Digital Voice Variometer System Pilot’s Manual triadis engineering GmbH Eichholzstrasse 7 CH-3254 Messen Switzerland Phone +41 (0) 31 768 15 15 Fax +41 (0) 31 768 15 16 http://www.triadis.ch [email protected] Contents 1 Introduction 7 1.1 Design philosophy . 8 1.2 Pilot familiarisation . 8 1.3 System description . 9 1.4 Configuration . 11 2 Air data system 13 2.1 Air data sensors . 13 2.2 Data link . 14 2.3 EFIS Computer . 14 2.4 Needle gauge . 16 2.5 Logger . 17 3 Audio and speech system 19 3.1 Audio variometer . 19 3.2 Audio during thermal encounter . 22 3.3 Speech messages . 22 3.4 Audio mixer . 24 3.5 Crosstalk reduction . 25 3.6 Audio fail-safe . 25 4 Traffic and obstruction messages 26 4.1 FLARM messages . 26 4.2 FLARM alarm levels . 27 4.3 Message classes of FLARM events . 27 4.4 FLARM filtering modes . 28 4.5 Filtering in circling and cruise . 28 5 Airframe and advisory messages 30 5.1 Landing gear, flap and airbrake warning . 30 5.2 Stall monitor . 31 5.3 Speed warnings . 32 5.4 System and health advisories . 33 5.5 Task advisories . 33 5.6 Flight safety advisories . 34 2 6 Instrument panel interface 35 6.1 Panel lights . 35 6.2 Volume knobs . 36 6.3 Toggle switches . 37 6.4 Acknowledge key . 38 6.5 Repeat key . 39 7 Operation 40 7.1 Prior to start . 40 7.2 Audio system start . 40 7.3 Pre-flight setup . 43 7.4 EFIS data link . 44 8 Support 45 8.1 Firmware updates . 45 8.2 Error reports . 45 8.3 Troubleshooting . 46 8.4 Frequently Asked Questions . 46 A Feature summary 48 B Technical specifications 51 C Generated speech 54 D Limited Warranty 55 3 Preface Revision history Revision Release date Changes 0.1 EN 22 September 2005 Initial draft 1.0 EN 28 March 2006 First final release 1.01 EN 11 April 2006 Minor edits This manual applies to Vega part number 253-000-000, Vega EC part number 253-100-000 and firmware version 1.0. Triadis En- gineering reserves the right to update this manual as product en- hancements are made throughout the life of this product. Safety notices The Vega documentation is an essential component of the equip- ment and should carefully be stored with the aircraft log book. • The pilot is ultimately responsible for all flight decisions and for operating the aircraft safely at all times. • This equipment does not remove the need to maintain an effective lookout. • Continue to observe the airspace and do not rely on Vega (or FLARM) to announce all objects in the airspace! • If possible, Vega is to be installed as ‘portable equipment’ with an autonomous power supply. • Read the FLARM operating instructions carefully — in par- ticular the Section ‘Restrictions on operation’ below. Vega is unable to report on objects that are not detected by FLARM. • Observe the safety notices, paying particular attention to the notices marked with the pictogram depicted here. • Improper installation or misuse of Vega may result in de- graded performance of Vega or to equipment to which it is connected. 4 Legal notices • This manual, the instrument software and firmware, and user interface design are Copyright 2006 Triadis Engineering and John Wharington. • Any decompiling, disassembly, reverse engineering, or mod- ification of the instrument or firmware are strictly prohibited without specific written permission from Triadis Engineer- ing and John Wharington. • Specifications may change without notice. Updates to this document will be available at http://www.triadis.ch. • Triadis Engineering and John Wharington will not be liable for errors/omissions in this document. • The owner and/or the business performing the installation is responsible for ensuring that the Vega installation conforms to the requirements of the aircraft type and the installation is done professionally in accordance with the Vega Installation and Maintenance Manual. Restrictions on operation • Vega may not be operated in aircraft that are registered or insured in the USA or Canada, or by pilots of the USA and Canada. Likewise businesses are forbidden to operate Vega, if persons on-board the aircraft reside in the USA or Canada or are citizens of the USA or Canada. Likewise businesses are forbidden to operate Vega, if the takeoff location, place of destination lies in the USA or Canada, or if the flight over-flies the USA or Canada. • Vega is not yet certified by FOCA for permanent installation in power planes, helicopters and touring motor gliders. The installation instructions in this document refer to FOCA re- quirements, particularly the sections that are marked with a vertical bar. Vega may not be installed in aircraft that are al- ready equipped with an acoustic reporting/warning system. • Vega is not certified for use as a replacement for certified primary flight instruments. • Vega does not have a JTSO or FAA-TSO airworthiness cer- tification for equipment and the permission granted by the FOCA authority described above applies only to aircraft reg- istered in Switzerland. 5 • Install Vega where possible, isolated from the radio transceiver, since at present it is approved for use only with a portable radio transceiver system. Trademarks Trademarks referred to in this document are the property of their respective holders. 6 1 Introduction Vega is a precision air data sensor and audio processing system designed for use in gliders as an integrated soaring instrument and aid to situational awareness. Vega is small, easy to use, with a simple user interface and can be built into small instrument panels. The air data sensor features a high fidelity total energy variome- ter, airspeed indicator, altimeter, stall monitor and meteorological sensors. The audio processing system generates audio variometer tones and speech messages over a loudspeaker or headset. These messages provide notification of nearby aircraft determined by the FLARM collision awareness system, as well as many other alerts and warn- ings. Vega integrates with FLARM to receive GPS data and aircraft ob- struction data. The object data announced by FLARM are con- verted to acoustic caution or warning messages. These messages contain data pertaining to the threat level, direction, height, type of aircraft and distance to the object. For obstructions, the messages contain the type of threat and distance. Multiple objects with different hazard potentials are announced. FLARM announces a maximum of fifteen objects in the current version of the FLARM firmware (3.00). The speech system an- nounces the most important four objects (user-configurable). The instrument can interface to an external glide computer such as a Portable Digital Assistant (PDA) or panel-mounted Electronic Flight Instrumentation System (EFIS). The term EFIS will be used in this document to refer to both EFIS systems and PDAs. The FLARM device and EFIS are not included with the base Vega retail package and must be purchased separately. However, the instrument will operate without these systems, albeit with reduced functionality. A detailed description of the features can be found in Appendix A. Technical specifications are listed in Appendix B. 7 1.1 Design philosophy Vega is intended to assist the pilot fly the glider efficiently and safely. The design employs state of the art technology, with an interface that is simple to use. The on-board audio processing sys- tem generates high quality sound with mixing and priority based muting in order to improve clarity. Emphasis has been placed on sound and speech cues in order to discourage pilots from staring into the cockpit, which is well known to be dangerous. Options are available for connecting Vega to ex- ternal vario displays. The air data sensor can interact with an external EFIS glide com- puter. The open source software XCSoar has been adapted by the developers to fully integrate with Vega. XCSoar follows a design philosophy to reduce cockpit workload and minimise the need for pilot interaction. Since its data format is documented and avail- able to the public, other glide computer software may be adapted to use Vega. In many gliding accidents, pilot overload is known to be a con- tributing factor. Cross-country flying, competitions, busy airspace and flying in unfamiliar terrain can all cause a high pilot workload for long durations. A design goal of Vega is to help relieve this sit- uation by giving advisory messages and alarms when the aircraft is not being flown safely or efficiently. The instrument comprises digital solid-state sensors and uses high speed digital microcontrollers for all processing, delivering excel- lent fidelity, long-term stability, increased resistance to interfer- ence, and low drain on the aircraft’s power supply. The instru- ment requires no parts protruding from the aircraft other than an optional total energy probe of Braunschweig/Irving type or equiv- alent. The air data sensor is highly customisable so the pilot can get the very best performance by tuning calibration factors; and the audio system is also highly customisable so the pilot can set up the sys- tem to produce the most natural and informative speech and tones. 1.2 Pilot familiarisation For safety reasons, please take the time to study this manual before using the instrument in flight. Be aware of how the instrument is configured in the particular aircraft, and what external devices are connected, as these affect which functions of Vega are available. 8 A blank page at the end of this document is provided for owners to record notes on their individual installation. For initial familiarisation, it is recommended that pilots set up the instrument on a desk connected to a 12V battery (protected with a 2.5A fuse).