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ADS-B NIC, SIL, SDA Error & Garmin Update

Amadeus

Well Known Member
I posted this in the "Glass Cockpit" forum but believe it belongs here instead. My avionics are:

Two GDU 460 (G3X Touch)
GSU 25 (ADAHRS)
GMU 11 (magnetometer)
GA 36 (WAAS Antenna)
GTX 35R (transponder)
GPS 20A (ADS-B out)
One GTR200B (radio)
GEA 24 (engine monitor)
GDL-52R (SiriusXM/ADS-B Receiver)
Two GSA 28 (Auto Pilot servo)
GMC 307 Auto Pilot control head.

and I just received an FAA ADS-B Letter of Finding notifying me of an issue with my ADS-B reporting.

The builder knew he was selling and did not update the databases and when I purchased I was sending it directly to the paint shop where it would be grounded for more than a month so I chose to use alternate charts rather than pay the fees to update the Garmin equipment when more than a month of the annual subscription would be wasted sitting at the paint shop.

Could having expired databases (and likely expired firmware) be the source of errors in NIC, SIL and SDA?
 
Most likely a software setting on the GPS output to the transponder. Best to contact Garmin support I think.

Had a similar problem on my Cirrus. Problem was solved by updating to the latest software on both the GPS and transponder, then changing the GPS output from ADS-B out to ADS-B out +.
 
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Will updating the database and firmware correct these issues?

Very unlikely. THere are many issues that could cause this, but the Nav DB is not one of them. Also VERY unlikely that G3X system software could cause this. If it used to work and now it doesn't, far more likely that a config item has changed or some piece of hardware has issues.

Larry
 
Does your Transponder configuration page look like this? In particular, since your GTX 35R should be receiving GPS data from the GPS 20A, RS-232 Port 2 should be set to "ADS-B+ GPS" to reflect this.

GTX35R Config.png

When you select the GPS Info page on your PFD, does it show that the system is using GPS data from the GPS 20A? It should, and this would be an indication that your GPS 20A is installed properly and operating with a good signal.

You should always install the latest software in your G3X Touch system, and that is currently V8.81.

Steve
 
Does your Transponder configuration page look like this? In particular, since your GTX 35R should be receiving GPS data from the GPS 20A, RS-232 Port 2 should be set to "ADS-B+ GPS" to reflect this.

View attachment 13920

When you select the GPS Info page on your PFD, does it show that the system is using GPS data from the GPS 20A? It should, and this would be an indication that your GPS 20A is installed properly and operating with a good signal.

You should always install the latest software in your G3X Touch system, and that is currently V8.81.

Steve

Thank you for the screen shot and details!

The aircraft is in the paint shop and I will not be able to check anything until it is time to pick up. I will take your screen shot with me, along with the SD memory cards holding the firmware update and database update, and do everything I can to correct this issue before leaving.
 
Thank you for the screen shot and details!

The aircraft is in the paint shop and I will not be able to check anything until it is time to pick up. I will take your screen shot with me, along with the SD memory cards holding the firmware update and database update, and do everything I can to correct this issue before leaving.
I would probably wait until I got the plane home before doing any software updating. Hopefully David had pretty recent software installed in your plane.

I would, however, go into configuration mode and make sure that the transponder is properly configured. Hopefully, fixing the ADS-B Out non compliance issues is as easy as correcting the transponder configuration.

You might verify with whoever wired the system that the GPS 20A RS-232 #1 port is properly connected to the RS-232 #2 port on the GTX 35R like shown on page 27-34 of the Rev. AN G3X Touch installation manual.

There is no configuration of the GPS 20A required since it always outputs the correct ADS-B+ GPS data on RS-232 #1.

Steve
 
When you select the GPS Info page on your PFD, does it show that the system is using GPS data from the GPS 20A? It should, and this would be an indication that your GPS 20A is installed properly and operating with a good signal.

Is the GPS Info page found after clicking MENU twice on the PFD? Do you have a screen shot of how this page should look?

Jay
 
I think the process of updating any software should always be taken with the view that some complications could arise. At times these complications may mean that certain items are not operational until other updates are performed. There may be other factors as well. An update that may be envisioned as a simple task can sometimes become more involved that initially anticipated. I suspect this is why Steve was suggesting against it.
 
Is updating time consuming? Difficult?
There is nothing difficult about updating your G3X Touch software.

Most of the devices are on the high speed CAN bus and will update in just a couple of minutes, but your GDL 52R updates over RS-232, and may take up to 15 mins. The GDL 52R software was not changed in the current V8.81 release, but it was changed in the G3X Touch V8.72 release, and if your system software is older than this, the GDL 52R will be getting an update.

I also like to have my system running from an external power supply in the hangar while updating software and databases, so that is another reason I prefer to update in the hangar.

Steve
 
Is the GPS Info page found after clicking MENU twice on the PFD? Do you have a screen shot of how this page should look?

Jay
Jay,

Just rotate the right outer knob on either the MFD or the PFD in split screen mode to reach the GPS Info page.

I don't have a screen shot handy, but the GPS Info page should show that it is using an external GPS source (the GPS 20A) instead of the GPS receiver built into the PFD or MFD.

The System Information page on the PFD in configuration mode will also show the status of the GPS 20A.

Steve
 
I also like to have my system running from an external power supply in the hangar while updating software and databases, so that is another reason I prefer to update in the hangar.

Make sense to do it in the hangar!

External power supply.....something like a battery charger with clamps on positive and negative of the battery?
 
I also like to have my system running from an external power supply in the hangar while updating software and databases, so that is another reason I prefer to update in the hangar.

Steve

"...running from an external power supply..."

Does this mean simply connecting the battery clips of the Optimate TM-275 to the battery terminals then plugging in the Optimate TM-275 to an electrical outlet?
 
"...running from an external power supply..."

Does this mean simply connecting the battery clips of the Optimate TM-275 to the battery terminals then plugging in the Optimate TM-275 to an electrical outlet?

The web page for that charger says that in addition to being a battery charger, it is also a "power source of 8 continuous amps", so yes, that should work fine as long as you load shed down to 8 amps.

The G3X Touch installation manual provides power requirements for each device.

Steve
 
Most of the devices are on the high speed CAN bus and will update in just a couple of minutes, but your GDL 52R updates over RS-232, and may take up to 15 mins. The GDL 52R software was not changed in the current V8.81 release, but it was changed in the G3X Touch V8.72 release, and if your system software is older than this, the GDL 52R will be getting an update.

I realized as I was doing the Firmware update that the current version was 8.71 as I updated to version 8.82 thus skipping an update. Could this be an issue?
 
I realized as I was doing the Firmware update that the current version was 8.71 as I updated to version 8.82 thus skipping an update. Could this be an issue?

No, no problem at all. Just properly install V8.82 and make sure that everything has completed the update before using the plane.

The complete software version manifest is listed on the software download page for V8.82. It is your job as the software installer to verify that every device is using the correct software version at the completion of the update. This is easily done using the System Information page on the PFD in configuration mode.

Steve
 
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