Trio EZ Auto Pilot & iFly 740b at loggerheads

Daleandee

Daleandee

Final Approach
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Dale Andee
A search of the archives didn't find me much & hoping someone here has the magic elixir to help these two items get along.

After installing the EZ auto pilot (single axis - wing leveler) and connecting it to the iFly 740b the auto pilot is not seeing the GPS.

The set up is to send out the info via NMEA 0183 through a USB to serial cable (supplied by iFly & others). No dice. The iFly will give me an option to send NMEA via WiFi to iLevil but the option screen for setting a serial NMEA (baud rate, etc.) through a serial port does not come up (like it does in their online video).

FWIW a message came up on the screen saying there is a conflict for a statically assigned IP address & that is causing the local interface to be disabled. Not sure how to deal with that.

Another FWIW ... when I connected my old time Garmin 196 GPS the Trio picked it up right away.

I thought perhaps the USB to serial connection cable was the problem but it seems to be a software concern. Yes, I've had several emails with iFly (Adventure Pilot) but they are still in the "make sure it's plugged in & turned on" troubleshooting phase. Trio was somewhat helpful but at the end of the day their stuff is working correctly.

Just curious if anyone else has run into this. I can drive the auto pilot with the Garmin but that isn't an ideal solution.

TIA!
 
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I fought a year long issue with an Ifly connecting to a Trutrak autopilot.

It was well documented in emails between me and Ifly and they ultimately took the unit back. I replaced the Ifly with a Garmin 695 which has been rock solid ever since. (As was the Lowrance which preceded the Ifly.)
 
kyleb said:
I fought a year long issue with an Ifly connecting to a Trutrak autopilot.

It was well documented in emails between me and Ifly and they ultimately took the unit back. I replaced the Ifly with a Garmin 695 which has been rock solid ever since.
Click to expand...

I appreciate the feedback. Others are flying with this combination so it does appear to work but I must be missing something in the set-up or the connection cable is incorrect. After getting the hardware conflict screen pop up I tend to believe it's something in the software itself. I'm still working the problem and would hate to toss the iFly as it has been a solid unit otherwise. Hope it don't come to that ...
 
Daleandee said:
I appreciate the feedback. Others are flying with this combination so it does appear to work but I must be missing something in the set-up or the connection cable is incorrect. After getting the hardware conflict screen pop up I tend to believe it's something in the software itself. I'm still working the problem and would hate to toss the iFly as it has been a solid unit otherwise. Hope it don't come to that ...
Click to expand...

Sometimes mine worked, sometimes it didn’t. One year I fought it right up to the launch to OSH. It worked fine for all 6(?) legs of the trip, but refused to drive the AP on the next flight. It was maddening.
 
Was there anything in particular that helped or hurt? Just seems crazy to me that my 20 year old Garmin can drive the auto pilot and the iFly can't figure it out ...
 
Daleandee said:
Was there anything in particular that helped or hurt? Just seems crazy to me that my 20 year old Garmin can drive the auto pilot and the iFly can't figure it out ...
Click to expand...

I never could figure it out. Had to be something in the iFly, but I never figured out how to make the magic work on a consistent basis.
 
For any that might be looking at this thread (now or later) I will say that Adventure Pilot (iFly) has been excellent so far in working with me to figure out what the disconnect is. Looks like the unit is going back to them so they can take a look-see at it.
 
Just to update this thread ...

My iFly 740b unit was returned to Adventure Pilot with the connection cable for them to test. It was returned to me with a replacement cable with their diagnosis being that the new cable I purchased was faulty.

When reinstalled in the aircraft and properly connected with the replacement cable I got a momentary connection between the two devices when the iFly gave a screen to show that a serial NMEA Output Controller was detected and the EZ Pilot showed the BTW, next waypoint, and other information on the screen. But when going to the setting screen to set the correct parameters the software locked up tight. Nothing I could do short of a complete shutdown and reboot of everything would unlock the system.

This scenario played out three different times with the same result. On the fourth and subsequent attempts no detection of the EZ Autopilot unit was detected at all by the iFly 740b and no NMEA serial controller options would appear.

Reconnecting my auto pilot to my old Garmin unit proved again the the auto pilot reads the Garmin GPS and flight testing proves the autopilot works exactly as it should when receiving information from the Garmin unit.

An email to Adventure Pilot got a response that they had tested the unit and it worked for them. I noted that it had tried to work for me but the software had locked up. Suspecting that maybe it is a cable concern I asked if a better cable were available but that got no response.

So I'm guessing that I'll have to use the Garmin to drive the auto pilot unit. But it seems a shame that the iFly 740b is supposed to do this and it will not.

If anyone has a clue or an idea to as to what to do next I'd appreciate hearing it.
 
If the Garmin using is working fine with it, I’m almost certain it’s a software issue between the AP and the 740b. Like having a neighbor who speaks broken English, the entire message is lost in translation. If Adventure Pilot cannot recognize this, that tells me they do not have a solid product integration staff.

My money? Get rid of the iFly and stick with a company who knows WTF they are doing.
 
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