Fly Engravity AFDS - How to connect...

Hi,
I have just received the AFDS from FLY Engravity and the instructions to connect it are as clear as mud.
Now I have quite happily connected other modules to the MIP737 board but the AFDS has some - peculiarities.
1) To Positive 12V - Ground 12V.
Can I just use the PSU i already have for the backlighting panels and connect it to a spare wire or do I need another PSU?

The rest is ok until I get to

2) to positive 12V (backlight) - Ground 12V (backlight)
Once again can I just use the same PSU as above?

I dont really want to run any more seperate power units as the amount of plugs is getting rediculous.
Allan

Does this help at all?
http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/showthread.php/22322-Engravity-AFDS

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Efe Cem Elci

Does this help at all?
http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/showthread.php/22322-Engravity-AFDS

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I did a search and found that topic, however it does not really give me the answer I need.
What I really need to know is if it is ok to connect the PSU to power both the module and also the added backlight using the PSU i currently using to power the Fly ENgravity panels backlight.
I dont want to "test" it and blow up a perfectly good (and expensive) AFDS unit.
Allan.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by notgotaclue

Hi,
I have just received the AFDS from FLY Engravity and the instructions to connect it are as clear as mud.
Now I have quite happily connected other modules to the MIP737 board but the AFDS has some - peculiarities.
1) To Positive 12V - Ground 12V.
Can I just use the PSU i already have for the backlighting panels and connect it to a spare wire or do I need another PSU?

The rest is ok until I get to

2) to positive 12V (backlight) - Ground 12V (backlight)
Once again can I just use the same PSU as above?

I dont really want to run any more seperate power units as the amount of plugs is getting rediculous.
Allan

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yes to both questions.
The engravity AFDS needs 2 12v sources.

One for the backlight leds. We made this a seperate one, because our ICS interfaces (and before our backlight controller) have a seperate output for the afds so that the brightness can be controlled together with the other panels (our ICS interface has seperate controllers for the brightness of the captains panels, first officers panels and the glare floodlight).
We have only split the powersource to the backlight leds on the pcb to enable customers to control the brightness of the leds. If you dont want that you can use the same 12 volts source
(the afds panel does not have an internal pcb for the backlighting, unlike all other panels that do have an internal pcb)

the other 12 volts is for the logic on the afds module. We dont use the output of your interface to light the leds in the afds module. we only use it to trigger the ssr's on the pcb to light the leds with its own powersource.
This way the afds module can be used with all kinds of output levels from interfaces, ie. 2v, 3v, 5v, 6v, etc., without having to worry about resistors needed for the leds in the switches.

Stef

yes, no problem at all if the powersupply outputs a stabilized 12v.
If you use a dimmer to adjust the brightness of your backlit panels, than you can use that source only for the backlight section of the afds module. the other input needs a fixed 12v source.

Thanks for that.
I really think you need to update the instructions to make it clearer for us electronics numpties.
Allan.

Hi,
I have now installed this AFDS unit. It is working (sort of) but I have a few problems.
When I disconnect the A/T not only does the light work as expected but the LE FLAPS EXT light wil also flash. I have checked and double checked the wiring and it all seems ok, also when I disconnect the autopilot the RIGHT GEAR light will flash.
Any ideas?
Allan.

check for shorts in your wiring.
check for possibly mixed commons in the connections.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dnoize

check for shorts in your wiring.
check for possibly mixed commons in the connections.

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Hi, The wiring seems ok.
I dont understand what "mixed commons" mean. I have wired it up as per the instructions.
Allan.

usually when i see this happen (ghost lighting of leds), it happens because a common from one group crosses the common of another group.
How did you wire ? what wire did you use ?
The afds unit will not make other annunciators light, so the problem must be sought elsewere.

Hi,
Thanks for taking the time to help.
I am wiring it up as per the instructions from the Fly Engravity website. I have totally removed the unit and put it back again to eleminate any wiring errors that I may have missed. I still get LE FLAPS TRANSIT lighting when I press A/T reset button and the NOSE GEAR led when I disonnect the autopilot.
I then removed the unit again and wired it up as the instructions for CoPilot - still the same errors, also the TEST 1 2 does not function.
I hate electronics - give me a circular saw and a piece of MDF any day.
Allan.

Hi,
I have got it working... The STAB OUT OF TRIM led was wired *** about face, I put it in the correct order and the AFDS now works (why the stab out of trim effects the AFDS gawd only knows).
The test switch still does not ermmm test, but I can live with that and I am not fannying about any more with the wiring or something else will not work.
Allan.

How was the STAB OUT OF TRIM wired ?

the test switch SHOULD work !

Is the afds module powered ?

Hi, The STAB OUT OF TRIM was wired to inputs 23 (red wire) and common cathode 22 (blue wire), I changed them to 23 (blue wire) and 22 (red wire)..... The wires colours are meaningless , I just added that so you know what I did.
I have powered the AFDS using a 12 volt connection from a PSU - yellow wire to positive 12V and black wire to ground 12V. I have not bothered with the backlighting, will that make any difference?
Everything else is wired correctly - I have now rewired it a few times and have labelled each wire coming from the AFDS so I know it is in the correct place on the CPflight board. This is for the captains side.
On a side note, the co-pilot AFDS that I purchased is an old version with a converter - there are no markings to show me how to wire this one up, I thought it would be a simple case of copying the wiring from the Captains side, obviously input into the correct place on the CPflight board BUT the old version only has 16 inputs and the new version has 17 inputs.
I hope I am making sense because my brain is scrambled and I am dreaming about wiring......
Allan.