Bluetooth devices in this case.
As Michael says, as soon as a device needs bidirectional communication - as the Becker radios do - this concept will not work. Yes, it will not work in setup like: one bt device, ap, traffic and becker, but setup: one bt device, ap and becker will work... |
By Lidders - 11/27/2024 8:16:33 PM
+x+x+x+xAll,
I was very excited when I read about the feature in the Skydemon release note, went right into ordering parts and figured I share the experience here.
Top 1 priority for me was to get the radio (f.u.n.k.e. ATR833-II) connected. So I designed a 3d case that perfectly fits on top of the original Sub-D connector housing and uses the existing screw holes (only needed slightly longer screws). Once mounted, it sits below the connector at the back of the radio and doesn't block anything else / basically uses the same space.
I decided to use a HM-18 BLE to serial module. It is very power efficient and therefore I could easily use the 5V the radio provides on the Sub-D connector. The HM-18 is outputting TTL serial, hence I added a MAX3232 converter to provide the proper RS232 levels the radio expects.
Put everything together and it worked right away. For me it's almost a killer feature in Skydemon as it makes my life so much more simple during flight.
A big thx to Tim and his team for adding this feature!
Hi moefly,
according to HM-18 datasheet the power supply voltage is from 1.9V to 3.7V. The ATR833 has 5V output. Do you use a voltage converter or do you just run out of specs?
Regards, Tobi
The same module is on Amazon uk for £12, it says Vcc is 3.6V to 6.0V. You're right. Thanks for the response. Even on DSD Tech homepage you'll find: Work voltage（VCC）: 3.6V to 6V TTL logic level (TX, RX): 3.3V But on the linked datasheet you'll read: Power: +1.9~3.7 VDC 50mA I'll just try it.
Thanks, Tobi
TTL logic level (TX, RX): 3.3V
I think the confusion stems from the fact that the bluetooth module is actually one pcb on top of another. The base pcb has a 5v to 3.3v regulator to supply power to the upper module which is 3.3v only. So 5v should work just fine.
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By jekroth - 12/6/2024 8:36:23 PM
+x+x+xNo, not until there is a device with widespread uptake in the community that we can actually develop with. We can't just "support Bluetooth" without a known device to develop and test with. Hello I have connected 1 bluetooth device to Funke radio and Dynon autopilot. It works great with Android but doesn't work with iPhone. With iphone you have to choose radio or Ap. Did we miss something or does it not work to control both with the iPhone. Is there anything that solves this? or should I mount 2 bluetooth units one yill radio and the other for AP
I'm not sure I understood you correctly, you only connected ONE bluetooth device to the Funke radio AND to the Dynon autopilot? How did you do that? Yes with Y cable. It works perfectly with Android, but with Iphone it only works to control one device |
By jekroth - 12/6/2024 8:46:26 PM
+xOur new 4.0.1 version allows the TX part of the Bluetooth configuration to be connected to both a radio (so frequencies can be sent) and autopilot (so course data can be sent). In future, my goal is to allow the same Bluetooth device to also act as a GPS/traffic receiver through the RX part, but that cannot currently be done, you need two Bluetooth devices in this case.
As Michael says, as soon as a device needs bidirectional communication - as the Becker radios do - this concept will not work. i got it working with android but not with iphone. is that what is fixed in the current beta |
By jekroth - 12/6/2024 8:49:02 PM
+x+xOur new 4.0.1 version allows the TX part of the Bluetooth configuration to be connected to both a radio (so frequencies can be sent) and autopilot (so course data can be sent). In future, my goal is to allow the same Bluetooth device to also act as a GPS/traffic receiver through the RX part, but that cannot currently be done, you need two Bluetooth devices in this case.
As Michael says, as soon as a device needs bidirectional communication - as the Becker radios do - this concept will not work. i got it working with android but not with iphone. is that what is fixed in the current beta is it possible to opt out of navaids in the radio tab. |
By Laycom - 12/15/2024 7:38:39 PM
+xThanks to Tim there is now an Android beta with support of the Becker AR6201 protocol.
Here is my solution to connect a BLE device to the Becker AR6201 radio:
Bill of material:
DSD TECH HM-10 Bluetooth 4.0 BLE iBeacon UART Modul mit 4 PIN Base Board für Arduino UNO R3 Mega 2560 Nano
RS422 MAX490 Mutual Transfer Full-duplex TTL Bi-directional Signal Module DC 5V
AMS1117 DC-DC Step Down Voltage Converter 6V - 12V to 5V
Minifuse 125 mA
My BLE to AR620x housing Please contact me for STL-files, if needed.
The schematic of the circuit is attached.
Please note this is only for 12 V bus voltage, and ONLY for experimental use!!!
Cheers!
But you can make the adapter yourself as described above.
If you don't know much about electronics, soldering and 3D printing, I'll do it for you. No large quantities, just one handmade piece at a time. The adapter fits directly onto the free connection of your Becker AR620x. All that is required is a power connection (+12 V, GND) - no further mechanical work.I guess 70-90 bugs is enough for one unit.
Please note: THIS IS 12 V EXPERIMEMTAL ONLY! ... but will work like a charme...
Cheers! |
By ALSL-Flyer - 12/15/2024 8:50:32 PM
+x+xThanks to Tim there is now an Android beta with support of the Becker AR6201 protocol.
Here is my solution to connect a BLE device to the Becker AR6201 radio:
Bill of material:
DSD TECH HM-10 Bluetooth 4.0 BLE iBeacon UART Modul mit 4 PIN Base Board für Arduino UNO R3 Mega 2560 Nano
RS422 MAX490 Mutual Transfer Full-duplex TTL Bi-directional Signal Module DC 5V
AMS1117 DC-DC Step Down Voltage Converter 6V - 12V to 5V
Minifuse 125 mA
My BLE to AR620x housing Please contact me for STL-files, if needed.
The schematic of the circuit is attached.
Please note this is only for 12 V bus voltage, and ONLY for experimental use!!!
Cheers! I have the next AR620x adapter ready. It looks like this is becoming a business model for some people... But you can make the adapter yourself as described above. If you don't know much about electronics, soldering and 3D printing, I'll do it for you. No large quantities, just one handmade piece at a time. The adapter fits directly onto the free connection of your Becker AR620x. All that is required is a power connection (+12 V, GND) - no further mechanical work. I guess 70-90 bugs is enough for one unit.
Please note: THIS IS 12 V EXPERIMEMTAL ONLY! ... but will work like a charme...
Cheers! |
By Laycom - 12/15/2024 9:16:39 PM
+x+x+xThanks to Tim there is now an Android beta with support of the Becker AR6201 protocol.
Here is my solution to connect a BLE device to the Becker AR6201 radio:
Bill of material:
DSD TECH HM-10 Bluetooth 4.0 BLE iBeacon UART Modul mit 4 PIN Base Board für Arduino UNO R3 Mega 2560 Nano
RS422 MAX490 Mutual Transfer Full-duplex TTL Bi-directional Signal Module DC 5V
AMS1117 DC-DC Step Down Voltage Converter 6V - 12V to 5V
Minifuse 125 mA
My BLE to AR620x housing Please contact me for STL-files, if needed.
The schematic of the circuit is attached.
Please note this is only for 12 V bus voltage, and ONLY for experimental use!!!
Cheers! I have the next AR620x adapter ready. It looks like this is becoming a business model for some people... But you can make the adapter yourself as described above. If you don't know much about electronics, soldering and 3D printing, I'll do it for you. No large quantities, just one handmade piece at a time. The adapter fits directly onto the free connection of your Becker AR620x. All that is required is a power connection (+12 V, GND) - no further mechanical work. I guess 70-90 bugs is enough for one unit.
Please note: THIS IS 12 V EXPERIMEMTAL ONLY! ... but will work like a charme...
Cheers! Michael, this looks like a perfect solution! Great! You fixed the connector with the slider - could you please share the source for this slider?
Amphenol Conec 165X11299XE You will need the slider, the spring and 4 of 6 screws.
https://www.digikey.de/de/products/detail/amphenol-conec/165X11299XE/1017451?srsltid=AfmBOoqFji0EENN9MVwPm7CfNOq5eAT4pUIFHrqCrk8X-L_AZz48RMad
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By ALSL-Flyer - 12/16/2024 9:56:53 PM
+x+x+x+xThanks to Tim there is now an Android beta with support of the Becker AR6201 protocol.
Here is my solution to connect a BLE device to the Becker AR6201 radio:
Bill of material:
DSD TECH HM-10 Bluetooth 4.0 BLE iBeacon UART Modul mit 4 PIN Base Board für Arduino UNO R3 Mega 2560 Nano
RS422 MAX490 Mutual Transfer Full-duplex TTL Bi-directional Signal Module DC 5V
AMS1117 DC-DC Step Down Voltage Converter 6V - 12V to 5V
Minifuse 125 mA
My BLE to AR620x housing Please contact me for STL-files, if needed.
The schematic of the circuit is attached.
Please note this is only for 12 V bus voltage, and ONLY for experimental use!!!
Cheers! I have the next AR620x adapter ready. It looks like this is becoming a business model for some people... But you can make the adapter yourself as described above. If you don't know much about electronics, soldering and 3D printing, I'll do it for you. No large quantities, just one handmade piece at a time. The adapter fits directly onto the free connection of your Becker AR620x. All that is required is a power connection (+12 V, GND) - no further mechanical work. I guess 70-90 bugs is enough for one unit.
Please note: THIS IS 12 V EXPERIMEMTAL ONLY! ... but will work like a charme...
Cheers! Michael, this looks like a perfect solution! Great! You fixed the connector with the slider - could you please share the source for this slider?
Amphenol Conec 165X11299XE You will need the slider, the spring and 4 of 6 screws.
https://www.digikey.de/de/products/detail/amphenol-conec/165X11299XE/1017451?srsltid=AfmBOoqFji0EENN9MVwPm7CfNOq5eAT4pUIFHrqCrk8X-L_AZz48RMad Michael, thanks a lot, especially that you forwarded the exact type number was extremely helpful. At "Voelkner" we get the housing for less than 5€. Great!! |
By Laycom - 12/17/2024 9:32:27 PM
For those who don't want to tinker:
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By paul.milling@outlook.com - 12/18/2024 2:47:54 PM
Hi Tim Great that we can now send com frequency from the radio page in Skydemon. Would it also be possible to add functionality to be able to key a frequency in and send it to the radio. Say an additional selection within the radio menu which brings up a keypad similar to below?
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By Tim Dawson - 3/11/2024 10:37:15 AM
No news at the moment. It simply isn't something that is requested a great deal, so at the moment we are busy on other things.
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By Tim Dawson - 9/2/2024 9:54:50 AM
That should work just fine Paul. You can have virtually any number of Bluetooth devices connected.
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By PaulSS - 9/2/2024 2:21:03 PM
Thanks Tim. I think Bluetooth gets a bit antsy when it comes to multiple audio devices but one audio + a couple of BT to RS232 dongles sounds like a good plan.
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By I_Need_Help - 9/2/2024 3:28:07 PM
+xSkyDemon uses Bluetooth low energy (BLE). There's no pairing process, there's no SPP, it requires pretty much no configuration, so it's very easy.
BLE to RS232 has a defined service and characteristic UUID (one for each) which you should be able to find online. @Tim there doesn't seem to be a defined BLE serial UUID, only for classic BT. Could you point me to the UUID serial spec you are using?
We can see our device in SkyDemon and it connects but then complains about the service.
Many thanks
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By I_Need_Help - 9/2/2024 7:55:39 PM
+x+xSkyDemon uses Bluetooth low energy (BLE). There's no pairing process, there's no SPP, it requires pretty much no configuration, so it's very easy.
BLE to RS232 has a defined service and characteristic UUID (one for each) which you should be able to find online. @Tim there doesn't seem to be a defined BLE serial UUID, only for classic BT. Could you point me to the UUID serial spec you are using?
We can see our device in SkyDemon and it connects but then complains about the service.
Many thanks
It’s our understanding that the client device would normally look for write and notify permissions on one or more of the characteristics. We can connect other software (the python ble-serial module for example) to our device and communicate with it as if it were a serial port adapter. Our device is currently providing a characteristic with UUID 0xFFE1 (0000ffe1-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb) with WRITE, WRITE_WITHOUT_RESPONSE and NOFIFY permissions.
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By Kilo Lima - 9/3/2024 9:12:11 AM
+xHi,
I’m wondering where you connect the 5v supply for the Bluetooth module in your aircraft?
Thanks! Any idea please? Thanks for your help! |
By I_Need_Help - 9/3/2024 9:15:58 AM
+x+xHi,
I’m wondering where you connect the 5v supply for the Bluetooth module in your aircraft?
Thanks! Any idea please? Thanks for your help! That will depend on your aircraft type and what rules you operate under e,.g. certified, LAA or BMAA |
By Tim Dawson - 9/3/2024 9:19:57 AM
I_Need_Help
Once we connect to the device the first thing we do is list its services, and look for the one matching FFE0. If we don't find it, that's when the connection will be aborted with "No serial port service found.".
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By norland - 9/3/2024 11:37:27 AM
Can anyone confirm if the available protocols work with a Becker AR6201, and they have it working.
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By norland - 10/12/2024 2:33:33 PM
+x+xAll,
I was very excited when I read about the feature in the Skydemon release note, went right into ordering parts and figured I share the experience here.
Top 1 priority for me was to get the radio (f.u.n.k.e. ATR833-II) connected. So I designed a 3d case that perfectly fits on top of the original Sub-D connector housing and uses the existing screw holes (only needed slightly longer screws). Once mounted, it sits below the connector at the back of the radio and doesn't block anything else / basically uses the same space.
I decided to use a HM-18 BLE to serial module. It is very power efficient and therefore I could easily use the 5V the radio provides on the Sub-D connector. The HM-18 is outputting TTL serial, hence I added a MAX3232 converter to provide the proper RS232 levels the radio expects.
Put everything together and it worked right away. For me it's almost a killer feature in Skydemon as it makes my life so much more simple during flight.
A big thx to Tim and his team for adding this feature!
Hi moefly,
according to HM-18 datasheet the power supply voltage is from 1.9V to 3.7V. The ATR833 has 5V output. Do you use a voltage converter or do you just run out of specs?
Regards, Tobi
The same module is on Amazon uk for £12, it says Vcc is 3.6V to 6.0V. |
By tobi - 10/13/2024 9:39:28 AM
+x+x+xAll,
I was very excited when I read about the feature in the Skydemon release note, went right into ordering parts and figured I share the experience here.
Top 1 priority for me was to get the radio (f.u.n.k.e. ATR833-II) connected. So I designed a 3d case that perfectly fits on top of the original Sub-D connector housing and uses the existing screw holes (only needed slightly longer screws). Once mounted, it sits below the connector at the back of the radio and doesn't block anything else / basically uses the same space.
I decided to use a HM-18 BLE to serial module. It is very power efficient and therefore I could easily use the 5V the radio provides on the Sub-D connector. The HM-18 is outputting TTL serial, hence I added a MAX3232 converter to provide the proper RS232 levels the radio expects.
Put everything together and it worked right away. For me it's almost a killer feature in Skydemon as it makes my life so much more simple during flight.
A big thx to Tim and his team for adding this feature!
Hi moefly,
according to HM-18 datasheet the power supply voltage is from 1.9V to 3.7V. The ATR833 has 5V output. Do you use a voltage converter or do you just run out of specs?
Regards, Tobi
The same module is on Amazon uk for £12, it says Vcc is 3.6V to 6.0V. You're right. Thanks for the response. Even on DSD Tech homepage you'll find: Work voltage（VCC）: 3.6V to 6V TTL logic level (TX, RX): 3.3V But on the linked datasheet you'll read: Power: +1.9~3.7 VDC 50mA I'll just try it.
Thanks, Tobi
TTL logic level (TX, RX): 3.3V
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By zooyork - 10/13/2024 7:33:14 PM
Hello,
first off, thank you for including such a nice feature! Now to my problem  ... Since several people reported that the DSD TECH bluetooth adapters work also fine, I ordered them as well. And in my opinion I did almost everything to get it working, but is is not.
My setup: DSD Tech HM-10 Trig TY 96 (to test the feature in the aircraft) Trig TY 91 (to test the feature at the bench)
What is done and working: - HM-10 connect succesfully to skydemon - wiring done correctly to serial inferface of the radios - I also tested the setup using my computer and a serial monitor (e.g. for clicking on the Bournemouth Approach frequency 119,480 in Skydemon I receive the following message $PGRMC01GC014< on my serial monitor)
What is not working: When I do this with my Trig radios.
What I think what could be the problem: The DSD Tech adapters can not handle a power supply of 5V from a different source than ground and rx signals are coming from. My usb-serial converter which I use on my computer provides vcc, ground, rx, tx from one source which is my computer. For the Trig radios thats a different story since they do not offer 5V output. So you have to get the 5V from another souce in your aircraft and that does not work. Maybe I'm completley wrong.. For the Funke ATR833 radio this problem does not exsist, since it offers a 5V output on pin 24 and therefore all signals that go to the bluetooth adapter come from one single source which is the ATR833. So far im guessing that only the IRXON adapter works with Trig radios, since it has a internal battery and can accept powering from external source.
My questions would be: - Did someone succesfully connected a DSD TECH bluetooth adapter with a Trig radio? - Did someone sucessfully connected a DSD TECH bluetooth adapter that is powered externally to any of the other features Skydemon offers using this functionality (auto pilot commands, traffic / gps information)? - Is $PGRMC01GC014< the right received message to Bournemouth Approach frequency of 119,480?
Any feedback is much appreciated. Thank you!
Rob
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By zooyork - 10/14/2024 9:19:55 AM
Forget my last post. The problem has been identified. Thanks to user Michael Hoffmann for the clarification. If I had read the thread carefully I would have come across this post from user meofly:"The HM-18 is outputting TTL serial, hence I added a MAX3232 converter to provide the proper RS232 levels the radio expects."
This is also true for HM-10 and probably most of the adapters.
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By vikino - 10/14/2024 4:20:31 PM
+xHi all
If anybody is connecting the BT receiver to the TruTrak 385 autopilot, I would be interested to hear. It's currently getting GPS feed from an old and useless AvMap Geo Pilot II+ that I would like to replace It seems that it may need engineer from avionics specialist but I would like to do it myself (flying non certified) because from what I see on Skydemon manual, it seems pretty simple. Pins connecting to Ground on both side, Rx Pin on autopilot connecting to Tx on BT receiver. On Irxon BT578, pin 5 is Gd and 3 is Tx, and it can't be rewired. So it probably means to create a RS232 cable if rewired is needed on autopilot RS232. It may be better anyway to avoid plugging the BT receiver directly to the avionics (thinking that it may be a pain if anything has to be done on the receiver if not easily accessible). Any recommandation on the type of wire/cable to be used if needed (shield?)
thanks You can swap rx/tx with M/F switch on irxon, but off course is better to solder simple wiring... |
By Laycom - 10/14/2024 8:59:32 PM
+xCan anyone confirm if the available protocols work with a Becker AR6201, and they have it working. No, it will not work by default.
First, some words about TTL and V24. The mentioned working transceivers (Garmin GTR 225, f.u.n.k.e. ATR833-II, Trig TY 91/96) have a RS-232 interface with V24 voltage level. This means serial transmission with logical low at -12V and high at +12 V (nearly...). The cheap BT-Modules (which work like a charm with the iPad) have TTL voltage level. (low at 0 V , high at + 5V). To connect it to your RS-232 transceiver you need a voltage level converter.
Something like this:
Now to Becker. The AR6201 has an RS-422 interface. RS-422 is electrically different to RS-232 (4 lines, current driven). But it isn't the main problem, there are many converter from TTL to RS-422 available.
The challenge is the implementation of a translator from NMEA (ASCII) PGRMC sentences to the in-house Becker protocol. I found an Open Source solution used in the LK8000:
There should be any information needed for such a piece of software... I can't wait to try it out when I can have an AR6201 outside of the plane.
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By SeanKx - 12/5/2024 6:34:49 PM
Have received my Irxon dongle but daunted by patching into the 25pin dsub connector on my Trig radio; not least by trying to get to it as everything is rather buried behind the panel.
Was wondering if it would be possible to wire the dongle into a dsub adapter which could then be used to connect to the radio ie Trig dsub connector into adapter which then connects to radio hardware box.
One like this wired correctly? https://www.amazon.co.uk/CY-Adapter-Parallel-Extension-Connector/dp/B0CWH7NQMY?th=1
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By Laycom - 12/5/2024 9:32:54 PM
+xHave received my Irxon dongle but daunted by patching into the 25pin dsub connector on my Trig radio; not least by trying to get to it as everything is rather buried behind the panel.
Was wondering if it would be possible to wire the dongle into a dsub adapter which could then be used to connect to the radio ie Trig dsub connector into adapter which then connects to radio hardware box.
One like this wired correctly? https://www.amazon.co.uk/CY-Adapter-Parallel-Extension-Connector/dp/B0CWH7NQMY?th=1
It looks like all 25 pins are routed 1:1 "around the 90 degree corner". But I can't read that anywhere. It will probably work. |
By Wolfram Schiffmann - 12/6/2024 6:02:22 PM
+xOr maybe more user and installation friendly is IRXON BT578 v3 or BT580, they work with Apple and Android well... Hi, I purchase that device from AliExpress. Unfortunately, it doesn‘t react to AT+MODE=BLE in order to switch the Bluetooth mode to Low Energy. The connection to my tester-app terminal works because I get OK in reply to a sole AT command. Any idea how to fix this problem? I need LE because the iPad will not connect to BT. Thanks and best regards, Wolfram
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By Skyboy999 - 6/21/2024 7:42:30 AM
I would be happy to help. I have SD running on iPad Mini 4 and would want to connect to Dynon Skyview touch. Im reasonably competent but would need some guidance re hardware and connection.
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By Tim Dawson - 6/21/2024 8:45:54 AM
Thanks, but we already support connections to Dynon Skyviews. Unless I am confused about that products in question?
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By Skyboy999 - 6/22/2024 7:30:09 AM
Present support is to send flight plan from SD to SV via SV wifi. This thread is about real time guidance from SD to drive SV autopilot which, I understood, requires the discussed BT connection etc. Or have I misunderstood? If capability already exists to do this then fantastic- please tell me how!
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By Tim Dawson - 6/24/2024 10:15:34 AM
From what I've heard, people drive their Skyview autopilot from the Skyview itself, having transferred the SkyDemon route on to it.
I do not know that the Skyview autopilot can be disconnected from the Skyview and given commands by other software, but if it can, and it accepts those commands via RS232, then our solution might work.
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By Skyboy999 - 6/25/2024 7:47:03 AM
+xFrom what I've heard, people drive their Skyview autopilot from the Skyview itself, having transferred the SkyDemon route on to it.
I do not know that the Skyview autopilot can be disconnected from the Skyview and given commands by other software, but if it can, and it accepts those commands via RS232, then our solution might work. Yes, you send the SD route to SV via wifi connection from SV then, once on SV, it can drive autopilot etc. but what I'm referring to is effectively using SD as a navigation source into SV so any changes made in SD would be reflected real-time in SV. Perhaps my confusion but that is what I understood the BT connectivity would enable? |
By Tim Dawson - 6/25/2024 9:07:25 AM
I'm afraid we have exceeded my knowledge of how the Skyview can connect to other avionics, sorry. Our forthcoming Bluetooth connectivity will allow SkyDemon to be connected to autopilots that accept GPRMB sentences over RS232 to set the current heading etc.
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By vikino - 6/1/2023 5:02:31 AM
Hi all, there has been a lot of discussions about this, but never resulted in any way.Is it possible, somehow, to get out from SkyDemon over bluetooth to RS232 converter some data? From my current Aera 760 i have over serial port connected autopilot and Trig radio so Aera can feed AP with planned track and when i click on airfields com freq it sets stand by freq. But, it is Garmin and their weird navigation point stupid names, airfields without names and so on...
This will be nice to have on SkyDemon, are there some possibilities? Vitek
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By Gaznel - 10/28/2024 8:33:43 AM
Hi. I cannot get my iPad (mini 5 running version 17.5.1 and SD version 4.0.0.397) to connect to the IRXON Version 3 Bluetooth to beam frequencies to my transceiver (Funke ATR833). However, this works perfectly using my iPhone (also running Sky Demon 4.0.0.397)
On my iPad I go into CONNECTIVITY - ADD BLUETOOTH DEVICE - then all I get is "SkyDemon for iPad Not Authorized" as per below - any thoughts on what I am doing wrong. As I stated above it works perfectly with my iPhone?
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By Tim Dawson - 10/29/2024 10:16:30 AM
You would have been asked, when first trying to use Bluetooth with SkyDemon, whether to give SkyDemon permission to use Bluetooth. It appears you said no (or somebody did) so now SkyDemon does not have permission. You can fix this in the Settings app, probably under Privacy or Bluetooth, where you control which apps are allowed to use Bluetooth.
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By Gaznel - 10/30/2024 6:42:03 AM
Thanks Tim - sure enough going into iPad - Settings - Privacy & Security - Bluetooth - in there, Sky Demon was showing with toggle off for Blue Tooth permission. I have toggled this to green to  now give permission. Looking forward to seeing it now work when I next go to airfield 👍🏼
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By Tim Dawson - 5/8/2024 10:38:34 AM
Ok, we have started work on getting NMEA autopilot sentences out of SkyDemon, and we would like to explore the Bluetooth option.
vikino, are you still willing to test this? What's your current recommendation for a Bluetooth-to-RS232 device? We will need to purchase one/some for testing in our office, and figure out a good way of testing that the data really is getting to the RS232 feed from the device.
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By vikino - 5/8/2024 11:53:31 AM
+xOk, we have started work on getting NMEA autopilot sentences out of SkyDemon, and we would like to explore the Bluetooth option.
vikino, are you still willing to test this? What's your current recommendation for a Bluetooth-to-RS232 device? We will need to purchase one/some for testing in our office, and figure out a good way of testing that the data really is getting to the RS232 feed from the device. Hello, off course i want to, also with AP if it is possible to send COM freq to radio by clicking of freq in SD. Best what i hafe found, tested and best for this usage is IRXON BT578 v3, it can do BT Com (SPP profile) and also BLE, so it works with Apple and Android
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By Tim Dawson - 5/8/2024 1:26:00 PM
Is either of these the correct item?
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By vikino - 5/8/2024 1:44:14 PM
+xIs either of these the correct item?
The first one |
By Tim Dawson - 5/8/2024 2:25:43 PM
Ok, I've ordered one, it should turn up in the next two weeks.
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By vikino - 5/8/2024 3:51:06 PM
+xOk, I've ordered one, it should turn up in the next two weeks.
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By Tim Dawson - 5/9/2024 8:58:04 AM
It's likely to be an iOS development first, but I'll post here when we have something working.
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By vikino - 5/9/2024 8:26:38 PM
+xIt's likely to be an iOS development first, but I'll post here when we have something working. Okay, i have also some apple device, so no problem with testing on apple first... |
By gs-avionik.de - 5/10/2024 10:25:26 AM
If it helps I can also offer tests with a KRT2 radio which is available via an BLE-compatible device (esp32 based).
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By vikino - 5/11/2024 11:50:57 AM
+xIf it helps I can also offer tests with a KRT2 radio which is available via an BLE-compatible device (esp32 based). I have hard wired TRIG TY96, TY91, some Garmin radios, its no problem to test them all Afterwards we can try to connect Garrecht TRX-1500 air traffic over the same Bluetooth, because its also working in my plane over the same RS232 like autopilot, and its already supported in SD, only newer version AT-1, but sentences are the same.
Those features will be HUGE improvement in SD for all pilots |