Preview of Bluetooth Keyboard Use
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=612
Printed Date: 14 Mar 2025 at 10:47am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Preview of Bluetooth Keyboard Use
Posted By: AviJake
Subject: Preview of Bluetooth Keyboard Use
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2015 at 9:34am
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Here's a link to the IFD540 and IFD440 Bluetooth keyboard in action. The software to support this is in Release 10.1.0.0. It will take an extra FAA approval before it's enabled but we're already working that with the FAA. That enablement process will be accomplished via the USB port on the front of the bezel and will take 10-15 seconds. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p8d6EpdGpI" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p8d6EpdGpI ------------- Steve Jacobson sjacobson@avidyne.com |
Replies:
Posted By: ddgates
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2015 at 9:45am
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You have to be pleased that you are becoming able to start the "bells and whistles" parade. ------------- David Gates |
Posted By: 888dom
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2015 at 2:18pm
| Its probably too late for this idea - but why not have an iPhone or iPad app for the keyboard? It would be easily configurable and you could modify it as you like. Another advantage is you don't have to supply hardware and us customers won't have to maintain another device or worry about batteries or losing it under a seat! |
Posted By: AviJake
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2015 at 3:00pm
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Unable. Apple I-thingy products don't support Bluetooth keyboard apps. ------------- Steve Jacobson sjacobson@avidyne.com |
Posted By: chflyer
Date Posted: 24 Mar 2015 at 9:52am
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Many thanks for creating the video. It really shows off the use of the bt kb. I see that the bt kb has more characters available than the on-screen one, specifically the dash/minus (-) key. This will be useful naming a flight plan or creating checklists. When saving a flight plan, the name defaults to orig-dest. However if saving a copy, the name field needs to be entered on the screen kb and there is no minus char available. Including this in the name will now be possible via the bt kb. ------------- Vince |
Posted By: DavidBunin
Date Posted: 22 Jun 2015 at 2:28pm
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Here's a thought ... I already have a Bluetooth keyboard for my I-thingy. Any chance I will be able to link that to the IFD? It's lap-size, so probably not usable in flight but would be okay on the ground. David |
AviJake wrote:Posted By: AviJake
Date Posted: 22 Jun 2015 at 2:40pm
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Unlikely. What we're finding out with the cert efforts for BT (and WiFi) is a high level of fear with the various cert authorities. One large mitigating response that has played well is us having a highly curated set of apps and devices. While not completely extinguishing the idea, it does make it much tougher/longer/more expensive/etc. ------------- Steve Jacobson sjacobson@avidyne.com |
Posted By: DavidBunin
Date Posted: 22 Jun 2015 at 3:00pm
| Bummer. That's about what I figured. |
Posted By: jhbehrens
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2015 at 5:23am
| Any updates on when the Bluetooth keyboard feature will be available? |
Posted By: AviSimpson
Date Posted: 08 Sep 2015 at 8:39am
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No updates yet. Still waiting on the FAA. ------------- Simpson Bennett Avidyne Corporation Product Manager |
Posted By: Paul
Date Posted: 08 Sep 2015 at 7:13pm
But Android thingies do.
Does this mean the FAA is giving you a hard time about releasing the WiFi protocol as you had planned? |
Posted By: AviJake
Date Posted: 08 Sep 2015 at 7:22pm
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Not exactly. As is so often the case, it's a long-winded saga. The current funky-ness involves showing compliance to a PED-tolerant cockpit. This didn't make any sense to us since we can't control other PEDs (Portable Electronic Devices) in the cockpit and don't see how that applies. For those interested, that would technically mean you are not permitted to even bring your aviation app loaded tablet into the cockpit and use it in any way until your airplane has PED Tolerance Approval. Of course that's silly and the FAA is having an internal consult on the applicability of that governing AC to this STC effort. It will all work out just fine, it's just a matter of how many days it will take to sort out. ------------- Steve Jacobson sjacobson@avidyne.com |
Posted By: clydeps
Date Posted: 09 Sep 2015 at 12:22am
Actually, no, they don't. You would need to root your device and install a custom kernel and/or Bluetooth driver. The standard Android kernel does not include the necessary profile for the device to function as a Bluetooth keyboard peripheral. There are some apps available that might appear to offer this functionality to a PC, but they all require an app to be installed on the PC.
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Posted By: MysticCobra
Date Posted: 09 Sep 2015 at 7:18am
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I don't know what you guys are talking about. Bluetooth keyboards for both iOS and Android devices have been around for years. A simple Google or Amazon search will show you more BT keyboards and articles about BT keyboards than you could read in a week. Here's one example: http://www.amazon.com/Jelly-Comb-Universal-Bluetooth-Smartphone/dp/B00NOE7412" rel="nofollow - http://www.amazon.com/Jelly-Comb-Universal-Bluetooth-Smartphone/dp/B00NOE7412 Work for Bluetooth 3.0 and above devices including iPad / iPhone / iPod Touch Bluetooth-enabled PCs or Laptops with Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8 Bluetooth-enabled iMac / Macbooks with Mac OS X 10.2.8 or above Smartphones or tablets with Android 3.0 and above Windows Mobile 5.0 and above |
Posted By: chflyer
Date Posted: 09 Sep 2015 at 7:36am
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The comment is not about hardware keyboards connecting via bluetooth, which is what you are mentioning. It is about using an iOS or Android device simulating a keyboard and connecting to another device via bluetooth (in this case the IFD540). In other words, having a "keyboard app" on the iOS/Android device instead of a hardware keyboard. ------------- Vince |
Posted By: MysticCobra
Date Posted: 09 Sep 2015 at 8:18am
| Ah! Well, I _did_ say I didn't know what you guys were talking about. :-) |
Posted By: Gring
Date Posted: 09 Sep 2015 at 10:05am
| It really doesn't matter because Avidyne has mapped all of the functions to specific keys on a specific keyboard AND relabled the keyboard - See the picture in the keyboard thread. You'll really want the specific keyboard, and I think it will be provided by Avidyne. |
Posted By: chflyer
Date Posted: 09 Sep 2015 at 11:27am
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I agree. The question about a software kb app on a smartphone/tablet is a dead end anyway. It'll never happen for the IFD's and likely never for anything else. ------------- Vince |
Posted By: zman520
Date Posted: 09 Sep 2015 at 1:55pm
| And once FAA-approved one could have two keyboards, each paired to a different IFD440/540? |
Posted By: AviJake
Date Posted: 09 Sep 2015 at 2:32pm
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Yes ------------- Steve Jacobson sjacobson@avidyne.com |
Posted By: Paul
Date Posted: 09 Sep 2015 at 6:54pm
My wife is a Linux developer and I used to work on low level virtual machine code. I'm quite comfortable with insmod. My only problem is that I don't have time to work on such hacks - too many other projects. I'd rather buy a commercial solution than have to roll my own. |