Mini Panel for Sonex

[GordonTurner]

Hi.

I'm building a Waiex which I am hoping to fly within a year. Ways to go. Seems like a great little plane, but the panel space is quite limited. I plan to incorporate a minimally ifr capable panel.

So, I have been following the release of the mini and I think it might be my best solution, I have a few questions which I have not been able to answer reading your manual.

1. It isn't clear that two mini's can be linked through serial connection. Can they? And if so, will that connection address the following, with Mini A/P as efis #1 and Mini X as efis #2, a/p serial connection to #1 and navcomm serial connection to #2.

A. Will a Val Com2000/Nav2000 combo that is tied to mini 2 using SL30 format serial connection be able to drive nav / a/p on mini 1?

B. Will a magnetometer and oat wired to #1 also provide info to #2?

C. Will flight plans entered on one efis also appear on the other?

D. Will each mini need it's own usb port, or do I need just one and they connect through the serial ports?

2. I plan to use a TT22 transponder with the dedicated control connections (and ground), is the TT22 powered through the mini or does it need it's own power supply?

Thanks, Gordon Turner

[deej]

Hi Gordon,
I have a Mini-X connected to an HX via serial, and it should work similar to two Mini's hooked together. If I'm wrong, I'm sure Jeff or Katie will chime in here.

1) Yes, they should be able to be linked, and you can set one as the Master and the other as a secondary - this is how my HX and Mini are configured, with the HX being the master.

A) Not sure.

B) The OAT info can be passed, but I think each unit needs its own magnetometer. I have my OAT attached to the EIS, which is linked to the HX via serial, which is linked to the Mini-X via serial, and the OAT data from the EIS gets passed along to both EFIS units. (Thanks, Jeff! )

C) Yes. I believe there is an option to disable this if you want to have each of them use separate flight plans.

D) Yes, each needs its own USB port for software and nav data updates, as well as being able to backup the settings on each EFIS separately.

2) The TT22 needs its own 12v connection to ships power. I have a TT22 connected to the Mini-X using the GRT Adapter, and it is working well.

-Dj

[GordonTurner]

Cool. Thanks DJ.

Maybe katie or somebody else smarter than me can jump in with some clarification on the other points?

Gordon

[GRT_Jeff]

1. Two Mini's can talk to each other in the same way that a Mini can talk to another EFIS model. We haven't worked on this configuration, though.

A. Yes, the Mini's send SL30 data over the link and read SL30 data from the link.

B. Magnetometer data does not go over the link. Each unit would need a magnetometer. The OAT input on the Mini does not currently go over the link. We'll have to look into that for a future software update.

[GordonTurner]

Thanks Jeff

I'll monitor future updates but it sounds like it will do everything I think I need.

Gordon