Tripletek tablet - iFly GPS for Android

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Tripletek tablet

3/22/2022 12:08 PM

Cobra

Joined: 4/20/2011

Posts: 2602

Re: Tripletek tablet

Yes, there's no question that driving an autopilot from an Android tablet is not currently supported.

What's not so clear is whether it's within the realm of reasonable possibility that such support could be added in the future.

3/23/2022 12:22 PM

N854HC

Joined: 2/8/2019

Posts: 77

Re: Tripletek tablet

I have a question: Are the NMEA sentences used by an autopilot created by the iFly sofware processing the information provided by the GPS source or are the NMEA sentences created by the GPS and simply passed through the iFly software to the autopilot?

It would be interesting to see a flow diagram of the process of gathering the needeed information, then processing, then outputting the needed info to drive an autopilot.

John

3/23/2022 2:29 PM

Alasdair

Joined: 10/12/2011

Posts: 411

Re: Tripletek tablet Modified By Brolin McKay on 3/24/2022 9:33:52 AM

By the ifly software. There are a number of aviation specific NMEA sentences e.g. GPRNB, GPRMC, GPGGA, GPBOD, GPAPB etc. The iFly software certainly gets current position info from the GPS, but it uses this in conjunction with the flight plan data to determine and send the correct information (sentences) to the Autopilot.

On the iFly 7xx units these sentences are selectable in the application for output via the USB port to an EFIS/HSI/Autopilot. iFly has also coded some logic to anticipate/smooth out the turns so turns commanded arent too harsh/acute when each waypoint is passed.

The discussion is about understanding whether there is a viable possibility of getting same from an Android Tablet. Currently on Android and iPad versions NMEA output is only available via WIFI to an iLevel device. WIFI Less reliable than hard-wired and about a $600+ gadget vs $25.

Some good sunlight readable android devices appearing and it would be nice to be able to panel mount and hard-wire them.

Hope that helps clarify what the discussion is about.

3/24/2022 1:19 PM

N854HC

Joined: 2/8/2019

Posts: 77

Re: Tripletek tablet Modified By N854HC on 3/24/2022 1:20:11 PM

Alasdair wrote:

By the ifly software. There are a number of aviation specific NMEA sentences e.g. GPRNB, GPRMC, GPGGA, GPBOD, GPAPB etc. The iFly software certainly gets current position info from the GPS, but it uses this in conjunction with the flight plan data to determine and send the correct information (sentences) to the Autopilot.

Thanks for responding Alasdair. I'm aware of the aviation sentences as I used the custom specification in iFly to set it up to drive my autopilot. I just wasn't sure where those sentences were created,

On the iFly 7xx units these sentences are selectable in the application for output via the USB port to an EFIS/HSI/Autopilot. iFly has also coded some logic to anticipate/smooth out the turns so turns commanded arent too harsh/acute when each waypoint is passed.

With regards to the turn-smoothing code within iFly, I wish that was a selectable option because my AP also has turn smoothing code and I suspect that having both active is causing some negative effects on my system.

The discussion is about understanding whether there is a viable possibility of getting same from an Android Tablet. Currently on Android and iPad versions NMEA output is only available via WIFI to an iLevel device. WIFI Less reliable than hard-wired and about a $600+ gadget vs $25.

Yes, I understand the discussion and yes, I don't look forward to the day that my 740b dies and I have to find another hard-wired solution. Hopefully, that will be a long time from now.

Some good sunlight readable android devices appearing and it would be nice to be able to panel mount and hard-wire them. Absolutely agree!

Hope that helps clarify what the discussion is about.

Best, John

3/24/2022 4:44 PM

CTH

Joined: 3/29/2021

Posts: 88

Re: Tripletek tablet Modified By CTH on 3/24/2022 4:46:40 PM

Alasdair wrote:

By the ifly software. There are a number of aviation specific NMEA sentences e.g. GPRNB, GPRMC, GPGGA, GPBOD, GPAPB etc. The iFly software certainly gets current position info from the GPS, but it uses this in conjunction with the flight plan data to determine and send the correct information (sentences) to the Autopilot.

I am not sure that is the case. The GPS hardware uses NMEA sentances to communicate on the bus well before the applicaiton. GPGGA (current fix and constellation data) comes 100% from the GPS. Others like GPBOD (bearing from waypoint 1 to waypoint 2) has to be created or enriched by the applicaiton.

Not to downplay what iFly does, but it is translating your flight plan into a meaningful set of sentances for your GPS. If you were to hook up a 4800 baud GPS directly to say an ADI 2 autopilot you would still be able to recieve heading information as well as navigate based on a selected heading. What you would be missing is the ability to fly a flight plan, which is why you need iFly to create sentance like $GPBOD.

As I say all of this I realize that the iFly app may be scraping the NMEA sentances off of the bus and then replaying them onto the serial connection, but my point is that many of the messages used by autopilots using NMEA come directly from the GPS hardware.

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