Anyone have an Aspen E5, Trutrak Vizion (Aerocruze 100) and and Avidyne?

Lynn Dixon

Lynn Dixon

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CubedRoot
I've been flying behind my Aspen E5, TruTrak, and IFD540 for a while now, and I haven't been happy with the integration, and was just wanting to poll the group to see if any updates or news has been released in a while.

My install doesn't have the ACU from Aspen, but I do have GPSS passthrough from my Aspen to the TruTrak, but it doesn't fly as nicely as when the TruTrak is direct connected to the IFD. It doesn't "round corners" and has a hard time flying a course line it seems after it comes out of a turn.

I'm still waiting on Aspen to fulfil their promise of being able to have the Altitude bug setting be sent over to the TruTrak, which a promise Aspen quickly dumped back in 2020 or so. I promise I'm not bitter......at least toooooo bitter.

Is anyone flying this same setup? I'd like to compare notes and see if something's improved or theres a better way of doing things. I've not been happy with this setup, and have been contemplating a full Garmin panel in my 177RG as there isn't any good options for Autopilots.
 
Have a 430w, TT, and Aspen EFD 1000 Pro.

The GPSS works pretty decent but sometimes I find it hunting in alt hold mode and it’s almost worthless in track mode.

I talked to a shop and they said sounds like the setup needs to be troubleshooted for better performance. Also needing to get the heading unlock on aspen which would be nice in lieu of turning the knob on the TT.

I’m curious how yours performs in heading mode and for altitude hold? When ours is in 0 VS it does alright, but on alt hold it’s just riding the waves searching. I’m not expecting a GFC 500 performance but hoping a trip to the avionics shop will yield some better results.
 
Now I am worried. I am having this exact setup installed in a month.
 
TX28 said:
Have a 430w, TT, and Aspen EFD 1000 Pro.

I’m curious how yours performs in heading mode and for altitude hold? When ours is in 0 VS it does alright, but on alt hold it’s just riding the waves searching. I’m not expecting a GFC 500 performance but hoping a trip to the avionics shop will yield some better results.
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My Trutrak has never performed well in holding altitude. I've worked with a few shops trying to get it to fly right, and it just seems ti want to slowly porpoise when trying to hold an altitude. Toss in the CONSTANT complaints of needing trim, and I really don't like to engage the stupid thing. I just hand fly it because its less work than dealing with the Autopilot and its never ending demands for trim. My Aspen E5 has the heading mode unlock and air data unlock / update. My shop had to wire in a "source selector" switch for the Trutrak, so I can select its source to either be the Aspen or the IFD540. Its not ideal, at all. But when flying heading mode, it seems to hold heading pretty well.

Morgan3820 said:
Now I am worried. I am having this exact setup installed in a month.
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Brother, if you can change your order, I'd do it now. LOL. I love my Avidyne and I sort of like the Aspen E5 (its OK for the money), but the "integration" with TruTrak is just simply garbage. I wish I had never spent the $7k on getting the TruTrak installed and went with an old crusty STEC 55x or something. Hell even an STEC 40 would have been better.

I am seriously considering spending the $100K+ to get a G3X and full Garmin suite in my 177RG. I am absolutely sick of the Trutrak / Aspen failed "integration" that they promised over and over again. After reading complaints of the STEC 3100 having problems holding altitude, I think I will skip that one as well.
 
I understand that the Aspen E5 software 2.12 version released in Feb 23 now includes a number of additional labels on the 429 low speed bus. There should be enough now for vertical guidance and altitude bug functionality. Has anyone done the update and if so does the Aerocruze accept the labels now that they are provided?
 
Aspen training today discussed much as Damon stated. I’d have your aspen updated to 2.12, and your Arinc429 ports set to low speed. That should help with your issues.
 
So you guys are saying that in 2.12 they actually included the labels for the TruTrak to get altitude preselect/bug information from the Aspen?
 
I can't post links here yet but go to Aspens website for the E5 and look at the Service Bulletin TN2023-01. It lists all the low and high speed labels now included.
 
That would be great if you could. That document shows theres very little labels passed on low speed, while all of them are passed on high speed. It looks like if we went to low speed, we'd loose the heading bug tracking that TruTrak currently does. My setup is this:
Aspen E5
TruTrak Vizion
Avidyne IFD540 GPS.
 
You are already using low speed as that is all the AP will take. So you will have everything you have now plus more from the Aspen once updated. I have a list somewhere in an old email sowing what labels were being sent before and it was a lot less than the new list. I spoke with BK and they have no intention of ever adding the high speed capability to the Areocruze. So getting more labels on the low speed bus is what was/is needed and that is what Aspen has done. Question is now what will the AP do with it and does it also need a software update or setting changes. I have that question into them but don't have a response yet.
 
Here is the old list of labels for reference - read the notes at the bottom:

ARINC Label EFD Parameter ARINC Transmit Rate*
100(1) Selected Course 200ms
105 Heading Datum 50ms
173 Lateral Deviation 50ms
174 Vertical Deviation 50ms
203(1) Pressure Altitude 200ms
204(1) Pressure Altitude (Baro corrected) 200ms
210(2) True Airspeed 200ms
235 Baro Correction (inHg) 50ms
261G, bit 14 ILS Energize 50ms
261G, bit 15 GPS/NAV Select 50ms
261G, bit 16 Back Course 50ms
261G, bit 28 Altitude Engage 50ms
277 Course Datum 50ms
320(1) Magnetic Heading 50ms
350 ACU Config 1000m
354 ACU Config 1000ms

(1) These labels are the only ones transmitted when no ACU is configured.
(2) Only output when OAT/Winds are unlocked with Advanced Unlock card.
*The label rate has a tolerance of +/- 15%

Unless the E5 is configured for an ACU (even if it is not connected to one), it will only output label 100 and 320.
 
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Thanks for that. But it appears that Label 101 (Selected Heading) isn't in the low speed labels, isn't that the one thats used for the heading bug on the Aspen, which the Trutrak follows? OR does the Aspen simply retranslate the heading bug selection into left/right steering calls to the trutrak?
 
I'm sure they didn't take anything away and I assume someone tested that but who know. The list I gave above didn't show if a label was provided at both speeds so I assume that Select Course is actually what you are thinking about (label 100).

On another note Bendix King is being their typical shelves and are being useless at the support center. My first reply was basically 'Aspen needs to test it we don't test others software'. I wrote back that that was not what I was asking - I wanted to know what the Aerocruze will do with the new labels - if anything. Specifically when it's set to Aspen in the config. We will see but I'm not holding my breath that I will get a reasonable answer. They obviously haven't tested it. I don't know why BK still thinks they can not talk to any other manufacture, hint that's why you guys lost market share in the first place. That's one company that needs a serious top level management change. OK enough venting. I will update if I get any other info but last time down this path it took weeks to get anything worth anything from them.
 
Lynn - just so we are clear - your setup is already using the Low speed setting. So you can ignore anything to do with the high speed as it's irrelevant. Your IFD540 is configured on the 429 bus that is connected to the AP switch and intern to the Autopilot, is set on low speed currently. The Aspen also only talks to the Autopilot on the low speed setting, as I mentioned that is all the autopilot is capable of. That was the question I first asked of Bendix King (can we get the high speed setting activated) last year, that answer was a resounding NO. So Aspen adding labels to the low speed bus is the ONLY way this may ever work.

I should note there is also a RS232 connection between the two. Not sure if it plays into this or not. I think it only is used to get position data from the GPS however.
 
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Typical response from Bendix - so I guess we just try it and see if it works then complain if it doesn't (but according to the note they don't plan to update this AP anytime soon.) - Really wishing I'd of bought a different autopilot now. Here is the response:

Thank you for contacting BendixKing by Honeywell:

Hello,

No changes need to be made on the autopilot as it only process a few 429 labels. The installation manual for the approved GPS shows the latest SW version TruTrak certified.
https://www.bendixking.com/content/...als/TT-186-Vizion-PMA-Approved-GPS-Manual.pdf

If you use a different SW version, you will need to fill out pg. 31 in the TT-186 manual and return it. So it can be added to the next revision.
Unfortunately Honeywell is not funding any expansion of this platform. I do not see any notes of Aspen sending us data on their testing of the new SW. I know the G5 will do vertical guidance to the autopilot but I have not herd the Aspen does so we unfortunately have no information on this interface.
 
Damon Jones said:
Typical response from Bendix - so I guess we just try it and see if it works then complain if it doesn't (but according to the note they don't plan to update this AP anytime soon.) - Really wishing I'd of bought a different autopilot now. Here is the response:

Thank you for contacting BendixKing by Honeywell:

Hello,

No changes need to be made on the autopilot as it only process a few 429 labels. The installation manual for the approved GPS shows the latest SW version TruTrak certified.
https://www.bendixking.com/content/...als/TT-186-Vizion-PMA-Approved-GPS-Manual.pdf

If you use a different SW version, you will need to fill out pg. 31 in the TT-186 manual and return it. So it can be added to the next revision.
Unfortunately Honeywell is not funding any expansion of this platform. I do not see any notes of Aspen sending us data on their testing of the new SW. I know the G5 will do vertical guidance to the autopilot but I have not herd the Aspen does so we unfortunately have no information on this interface.
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BendixKing is death. It is where products go to die.
 
Lynn Dixon said:
My Trutrak has never performed well in holding altitude. I've worked with a few shops trying to get it to fly right, and it just seems ti want to slowly porpoise when trying to hold an altitude. Toss in the CONSTANT complaints of needing trim, and I really don't like to engage the stupid thing. I just hand fly it because its less work than dealing with the Autopilot and its never ending demands for trim. My Aspen E5 has the heading mode unlock and air data unlock / update. My shop had to wire in a "source selector" switch for the Trutrak, so I can select its source to either be the Aspen or the IFD540. Its not ideal, at all. But when flying heading mode, it seems to hold heading pretty well.



On the altitude and porpoising, how are you set to hold altitude? I recall that there were two ways. I forget and do not have my manual, but was warned by the guy I bought my plane from that one was better and made fewer adjustments. Perhaps it was a comparison of alt hold vs leaving the alt setting on 0 VS. Memory suggests that 0 VS was steadier. I kind of recall the manual said something about this.
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I installed My Trutrak 100 with GNS530 and Aspen 1000 and is working ok when selected to the 530 but when selected to the Aspen it wont work in HDG mode, I have been talking with BK and aspen but no help. any one please help me with the 530 and aspen setings?
 
Hello Mongoose. I'm sorry for my ignorance but I don't understand Flip the GPSS on Aspen. When I select the switch from GPS to Aspen per the AP manual It should display a letter A but not is showing and pushing the MODE Button to engage it never show ASPEN/EXT HDG.EXT ALT also.
 
Lower right side where it says GPSS. Press the button to enable GPSS (turns green) and press again to disable GPSS (dark as shown in the picture).

Did you try it both ways?

iu
 
Hello. I did press GPSS button to try enabling the GPSS but wont turn green.
 
Skypaulo said:
Hello. I did press GPSS button to try enabling the GPSS but wont turn green.
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Until the two units are talking you will never get GPSS to activate. You first need to fix the issue of why you don't get the flashing "A" when switched to the Aspen. Either miswired or misconfigured.

After that you need an active flight plan for GPSS to be available. And just an FYI - you have to have an Aspen ACU (Analog Control Unit) unit installed even for digital autopilots for GPSS to work. I know it's as stupid as it sounds and I let Aspen know that. A simple software change would eliminate the need for the ACU but they don't seem interested in saving owners a $1000 on their installs. The Aspen can then be set to "B" mode in setup which will enable GPSS functionality. If this doesn't make sense then read the Aspen and True Trak install manuals.
 
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