Avidyne Entegra
Avidyne Entegra is an integrated aircraft instrumentation system, produced by Avidyne Corporation, consisting of a primary flight display (PFD), and multi-function display (MFD). Cirrus became the first customer of the Entegra system and began offering it on the SR20 and SR22 aircraft in 2003 as the first integrated flight deck for light general aviation (GA). The original Entegra system, which is currently at Release 8 software, was designed to use third-party components such as a GPS from Garmin and an autopilot system from S-TEC.
One of the advantages of these glass flight deck systems is upgradeability. Avidyne has demonstrated this with a continuous stream of hardware and software upgrades including:
•2004: Added CMax™ Electronic Charts and first to certify XM datalink for light GA.
•2005 Added Primary Engine Instrumentation on PFD
•2006: Introduced Release 6, which added Flight Director, V-Speed & Heading on ADI, additional datalink weather products on the MFD, and support for the USB memory-stick data loader
•2007: Introduced Release 7, which added support for WAAS/LPV Approach guidance among other things.
•2008: Introduced Release 8, which expanded weather product for Canadian, Mexico and Caribbean (METARS, TAFs, Color Lightning).
•2009: Release 9, a hardware and software upgrade that was certified in April 2009.
Entegra Release 9
With the certification of Entegra Release 9 system in April 2009, Avidyne offers dual integrated flight displays (IFD) with the FMS900w, a WAAS-capable flight management system (FMS) that utilizes Avidyne’s all-digital DVX740 VHF NAV/COM radio modules and GPS722 GPS receiver modules, which eliminates the reliance on 3rd-party Garmin 430 radios. The Release 9 upgrade also includes the Avidyne MLB700 which provides SIRIUS/XMSatellite Datalink Weather from [WSI]WSI.
Avidyne has also introduced a new attitude-based digital autopilot, the DFC100, which can replace the rate-based STEC 55X autopilot in most Release 9 installations.
Entegra Release 9 is considered a 3rd-generation integrated flight deck because it is built on a brand new hardware platform using a modular architecture, dual Byteflight digital databus, all new fully-digital radio designs, and incorporating a unique Page & Tab and FMS user interface that is designed to dramatically reduce workload during single-pilot IFR operations.
Here is an example that illustrates how Entegra Release 9 reduces pilot workload:
This is an actual flight plan from KRUQ to KSYR (Salisbury, NC to Syracuse, NY):
KRUQ-GSO-V143-MRB-V501-HGR-V377-HAR-V31-FQM-V423-CFB-V29-VESPE-KSYR
Using Entegra Release 9’s FMS900w:
•Using only the bezel knobs & buttons, the FMS900w takes 109 actions (turns + pushes) to enter the entire route.
•Using keyboard, the FMS900w takes only 47 actions (alphanumeric keys, knob, enter) to enter the entire route.
Compare this with the number of actions to enter this same route on a Garmin 430:
•First of all, the G430 will not accept the entire flight plan because it has capacity of only 31 waypoints.
•There are 32 waypoints in the flight plan, including origin and destination.
•To enter all 31 waypoints, it takes 1381 knob turns (clicks) and button pushes on a G430 and 435 with G1000
(Using the most efficient knob inputs - going CCW when the next character was in the latter half of the alphabet or was a number. )
Entegra Release 9 has dramatically improved G.A. glass cockpit user interface by reducing the number of pilot actions from 1381 using the G430 to 47 actions using the FMS keypad.
System Redundancy
Entegra Release 9 system was designed with a fully-redundant dual-databus architecture that eliminates traditional ‘Reversionary Modes’ and the need for a ‘big red button’ as seen in competing systems.
A typical Entegra Release 9 installation features two large-format IFD5000 Integrated Flight Displays, (IFD) which are fully interchangeable for use as PFD or MFD. Since each IFD5000 is fully capable of performing the functions of the other, no unfamiliar or limited reversionary modes are required. In the unlikely event of a display failure, the remaining IFD5000 continues to operate as either display format with no loss of functionality.
Some competing glass flight deck systems have limited redundancy, lose critical functionality such as datalink weather, traffic, or even autopilot, and their failure modes force the pilot to learn composite display symbology and “reversionary modes.” Release 9 eliminates all these limitations.
GA Glass History
Avidyne was first to certify big glass for light GA with the launch of Entegra in 2003 in Cirrus aircraft. This is considered a “first generation” big-glass system that integrates the six 3-inch instruments (6-pack) into a more useable package, along with an exceptionally reliable Air Data and Heading Reference System (ADAHRS) that replaces the “spinning mass” attitude and directional gyros. Entegra Release 8 still relies on a ‘federated’ radio stack (dual G430s) for GPS/NAV/COM capability, as well as audio and transponder.
Competitive systems came along with a slightly higher level of integration such as the Garmin G1000, where essentially the 430s and transponder faceplates are removed, the units are remote-mounted, and the buttons and knobs are now integrated into the two big-glass displays. This 2nd-generation system has a higher degree of “bezel integration”, which provides some level of space and aesthetic benefit in the cockpit, but the user interface is much more difficult, as it relies on soft keys, pop-up windows, and hierarchical menus in order to operate the system.
Use
Avidyne Entegra systems are found aircraft from such companies as:
External links
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