IFD 5 Series & IFD 4 Series Touch Screen GPS/NAV/COM

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IFD Trainer XP -- WIsh List --

Printed From: Avidyne
Category: Avidyne General
Forum Name: IFD 5 Series & IFD 4 Series Touch Screen GPS/NAV/COM
Forum Description: Topics on Avidyne's IFD 5 Series and IFD 4 Series Touch Screen GPS/NAV/COM
URL: http://forums.avidyne.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=2436
Printed Date: 09 May 2025 at 5:02pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: IFD Trainer XP -- WIsh List --

Posted By: ricardo
Subject: IFD Trainer XP -- WIsh List --
Date Posted: 11 Nov 2022 at 1:40am

I know that the avidyne software development department is busy working on the bug-fix release for 10.3, but if someone could fix these bugs in the IFD Trainer XP it would make the trainer ALOT more useful for well ... training ...

1 - in GPS NAV mode, set the course for the HSI for each leg properly. -- right now on most models i've flown the course for the leg does not get set on the HSI.

Examples: C172SP G1000, or with xaviations G5, or with airmanager's G5. -- should be easy to reproduce.

2 - The IFD XP, sometimes looses control of the autopilot. --- Setup a GPS flight plan in the IFD XP, and fly it using the autopilot on the C172, it will fly the flight plan for some time, and then once in a while it will loose control of the AP, and turn left or right, after a few seconds, it regains control, and goes back to capture the GPS track.

3 - When the IFD XP Trainer is on GPS mode, you cannot ID a nav-aid. (like an ILS or VOR) -- The nav aid ID will either not come through, or it will be the nav-aid morse code identifier for a previously ID's nav aid (last time the IFD trainer was on VLOC mode). --- if you put the IFD Trainer XP on VLOC mode , this works right.

ive verified that this works alright when you dont use the IFD Trainer XP -- so the IFD app is doing something to XPlane to mess this up.

4 - Frequency tuning for some of the ATIS bug -- the IFD XP sometimes reduces the frequency by .10 -- like if you are trying to dial 122.25 -- the IFD XP will then reduce the frequency to 122.15 ..

i think this bug was reported previously and someone from avidyne (Avisteve?) mentioned that the bug was easy to fix in the next release .. though the IFD XP app has not had a release since.

Thanks avidyne -- the IFD XP Trainer is a very useful tool, and it would be VERY useful if these bugs were fixed.

--- More info about what i'm flying: XPLANE 11 using the C172SP Steam gauges airplane with airmanager to add dual G5's and GFC500. --- i also fly "justflights" PA28 Archer III .. (https://www.justflight.com/product/pa28-181-archer-iii-x-plane) with airmanager for G5's and GFC500.

Replies:

Posted By: ricardo
Date Posted: 13 Nov 2022 at 8:40pm

Would it be possible for avidyne to publish some information about how the IFD XP is interfacing with xplane, which datarefs its writing to --

I think it would be possible to fix most of the bugs with a plugin, -- a little insight into how IFD XP works could help.

specially since i've never written an xplane plugin, but would be wiling to try .

Posted By: ricardo
Date Posted: 23 Nov 2022 at 2:03am

*crickets*

Posted By: AviSteve
Date Posted: 23 Nov 2022 at 11:35am

As you might imagine, xplane interface is not on the front burner for us right now. Not being particularly familiar with that interface, I just quickly searched the code and came up with this.

xps.plane_number = 0 (integer)

xps.latitude = latitude (double, degrees)

xps.longitude = longitude (double, degrees)

xps.elevation = altitude (double, feet)

xps.psi = true heading (float, degrees)

xps.theta = pitch (float, degrees)

xps.phi = roll (float, degrees)

xps.gear = 0.0 (float)

xps.flap = 0.0 (float)

xps.thrust_vector = 0.0 (float)

Looks to me like that is sent to xplane with a prefix of "VEH1" to UDP port 49000.

-------------
Steve Lindsley
Avidyne Engineering

Posted By: ricardo
Date Posted: 28 Nov 2022 at 4:29am

So i fixed problem 1 and 2 by writing a LUA plugin that runs in my AirManager .. (I just jammed this code into an existing instrument)

---------------------------------------------------------

last_course = 0.0

function new_ifd_data(state, course)

if (state == 0) then

return

end

local abs_course = 0.0

if (course < 0.0) then

abs_course = 360 + course

else

abs_course = course

end

if (course == -360.0) then

xpl_dataref_write("sim/cockpit/radios/gps_course_degtm", "FLOAT", last_course)

else

last_course = course

xpl_dataref_write("sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/hsi_obs_deg_mag_pilot", "FLOAT", abs_course)

end

xpl_dataref_subscribe("sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/HSI_source_select_pilot", "INT",

"sim/cockpit/radios/gps_course_degtm", "FLOAT", new_ifd_data)

------------------------------------------------------------

I'm sure there is a better solution .. (like at least writing a separate instrument), and i'll likely do that in the future.

Basically this plugin watches

sim/cockpit/radios/gps_course_degtm

which the trainer sets as the GPS course. -- then copies the value over to

sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/hsi_obs_deg_mag_pilot

This basically slews the HSI to the GPS course .. which fixes the G5 instrument not having its course set correctly.

Then i noticed that once in a while the value in gps_course_degtm would go to -360 for a few seconds, which caused the AP craziness.

so i had the same plugin wwatch for a sudden change to -360 and ignore the value by overriding gps_course_degtm to the last known course value...

yup there are problems like what if we really want to go to -360.0 .. well. thats a small problem compared to the crazy AP turns the current IFD trainer does.

I also had it only apply this fix if the IFD is set to GPS (and not VLOC).

Anyways.. hope this helps others.. helps me a ton.

Havent tested this fix on many modes (like APR etc) will see in the future if it works in all cases.. (probably breaks OBS mode in GPS guidance)

will update this thread if i find any missing parts.

Posted By: brou0040
Date Posted: 12 Nov 2023 at 5:19pm

I've been running into an issue when running the XP trainer where NAV2 VOR will only work when NAV1 / IFD are in VLOC. When I change the NAV1 / IFD to GPS, then the NAV2 VOR stops responding.

Posted By: ricardo
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2023 at 10:18pm

I have that same issue. With vloc on nav 2 only working when nav 1 is on vloc.