GRT Avionics

I just got a shiny new Asus Memo Pad HD7 Android tablet today, running Android 4.2.1. I have 5d+bluetooth software installed on the HX EFIS. From the Android tablet, I can see the GRT via Bluetooth, and I can successfully pair the two. The tablet shows the EFIS, and the EFIS shows the tablet, and I've set it to "trusted" in the EFIS settings.

However, when I run the GRT App, all I get on the PFD screen is "Efis Link Lost".

Any thoughts on how to troubleshoot?

-Dj

I've read that there are some bugs in Android 4.2.1 related to Bluetooth. There is a 4.2.2 upgrade available, and I will try this when I have time tonight, and report back.

-Dj

Upgraded to Android 4.2.2, but no difference. They pair, and the tablet reports seeing the HX, and the HX reports seeing the tablet. On the HX I set the tablet to "trusted". When I run the GRT app, it just reports "EFIS Link Lost".

Any ideas?

-Dj

I haven't seen that before. Sometimes our devices take a long time to connect, though. Does the tablet show the EFIS by name, like GRT EFIS HX nnn? The app looks for those names and requests connections until it succeeds.

Yes, the tablet sees it by name, "GRT EFIS HX 327".
I am using a "IOGEAR Bluetooth 4.0 USB Micro Adapter (GBU521)" unit in the EFIS, which is one of the recommended ones I think, but I can't seem to find the reference on the GRT website at the moment.

I left it sitting there for a few minutes while I walked off and did something else, but it didn't connect.

-Dj

Jeff, what version of Android are you using on tablets that are working with the EFIS connection?

-Dj

I've done some additional troubleshooting. I can pair the Android tablet with a bluetooth keyboard, and it works fine. I was also able to pair the tablet with another Android tablet, and copy files back and forth over the bluetooth link. This indicates that the bluetooth hardware is working, and the basic functions are working at an OS level.

The EFIS can see the tablet, and can pair with it, and "trust" it, so I think we can reasonably think that the hardware and software on the EFIS side is working.

From talking with some developers here, the best guess is that the issue exists between the GRT App and the Android OS layer, most likely there is a library or driver incompatibility with this version of the Android software, and the development environment used to create the GRT App.

Is there any chance of having one of the GRT App developers take a look?

For reference, this is Android 4.2.2, kernel version 3.4.5, build number ME173X_US_user_4.2.4.31212_20131030 release-keys running on an Asus Memo Pad HD 7, purchased new a couple of days ago. This is the latest version of the OS available for this device.

Thanks,

-Dj

I think the tablets Greg tests with have 3.2 and 4.0.x. He recently bought another one that might have 4.2.x, so we might be able to check that tonight.

Thanks, Jeff, I appreciate it!

-Dj

The new tablet is a Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 running Android 4.2.2. I paired it, ran the app, and it connected right away.

I see in another thread Kahuna used a "Nexus 7, Android 4.2.2" back in March, so that's another tablet running 4.2.2 and a different manufacturer.

Maybe I will make a test app that reports the connection progress, but the information we get is limited anyway. After we find the "GRT EFIS" device, Android simply gives us a "connect" function, and either it connects or it doesn't. In the past, the error messages haven't been helpful.